[Barkybark]

Hello,

I have a 17 week old Beagle that I got from the Humaine Soceity at 9 weeks old. Originally, I am from the country and we had hunting dogs but there are all kept outside and don't require a lot of maintenance. However, now I live in a suburb and this Beagle is a house pet for my husband and I. Last week we started him in training classes. A couple of weeks ago, he finally got the potty training thing down. Sometimes he still has accidents in the house but that is because I don't get him out fast enough which is my fault. He has never went poop in the house, always outside. We have been using clicker training and that is going really well. He knows his name, he knows to come to me when I say "come", and he knows to "sit" and "lie down" when I tell him to do so. He also understands "kennel-up". We put him in the kennel before we got to work and he doesn't whine or bark. My husband comes home at lunch to let him out and at the end of his shift. When it is time for bed, we put him back in the kennel and he doesn't whine or bark. We only have a couple of problems with our beagle.....
1. Being stubborn while on the lease.
2. When we put him in the kennel for any other reason...for example to eat dinner, he pitches a fit. Barking and whining.
3. It's hard to ever get him to sit down and relax. The lady that is helping us in training classes has given us some techniques to help him relax, like letting him chew on something while we hold it, saying "calm" and using the clicker. There is a couple that we know who has 2 beagles and they are really calm dogs....will our beagle calm down when he grows up?

I am trying my best to have a really good trained dog. Although, sometimes I don't know how well I am doing.

Any comments are welcome.

 

[oldhounddog]

Hi Barkybark,

Welcome to Beagles Unlimited.

The obedience training class is a real plus and a great way to start off with a new dog. Take what you learn from your class and continue working with Barky until it is rock solid and keep it fresh with continued work. Always be calm and consistent using lots of patience with your training and it will pay you big benefits with Barky.

Reward based training will serve you best in my opinion.


*1. Being stubborn while on the lease.* I would say that your dog is just in need of leash training and not stubborn , and , as with many hunting breed dogs the outside world of sight,sound and scents can be overpowering. I would use a front clip harness with a 6 foot leash for training.
To start with take a look at this video :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2l8Qv1htUY
Loose leash walking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueE1S1k74Ao


*2. When we put him in the kennel for any other reason...for example to eat dinner, he pitches a fit. Barking and whining.* If there is enough room in the crate try feeding your dog's meal at the same time as yours using one of these in 3 or 5 inch to hold kibble. If dog is a chewer you may want to remove after meal.
http://www.amazon.com/Our-Pets-Atomic-Treat-Ball/dp/B0002ZADXW

3. It's hard to ever get him to sit down and relax. The lady that is helping us in training classes has given us some techniques to help him relax, like letting him chew on something while we hold it, saying "calm" and using the clicker. There is a couple that we know who has 2 beagles and they are really calm dogs....will our beagle calm down when he grows up?
Yes , your Beag will calm with age. Look for a more mature Beag starting at 12 to 18 mo. of age with a lot less edge. Continued training work helps.
Your Beag is 17 weeks old and this is normal for now. The calming techniques are a good start and something to chew on is a plus for those sore gums while adult teeth are coming in. Try one of these with treats: http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2750604

When Barky can't make it to the door use this to eliminate the scent marker: http://www.petco.com/product/2437/Natures-Miracle-Stain-And-Odor-Remover.aspx


There is a lot to talk about when getting a young Beag off to a good start. If I left anything out let me know. Goog Luck....

BTW. You are doing a very good job with Barky.

Best , oldhounddog

 

[Mom2Beagles]

Sounds to me like you are doing a great job with such a young pup. Training classes are the best way to learn to work with your dog in a positive way.

 

[Barkybark]

Thank you Oldhounddog for all of the advice. We covered leash training this weekend in obedience training. Yesterday, I was off from work so I took him for 3 long walks trying to let him get the hang of the training. By the third walk, he finally understood what I was trying to get him to do. That's not to say that he is the perfect leash walking dog...far from it...but he was at least grasping what I was doing and what I wanted him to do. Thank you for saying that I am doing a good job. Sometimes I get frustrated at him and I know that he hears it in my tone. Training him can be a challenge because I also have a 7 year old Red-Point Siamese in the house. Also, thank you Mom2Beagles for the compliment.

 

[claudia robbins]

Your Are Both Doing A fantastic Job!

Both you and Barky are doing a fantastic job. You are already mastering leash training. Leash training can be a challenge sometimes with beagles because they want to follow any "interesting" scent.

Training your beagle is a process (I know, sometimes you wish it were over in one day!).

If Barky has problems to relax, exercise him more. More exercise and practice of the obedience training that you are both doing, should make him tired, as well as provide some mental stimulation.

Like Mom2Beagle has said, good job! And let us know how you are doing.

 

[Barkybark]

Thank you Claudia.

My baby (my beagle puppy) is doing great. By the way, his name is Charlie, not Barky. I like to say BarkyBarky to him when he barks at me. Anyway, as I said he is doing great. He has one more obedience training class in puppy 1. He sits, lies down, rolls over, stands, stays, and comes. And he is doing really great on the leash and is learning that when another pet or human doesn't want to play with him, he is to "leave it". No bathroom accidents inside the house. Yay! He is so smart. I am wondering if he is a beagle mix because he is already 16 inches tall at 5 months old and doesn't bark that much. Oh, and I took him for his first swimming lesson. He didn't like it but he did swim, very fast actually to the other side of the pool to climb out (hehe). I told him, "you don't have to like it, but I need to know that you can swim in case of an emergency". Next weekend he goes to the vet to get neutered. And I think that is all for the update on Charlie.