30 Oct
Beagles, with their famed even keeled temperament and renowned devotion to their owners and other humans, have long been valued as a pet for children. However, the beagles’ unique demeanor makes this breed suitable not only for families with small children, but also as excellent companion animals for the infirm or elderly. Throughout the country, but primarily in the south and southwestern regions where large communities of senior citizens are located beagles as well as other breeds of dogs or even cats are being used in long term care facilities and also in outpatient treatment or in elderly homes or even hospices.
Something of a “new age” phenomenon that has been embraced by mainstream medicine and culture, the idea of companion animals stems from the notion that the companionship these animals provide bestows health benefits upon the human in the relationship – these benefits being manifested both physically and emotionally.
Because beagle are naturally gregarious dogs that not only enjoy but need and actively seek out human contact they would no doubt be well suited for life as a companion animal. As someone who grew up in a house with several dogs I can attest to the positive effects these animals can have an individual of any age. While I never owned or had any direct contact with beagles, I can only imagine that – if all the fabled stories are true – that the beagle is a shining example of the positive aspects and benefits companion animals can bring to a human-dog relationship.
20 Oct
When I was ten years old I heard a rumor during recess that a kid in our grade – we’ll call him Greg – had a fish tank he was trying to sell on behalf of his father. The tank was octagon in shape and could hold 150 gallons worth of water. As soon as I heard about the deal I knew I would have to snatch it up as it was going for only 65 dollars – the exact amount I had saved up after several months of allowance and the occasional visit from my grandfather. At the time , being a lover of nature and the outdoors, I had big plans for such a tank and upon getting the tank home I set out to make those plans a reality.
Basically, I was going to build a mini pond in my living room as I used the fish tank to recreate the ecosystem found in my New England town. I filled up three quarters of the tank with water, but not without first installing gravel, plants, and an elaborate stacking of sticks and stones to create land above the water for some of the tanks planned inhabitants.
As for those inhabitants, I went out to the pond behind my house and caught several critters for the tank. I brought home a small largemouth bass, two baby turtles and a fresh water eel, as well as several mini frogs, toads, and tadpoles. When I got them home, all the little animals and fish were deposited into their new home where, over the next several weeks, they began to live in harmony in their little ecosystem – so long as I regularly provided them with food in the form of crickets and guppies.
13 Oct
Beagles are a popular and medium sized breed of dog, comprising a spot on the hound branch of the domesticated canine family tree. Similar in appearance to the fox hound, the beagle is likewise a scent hound and was originally bred in Great Britain in the 1830s for the primary purpose of training small field game such as wild hare or rabbits. Their excellent scent of smell allowed these treasured working animals to lead their master/hunter to the hiding places of these small hunted creatures.
Thanks to their even keeled temperament and their patience around children and others, beagles have long been favored and cherished pets as well as working animals. While somewhat shy around strangers, these pets can be easily won over and are playful, “merry” animals when in a position of trust. As pack animals who crave and demand attentions, beagles often suffer separation anxiety and as such, they only make ideal pets for those individuals or families that are willing to put in the time and effort that raising such a social breed as a beagle demands.
In addition, this versatile canine has also been a longstanding and popular participant in the annual Westminster’s Kennel Club. With a beautiful and varied coat (although most often, beagles are tri-colored being white with large brown and black spots) these popular dogs have been the regular recipient of the Best of Show distinction and, as a further testament to the beagle’s popularity, the breed has remained in the top 10 most popular in the United States for the past 30 years.
