Expert: Have4Paws - 2/24/2010

Question
QUESTION: Hello, I am so proud of my beagle Russell i have finally been able to not have to crate him in fear of potty mistakes because he has been house broken. But im having a new issue he chews on everything he finds shoes,cords,anything. He has made a shoe cementary under my bed. I dont know what to do. My second question is although i bathe him once a week Russell sheds more than any dog i know why is this?

ANSWER: Hi glad to hear you have gotten the house breaking down. He is a gorgeous boy! The chewing issue is the next down the line with a puppy. Between the ages of 7-12 months their molars are coming in and they are honestly almost driven to chew to relieve the pain. You need to puppy proof and remove ANYTHING he might feel like eating. Provide him with lots of chewies, kongs and appropriate things to chew. When you see him with something that he shouldnt have,  always offer him an alternative that is appropriate and praise him lavishly for giving up the other and taking the appropriate one. You will need to stay on top of this during this time period so this does not become a bad habit. The most important thing you can do is the removal of objects he can get to. This is no different than with a child, you just have to do it.

As far as the shedding, beagles do shed. They are also hgihly allergic dogs. You can help out his coat by putting him on DermCaps ona permanent basis. These are omega fattys and fish oil combos made for dogs. You can get it the cheapest I have found through www.omahavaccine.com. All my dogs are it, it will take several months of faithful use to see a huge difference but it is amazing when it happens, Shedding slows down, coat is shiny and soft and not oily as are some beagle's coats. You might also want to look at his food as high shedding can also be a sign of allergies as can red ears, red bellys and frequent scratching.

Hope this is all helpful!
Have4Paws

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

QUESTION: Okay i will look into purchasing the DermCaps. As far as the food i saw that it was recommended to feed beagles Natural Balance Organic Formulas, I purchased this food (dry) because I was told the food I was feeding Russell was of poor quality (pedigree - wet). He takes a taste of the pebbles from his new food and spits it back out without chewing it. Why is this , what can I do? My other question is why is it that Russell when out on his walks he insist on picking up any type of bone from the sidewalk i always have to stop to open his mouth and take it out. How can i stop this. Thank You your expertise is so helpful for a new dog owner.

Answer
Sounds like he does like the food. I am using Dick Van Patten's Limited Ingredient Diet, my dogs really like it and the beagle with the allergies is almost symptom free since I switched. It is totally grain free and also they use only novel proteins, they have venison and salmon. It cost a little bit more but all three are healthy and happy and love the food!

The fact that Russell picks up bones outside is the same deal as with the stuff in the house. He is teething, he is a dog and it probably smells enticing. I think most dogs would do so and need to have it taken out of their mouth. I wold nt worry too much about this. Keep working on the puppy proofing and giving him appropriate toys instead and as you do this you can start be saying "Off" when you take the item so he begins to associate it with letting go of it.