Introducing “Ripple” The Beagle

I’ve had and loved Golden Retrievers since I was 12 years old. I LOVE Golden Retrievers but when I started competitive obedience in the late 90s, I started seeing other breeds at dog shows. Consequently, I fell in love with another breed: Beagles. 

About 15 years ago I tried getting a Beagle and chickened out. I kept hearing how hard they were to train and they just followed their nose. Although I loved the cute and merry Beagle personality, I said “no” to the idea of getting one.

Fast forward to just last month, mid-June of 2022. I had my first book signing for my memoir Life After Kevin; A Mother’s Search for Peace and the Golden Retrievers that Led the Way at Yankee Golden Retriever Club’s annual specialty dog show. It was the first time I’d been to a dog show in years.

On Sunday afternoon, my friend Mel brought her new puppy Beagle and his brother (yeah, you know where this is going…) by the table to say hi. In between holding the adorable red and white Beagle puppy, I signed books and had meaningful conversations with people who came over to my table. 

I signed each book I sold with the tagline “How about Yes?” which is one of the messages in my book.

How about yes doesn’t mean saying yes to everything, it means when you’re thinking noIcannotpossiblydothis, check in with your heart to see what saying yes might feel like.

So there I was, asking myself How about yes? to add this little Beagle love to my family. I texted my husband, Tom some photos. 

Here are the photos that accompanied the text. How could he resist this face – and those ears?!

My own answer to this question was a resounding YES.

I felt it in my body. I was beyond excited. 

The only contingent was Rune. I asked Ripple’s breeder if I could take him home with me on a trial run to see how Rune acted with him and she agreed. I made sure we had a gradual introduction since Rune outweighed him by over 60 pounds and I’m happy to say all went well.

This wonderful little Beagle is the latest addition to our family. 

We named him after the Grateful Dead’s song “Ripple.” My son Kevin was a huge Grateful Dead fan and the lyrics dip into life beyond this one on earth. In fact, the idea of setting his ripple into motion is another part of my memoir, Life After Kevin, and certainly, part of the outcome of that ripple effect is the book itself and my being at that dog show. In short, Ripple was the perfect name for this pup. 

I also like to think Ripple is a new layer of motion and momentum inside Life with Rune, helping puppy parents learn how to create a lifelong bond with their dog.

It will be exciting to see how Ripple grows and becomes friends with his big brother Rune. After only two weeks I can tell you that Beagles are SMART and learn quickly!

Please join us in the Life with Rune Facebook group where we document Ripple’s socializing and training progress! We will also be discussing how to do this with an existing dog in the home. 

Susan Lynch is a former competitive dog trainer who has been training, competing and volunteering with her Golden Retrievers since 1995. In 2020, she founded Life with Rune, a Facebook community that documents the socializing and training of her own puppy Rune. In 2021, she was awarded the Rachel Page Elliot Lifetime Achievement award by the Golden Retriever Club of America. Her memoir Life After Kevin: A Mother’s Search for Peace and the Golden Retrievers that Led the Way is available here . To learn more, visit: www.susan-lynch.com.