How to Manifest a Beagle

I’ve always been a beagle girl; no other dog (sorry, hound) will do it for me. The first one arrived when I was nine and they’ve been showing up pretty regularly since then.

Interestingly, I’ve only once ever had to pay for one. This is pretty good prosperity – a thoroughbred beagle can cost up to £800.

The first two were the family dogs so they came, like me, as part of the package. The first one I got, after Henry’s death (the legendary Didcot who became the first dog from the USA to UK on Passports for Pets) cost me £400 but that was fine. Her love was for sale and I wanted it!

When Didcot died I grieved as only a dog-loving softie can. I needed to grieve before considering getting another dog — and I couldn’t afford one at the time, apart from the fact that I was working three days a week at the BBC and landing a puppy on Lion wouldn’t have been fair.

I did register on a beagle breeder’s site saying that I’d be interested in a puppy in about a year’s time as a kind of affirmation that I would be able to afford one then.

In the meantime, as a part of my morning meditation I would imagine myself holding Didcot on my lap, stroking her and remembering just how her fur felt and how it lay on her body, inhaling her scent, seeing how lovely she was in her prime at about seven and feeling the weight of her, the way she would lean on me for a cuddle and enjoying a whole doggy fantasy experience.

I did this for about two weeks and found great comfort in it. Yes, sometimes I would cry too but it was better to get that bit of emotion out rather than suppressing it. Then, one morning as I was actually doing my beagle meditation the telephone rang. I let it be but the lady calling started leaving a message on the answer phone about beagles so I picked up and it was the breeder that I had registered with. She said she had a prospective owner for one of her puppies drop out at the last minute and, although I’d said I didn’t want a beagle right now, she’d wondered if I would change my mind.

It was tempting but unrealistic so I told her so. Then she said, “Would you consider an older dog?”

When I asked her what she meant she said that she had a seven year old bitch who had been a show dog and then a breeding bitch.

“I always try to retire them to loving homes so that they can be cosseted and have a wonderful old age,” she said. “Would you be interested?”

“How much is she?” I asked cautiously.

“Oh, free of course!” said the lady. “I’d never charge to get one of my girls a good home.”

So, Puzzle came to us two weeks later, a dear, sweet, loving girl of seven years old. She came because the Law of Attraction saw that I was focusing on loving a beagle of that age … so it had to give me one.

Puzzle died eight weeks ago and I’ve been doing a similar meditation about her. I suppose should have known better!
Lion and I thought it would be best to wait before getting another beagle; I’m doing a lot of travelling and, to be honest, Puzzle was always my dog. She was okay with Lion but not much of a companion and she’d sulk in my office if I went away. We didn’t want a hound as old as seven as we only had six years with Puzzle — but we weren’t sure whether we wanted a puppy or not.

“I’d just like a dog that loved me,” said Lion.

So — yes, you’re ahead of me! The phone rang 10 days ago and it’s the Master of the Warwickshire Beagles. They have a little bitch who won’t hunt and they need to re-home her. This was totally out of the blue. We had spoken to a huntsman from the pack when they were displaying at a country show three years ago! We’d said we’d be willing to go on a list for potential owners for re-homed hounds.

So Destiny Beagle (yes, I know, I know!) arrived on Saturday. And she and Lion are already joined at the hip. She sleeps in his office in the day (Puzzle slept in mine) and he walks her (I walked Puzzle) and she follows him everywhere (Puzzle – oh, you’ve got the idea).

A bit of me’s going ‘hang on a minute — I’m the doggy person’ but actually it’s perfect. I’m the one who’s travelling; he’s the one who asked for a dog that loved him. And she’s an absolute delight.

So, how to manifest a beagle: two minutes a day totally immersed in the sight, sound scent, and touch of a beagle. The Universe will bask in your joy and deliver.

How to manifest anything else: two minutes a day totally immersed in the sight, sound, scent, feel and taste of it, delighting in it so much that it’s actually totally unimportant whether it comes in the future because you are in love with the experience of it NOW.

If it happened to me once, you could say it was a co-incidence. But twice … ? I don’t think so.

Have a glorious November.