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Beagles/misbehaving beagle

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Expert: - 7/27/2010


Question
I have a 7 year old beagle who is suddenly behaving very badly when we go out, or sometimes when we are home! Most recently, she has learned how to open the refrigerator and will raid it when we are not home.  We are now duct-taping the refrigerator closed when we go out.  In addition, she will dump the garbage if we leave anything in the pail, so we don't!  We got her from the humane society when she was 2, so we've had her for 5 years now. HELP!!!

Answer
Hi Robin, thanks for writing to me...... well there are two things I hear in your description right off the bat 1) This is the sign of a very bored beagle who may also have some seperation anxiety going on  2) I think it is unreasonable to expect any dog not to go in the trash if they can smell something good in there and get to it, especially a beagle whose nose/smelling abilities are even more enhanced than the average dog.

AS far as the refrigerator and the trash either get a gate and close off the kitchen or do not keep trash can where she can get to it. I bought a compactor because mine were trash hunters too but one of my beagles even learned how to open the compactor !!! They are really smart little devils..... I also had one who could use her paws to get cupboards open. Next came the gate and no issues since.

When you are away give your beagle special toys and chews to occupy her, I give nylabones, booda bones and mostly rawhide, or Kongs filled with peanut butter. This is the ONLY time they get these treats as they are meant to occupy them. Can also get a Buster Cube. All of these are available at a pet store near you. The reason you only give them when you are out is that they not only occupy them and keep them out of trouble but they come to see them as "yippee, yeah you just go right on out that door because I know I get something special when that happens".


Try these things out and see how it works for you.  

Beagles

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Have4Paws

Expertise

I am happy to answer BEAGLE BREED SPECIFIC behavioral questions. Please DO NOT ask CRATE TRAINING OR MEDICAL questions! I am not a vet nor an expert in the use of crates.

Experience

I currently have one beagle, a male age 5, an 12 month old Pit Bull, and a 8 year old min. poodle. I have had to let go of three of my dogs, 2 beagles and 1 whippet/rat terrier mix in the past 5 years, most recently my whippet mix. The two beagles lived to 15 and the whippet mix to 13.5, it has been hard to say goodbye to them. I have done rescue work on and off for years as well as fund-raising for the local animal shelter. I worked for a dog magazine in the past (Southern California Dog Magazine). Being a psychotherapist has encouraged me to do in depth studying of animal behavior as well. I have worked with many people to help curb undesirable behaviors in their dogs (or them!) or to form good behaviors. My life is devoted to and surrounded by my dogs........The picture you see here is Zeppelin but we also call him the "miracle dog". He was hit by a car April 2010 while out with the dog walker and had very serious injuries... 4 surgeries and $17,000 later my boy is whole again and back to loving life. He is so special to me and he weathered a lot of pain and trauma yet is still the sweet boy he always was! I also work to stop Breed Specific Legislation and help to get pit bulls adopted.

Organizations
HSUS, PETA, SPCA DONT SHOP...ADOPT!!

Publications
Dog Fancy

Education/Credentials
I am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in the state of CA and am also credentialed as a Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist

Awards and Honors
Honored by the Agoura Animal Shelter for my volunteer work.

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