New Jersey Beagles Adoption Stories
It is so hard to finally make the decision to part with one of our adult dogs. They're so special to us and so much a part of our family and lives. One thing that makes saying "So long," not "Good bye"a little easier is knowing that we put just as much care into placing our adoptive beagles as we do our puppies. Knowing that they're going to the best homes possible always makes their last walk up the driveway and into their new family car a little easier for me.
I have to thank every single family who has adopted one of our adult beagles for staying in touch with me through photos and email, or even visiting us or participating in our beagle reunions, thus allowing me to still stay involved in their dogs life. You'll never know how happy you have made me.
Some people say to me, "Terry, I don't know how you are able to part with your puppies." I say to them, "It's my adult dogs I have trouble letting go. These are the dogs that I've shared so much of my life with, and although my heart is breaking when they leave, I know deep down they will always be a part of New Jersey Beagles, no matter where they live.
Thank you to those of you who have taken one of our wonderful dogs and made them truly a part of your family.
If you're interested in possibly adopting one of our great adult beagles, click here to visit them on our "Adult Beagle Adoption" page
Here is what some of our families had to say about the adult dog
they've adopted from New Jersey Beagles
Parkway Cutie Pie
adopted Spring "2006"
Dear Terry,
Cutie Pie is the best thing we have brought into our home. She always puts everyone in a good mood, despite what kind of day we've had. We absolutely love her!! :) Here are some pictures of my niece Leah with Cutie Pie. Leah loves her and hugs her all day long. Thanks again for such a wonderful dog. Dara
Cutie Pie was adopted Spring "2006" @ 7 yrs. old
New Jersey Beagles Sunrise Jake From Camelot
Adopted 4/2009
Dear Terry,
We just wanted to write as follow-up and tell you what a positive experience it has been to adopt one of your adult dogs, Jake. As a retired stud dog from your NJ Beagle kennel, we like to kid with him and tell him that his best years are behind him.
Jake is really a great house dog! When indoors, he is so calm, patient and is such a gentleman. He just wants to curl up next to us waiting for the next hug and kisses and always is in the same room as we are. He can sit in our laps for hours while partaking in his favorite activity – big belly rubs. When we go for walks or go to the dog park, he turns into such a little beagle and appropriately so - full of energy, taking in all the smells with nose to the ground, runs around and is curious and inquisitive about all of his surroundings. He loves to smell squirrels, but he goes crazy over smells from chipmunks... which he gets when we visit friends/family in the suburbs or parks out in the country. As we live in ‘the big city’ there aren’t that many scents for him to track. He is especially well behaved in the dog park. He interacts and socializes with the other dogs, but always remains a gentleman. We love to go to the outdoor cafes for lunch and dinner and he goes right along with us and curls up under the table and waits patiently. Of course, he gets served a bowl of water before the humans get water – seems to be a norm here in Philly. Everybody in the neighborhood knows Jake (many don’t know us but they know him) and have affectionately named him ‘Prince Jake of Rittenhouse’.
We must admit, we were wondering how it would be for a dog who has always lived in an outdoor kennel to adapt to house living and how long it would take for the adjustment. We thought we may be facing many months to years… we just didn’t know. But, it was instantaneous. He is the smartest little guy and learns very quickly. From the day we brought him home, he knew to go outdoors to eliminate... of course, we encouraged that by taking him out frequently the first several weeks.
We worked with him on learning commands and still practice these daily even after 4+ months of him being with us. He has learned the commands of: sit, down, off, stay and 'easy' when starting to tug at the leash. He understands 'are you hungry, do you want your food', 'would you like a treat?, ‘let’s go to bed', and 'want to go for a walk' and more. The tail starts wagging and he gets very excited except when hearing ‘let’s go to bed’... then he heads upstairs and jumps into the bed. He is more motivated by praise than food treats.
He is apprehensive about being in a cage. He will sit in his cage and sleep in his cage when the door is open, but shut the door and it is almost as if he becomes claustrophobic (I can appreciate this as I too can get claustrophobic!). He starts to pant and lick the side of the cage - but he doesn't bark. Initially, he would whine and rubbed a few raw spots on his nose... but with time this has improved greatly and we are confident he will continue to improve. We started with desensitizing him to the cage 5 minutes at the time. Now we are up to 2.5 hours and in our case, as retirees, will never have to do more than this. Within a few months, we feel he will be fine alone in the house without being caged. We went the cage route for his safety. We did not want him to get into anything that could potentially hurt him while we were gone. After hearing from other beagle owners and some on your NJB forum - many beagles seem to be like this and not want to be left alone. They truly are pack animals and that is part of their charm.
Have to give you a compliment Terry in that Jake has seen three different veterinarians (although in the same practice) and they have all said the same thing: That he is so well socialized, loving to people, and so sweet, etc., that they are surprised he was in a kennel. They’ve said the breeder must have shown him a great deal of love and spent a lot of time with him showing him affection and socializing him... we say yes, that is Terry and how she treats her beagles.
We have only had this one experience with adult dog adoption - but it has been a great one. Jake is the most special, wonderful and fun little guy - he is truly a joy to be with. As you know, we were in line for a puppy at NJB, but when we saw Jake's picture on your website as available for adoption, we fell in love. As an adult dog, we didn't have to go through ‘the puppy stuff’ - which we were fully prepared to do. Instead we got a perfect dog ready to go, if you will. Can you tell we are totally smitten with the Prince? All we can say is that we are very fortunate to have wandered onto your NJB website strictly by happenstance. We now enjoy being part of the NJB forum family and your Beagle Meets and can only say thanks again for everything.
From a very happy family - sincerely,
Jan, Val & Jake
Adotpted April, 2009 @ 4 yrs. old
New Jersey Beagles Little Gabagail Blue
Adopted "2008"
The Looney Children with Gabby.
Hi Terry,
Gabby is wonderful! 2 years old now and a year and a half with us. We will never forget that long drive to NJ from Massachusetts to bring Gabby home! She is part of the family now and it feels like she has been with us forever!
She is a sweetie. Her favorite places to be are curled up on a couch close to one of us! She loves to play and would chase a ball or a bone for hours. She gets along well with other dogs and would like to play with every dog she sees. The car is not her favorite place but she has learned to accept it as we travel to the cape and Vermont often. Her spot is in her bed on the back seat between the two kids. Ryan, my 13 year old, has become a great dog walker and Erin is usually the cuddler! Gabby is a part of the family that we couldn’t live without now. The unconditional love of a dog is unbelievable!
New Jersey Beagles Lady Blue Belle
Adopted 9/2008 @ 6 yrs. old
Hi Terry,
We came to adopt Belle's last baby girl but then brought Mama Belle home with us and life hasn't been the same since that day. That day was September 8, 2008, and we had just lost our cocker spaniel only nine days earlier to kidney failure. After two cocker spaniels we were ready for a change, a different breed, a "horse of a different color" of a dog, so I was thinking it would be nice to have another beagle, like the one I had while growing up. It was on the first Google search that we found New Jersey Beagles and explored the site....David came home and I said, "Honey, can we get a beagle?" He says, "Don't they howl?" I didn't care -- they are so sweet and have such a gentle disposition, always playful, and forever have that child's face. By the way, she doesn't howl at all -- but she does have her way of telling us what she wants!
So there she was on the adult beagle page, up for adoption. We arranged for a visit with Terry, actually playing in the yard for over an hour with the whole gang. After a long painstaking period of decision making, it was decided by Daddy that he wanted Miss Belle. She was just perfect; and he was smitten with her, and she with him. We took her home that day to Pennsylvania, where we had lots of adventures in store, many we hadn't even discovered yet.
We immediately got her a harness, which I highly recommend, and started walks around the yard and in the neighborhood. It wasn't long until we were taking walks into the woods and under bushes, into places where we really probably shouldn't be going, but she was taking me on an adventure too, to wherever the hound nose took her. We walk for at least an hour a day and we stop by the cleaners (for cookies), the bank (for cookies), wading through the puddles, and by the florist to look at the cat in the window. She loves to go to the country north of here, where we spend a lot of our time in the summer at the cottage. Lots more smells there, bushes, woods -- and a pond!!
Dad took care of the house training. She was put on a schedule much like a pup, first thing in the morning and last thing at night before bed, etc. It didn't take too long to get her the idea to do her business outside; after all, all she knew was the kennel. We had to be patient and accentuate the positive, which was really quite easy to do.
Well, Dad's relationship with Miss Belle? He is definitely smitten with her -- as soon as he comes home from work in the afternoon Belle runs outside to the gate and the games begin.....romp time!!! These two romp for at least 30 minutes -- hiding from each other, dad making scary sounds and chasing her, keep away games. We don't need kids -- we have Miss Belle!!
She's a wonderful dog and we're so lucky to have her. Belle will, however, always have dual citizenship, Pennsylvania -- and the Jersey girl, from NJ Beagles. She lives in Mama Terry's heart and our hearts forever. Many folks along the way have told us that she just wraps you around her heart and stays there. It's true; she's wrapped herself around our heart and we love her very much.
Thank you very much for allowing us to give Miss Belle that forever home!
Sincerely,
David, Linda and Miss Belle
NJB's Handsome Harley Brown
Adopted 3/2009 @ 1 yr. old
Sam the Man Tequilla Sunrise
Adopted 12/2009 @ 5 yrs. old
When we first got Sammy, Jerry and I had read on the NJ Beagle website how well Terry’s other adult dogs had done with their new families. We hope this is helpful to anyone else considering adopting one of Terry’s adult dogs.
Jerry and I adopted Sammy in early December of 09. Sam was 5 years old. We’ve now had Sammy for almost two month and we can’t believe how well the transition to family pet has gone. He has been such a wonderful addition to our family. We especially liked the idea of getting an older dog, one that was past the puppy stage. From the very start Sammy has been as friendly as can be; he just loves to be with us. You call his name and he’ll just roll over on his back so you can scratch his belly.
The first day we brought Sam home we walked him every hour just to get him used to relieving himself outside. He learned this very quickly and we learned that since he’s not a puppy he can go quite a while before needing to go out again. We would like to teach him to ring the bell when he needs to go out, which is what our last beagle did. At this point Sam will sit by the door to let us know it’s time for his walk.
On his first day Sam actually went in his crate and sat for a while after checking out the house, I think the crate felt a little like being back at the kennel . We had him sleep in the crate the first few nights, which he didn’t mind at all. Once he felt more comfortable around the house he preferred to be hanging out with the family. What’s nice is Jerry and I are both retired so we are home most of the time, so we rarely use the crate.
We are lucky to have a walking park near the house which we visit daily. Sam loves his walks. When at the park he has his nose to the ground and is ready to track all the scents he finds. He walks well on his leash, at first he pulled a bit and now just a little,but we know that’s typical for a beagle. When we first brought Sam home he was a little nervous about the car, but now that he knows we’re going to the park he just jumps right in the back of the station wagon. The park is a nice mile and a half loop and after our walk he usually is asleep in the car before we even get back to the house. The Wantage Dog Park is also nearby. We went once and Sam spent most of his time just marking his territory. After we have Sam fixed, we will be taking him there also.
We have Sam on a schedule that’s close to Terry’s and we are feeding him the same food he had at the kennel. We have found this has worked well.
We took Sammy to the vet when we first got him and the vet was so impressed with him. He said Terry had done such a wonderful job, the whole office commented on what a good looking dog he was, so healthy and well socialized. We knew Terry had given Sammy such good care and lots of love. We still need to get Sam fixed, the vet said to wait until we had a little more time to bond and after the holidays we could get that done.
Jerry and I just love Sammy and are so happy that we adopted him. He’s such a happy pooch. He makes us laugh and we’re all getting lots of exercise. Right now he’s curled up at the window, his favorite spot to be. We feel we are so lucky to be Sammy’s forever homeandto be a part of the NJB family. Thanks Terry!
Powder
Adopted 12/2009 @ 8 yrs. old
Helloooooo Miss Terry and Miss Pam,
I wanted to send you a letter and tell you what a wonderful time I am having at my forever home. I never thought living inside with people would be so wonderful, but I am loving it!
I have my very own human who takes care of me, I spend most of my time with her. Her name is Amanda. I am with her when she is doing her work and when she is relaxing. Everywhere I go, she is right beside me and the best part is she calls me her little girl. I have my own purple bed, but I love to cuddle up with Amanda in her bed at night.
There are other members in our family, too, like Candace, Mom and Dad. I have to take turns spending time with them, I don’t want them to feel left out, but there is only so much Powder to go around.
There is so much to see, too! Bailey and Harley, the puppies in the house, have been showing me the ropes and, I must say, I am catching
on very quickly. Things like going for walks on a leash, learning to sit and stay, and now we are even learning to jump! I have had to teach the puppies a few lessons as well, like we should not be wrestling in the house, and they must learn to use their inside voices! One bark from me and they know who the PRINCESS is.
The puppies and I share our toy boxes inside, and they love to play in the snow outside. I would much rather put on my warm sweater and watch from inside though, snow is definitely overrated.
My favorite time is right after we go for our walk at night, and we go to the living room. First we will play a bit and then our family settles in with the fireplace going. I cuddle up to someone and fall asleep while they pet me. I really do feel like a princess here in my forever home.
See you at the Beagle meet!
Powder
Hi Terry,
I know that you've been in touch with my mom about Powder and you just got her little letter. I just wanted to take the time to personally thank you and Pam for allowing us to adopt Powder. Or should I say, letting Powder adopt us. She really is one of the family now.
When we first got her I wasn't too sure if I was ready for us to have a third dog in the house. We could finally let Bailey and Harley outside by themselves without fear that they would somehow find a hole big enough to fit through. Then Powder came home and we realized just how small she was. Any hole, big or small, she found it and got through it. The only good thing about her Houdini-like escapes were that when you call her she stops and tries to get back to you.
Night time was also pretty bad. We decided that Powder would sleep in my room with me and I had done my research on housetraining an older 
dog. The books said to leave her in the crate overnight for the first week. Well Miss Powder did not like that one bit. She cried and barked and tried to dig her way out. The only night she actually let me sleep was on Christmas Eve. So I like to think of that as her Christmas present to me. Then we decided to try letting her sleep in the boys' crate (we had a smaller one for her) with the door open. That worked for about five to six nights, at most. In the middle of the night, one night, I was woken up by her little cries. I looked over the side of my bed to see if she was ok and she was standing by my bed wanting to come up. I have my bed on lifts so she couldn't jump up. The very next day we bought her little doggie steps. Now she has officially claimed my bed. I'm sure if you asked her Powder could tell you how to make the bed and where each pillow goes. She's very particular about how the bed is made. If it does not get her sniff of approval we have to make it again. She also likes to hide her toys. If we get them a new toy, or three new toys; one for each, she will take hers and run until she can find somewhere to put it. We've had to take toys off of her so that she stops stressing out over not having the best spot for it.
Another thing she has claimed, along with my bed, is my heart. I know that sounds corny but it's so true. I don't know how she did it or when she did it, but that dog and I have grown so close so that she will sleep on me, and I won't mind when my arm or leg looses circulation.
She listens so well. At night I'll let her know it's time to come to bed and up the steps she comes. She is such a good dog, you would never know that she was an outside dog for eight years.
She still has her diva moments. Especially with the boys, but it's nothing we can't correct. It's funny to watch the boys, who are bigger than her and louder than her, hide from her. When I come home from work at night it's like I can't get to her fast enough. And if I take my time getting in the house she lets me know it. She'll bark to me and jump all over me as if I have been gone for years.
With all the transitions that have been going on in my life these past two months it has been great to have my little peanut there. Powder has been great and I truly believe that she had helped to get me through graduation and starting to work.
So to sum up, Thank you so much.
Amanda Williams
Mickey
Riley and Mickey
We adopted Mickey in March of 2004 shortly after the passing of our first beagle who died of IMHA. Ironically, Jason and I had a discussion in a Philadelphia Airport restaurant about whether or not we should get another dog. I had been scouring rescue web sites looking for an adult dog that we could adopt because Riley (our other beagle who was less than a year old at the time) had completely cured me of puppy-amnesia. I thought offering a home to an adult dog in need would be the best way to honor Cleo's memory. Jason was pretty much against getting another dog - he felt that we had our hands full with Riley and we needed time to get over losing Cleo. So we negotiated a deal in the airport that we wouldn't actively look for another dog, but, if the right dog found us we would offer it a home.... the day after we got back we got a call from Terry asking us if we would consider giving one of her dogs a home (Jason still thinks to this day I set him up but I swear I didn't) and Mickey arrived a week later.
For those of you considering adopting an adult dog (no matter where you adopt from) you need to be mindful of the fact that the dog you are welcoming into your home had a whole life before he/she arrived. So you have to remember that unlike a puppy, your new friend has already developed certain personality quirks, preferences and methods of communication that you have to be patient enough and flexible enough to discover and appreciate. I mention this because our first year with Mickey was a unique adventure that we all (including the dogs) still laugh about today - I mean some really goofy and amazing stuff happened that you wouldn't believe unless you lived it. Here are the highlights:
- On day one, Mickey decided immediately that Jason was his best friend but the jury was still out on the rest of us. Riley won him over by day two. By then Mickey figured out that Riley wasn't very smart, liked to share everything and made a perfect launch pad to jump over the gate (I'm not kidding...I watched him herd Riley up to the gate, take a running start and use Riley's back to jump over the gate) Mickey gave me polite affection unless it was mealtime or treat time and then for a brief but glorious moment I was temporarily his favorite person. Jason was and is still is #1- its a guy thing I guess. But when Jason isn't around, Mickey makes sure that we are all safe, he follows me from room to room and snuggles with me on the couch.
-Mickey redecorated the living room. Apparently the skirt on the bottom of our couch was "so last year" and the dog harnesses hanging next to the door were "tres tack-ay" he promptly removed and destroyed both. He was right, it was so much easier to find stuff under the couch after he made his alterations, and the dog harnesses were definitely function over form. This was our first indication that Mickey was passionate about fashion - both home and apparel. I've never seen a dog who felt snazzier in a turtleneck sweater than Mickey.
- We pulled a nasty trick on Mickey at the end of July. I went to San Diego for work and while I was gone Jason moved the dogs and all of our worldly possessions to our new house. Really it was a good development because it came with a large fenced in yard for the dogs but Mickey didn't see it that way right away. He held his pee for three days until he finally unleashed (no pun intended) Lake Eerie next to Jason's desk while Jason was paying bills. (Nothing like the pleasant initial sensation of your foot being enveloped in cozy warmth followed immediately by the realization there is a Great Dane size puddle of peed surrounding you.) We also figured out that crating the dogs in the basement was a bad plan. Once again Mickey used Riley as a springboard to push the top of the crate up until the latch came unhinged and the front panel fell down - Jason came home to both dogs stretched out on the afore mentioned modified couch wagging their tails.
- This was the year the dogs got nicknames: Riley pretty much got stuck with "Big Dummy" - but Mickey, who has a much more complex personality developed several including: "little softy"(he is the softest beagle on the planet BTW); "The MIckster" "Mickey-Mo" "Mickey-doo-doo" (named after his favorite natural snack - draw you own conclusions) "Doodee" see "MIckey-doo-doo" for explanation. This was also the year we discovered the dogs enjoyed "family howling" - its really funny because Jason and I howl better than the dogs - Riley's manhood was taken from him before his voice changed so he is a life-long soprano and MIckey just sounds like a baby seal being clubbed - but its fun for everyone so when there's nothing good on t.v. we always have a reliable source of entertainment.
...So those are some of our fondest memories from our earliest moments as a family. Mickey has been an absolute joy and the bond he made with our other dog has made them a hilarious and popular duo. I can't imagine one dog without the other because they literally complete each other. MIckey is Riley's leader and defender and Riley is Mickey's comic relief and biggest fan.
One aspect of Mickey's personality that has developed over the years is his tendency to be a total hedonist. Mickey's favorite out-door activity is to lay in the sun and work on his tan. He is in constant pursuit of a hand to rub his belly - the same belly he loves to fill with food so there's more of it to rub. Mickey and Riley are always on the hunt for a good snack - and nature always provides - they love acorns in the fall fall and winter and whatever the garden has to offer in the spring and summer. And they always work together and share the profits - once I found MIckey climbed up in the middle of some tomato plants and was picking the tomatoes with his teeth and throwing them down to Riley. Another time all I could see was two wagging tails in the middle of the blueberry bushes - when I got closer they poke their blueberry stained faces out for a minute, wagged their tails even faster and then went right back to work.
Mickey is a dog of a thousand personalities - he's soft and kind and snuggly but he's also a fierce and courageous defender of his home and family; he gets sick in the car but he's a master of finding food even if there's an obstacle in front of it; and he's so vain and yet so polite and humble. He's a great dog and a great friend and we are very lucky to have him.
Sharon and Jason Ferguson
Bonnie
Adopted in 2009 @ 6 years old
Bonnie is a wonderful dog and she is adjusting to our family well. she is my cuddle buddy when i read and knit. Cara loves taking her for walks and our weekend routine is to take her to a park for a long walk. Bonnie is a very popular dog with many children when we go to the park. Just about everyone stops to remark on her beautiful coloring and everyone loves how loveable and gentle she is with kids. She loves her new home, likes to play with Cara's toys. I think she just likes being with a family. She sees Brady (Bonnie's son) alot and gets very excited when she hears other dogs in our neighborhood. There is a house next to Karens (Brady's owner) that has about 5 dogs and when the owners let them out Bonnie bays at the living room window like a true pack dog that she is!
Hope all is well! Judi
