Expert: Have4Paws - 1/8/2011

Question
Hi, I "inherited" a beagle playmate for my other dog and I absolutely adore him. Hes a sweet 4 year old male, unfixed (working on that) beagle who I think may have been abused (though it's easy to have frustration with this one!). My problem is the whining. It doesn't seem to be for attention, as he receives a lot. Basically from the time that the sun comes up, he goes from window to window whining, howling, barking at ANYTHING..like he's barking at daylight. At first it was squirrels, now it's winter and it's just NON-STOP 13 hours a day sometimes. I don't want to get rid of him, but I do not think I can take much more of this. I've tried ignoring (not reinforcing the behavior), Ive tried preventing him from getting to a window (I have to many), When he goes outside he just incessantly barks. Please help me, I am desperate.

Answer
Hi thanks for writing. Sounds like this behavior has been reinforced in him previously and/or he may have had separation anxiety fueling it. Beagles are extremely vocal but they do not usually bark 13 hours a day! :(  They also crave companionship.

So first things first, you MUST get him neutered, although this will not cure him of the barking, it is part of the issue. He may be smelling females in heat. And being a beagle his sense of smell can be like 200 times stronger than the average dog so he can smell them from quite a distance. Not only that but the hormones he still possesses contribute to a desire to be wild. Neutering him will calm him down some, it will also protect him from testicular cancer, and reproducing obviously unneccesary puppies. Being that he is four already it won't provide as much of a difference in his attitude and habits as it would have when he was little but still is much needed.

That being said you can attempt to use some shake cans. Shake cans are soda cans or beer cans (the best kind because they have soft aluminum) with about 10 pennies dropped in them and then taped over with duct tape. Start off making a bunch and putting one for every room and one by each door going out. They should be stationed there at all times. The purpose is that they break their concentration and they also hate the sound and become avoidant of it. The trick is shaking the can right when he is barking and for nothing else. They can also be used to pitch at them, obviously the goal is not to hurt them or knock them out but to startle them. You have to be kind of stealth about it, try not to let him see you are what is shaking or pitching it, we don't want him to become afraid of you, just the sound of the can. These are classic training techniques and used widely. As soon as you shake it and he stops and is quiet then you need to praise him for being quiet. After using these for a while they will get so sensitized to them that you will only need to barely make a sound with it and they will stop. I have used these for years with my beagles. My two prev I had to use for fighting with each. My current one for the barking. the only problem with this is that obviously if you arent home all the time and catch every single bark they will never eliminate it completely but you can knock it down by at least 50-60 %.

Remember that beagles are hard wired to bark/bay, this is what they are used for in rabbit hunting, they chase the prey and sound the alarm. A beagle or foxhound hunt is almost deafening! This has been bred into them.

If this isnt sufficient you may have to go with a shock collar. They do work to an extent and are not really harmful but I recommend these only for the worst cases as obviously there is some quick pain associated with it. As well, for beagles, if you stop using it they tend to regress and go back to barking. It has a more sig effect on other breeds as far as long term after you stop using it.

If these things arent working then you need to engage the services of a professional trainer who will come to the house and work one on one with you and your beagle.

Hope this has been helpful!