Expert: Have4Paws - 1/25/2010

Question
QUESTION: We have a 5 month male beagle. He is a great dog. House broke very easy, can sit, stay, shake. Is great with the kids but he is into everything. Pulling things off the tables, gloves of the counter, napkins, anything. We firmly tell him no, make eye contact and we turn our back and he does it again. We had to put our older dog to sleep last  month and since then he has gotten worse.
Any advice? Is he just stubborn, being a puppy or is it his breed and are we in this forever?

ANSWER: Hi, this is typical puppy behavior just like a baby. You need to puppy proof anywhere your dog is, think creatively like a puppy, cuz he sure will. It is not realistic to expect him not to want to play with stuff, eat it, shred it, whatever as he is testing it out, tasting it etc. Each time you catch him with something you need to have an appropriate object in your hand to trade him with and then when he has that tell him good boy in a exaggerated high voice. He will eventually learn that there are things that are off limits with continued limit setting and praise with ok object but at 5 months he is literally a baby. At about 8-12 months he will begin to gethis back molars in andthen hewill want to chew everything. My feeling has always been to puppy/dog proof. My youngest is 28 months and was hell on wheels for many months no matter what I did and has gotten to where it is very seldom that he grabs anything but even today I came home and he had gotten behind hold of a video and shredded the box because the gate that normally keeps him from there was not put back by a family member. I don't expect perfection and I know I have to do my part. He is a dog, they are curious they like to chew.... IT isnt his fault that he was given access to that area, it is us humans. Keep it in persepctive and realize that just as you do with children you need to keep them away from things you dont want touched. He sounds like in all other ways he is very sharp and has learned alot at a very young age so eventually he will mellow out. Also, the more you exercise him the more pooped out he will be and less likely to get into mishief, beagles are high activity dogs and need several walks a day with some of that tiem running. ANy dog that doesnt get enough exercise will let off excess energy in a destructive way.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you - he has gotten much better, he really seems like such a smart dog.

Our concern now is how to keep him in the yard. We live in a subdivision, on about 1.5 acres, pretty wooded, and we can not build a fence. If he sneaks out, he is off! It is very hard to catch him. I am afraid he will get hit by a car or just not listen and run off. We usually are out with him, or have him changed up on the side yard, but with two kids, he can easily slip out the door.

We have thought about an shock collar with fence, but heard that Beagles sometimes just take the jolt and keep going, that the fence does not keep them in.

We have gotten him fixed. Any suggestions on keeping him the yard? Will a shock collar work on him?

Thanks!

Answer
Is there no way you can build a dog run where he is safe to be outside but is inside of that? A shock collar is not only in my opinion cruel but as you have heard beagles seldom heed to them, same with electric fences. They will find the weakness and still go. Beagles are very resolute in their decision. If they smell something they will follow it despite negative consequences. The best thing I have seen and found is the dog run. Instead of fencing your whole yeard you can fence off a long narrow area that is fenced and he can be outside and run in but can't get away, this is in my opinion your best bet. I wish you good luck, beagles and woods are a magic combination for them! :(