A Record of Everyday Life with Dogs

Rambling

The Nose-Push Maneuver

At first, it was barely noticeable — just a faint smudge where the sunlight flooded through the window and hit the back door. But over the years, as two different beagles came and went, that small spot became a worn, familiar patch of bare wood. Each dog, in its own time, discovered the same trick: a determined nudge of the nose right at the corner could push the door open just enough to slip inside after an afternoon of sniffing the yard.

Beagles are nothing if not persistent. They carry generations of hunting instinct in their small, sturdy bodies, and each of ours brought their own kind of focus to the task. First it was Bruegger,

who spent his days patrolling the backyard and perfected the nose-push maneuver.  After him came Linus, 

a little smaller but just as clever, who seemed to treat the paint chipping away like a mark of his own independence.  Then, more recently, came Charlie...

Still a youngster, I actually had to get down on all fours and show him how to open the door!  Now - he's continuing the practice and adding his share of scrapes and scratches with enthusiastic shoves.

Now, that lower corner of the back door tells a story better than any photograph could. The worn paint and softened wood aren't damage — they're a record of everyday life with dogs who refused to wait to be let in, who knew their home and claimed it with the gentle persistence of a beagle's nudge. 

One day, we'll repaint it, but for now, we leave it as it is — a tribute to the small, stubborn joys of life shared with dogs.

Thanks for stopping by!