by Laura Farnsworth

Created on: February 11, 2009

Memories: For the love of a Beagle Pup

New life always makes me smile and brings tears of joy to my eyes. I love to watch babies being born whether it is pups, kittens, calves, colts, lambs, or kids(goat babies for you city slickers). It amazes me to watch moms bring their babies into the world and breathe life into them. I raised dogs for a few years and always wanted to be there for the birth of the litters. More than one litter has or was born in my bathroom and more than once I've held a wet puppy, gasping for its first breath.

I've held puppies just minutes old or dried them while mom was taking care of getting the rest here. I've also held them as they took that final breath and tears slipped down my face. I have bottle fed pups that mom wouldn't feed or couldn't feed, keeping clean blankets and sheets in crates so they would stay warm and dry and keeping mom fed so that the babies didn't starve. That is all part of the circle of life when raising dogs.

Beagles are my favorite breed. At one time, I had nineteen adults and thirty-nine puppies, all of which went to good homes. My first litter was born on March 16th, 2002. The momma beagle, Duchess was beautiful! She had the perfect eyeliner. When we went to look at her as a possible purchase, at six weeks, she picked my daughter out, not the other way around. Our male, Dipstick, became Alpha male as soon as he entered our home at eight weeks. He barked twice and both of the females became submissive at his bark. Their litter consisted of five puppies, three males and two females. There were two chocolate, tri-colored pups, and three traditional tri-colored pups. We lost one out of that litter. He got hung in the covers and Duchess bit down too hard to get him out and there was no way to save him. I rushed him to the vets, but he died later that night. Duchess was not the best mother I've ever had over the years, because once she weaned her puppies, she was done with them. I just found Duchess a new home in the last three months. She was eight, and had been sold before and I bought her back because they were using her as a brood dam, and not letting her have time off. It aged her beyond her years. I really hated to see her go as I did with all my dogs. I cried as soon as the man took her even though I know she is being well taken care of and has rule of the roost. She was a one person dog. Every time I think about having to get rid of my dogs, I get nauseous. They were all fine dogs with excellent markings. I've had many litters born over the last 7 years and look forward to having that opportunity again. I do know this, that in the very near future, I will have dogs again and no one will take them away from me again.

I loved all my dogs and nothing made me happier than holding puppies just a few minutes old, or a ten day old pup, when they were just starting to open their eyes and they would make little growling noises. Nothing made me happier than watching them learning to climb steps or go in and out a doggie door. There is nothing more fun than sitting in the floor when they are from four to six weeks old and they steal your shoes and you have to chase it and them down the hall, or when playing with an empty paper towel roller becomes tug a war. It makes my heart happy all the way through.

I miss that, but it won't be long and I will be giving people and kids forever friends again.

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