After our beloved Balkis (foxhound, shepherd and beagle! mix) passed away in May 2003, my husband Mark and I thought long and hard about the next canine addition to our family.  We knew we wanted to adopt through a rescue group as there are so many wonderful dogs that are in need of loving homes.  After some research and much time spent on the internet, we decided that the physical as well as personality traits of a beagle were perfect for us.  It didn’t hurt that the breed is just too darn cute!  One comment that Mark always used to make while Balkis was alive was that since she was so much fun, wouldn’t two of her have been even better?  Of course!  So, we agreed that we would try to adopt a pair of beagles.

We contacted SOS Beagle Rescue and found out in July that our application had been approved and that there were two female beagle mixes from Tennessee awaiting us!  Not much was available on their background.  What we did know is that they were neglected by their owner who hadn’t even given them names.  They had lived in poor conditions – a dirty barn that at one point had flooded during severe weather resulting in the death of one of their pack mates.  They were underweight and being treated for heartworm.  They were mother and daughter, or perhaps sisters, or maybe just friends.  One appeared more dominant and the other more submissive.  They were anywhere from 1 and ½ to 3 years old.  They didn’t seem to be very vocal or active.  One thing that we did find out for certain was that the based on their time in foster care, it was strongly desired that they not be separated and be adopted together!  And, they seemed from their descriptions (and photos) to be just the dogs for us!

We decided in advance to name them Lucy and Sally -  the female characters from the comic strip Peanuts in honor of everyone’s favorite beagle, Snoopy.  We prepared our home for their arrival – two of everything – beds, crates, bowls, toys, treats, etc.  Our family and friends were very generous in sending many gifts to welcome “the girls.”  We picked them up in New Jersey on a cloudy August morning.  Sally, the more dominant one (so we thought), emerged first.  She let us play with her a bit, but not too much.  Lucy, the submissive one (again, so we thought!), then was presented to us, but was much more nervous and aloof.  We thought their comic strip character names really didn’t match their personalities, but time would soon prove us wrong!

After the paperwork was completed, we ventured back to settle in at home.  At first, Lucy and Sally seemed frightened, but soon became trusting of us.  We soon found out that they love to frolic with each other.  They would “run laps,” chasing each other around the coffee table in our family room.  They would then sleep – a lot – and always wrapped around each other or with at least one body part touching one of the other.  And remember the part about two beds?  Well, most of the time, they use only one!  They truly were inseparable.

Now, it hasn’t always been a bed of roses.  There was housebreaking that needed to be done and some puppy-type behavior like sock stealing and paper shredding.  (Remember, they never did get to live like real dogs should, so they had some catching up to do.)  They also needed to learn to be more trusting around people.  We decided that a little help couldn’t hurt.  We contacted a local trainer for assistance in this area.  We were informed that we needed to be more firm in our approach to them and their socialization.  In our attempts to be very gentle around them, we actually were encouraging their timid behavior.  The trainer also recommended that each receive individualized attention so that they weren’t so reliant on each other.  While they didn’t seem to like this at first, we saw significant improvement in the confidence levels of each dog once we started this.    Finally, we were surprised to learn that Lucy, not Sally, was the dominant one.  Apparently Lucy would send Sally out to do all of her dirty work in exploring new situations, thus giving the appearance that Sally was the more assertive one.  This is no longer the case--Lucy has shown her true colors, looking for all of our attention, even pushing Sally to the side!  (Their names do indeed fit now!)  In a matter of only two sessions, we had a much better understanding of our dogs and had built the basis for a very successful future.

Our days are now filled with the antics of two happy and loving companion animals.  They walk side by side in tandem with their noses to the ground in true beagle fashion during our strolls around the neighborhood.  They keep each other company when we are at work.  They play tug of war and wrestle and even clean each others ears before collapsing from “exhaustion” for a few hours from their very “demanding” existence.  While they are individual dogs and are treated as such, they will never lose that special bond that they share.  Why it is so strong remains a mystery to us (although we are certain that their sad past has played a key role), but it is truly fascinating.  It also has resulted in quite a number of adorable photo opportunities.  We are happy to be providing them the life they deserve….together.  They are thriving, wonderful friends to each other, and us!  So, consider the idea of adopting a pair of beagles – you won’t regret it!