History: Mrs. B had been married for 40 years. Approximately two weeks before her husband’s death, he had purchased a female beagle puppy. Because of the trauma of the loss and the ensuing funeral and financial arrangements, the puppy had not received much attention, and by six months of age had become a dynamo. This lady was in her 70s and physically unable to cope with such a strong-willed, active dog.

Her conversation with me told me she was very emotionally attached to this puppy, primarily because her late husband had selected it from the litter and had been so fond of it. She said she thought she would feel guilty if she placed the dog in another home. As the dog had become more and more of a problem, she talked with her daughter (for whom I had trained a cocker spaniel), and they decided I should come over and discuss the mother’s options at this point.

Mother: "You know, Kay, I’ve been thinking she’s really too much for me to handle. I was just wondering if you could take the dog for a week and get her all trained and then bring her back."

Me: "I do only a house-call business, but even so, I don’t consider one week sufficient to train a six-month old beagle in all the things it should know. I feel it’s important to train the owner; almost as important as training the dog."

Mother: "Well, I know she’s smart because she does everything I tell her, except when there are people or dogs or cats around."

Me: "Exactly, and that’s when you need her to behave the most! By the way, where did you get this puppy and have you ever had a beagle before?"

Mother: "Well, we saw an ad in the classifieds and these people had the mother and father, but they weren’t breeders or anything. No, I’ve never had a beagle before, but my father-in-law did years ago."

Me: "OK, but now you’re the sole owner and don’t have your husband here to work with her. Your husband made a choice of breed that was probably appropriate for him, but not what you would have chosen for yourself."

Mother: "Yes, you’re right. You know, she digs a lot and barks and her nose is always on the ground when we go for a walk."

Daughter: "This dog goes full speed all day long, and I think she wears my mother out."

Me: "I’m going to give you a hypothetical situation. You call me and tell me your 70-year old mother lives in a retirement village in a small mobile home with a tiny, beautifully landscaped yard, and you’d like advice on what breed of dog you should buy for her. If I had answered, ‘Your mother needs a good hunting dog,’ would you think I was giving you very good advice?"

Daughter: "Definitely not."

Me: "Well, this is a marvelous hunting dog, a dog that’s been bred for years to run, track game, and bark. You are considering this dog’s normal behavior as abnormal and problematic behavior. She is acting like a beagle. She’s housebroken, polite, and not destructive; however, she does love to run, bark, dig, etc. In all fairness to both of you, don’t you think she would be happier with more room, children to play with, and a less restrictive lifestyle? I really think you would be more content with a less athletic dog, one that is specifically bred to be a quiet house pet and companion."

Daughter: "I think the reason mother doesn’t want to get rid of the dog is out of guilt because my dad wanted it."

Me: "Not only are you unhappy in this situation, but the dog is beginning to act as though it’s unhappy. We have to think of the dog’s frame of mind, too."

Mother: "She really isn’t what I wanted, but my husband had his heart set on a beagle."

Me: "It’s time for you now. What do you want from a dog?"

Mother: "I want a dog that will lie in my lap while I read or watch TV, a quiet indoor dog. One that will sleep with me."

Me: "My suggestion to you is to contact the list of breeders of several small breeds of dogs that are bred to be what you are looking for. Many times, these people have dogs that are no longer being shown or bred and need good homes. Breeders’ dogs are usually well socialized and love getting individual attention and love. They are mature and past puppy behavioral problems."

Daughter: "I think that’s excellent advice."

Mother: "But I don’t really care about having a show dog."

Me: "Have your previous dogs had eye or hip problems?"

Mother: "Oh, yes, our last dog had hip problems."

Me: "If you can get one of these breeder dogs, it has already been checked for health problems and hereditary problems or it wouldn’t have been kept for breeding or for show purposes. You avoid the guesswork encountered when buying a puppy."

Mother: "You know, I think I will give these people a call and see if they have a dog that might be right for me."

Mrs. B ended up getting a lovely little poodle that was retired from the show life. At last report, they were enjoying each other immensely.

The young beagle was placed in a home with three young boys and a large yard. They haven’t quit running and playing yet.