just saying hello

since j grew up with a basset hound, he's always been partial to getting a hound dog. while we played around with the idea of adopting a dog, he always mentioned basset hounds or beagles. i was hesitant to get a beagle since all you hear about is how they bark and howl nonstop. then we met our little guy and my earlier assumptions of beagles were thrown out the window...for the most part.

townes is super chill and very quiet around the house. he barely ever barks or howls at all. in fact, he only howls when he hears ambulances outside and even that doesn't always guarantee a howl (unfortunately). i love his howl. i know our neighbors probably don't but it happens maybe once every 2 weeks and only lasts for about 1 minute. townes's howl is so random and adorably pathetic that it melts my heart each and every time. below is a video from a few weeks ago.

howl from nicole stanaland on Vimeo.

pretty cute, huh? i admit i'm very partial.

recently we've found the only thing that makes him bark nonstop. the boy loves the dog park or doggie daycare and LOVES being chased. we call him the referee because any time other dogs are rough housing or playing, he'll run around them barking to get their attention. he doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body and he's so sweet but we've noticed some other dog owners getting all worked up at him barking. we do our best to distract him with a ball when he starts barking a lot but i guess i'm trying to figure out - are we in the wrong?

is it ok that he barks even though he's not being aggressive? i mean he's a dog and that's how he communicates, right? we've had some snobby encounters and can't decide if we should limit his dog park time or just let him have a ball (bark and all). any input would be greatly appreciated!