July’s Dog of the Month is Salvatore. Say it with me, “SAL-VA-TORE.”
Now you are thinking of all the fine Italian dog breeds. Perhaps Salvatore is a sleek, elegant Italian Greyhound. No? Perchance, he is a stately Neapolitan Mastiff? Wrong? Surely, he must be a Spinone, that patient, docile working dog…right? Wrong! Salvatore, (Sal to his closest friends) is small, sweet, friendly Beagle.
This guy is a beagle, through and through. He can pick up a scent a mile away and is relentless in his pursuit. In addition, he has that baying voice of the hounds in pursuit of game. His parents, Adam and Michelle, claim Sal takes the “baying voice” to a completely new level! They fondly refer to it as the “scream bark” and they couldn’t be closer to the truth! When a service or delivery man enters our building, and they are still 20 feet and several doors away from the dogs in the play group, Sal stops what he is doing, his nose goes up as he scents the air, and within seconds, Salvatore lets out the scream bark and is on the chase! His scream bark is not to be confused with his “wide mouth whine,” letting us know that a thunderstorm is on the way.
Who doesn’t love a Beagle? They are one of the most popular breeds in this country. Beagles are so “happy-go-lucky” as they run about with their ears flapping in the wind. The name, “Beagle,” may have been derived from the French term, “be’geule,” referring to the baying voice of these hounds or possibly to the diminutive size of the hound.
Beagles are favored for their compact size and short, easy to care for coat. They make a wonderful family pet. Hundreds of years ago, they lived in packs so now they naturally enjoy the company of other dogs and humans. They are curious, funny, and active. They need to be provided with plenty of activities and they enjoy a nice long walk or a run in an enclosed area. Sal loves to play with ALL the dogs at Central Bark. He can be seen romping with the really BIG active dogs, as well as cavorting with the smaller, quieter group. While Sal is not a snob, he does enjoy the envy of others when he is dropped off at Central Bark by Adam, who is driving his ‘fair weather’’ Porsche. (Yes, we envy him, too!) Sal’s “dad,” Adam, works in downtown Cleveland, so he drops Sal off most mornings. “Mom,” Michelle, readily admits that she is “not a morning person.”
If you see Adam and Sal in that classy car, be sure to stop and congratulate them for Sal’s achievement this month. If it is pick-up time, you might see Michelle with Sal. Congratulate her, too! Salvatore is the Dog of the Month for July 2014!
Congrats, Salvatore!
