Enclosed in this "Puppy Packet" is information that I hope will be helpful to you as you begin your journey with your new beagle. There are copies of articles to give suggestions about crate training and housebreaking as well as articles about behavior and obedience training. Please look these over as I believe they can provide you with invaluable practical help with your new dog.

Also included are two copies of our contract. If you have any questions, please contact me. Plan to bring one signed copy of the contract for me to keep when you come to pick up your beagle. There is also a copy of your beagle’s pedigree, shot and worming record, registration certificate (or application for a registration certificate if your dog has not yet been named and registered with the AKC). When possible, I have also included a picture of your beagle’s dam and sire.

In your contract you are asked to supplement your puppy with vitamin C daily through age 18 months. I believe this to be a great deterrent to the development of bone and joint problems, particularly hip dysplasia. Your supplementary regimen of Ester C (a non-acidic vitamin C available at Walmart) should be as follows:

8 weeks—4 months ½ 250 mg. Tablet once a day in the puppy’s food

4 months—18 months 1 250 mg. Tablet once a day in food

Always feed your beagle a good quality dog food, preferably dry kibble. Some good brands are Purina Pro Plan, Eukanuba, Iams, Science Diet and Nutro. Most of those can be purchased at Petco and Petsmart. Also have treats (dog biscuits) available to help you in training your dog. Treats can be used to teach your dog to get in his crate (toss the biscuit into the crate and praise your dog when he follows it in, using a phrase or word like "Crate" or "get in your bed." Beagles will almost always respond to treats as a training tool. Little puppies should be fed twice a day, from a half cup to a cup each feeding. As your beagle gets older, a cup a day is often enough, though a larger male or female might require two cups. Beagles are very prone to get overweight—don’t let this happen to yours! If you need to cut back, use a little kibble mixed with green beans. Looking down on your dog from above you should see a narrower flank than chest. A full-grown 14 inch tall male shouldn’t weigh more than 27 pounds, probably, and a full-grown 13 inch male should weigh 17-18 pounds.

As your beagle’s breeder, I am available to you always for questions or concerns. Feel free to call me toll-free at 877-817-6767. And I always enjoy and appreciate pictures of your family and your beagle anytime, and hope to be able to post some of these to my webpage in the future.

A beagle should always be a part of your "house family." Left alone in the yard, a beagle will often bark, dig and run away if possible. I also recommend that when you leave the house, you crate your beagle to prevent accidents from happening while you’re away. Same thing at bedtime. As soon as your beagle is old enough, teach it not to "charge" out the front or back door or yard gate. That will save you having to chase your dog around the neighborhood or, worse, the tragedy of a beagle hit by a passing car. Stand with your dog at the door, have someone open the door, and if the dog tries to charge out, have the person slam the door sharply in the dog’s face as you say "NO!" Do this 2-3 times, and eventually, the dog will hesitate a moment before moving forward towards the door. When he hesitates, give him a treat immediately and praise him. Repeat this as necessary until you can trust that your beagle will not charge out the door immediately upon its being opened. Beagles are almost never good off-lead on walks—I recommend a flexi-lead for walks. The lead extends out to as far as 16 feet and can "reel in" to just a couple of feet. You can find these inexpensively at Walmart.

Lastly, I would offer as a suggestion that on a special day, perhaps your beagle’s "Birthday", you consider making a donation to a Beagle Rescue group (see suggested groups below), The Beagle Rescue Foundation of America, http://brfoa.tripod.com/; the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation (see below), or your local SPCA. Contacts and addresses are below

AKCCHF, 251 W. Garfield Rd., Suite 160, Aurora, Ohio 44202-8856 (can also be accessed online through http://www.akcchf.org/

If you would like your donation to specifically benefit the Beagle Epilepsy Research Project, a check should be sent to AKCCHF and on the check designate BERP or Grant # 1729. Information about BERP is available online at http://clubs.akc.org/NBC/epilepsy.htm.

http://www.beagles-on-the-web.com/sos/

http://www.brewbeagles.org/

http://www.colobeaglerescue.org/

http://beagles.snuggas.com/

Thanks so much and

Happy Beagling!

Mildred Austin

Tesoros Beagles

www.htcomp.net/tesorosbeagles

tesoros@htcomp.net

PO Box 1401

Glen Rose, TX 76043

877-817-6767