[HuliJing]

I just posted in the introduction. About a week ago we adopted a ~2 year old Beagle. So far, he is awesome as a house dog with some rough edges I'm planning on smoothing out.

Here's where he is so far:
-He fetches like a champ. He loves balls. I bought a training dummy and not so much yet. He also loves stuffed animals. That's one of the problems is teaching him which are his and which ones are the kids'. He'll come trotting out of their room with one of their beloved 'friends' and we have to redirect.

-he pulls on the leash, but from what I've read, he's a beagle.

-He comes out of his kennel in the morning and tries to climb under the covers. He also would only eat canned food for the first couple of days. That leads us to believe he was spoiled a bit in his previous household.

-he plays with the cats by chasing, but is very gentle.

-He knows the clicker will net him a treat. I actually seem to get better training results from a stuffed toy than I do food.

-He doesn't seem too afraid of noises (which gives me hope he's not gun shy). He'll trot right by a running shop vac and barely look at it.

Now, this dog is primarily a companion dog/house pet, but if he'll run rabbits, all the better. I'd actually love it if he were what we called growing up a 'meat dog'. I like to squirrel hunt and dove hunt, etc.

I know first things first and house manners and getting him acclimated is the primary objective. I've also noticed that this dog is...some may call it headstrong, but I call it being *focused*. When I take a toy from him, he's going to sit and stare at it or try to reclaim it until he decides he's investigated it fully (which usually means it's in pieces). I've had good success training dogs in the past, but this is my first indoor hound. Any advice, tips, etc. would be appreciated.

 

[oldhounddog]

HuliJing ,
Welcome to the world of Beagle ownership. Your description is very accurate for average Beag. The term headstrong is applied to many hounds , however , this is incorrect , what you are seeing is the hunting traits that are hardwired into Beagles to refine them as hunters. You have also noticed that when inside the home with the family/pack they are a great companion.

>Now, this dog is primarily a companion dog/house pet, but if he'll run rabbits, all the better. I'd actually love it if he were what we called growing up a 'meat dog'. I like to squirrel hunt and dove hunt, etc.< I would bet money he will run rabbits , no training required...(Big Smile)



A lot of what you may want can be addressed with training that can be done at or around your home. First , when you have time please read over the thread " Having trouble with my Beagle" in the hunting and training forum and post back your thoughts on how much of that info would apply to your needs and we will go from there.

I'll be glad to help any way I can.

Best , oldhounddog

 

[HuliJing]

olhounddog,

Thanks for the reply. I read through that thread. There are some similarities with Watson. One being energy levels. No matter how long I play fetch with him outside (I know just throwing a dog outside doesn't burn energy. They need mental stimulation too) once he comes in he doesn't 'settle down' but seems to be overstimulated. This makes the wife and kids a bit unhappy and we end up having to kennel him after a few minutes.

Daily routine? Well, I get up about 5:20 and let him outside. I make coffee and take it out and throw the ball with him for a few minutes. We leave him out to sniff and explore (we have a large fenced in backyard. He has uprooted every mole run in the place.) until my wife and kids leave for school about 7. Then he's in the kennel until one of us gets home, usually about 3:30. He's outside again and we play some more (I have a rabbit hide in the freezer I plan on playing some hide and seek with him to give him something to trail, but right now it's fetch) for a bit and the kids love to throw his ball.

We usually try some indoors time with his leash dragging and some days is ok and somedays he's too rambunctious. Then he goes back into his kennel during our dinner (he's a counter surfer) and then outside again for a few before bed.

As for training, he's got sit down pretty well if there's a treat. He comes when called as long as he's not trailing ('snuffling' as I call it). Leash time out of the back yard is a struggle. The trainer showed us how to to 'wait, come, sit' every time he pulls on the leash, and if there's an interesting scent, he's not really interested in food. Outside, I've started working on 'wait' before the fetch. I'll see if I can describe it. I make him sit on my left side while I take his leash behind me and hold it in my right hand. I give the command and then throw/kick his ball. He lunges and fights, but I have gotten him to sit with a slack leash for a 5 count before I let him go to retrieve. Slowly getting better.

We suspect he was spoiled a bit in his previous life before he showed up at the rescue. He is slowly starting to eat kibble, but still prefers the cat's food.
He doesn't chase the cats other than to try to convince them to play. If they get their back up and hiss at him, he leaves them alone.

Inside, I think he is manageable and if we can ever tire him out from his boundless energy, I know he will be a good inside dog. I think the biggest frustration and hindrance to that is that I am the only one that can walk him on a leash because of his strength and it is a constant battle. I stop every time he pulls on the leash and wait for him to sit and it took 15 minutes to get to the end of the driveway. I'm worried that allowing him to pull some of the time will only make it harder to break him later.

I know that was a lot and was just off the top of my head and not really well organized. Still, those are my thoughts after reading that other thread.

Thanks again.
Steve

 

[oldhounddog]

OK , where to start....a good question.

I would start off by nailing down basic command structure. ( sit , down stay and recall )
Work on these until rock solid as time permits...I know this sounds boring , but this is the building block for all future training..
Always keep everything fun and upbeat and use quality time for bonding.

Next add a sit command before every meal or trip outside. Don't worry about using treats at this stage of the game , just make sure dog does not see treat and use different hand so as not to be predictable.

Note: This trainer has a lot of helpful free videos and is one of the best I've seen.
Take a look at this and pay close attention to the trainers hands , methods and timing of reward.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NHqAW66-gE&feature=youtu.be

This training exercise has great value. IMO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiMGJBxRtBw

A treat Ball or puzzle toy for feeding kibble is a great way to give your dog something to think about while eating.



Recall work in a controlled environment like a fenced back yard works well. Try to set up recall between family members and call dog back and forth between and always reward with treats for correct behavior. If this is working well add a third member. You can also do this inside when weather does not permit outside work...

This is good for winter time fun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJxG--4t3SU&feature=player_embedded

Make sure to take your time as there is no rush. Make bonding a priority. Sometimes hand feed a meal. ( Just food for thought )



This will be enough to start , even if you only work one command you are moving forward and your dog will be happy learning new things.

Best , oldhounddog