Beagles/Beagles

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Expert: - 4/20/2002


Question
My Beagle is always begging for food eventhough she is fed well. Is this normal beagle behaviour?

Answer
Hi and thanks for writing to me. Yes, unfortunately this is a characteristic of beagles. They LIVE FOR FOOD. They will eat until they POP if you let them. Because they are so food driven, it is imperative that you DO NOT give them any human food whatsoever (for their health) and if you give dog treats, choose low fat ones (like bisquits) and you should reduce the amount of their daily feeding by that amount. Beagles have a strong propensity for obesity and it shortens their lives considerably. If you are not feeding twice a day now, I would suggest doing that right away. Often that will help a great deal in calming down the need. Just take the normal daily ration and divide it into two feedings. As far as begging, that is a result of improper training. All treats given (dog treats only) should be worked for..... yes, worked for! They must do SOMETHING, sit, lie down, come or something so it is a reward for good behavior. Treats should not be given just for the heck of it. Making your dog work for its treats enforces and strengthens that you are the Alpha dog in the pack. Lastly, beagles need a lot of exercise. Remember that these are hunting dogs genetically and they are programmed for a lot of running etc.

Hope this helps.... Good luck!
Have4Paws

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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