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I Miss Them
          A lot has been written about puppies and different ways to care for them, I've had people from all walks of life that's given me their way of raising a beagle pup and how they make them into a rabbit dog. First, I will mention that I raise HUNTING beagles and I like to run a pack of at least five hounds, that means you need to have control over them and handling is as big a factor as running ability. I breed for a big strong nose and brains. What good is a big nose on four legs without a brain to control its mouth.
          I have a bench out by my kennel that I spend quite a bit of time sitting on while bonding with my dogs. While I was sitting there I couldn't help myself for feeling sad. You see the day before everyone came and picked up their new puppies, I found myself missing the little things. Here at Snowman's' Beagles we handle our puppies everyday and a lot of days they get handled three and four times a day. I believe that you can't over handle a pup, but you sure can under handle a pup. Especially a hunting dog. I've been out hunting with different guys that I swear their dogs never knew their names and the hounds acted like their owner was a stranger. I'd always ask them if they ever handled the dog as a puppy? They would say " no because you're not suppose to, It will take the hunt out of them." I say that you can't take out of them what's bred into them! I had one guy tell me that you can't touch a puppy until their eyes were open. Heck at three days old I worm my puppies and take off their dew claws.
          I've had lots of help this year with both litters of puppies. My mother and her neighbors have come to the kennel nearly every day to help with the mid day feedings and to play with the pups. I buy little stuffed toys and leave them out for the puppies to find and play with, so after seeing the toys in our yard, my mother's neighbor kids brought some of their own to give to the growing puppies. Thanks kids!
          Things that I do to give our pups that extra care are:
          (1) I feed the mother 1/3 can of ensure everyday until the puppies start eating at about 3 ½ weeks of age. At this time I soak up bread and give it to the puppies and what they don't eat the mother gets to finish. From bread I next soak up puppy chow with ensure in it. You would not believe how great a puppy's body and brain matures with good feed. Remember a puppy's mind is growing as fast as its body development.
          (2) I use NEMEX-2 to worm my puppies at 3 days old then at 3,4,5,6,8,10 weeks old. Worm the mother every two weeks while nursing and two weeks after because she is eating a lot of puppy poop doing her job taking care of her pups, so please take care of her.
          (3) Shots: I give the first shot at six weeks old and I give the second shot at eight weeks old. I don't let a puppy leave without its second shot!
        (4) I play little games with my puppies when they're around six weeks old. Before the evening feeding I will at times let the puppies out of the pen to play. While they are busy playing and not watching me, I will throw a small handful of peanut butter Ritz crackers out in the yard, up wind from where they are playing and watch for their little noses to start working. What I'm watching for is not just nose power but patience. I'm looking for the pups that keep their nose down and working to find the treats rather than worrying about what its' pack mates are doing. So the games I play at six weeks of age will teach them how to stay settled and to work a check from the inside out faster later on in their life.
          My intention here is not to try and sell a bunch of puppies, but rather to get you out and handle your puppies. Good breeding is only part of the equation. Proper handling is the other part.           I know of too many hunters that let their dogs set in the pen until they're eight months old and never work them. That would be like keeping your child locked up in their room and only feed them until the age of a fourth grader. Look how much they learn by the time they reach the fourth grade; your puppy is no different. They are starving to learn new things. Then the same guy that doesn't work his dog in the yard, over works his dog with a shock collar. Know anyone like that? I think we all do.
          So if you just bought a new pup, handle it, and if you are blessed with a litter of puppies handle them as much as time allows because when they're gone you just might miss them to.

“Snowman”
Rick Snow