Willfred, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Beaglemania are all terms of endearment we use to refer to our adorable Beagle, Willie.   Willie came to live with us in June 2002, as a foster dog, a few weeks after we lost our Australian Shepherd, Brandy, to spinal cancer.  I had never had any experience with Beagles.  Boy, was he ever a handful-not only because he was a Beagle, but also because he was very young-he was only about a year old when we got him.

     Willie had maniacal tendencies and was extremely difficult to housebreak-it took us about 6 months to accomplish that task.  And, he was aggressive toward our other three dogs, a couple of times even drawing blood.  We worked with him on our own, trying to teach him basic commands.  He learned them, but was usually distracted by whatever scent wafted toward that infamous Beagle nose of his.  Despite his challenges, we fell madly in love with the little guy and officially adopted him in the Fall of 2002.

     We eventually enrolled him in an official basic training course.  It was definitely a struggle.  He showed aggression toward the other dogs, and he almost yanked my arm off he pulled so hard.  Nevertheless, we made it through Basic I and then moved on to Basic II.  Again, it was a struggle, but I really enjoyed the classes because I was able to spend one on one time with Willie.  It helped us to develop a strong bond.

     Recently, I enrolled Willie in the Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) class, not because I had the notion that he would graduate, but because we enjoyed the classes, seeing the other dogs, and the time we spent together.

     We started class in September 2004, and again, it was a struggle.  During some classes he was so distracted he wouldn't even sit-the one command he usually did well.  The week before the test, I practiced with him the two commands he had problems with-"down," and "sit and stay."  The practice week did not go well.  He was distracted-even when treats were involved.  I had no hope whatsoever that he would pass the test-which was given without treats!

     The day of the test came, and it was like I was with a different dog.  He was so well behaved.  He executed all of the commands flawlessly.  He got his CGC!

     Although Willie was a challenging dog, with persistence, patience, and hard work, he has become a little gentleman.  One that will go into nursing homes and rehabilitation hospitals beginning next year to bring the same cheer, laughter, and love to the patients that he has brought to our home.