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There were others, but these were the best.

Not only do I love Summer, but my husband does too.

I was warned she misbehaved, she was loud, and she didn't like her nails done.  Oh, she climbs on tables.

She does climb on tables, so does Macy and Dulce.  As for behavior, not any more than any other puppy.

She IS loud. We're working on that. 

She is very attached to me and likes my husband.  That means I have to go to upstairs when she goes to bed, but I had to do that for a while with Jamie.  She was vey loud this morning and very loud when I tried to take her to yoga.

Oh, and she is better than Macy at nails.

She retired from taking classes in July but I knew I wanted to bring her to the NBC National Speciality.

She ran well but slow and I think she enjoyed the trip.She will be 12 in January and she has been to two National Specialities. 

She reminds everyone of Ben and they like her size. She is only 12" tall. 

Well, the biggest reason is Jamie's size And the fact he is a boy. 

In thirty years of beagles, we have had 2 15" beagles and only one boy.  In the last week he has been too heavy to lift, a big problem when you are showing a table breed.  And three different times this weekend he ripped the leash off my arm.  I have a bruised, rope burned arm to prove it.  And a few cuts.

It was frightening enough but the agility harpies had to screech at me.  Something had scared him and nothing I taught him worked.  We went back to the Tiny House and worked on things but the damage was done. I lost all trust in him.  

On the other hand, my breeder has complained about Summer, every time I have been around her. However those are behaviors I am used to and either don't mind or can fix in a hurry.  Monday, I said, if she makes you that crazy why don't we swap dogs.

This morning she came to me and told me we're swapping, and we did it after breed judging.

I was a bit afraid of traveling with a new dog, but off we went.  This is how I like to introduce new dogs away.  Sit the, together for a few hours and introduce them slowly.

And a round of crate games fixed the barking in the crate.

We are going to coolness so we can take turns in showing her in the class we like, me, owner handler, her bred by.

A gentleman came up to our table today and gave Dulce the best compliment ever.  

He said he travels a lot and that she is definitely the real deal. Seems he gets tired of all the fake service and emotional support dogs.

Made my week!

I’ve been upset with myself because I made a poor decision regarding Dulce and agility.  I decided both dogs were only getting food off the course.

Well, it completely shut down Dulce to the point she didn’t want to do agility any more.

We didn’t make any progress, even when I put the food back in my pocket at our regular training place. 

A lady I’ve known for years started teaching agility at her home, with a really nice field.  She changed my approach with Dulce and it’s taken months, but yesterday at her Obsession sessions, Dulce was into agility all day.  I lost her every once in a while, but it was in the same places the other dogs got lost.  We never did figure out why.

We ran the Novice/Starter course 3 times, and the Advanced course 2 times.  They were tough courses much harder than we’ll see at the National Beagle Specialty.  Even the Novice/Starter course had lots of backsides.

I’ve learned something important – I have to have a verbal party just about every obstacle.  Which is different because my dogs have always run better when I was as quiet as possible, they wanted me just to call the obstacles.

She doesn’t like to run agility when it’s hot or even sunny.  But maybe we can change that.

Jamie is doing great.  A little over three months old (born last weekend in April).

He’s great socially.  Only thing he doesn’t like is the elevator at Nordstrom’s.  A little trouble with submission urination but that person was really over the top.

Skills:  goes up and down stairs.  Down stairs was the hardest and we still carry him a lot. 

Will go into a crate when told.

Can go in and out the dog door – in was hardest.

Will drop things when told.

Has stopped biting everyone when he first greets them, but can get nippy when over stimulated.

Stands on table and lets me examine him – will start working with others this weekend.

Walks on a leash fairly well.  Learning not to walk under people’s feet.

Hand touch on command.  Sit on command, working on stand and on mat.

Not bad.

Last night, at Macy’s last agility class (which I should post about), I took the whole gang, including Jamie.

I had him on leash on one of her tie outs and several times from a distance I called his name.  His time, he reacted, and I was able to give him a treat.

He also has the hand touch down.

I also stack him and go over him each day, though he needs more work on that.  I want some of that on cue.

He is 12 1/2 weeks now and gets his last set of puppy shots next week.

I hijacked a Gary Wilkes thread, and since I am currently training my first beagle puppy in years, this is a good time to make this it’s own discussion.

Gary Wilkes was instrumental in solving a training problem I was having.  I just learned clicker training, had a new puppy at the time – Marcie (Bettner’s Byte of Magic,  AX OAJ AXP AJP ) and Patty (UCDX Weaver’s Peppermint Patty, UD).

I could not figure out how I could train any other dog in one training section, but couldn’t get Marcie to learn something very fast.  He summed it up – in order to hunt, they have to rely on random behavior.   Since I’m a computer scientist, I sum it up as “Beagles are the ultimate random number generator.”

I’m seeing the same issue with Jamie (Tesoros Hunt the Moon).  My agility instructor seemed a bit dismayed that he hadn’t learned many tricks since I got him. 

BUT, I have been focusing on getting him not to bite – and he rarely does not, and didn’t bite her this time – though he had every other week he’s seen her.

I have also been focusing on conformation behavior.  Stand on a table, let mom pose you and let mom examine your butt and mouth.

We can’t do much leash behavior, he hasn’t had his shots yet, and it’s HOT in Texas.  There isn’t room in my house at the moment.

He is learning hand touch.  Teaching that is interesting.  I train him in his playpen, and it’s put hand in area, click when he touches it.  But in between clicks, it’s wander around EVERYWHERE but my hand.

He did that behavior in front of her.  He is also learning his name, though I suspect all the beagles alert to any beagle in the houeshold’s name.  Also they alert to beagle, as in “I need beagles”.

Again, that randomness gets in the way.  It’s never – oh, I got click and treat for what I did a moment ago.  It’s “let me try a different behavior and see if I get clicked for that’'.  So it’s a LONG time. Especially in comparison to working with a breed that was bred to be trained. 

Any suggestions beside, be patient?

We were doing good coming home, until I finished at Petsmart.  I needed a collar and leash that would fit him and had no idea what size he was. 

When I finished the transaction, I put him in my Sherba bag.  Got to the car and reached in and pulled out a damp puppy with puppy poop on him.

He cleaned up quicker that my shirt (it’s still in the laundry).  And the bag.

Popped him into a cage after he got home so I could do some work.  Yep, wet cage.

But finally, a few minutes ago he woke up, got him outside and he went in the yard and I had a chance to praise him.

He doesn’t mind the crate, but like all Tesoros beagles, he doesn’t like it when he isn’t the center of attention.

But best of all, he likes me

When I first met him, he wanted back with his brothers for a few minutes but then he decided he wanted to be with me more. 

And he really likes to chew on soft toys.  But so do the other Tesoros.