ALASKA BEAGLE RANCH PODCAST E1

 Our first podcast and here are the notes

Alaska Beagle Ranch

Podcast E1

 

In this podcast and ones in the future, we’re going to talk about beagles, beagle history, beagles in Alaska, caretaking your beagle, beagle health and much more. We’ll also talk about present and past beagles at the Alaska Beagle Ranch. The beagles at the ranch are house pets, but we’ll also be talking about hunting with beagles, working with beagles, service beagles and comfort beagles.

***Music***

Good morning, everyone and welcome to the Alaska Beagle Ranch’s first podcast. My name is Dave Dorsey and I manage the ranch located in Wasilla, Alaska. Presently there are 12 beagles and 1 basset living at the ranch. None are up for adoption at this time but keep following for beagles that will be looking for an awesome furever home in the future. Our goal is for every beagle, especially in Alaska, has a happy home. We can be contacted at akbeagleranch@gmail.com

 

Let me tell you something about myself I was raised in Baltimore, Maryland and joined the US Air Force to see the world and I did. I retired in 1994 to stay in Alaska after I fell in love with it. I got my first beagle in 2010. Macy was being rehomed because her humans were moving, and she couldn’t go with them. Macy was 2 years old. This started my love and addiction for beagles. Macy and I moved to Wasilla in 2015 buying a home with a yard big enough for more beagles. It has slowly progressed from there.

 

This podcast is dedicated to Macy.

 

Now let’s talk about beagles in general:

Breed Overview

GROUP: Hound

HEIGHT: 15 inches or less in height at the shoulder, with two varieties: those under 13 inches and those from 13 to 15 inches

WEIGHT: 25 to 33 pounds

COAT: Short

COAT COLOR: Even though the breed standard is a mix of black, brown, and white, Beagles come in all kinds of colors. These include black, lemon, mottled blue, or red.

LIFE SPAN: 10 to 15 years

TEMPERAMENT: Active, companionable, keen, attentive, fearless

HYPOALLERGENIC: No

ORIGIN: England

History of the Beagle

Beagles can be traced back to 16th-century England, where wealthy Englishmen often owned packs of hounds to hunt rabbits. The smaller hounds were the beagles, which were used in hunting rabbits and other small prey. They were also used as gun dogs, flushing game for hunters.

Over time, the breed was developed in England and, later, in North America. Beagles became more refined and widely recognized in North America by the late 19th century, eventually becoming one of the most popular breeds. Though still used in packs for hunting today, beagles are more commonly seen as companion and family dogs. The breed was recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1885.

Snoopy from the Peanuts cartoons is a beagle, reflecting the breed's popularity at the time Charles Schulz began to draw the comic strip in 1950. President Lyndon B. Johnson owned several beagles while in the White House. Today, beagles are used by the US Department of Agriculture for detecting contraband food items in luggage. Many private exterminating companies are using them to detect bed bugs. There are many other working uses for beagles.

Beagle Care

These fearless hounds are well-suited to both hunting and companionship, but they need adequate daily exercise, regular grooming, and proper training. They require human companionship or the companionship of other pets throughout the day. Because beagles get along with other dogs, freestyle running in a properly enclosed dog park can be fun exercise for both of you. (We’ll discuss dog parks in another episode) Beagles instinctively will bay and bark when they detect an interesting scent, but they may also become problem barkers due to boredom or separation anxiety. Training may help.

Exercise

Though they may sometimes act lazy on the surface, beagles have loads of energy and need regular exercise to use it up, even more so than other dogs. Otherwise, the dog may release that mischievous nature inside. Walk your dog once or twice daily and give it plenty of chances to run and play to result in at least a full hour of exercise a day.

Common Health Problems

Responsible breeders strive to maintain the highest breed standards as established by kennel clubs like the AKC. Dogs bred by these standards are less likely to inherit health conditions. However, some hereditary health problems can occur within any breed. In general, beagles are usually healthy dogs. However, they can still develop health conditions. The following are some conditions to watch for:

·         Epilepsy: A neurological disease that causes seizures

·         Hypothyroidism: A condition caused by insufficient thyroid hormones

·         Intervertebral Disc Disease: A condition that occurs when the discs between vertebrae bulge and press on nerves

·         Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): A genetic disease characterized by the bilateral degeneration of the retina.

We’ll discuss these health problems in a future episode.

Diet and Nutrition

Beagles love to eat and are notorious for detecting, raiding, and eating anything they can find. You should provide two meals a day of up to 3/4 cup of dry dog food per meal. The amount will vary by the dog's size, age, activity level, and other factors. Keep the dog food and your human food well-secured against this hungry canine. Because of their omnivorous appetites, you will have to monitor your dog's weight and take action if you see it is becoming overweight. Discuss your dog's needs with your veterinarian to get recommendations for the right food, feeding schedule, and amount. Beagles are notorious for raiding the pantry. If you own a Beagle, you should store edibles far from its reach.

Beagles can put on weight quickly if they’re overfed or don’t get enough exercise. A healthy beagle is athletic, muscular, and strong despite a short stature.

 

Popular questions I’m asked:

 

1.   Are beagles aggressive?

·        In general, no. But, like most animals, there are certain circumstances when they can be

a)   When they are eating

b)   When they don’t feel well

c)   Protecting toys

d)   Jealousy

e)   Feel pain

***Talk about Shiloh – food obsessed  - biting because of pain***

 

2.   Are Beagles aggressive to other dogs?

 

Beagles are not aggressive dogs. The only time they become confrontational is if they feel like their dominance is threatened and there is a need to protect their territory. Your beagle can also act aggressively towards other dogs out of fear and pain.

For more information on aggression in beagles, go to thesmartcanine.com

 

3.   All their tails have white tips.

As hunting dogs, it was handy for the huntsman to be able to spot his dog in tall grass. So, they deliberately bred together Beagle hounds with white tail tips. Now all Beagle dogs have white tipped tails…even if it’s just a few white hairs.

 

4.   I had a beagle when I was growing up. My dad or granddad had a beagle.

 

The Beagle has ranked consistently in the top 10 most popular breeds in the United States for the past 30 years.

 

Sadly, Beagles are one of the most common dogs used for animal testing. In 2014, the state of Minnesota became the first to pass the “Beagle Freedom Bill” for dogs in research laboratories. Recently 4,000 beagles were rescued from a breeding facility in Virginia.  Envigo were breeding beagles to sell for animal experimentation. Happily, they were placed in animal rescues all over the lower 48 states for adoption.

 

BEAGLE SPOTLIGHT

I mentioned Macy earlier in the podcast. She was my first beagle. I had decided after I was single again, that it was time to get a dog. I always had large dogs in the past like Doberman’s and labs. I wanted something smaller because I lived in a duplex in Anchorage. I went to a local coffee shop and Macy’s picture was on their bulletin board. It had her photo, a short bio and a strip of phone numbers to take one to call. I took the first one and called as soon as I got back in my truck.

I met the owners a short time later. Macy and I went for a walk and when we got back, she jumped in my truck. I looked at the lady and said that I think she’s going with me. Later on, a good friend took a photo of Macy with her head out of the back window of my truck and called it “Driving Miss Macy”.

Macy is the sweetest beagle I’ve ever met. We’ve been through it all together to include medical issues, moving, camping trips, you name it. I say she picked the house I bought because we looked at many, but this was the only one she pooped in the yard.

Macy does have epilepsy. She gets her phenobarbital twice a day. We now have her seizures under control. At one time they were 2-3 a week. I believe I can count on one hand how many she’s had this year, and they are a lot milder than they were at the start.

I got sick and was in the hospital for a week. After I came back home, taking her for walks is what helped me get my strength back

Her immune system failed about 7 years ago. We couldn’t figure out why. I thought I was going to lose her. Things stared to turn around. I got pictures of me feeding her on my kitchen counter. What ever it took, she got it.

She’s 12 years old now and showing the mature beagle white face. She still barks and bays at whatever threatens the Beagle Ranch. She’s the queen of the house and first in line for treats. She’s mellow, stubborn, a bed hog and jumps in my lap only when she wants to. She’s my Macy gal.

Rescue dogs are awesome. Check out an animal shelter or local rescue today.

Thank you for listening to the Alaska Beagle Ranch podcast. You can find our notes on our blog at akbeagleranch.blogspot.com. If you know someone who is looking to get a beagle, please share our podcast with them. If you have any questions about beagles and if they are right for you, email me at akbeagleranch@gmail.com Be sure to like and subscribe.