Expert: Have4Paws - 9/21/2009

Question
Hi,
We adopted a four year old Beagle about 6 months ago, we were told that his last family lost their home in the Vic bushfires (Australia) early this year and could not take him with them when they moved inter-state so we adopted him. We do not know much about his history but we suspect he was poorly disciplined as we have had many dogs over the years (not Beagles though!) and we feel that he thinks he is Alfa (also he has not been castrated). He is very possessive of bones and growls when we go any where near him when he has a bone and he has actually bitten us twice quite badly. We love him but are worried he is not safe because he will never back down when he starts growling / biting. Can you please offer any advice on where we should go from here? We feel the behavior is not acceptable but then we are not used to Beagles and don't know where to start.
Thank you,
Kind regards,
Vanessa.

Answer
Hi, thanks for writing to me about your problem and kudos to you for adopting a dog in need. What you are describing is definately a case of him thinking he is the Alpha. He may have been with other dogs and had to fight for his food OR due to the fires was feral for a while OR he may just have never been taught that this behavior is not acceptable as you mentioned. The fact that he has bitten you makes this a red alert case and you need to seek out the help of a qualified trainer, they can often do wonders in just a couple sessions but aggression always requires immediate hands on help! Nothing I could tell you in an email would be safe or even possibly effective as there is such a great chance of misinterpretation via email and someone could get hurt...

Beagles are usually very docile which is unfortunately why labs use them for testing so much so this guy hasnt been given a fair chance at life. As well, he MUST get neutered, this will help some and it also provides health benefits and will help curb a little his desire to wander. It is entirely possible for him to become the loving family dog you want, you just have to invest a bit in him and do so quickly before he bites someone who can sue you or hurts a child. In the meantime, don't give him any bones to at least elminate that issue for the moment. You can query the internet for trainers in your area. Whatever you do, do NOT use any type of punitive punishment, aggression breeds aggression with dogs

Good luck and feel free to check back anytime!