a pair of tri's

Life is extremely busy right now! So much so, that I haven't even updated about the beagle meetup last weekend! Vada's party was excellent - SO many dogs came out to Urban Dog!! We all had a blast...especially little Vada who was running around like a puppy and enjoying every second. Plus we raised $1,500 to assist with Vada's medical costs...and THAT was the best part!

We took it easy this past weekend. There wasn't much of a choice for us since 30 cm of snow dumped down on us over Friday and Saturday! Yesterday's walk was very funny...three beagles trying to burrow under the snow piles, and me trying not to fall down!

But this was the best part...snuggling on the couch...look at the cute beagles boys!!

look! beagles are today's daily puppy!!

saturday morning

The beagles sure now how to kick back and relax! Albert has been laying like this for over 2 hours! They are getting all of their rest in today, because tomorrow is the beagle meetup at Urban Dog in honour of our lovely rescue girl Vada!! Vada is making a special appearance, and from what I understand, there will be a whole whack of beagles in attendance. I'm very happy that this meetup is inside...it's been FREEZING here this week.

Someone asked me how Albert's house training has been coming along (those of you who've been reading the blog for awhile will remember that he was completely untrained...including house training!)

The answer is that he's doing fantastic! He's at about 98% reliability...and actually, I can't remember the last time he pee'd in the house. He's the kind of guy that has to go when he has to go...but he does let us know and has started to run towards the back door to let us know. We've really tuned into his signals, so that helps.

How did we do it? Consistency and patience. After Albert had his dental surgery (remember? 7 teeth removed!!) his training really turned around for him. We think his teeth were causing him a lot of distress, and once they were fixed he was very focused and eager to learn. Arthur and Stella help out a lot too...Albert's really picked up on their signals.

And to think this poor guy was on death row! A little time and energy and he's pretty close to the perfect dog!

i've not abandoned the blog!!!

Apologies all over the place for my lack of posting! I work for the largest documentary film festival in North America and this is our busiest time of the year. I'm SWAMPED at work! But that doesn't mean the beagles take a back seat! It means, sadly, that the blog does! I have also been developing a brand new website for Big on Beagles, and that has taken up a lot of my spare time. It isn't totally finished, but you can visit us here!

Albert, Arthur and Stella are doing amazingly well. Albert gets more confident, more snuggly and more bossy every single day! He can turn crusty old Stella into a fiesty puppy within seconds, and he and Arthur are best brothers.

The big reminder is for the Beagle Meetup this Sunday!! Given the frigid temperatures in Toronto over the past couple of days, I'm thrilled that this meetup will be indoors at Urban Dog. Details are below...along with a cute photo of Albert sleeping on his 2 bones. He's a total bone-a-holic!!!



WHEN: Sunday, March 2nd, 2008 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm
MEET-UP SPOT: UrbanDog Fitness & Spa!

We're taking it INDOORS this time! Pawing up the volume for Vada at UrbanDog Fitness & Spa! We're asking our members to make a special contribution to help us with Vada's medical costs. Thanks to two dear friends of BIG ON BEAGLES, the rental cost for the play room that day has been completely covered! That means EVERY dollar we receive can go directly to Vada's care! We cannot thank these two individuals enough for their generosity and kindness. On behalf of little Vada, it's appreciated more than you'll ever know! But then again, if Vada is able to attend this party in her honour, she'll make sure you know by covering you with a gazillion kisses!

Come One, Come All and Have a Beagle Ball...for Vada!!!

cute overload!

How cute are Arthur and Stella this fine Saturday morning??? SUPER cute!

Words cannot do justice to the love I feel for my three beagles. If everyone felt that kind of love our world would be a much better place.

more media! marna was quoted in the globe!!

Have no fear, underdog is here

REBECCA DUBE

From Friday's Globe and Mail
February 15, 2008 at 9:08 AM EST

In the dog world, it was Rocky Balboa going the distance against Apollo Creed, Henry V triumphing at Agincourt, and the Giants beating the Patriots - all rolled into one.

When a beagle named Uno became the first of his breed to win the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in its 132-year history, the normally genteel crowd went nuts.

"We have never had a reaction like this," said USA Network announcer David Frei, who's done wag-by-wag commentary on the show for 18 years, as the audience gave Uno a standing ovation. The humble beagle's victory over perfectly coiffed poodles this week reverberated far beyond the usual wet-nose crowd.

It marked a triumph for the underdog, the rise of a four-legged people's champion, and perhaps a permanent shift in the dog show world.

"It's the greatest thing that could have happened to the Westminster Kennel Club," Mr. Frei told the Today show, before taking Uno to meet Martha Stewart (who even allowed the charming canine to walk on her countertop). "These are real dogs and real people, and what more of a real dog can you have than a beagle?"

Beagle breeder and handler Allison Foley of Nova Scotia wholeheartedly agrees.

"A lot of [past] winners have been these big, hairy, glamorous breeds," she explained. "With the beagle being best in show, people may say, 'Wow, just a plain old dog can be best in show.' "

And as we humans can't resist projecting our own dreams and desires onto our furry friends, Uno's win gives hope to everyone who's ever felt ordinary compared with those "fancy, pretty" types.

Ms. Foley enjoyed secondhand celebrity at Westminster. Her 15-inch beagle, Ella, won a merit award at the New York show, while 13-inch beagle Lil Ed won best of breed. Everywhere she went with her beagles, she said, people would ask, "Is that Uno?"

Dogs in Canada editor-in-chief Kelly Caldwell said even though the sprightly beagle quickly captured the crowd's heart, his victory was far from certain: Not only had a beagle never won Westminster, no beagle had won its group there since 1928 - in dog years, that's a 560-year losing streak.

Ms. Caldwell, who attended the show in New York, heard that bookies were calling this the year of the poodle, while others said the Sealyham terrier was a lock after winning the American Kennel Club/Eukanuba show. But the beagle outshone them all.

"Every time that dog barked the crowd responded," she said. "I've never seen a crowd cheer on a dog like that."

In the past, Westminster wins have spurred public interest in little-known breeds, such as the Kerry blue terrier, which won in 2003, or the papillon in 1999. But because beagles are already a popular pet, they probably won't experience a similar boost from Uno's fame. The beagle ranks 11th in popularity according to the Canadian Kennel Club and scratches its way up to fifth in the American Kennel Club rankings.

From Snoopy to Underdog, beagles are no stranger to the spotlight. They're favourites in Hollywood - and unfortunately for them, among medical researchers - because of their docile nature and their willingness to do anything for food. Though they can be stubborn, their sweet temperament makes them great pets - and it doesn't hurt that they're doggone adorable.

Marna Gale, who runs a rescue organization called Big on Beagles in Toronto, said she hopes Uno's newfound fame makes it easier to find good homes for the 10 dogs she now has in foster homes, some of whom have special medical needs.

"I think it's wonderful. It's a furry feather in our cap," she said. Of course, she predicted, "the poodle people will have their noses out of joint."

Her beagles at home watched Uno win best his group on television, and they seemed pleased but not surprised - beagles generally don't lack for self-esteem, she said. "They are stars in their own minds."