Loxen and Margot, two cani-cross fans who found each other well
I met Margot a few days ago. She introduced me to Loxen, her little beagle with whom she now forms a nice duo even if their story didn't start simply… Let me tell you their story and the great adventures they now share together.
Why a beagle?
Margot has always wanted to have a dog. Very sporty, her passion is running. With her darling, they took the plunge and decided to adopt a dog more than a year ago.
They did a lot of research to choose a dog that likes to run, not too big because they live in an apartment and who can be calm on days when the proposed activity is cooler. Their choice fell on the beagle.
Beagles are affectionate and playful. It is a sporty, robust, resistant dog which is often used by hunters for its running qualities. As a good hunter, he has strong hunting instincts which makes him a somewhat complicated companion to educate.
Loxen's story
Margot and her companion adopted Loxen, an 8-month-old beagle. They came across her ad on the Internet and very quickly made the decision that it would be with her that they would share their life. Except that it wasn't all rosy… Loxen comes from anything but a family breeding where the dogs breed in boxes. When they first wanted to approach Loxen, they had trouble catching him. She was totally scared to see new humans. She hadn't been socialized at all.
The first months were very complicated but Margot fell in love from the first second with this little ball of fur. So with patience and love, she taught Loxen to play, to trust, to not be afraid of everything, what a dog was, a walk and cuddles…. At first, she had no interaction with the dog. Loxen was cowardly, prostrate, unclean, and not cuddly.
Loxen was lucky enough to find a mistress who looked for positive solutions to tame this frightened puppy. Thanks to positive reinforcement education, Loxen and Margot have developed a superb bond that allows this little dog to blossom and become a dog that is almost comfortable in her paws! A beautiful lesson in love!
A beautiful story
Margot told me an anecdote that I want to share with you. She lives in Lyon and walks Loxen in public parks where dogs are allowed (Parc de Blandan, Parc de la Feyssine and Parc de la Tête d'Or). She also finds that these places with spaces dedicated to dogs where they can be let loose to have fun together in complete freedom are great. (list of parks where you go?) She is also convinced that it is thanks to these moments of play with other dog friends that Loxen learned “life”. Without these canine encounters, it's not sure that this little cutie would have understood so quickly that other dogs can be wonderful playmates.
Back to my anecdote. One day when Margot and Loxen were walking in the park, Loxen was startled by a noise and managed to get out of her harness and ran away. Margot looked for her for 24 hours! Hours of terrible anguish during which she discovered a beautiful solidarity. Having posted warning messages on social networks, many masters joined her at the park to look for Loxen at her side. By dint of mutual aid, they spotted the little prostrate and very well hidden dog. She could have let herself die of hunger or thirst rather than face the world around her. Fortunately this story has a happy ending. She also ended with a giant aperitif where Margot had invited all those who had looked for Loxen that time.
Cani-cross, a common passion that brought them together
What also brought them together was cani-cross! They love to run together and this activity has allowed them to forge very strong bonds. They share beautiful moments of complicity. In a future article where I will present to you in more detail this sporting activity to do with your dog, Margot and Loxen gave me their tips and tricks for a good start.
Want to know more about these two? Meet on the Margot's Instagram account – @margot_dvg where she publishes very nice photos of the two of them or directly on her blog Runamanda where you can find lots of very cool articles on running and around this sport.