DogPlay


There have always been dogs in my life.
When I lived in a the remote Appalachians (from log cabin to beloved old farmhouse), I took the place of the non-existent animal shelter, and naturally we had our own pack as well. Those days were heavily populated with hounds, including Camo (an astonishingly sweet and dorky Leopard Cur), a number of Redbones, and of course Strider the Blue Tick mix Wonder Hound.
Then I was in the suburbs long enough to gravitate to my sweet Cardigan Welsh Corgis: an extremely personable breed that fits big dog brains and behavior into sturdy little packages. Besides, how can anyone resist those ears?
However, given the freedom of space and rural living out in the southwest high desert--mountains again, albeit totally different ones!--I've found my way home to the hounds again. Now it's Beagles, and boy are we having a good time!
My dogs all have CGCs (Canine Good Citizen certification), and since '02 we've played in agility competition, with obedience, rally, and tracking all in the mix. In the training and competition, I see them come alive...and the time I spend with them makes me come alive, too.
Here they are!
There's also a Photo Gallery! (still in legacy design)
MACH2 Albedo's Charter Member VCD2 PCDX BN GN RM2 RAE2 TDX MXS MJG XF T2B CA BCAT CGC (9/18/09) joined the pack in the summer of '10 at age 10 months. D'Artagnan (Dart!) is full of brilliance and sass, with a huge dash of ever-youthful evile. He's been diagnosed with a neuro-oddity that makes him an ongoing handful, and he bears the affectionate nickname of Ginger Beast. He can be eye-poppingly bad...and stunningly good. We hope for the latter and expect the former! Dart has been on a number of top ten lists, including #1 obedience Beagle during the year he earned his PCDX & CDX.
The titles = Master Agility Championx2 [DOG NAME], Versatile Companion Dog 2 (including Tracking Dog & Open Obedience), Preferred Open Obedience, Beginner Novice Obedience, Grad Novice Obedience, Rally Master2,
Tracking Dog Excellent, Masters Agility Silver and Masters Agility Jumpers Gold, Excellent FAST Agility, Time2Beat Agility, Coursing Aptitude, Fast Coursing Aptitude, and Canine Good Citizen
CH CT MACH3 RACH Albedo's Song Of Self VCD3 [UD, VST] BN RM RAE MXG MJG MXF T2B2 BCAT CGC TKA (11/4/14) is Dart's nephew; his name is an homage to Connery and his various delightful songs of self. In a desert of trialing opportunities, Tristan sped through his early titles to earn his VCD2 as a 2-year-old, followed close on by his breed championship and onward; he's currently the only breed champion VCD3 Beagle in the nation. We're just waiting to see what comes next! (Whatever it is, it's been greatly delayed by COVID-19)
The titles = Breed Champion, Champion Tracker, Master Agility Championx3, Rally Champion, [DOG NAME] Versatile Companion Dogx2 (including Utility Dog Obedience and Variable Surface Tracking), Beginner Novice Obedience, Rally MasterX2, Rally Advanced Excellentx2, Masters Agility and Masters Agility Jumpers Gold, Master FAST Agility, Time2Beat Agilityx2, Fast Coursing Aptitude, Canine Good Citizen, and Trick Dog Advanced.
CH Luvbug Copper Rose More Than Feeling RN CGC (7/1/11) -- After retiring from the breed ring and motherhood, Alice was ready to be a Couch Princess to a small pack, and the Blue Hound Beagles badly needed just that. Alice walked into the house (2016) and stole everyone's heart! She started with family hospice visits and moved on to earn her CGC and then her rally novice. She giggles a lot!
The titles = Breed Champion [DOG NAME] Rally Novice, Canine Good Citizen
CH Copper Rose Albedo Hear Me Roar VCD1 CD BN RE TD NA NAJ CGC TKI (9/6/19) -- Lannister Beagle is at the front end of his journey, and would have begun showing just as COVID-19 restrictions slammed down the year; opportunity has been much delayed since then. He's in training for tracking, obedience, and agility. He earned his (COVID-Virtual) Trick Dog and Rally Obedience titles at 7 months and is gaining confidence by the moment.
The titles = Breed Champion [DOG NAME] Versatile Companion Dog1, Novice Obedience, Beginner Novice Obedience, Rally Excellent, Tracking Dog, Novice Agility, Novice Agility Jumpers, Canine Good Citizen, Trick Dog Intermediate
Agent Lokavi Whatever It Takes BN RA TD CGC(8/31/20) -- Ronin Beagle is the baby of the family,and is our first and only red & white. He's a little hoarding dragon of a dog so full of personality and opinion that sometimes he scares us just a little bit. In a good way!
Ronin is in training for all the things, and is coming along in his deliberate, cheerful way.
The titles = [DOG NAME] Beginner Novice Obedience, Rally Advanced, Tracking Dog, Canine Good Citizen
Dogs Still Beloved:
The Highlights
Hounds
Strider was the dog of my heart. He came to me as an orphan, only four days old. His mother was a Beagle, his father a Blue Tick. He grew up sturdy and handsome, with lanky hound legs and a nose that wouldn't quit. He inspired my Blue Hound Visions business name--a moniker that covers writing, webwork, and artwork. He was my WonderHound, and you can read more about him if you'd like. (1984-1998)
