Beagles! Do they become easier with age?

[Clair47]

Hi,

We have a lovely beagle who is 9 months old (male). We read that they are very hard work. But didn't realise how hard. I have had dogs all my life and my life. so I am used to various breeds. But our boy just seems to switch off and pays no attention. Unless he has treats but there only so many treats you can give. We reward for good behaviour and when he is good he is brilliant,but when is being mischievous he is really bad. He grabs anything he can to chew even though he has his own toys etc. he stopped weeing inside but sometimes just stands there and goes. He bites thinking he is playing and it becomes a battle to stop him. He doesn't get the concept of no unless you keep on and on and on! Please if anyone has had a beagle please let me know at what age they grow out of it. We are extremely patient but he is testing our patience. We have thought about re homing but don't want to give up on him because he is so lovely and it's not in our nature to get rid of him. But he does make our blood boil regularly.

[LondonLogCo]

Beagles ate notoriously difficult, my neighbour just acquired one. I think it's because they are pack hunting dogs. Stick with it tho & maybe seek some outside help regarding the biting issue, that is a worrying trait that needs addressing sooner rather than later. Even if he is renowned the biting could be problematic.

I had an English Bull terrier, I loved that dog BUT boy was she hard work for the first 3-4 years. She massively improved when I rescued a Doberman male. (I know both dogs sound a terrifying combo, but I lived on a small holding at the time) He was completely different, in fact you couldn't get a more polar opposite. He was so super willing and bright- I swear he was a human trapped in a dogs body. The good thing was that she responded when he did, which made life way easier.

I suppose it's about breed type and temperament, plus environment.

I wish you well, though 8 months is still very young. 2 years is about right I reckon.

[giggirl]

Cesar Millan speaks a lot of sense about dog psychology. You could order one of his books or watch him on YouTube.

Good luck.

[Mrs TP]

Oh dear we had a beagle when I was growing up and he was always so naughty. He would rip out the inner soles of any shoes - you always had to put them away. Sneak rubbish out of wastepapers baskets esp used tissues - ugh. Also if anyone had a tissue up their sleeve he would sit next to them so they would pet him on the head and he would nuzzle up their sleeve and nick the tissue. He ate several of my dolls and endless slippers - he would ignore them for ages and lull you into a false sense of security and one day just eat whatever item he had his eye on. He jumped up on the sideboard one year and ate my newly decorated birthday cake.

My parents took him to endless obedience classes and all he learnt was to sit on command and to come back in the park for a biscuit reward. The other dog owners thought he was called 'biscuit' as that is what we had to shout to get him back.

He also used to hoover up any food lying around in the street or park etc.

However, he was absolutely adorable and a fab companion and we all adored him.

[Huggers]

do you take him to puppy classes or try training classes? That would introduce him to a structure for his brain. Training isnt about getting him to do what you want so much as giving you both a common language you can communicate with to eachother.

Please avoid quick fix/later disaster Cesar Milan type training, all that power rolling will end in more harm than good. Be very careful who you get in to help you with your dog. The object is to teach, not test.

I found the following a brilliant website for proper support and advise- http://www.dogsey.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17&order=desc

someone is currently discussing beagle training on that very forum.

[GSJ57]

Sounds exactly our beagle, Mrs TP!

Ours is 12 now, so slowing down a bit, but will do anything for food. We have to keep the door shut to the bathroom at all times because of the eating tissues thing (what is about used tissues and beagles?!)

She epecially likes to chew pens/pencils, emery boards and drag the food shopping out of the bags if they are not put away quickly enough. A few months ago a whole loaf of raisin bread was devoured while I was putting the food away - dragged it behind the sofa stealth-like! Unfortunately it reappeared later.

But she is adorable and we wouldn't be without her!

[civilservant]

I thought ours was the only dog into used tissues - he's a small terrier rather than a beagle but he will start questing up my sleeve if I've stored a paper hanky there!

Not sure that this adds anything to the discussion, but Snoopy in the cartoon strip is a beagle: "Over the course of the strip's run, it was revealed that Snoopy had been born and raised at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm. His father used to run with hunting dogs, but would secretly run ahead and warn the rabbits. His mother is famous for her tapioca pudding, and in a 1990s Peanuts strip, came over on a World War I-era troopship to visit Snoopy and Spike, who had been ill with the flu. Out of all his siblings, Snoopy's brother Olaf was sold last. Before they were sold, Snoopy and his brothers and sisters made a band and one by one each was sold."

[Clair47]

Thank you, your replies have helped a bit and he hasn't been too bad this week. But he is trying to be the dominating one, which becomes a bit aggressive then realises his place till the next time. And yes what is it with tissues I'm sure they should of used a beagle for the Andrex advert.