Julie Wright taught me something very important. You have to tell the story. I cried most oaf the day on the first day of agility because of Julie, and I cry every time I think of her.
When I started writing the website for the American Beagle Relief Fund, I was very upset over the URL of the website. ambrn was very hard to type and even harder to read correctly, but she said it had to be that, it was because of a dog named Amber and that Amber wasn't a beagle. She told me that she would tell me the rest of the story later.
I don't know the rest of the story, and I'm sad because the board thought I knew the story. And please if anyone knows the rest of the story, please come tell me and I'll put it in this blog.
Everyone who knows me, knows how much I love my beagles. I tell everyone that I married my first beagle. That's true, I dated a lot of young men after I got out of college, and one of my favorites failed his pilot's test (for those who don't know there are three types of pilots, those who fly, those you wash out, and those who fail one of the tests). Richard was the only one with a dog. Snooper hated me, but that's another story.
I grew up loving basinji's. We lived next door to a young couple who had them, and they borrowed my sister and I. I was always busy with my father, so they let her show the puppies. My family doesn't get dogs.
Richard told me that I could my own dog as long as it was a beagle. We went back to Snooper's breeder and got Missy. That breeder guided us on breeder our first litter. And our second. But the owners wouldn't do what we said, and we found out that puppies died because they didn't do what we ask. We kept one of the last, Weaver's Peppermint Patty.
Patty was a very very bad beagle. She was even more naughty than Emma, Emma, bad dog. She would bite us and I couldn't figure out why. Patty was a very tiny, very black beagle. Our hunting beagle breeder called her a blue tick beagle. I don't understand why, another person who didn't tell me the story.
I went to Phillip Marr in Dallas and he taught me how to train dogs. Though his way wasn't the right way, Peppermint Patty learned to be a very good beagle. And she loved me. You see, Snooper hated me because I wouldn't let him eat junk food. Missy liked me too, but she liked her puppies better. Patty was the first beagle who loved me as much as I love dogs and beagles.
Patty is the reason I am a teacher. I loved teaching Patty. I love computers and love all technology, but I loved Patty more. Patty is my first heart dog. Patty is in a box in my bedroom.
When I decided to become a teacher, I asked one of my obedience exhibitor friends advice on being a teacher. She told me to read Karen Pryor's "Don't Shoot the Dog:", first edition.
Because of Patty, I'm a clicker trainer. Because of Patty, I met Karen Pryor, Marian and Bob Bailey. They taught me you could use love to train a beagle. Patty and I went to the Houston specialty because Patty wanted a puppy. I was looking all over the place for a puppy at the time, but we couldn't find one. What I really wanted was a Chardon puppy, but Patty didn't really like them, she really wanted another field beagle. Charles was very kind to Patty, but that wasn't what Patty wanted.
The conformation breeders all scared me. They wouldn't sell me a puppy and I was very hurt. Only two people at that specialty were nice to me. Charles and Donna Kitchell. Charles knew who Patty was, everyone else said she was just a field beagle.
But I love field beagles. And couldn't really like anyone who thought Patty was just a field beagle
I met Mildred at an obedience trial. She loved Patty too, but I don't think she knew who Patty really was.
I got Marcie because Patty wanted a puppy. You see, Patty loved puppies. I'm going to tell Marcie's story too.
I got into police dog training because of a very bad man. I don't tell that story in public, but I've just told a friend what I know. But while the man was bad, he had a good idea and I did a lot of good with that good idea.
There was a police dog that loved Patty, his name is Fonzie. I shared his video. Fonzie was trained by one of the smartest dog trainers I know. I hope to tell that story soon too.
So for those of you who came and watched Patty compete in Obedience, I thank you. Many of you did. Next to Patty's box, there is a bowl. It came from the 1990 National Specialty and she was honored as the NBC Obedience Beagle of the year. I was afraid to come because it hurt me when people said she was just a field beagle.
So know you know why I'm behind the camera and why even though Julie begged me, I wouldn't come. And you know why I keep crying.
And why I'm very friendly and very nice to everyone. Even though so many beagle people aren't smart enough to realize how special field beagles can be.
I also have a very hard time being around anyone who doesn't train with love.
So when see me crying, I'm crying because I wanted to meet Julie but I was scared to.
I'm also very brave when I see people who train with love. So please Mildred, I need Sam to sit with me tomorrow. And please come to the camera to help me honor Julie. And let's laugh and be friends.
I wish I was as brave as Joseph. But I'm not very brave.
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