Dog Advice Needed!

[ShannonCuller]

Hi Forum Folks,

We have found ourselves with a beagle pup, now almost 5 months old, adorable yet crazy.

She is quite loveable and friendly but we've found that her favorite activity is chewing on our four year old son to the point of drawing blood and shredding the clothes while literally on his back. She ignores the hundred chew toys and all manner of exotic treats and opts for our son instead. We have tried various training techniques from the advice of dog training friends back west and are open to any suggestions.

What worries me about her is that once she has her teeth into something she won't let go, she digs in, growls and seems to be all in for the fight.

With that said she hasn't maliciously attacked our son but she does get really wild while playing and has gotten him in the neck and butt in the last day or so and several fingers and toes have suffered over the 8 weeks she has been with us. She also loves to go after his crotch which has me terrified! He just asked if we could 'please get a licking dog, not a biting dog.'

Now I'm considering giving her to a person or family better equiped(no small kids)to handle her.

Advice? Suggestions? Dog Whisperers out there willing to help?

Thanks in advance!

ShannonCB

[Samui Coconut]

Exercise, discipline, affection - in that order

[Rooo]

Not being smart, but research ++++The Dog Whisperer++++ .he has on line tips & discussions.

As SC said exercise, discipline & affection in that order. He is treating your son as a toy & that is not acceptable.

[ShannonCuller]

Thanks for the replies. I never would have thought my evenings would be spent watching the Dog Whisperer but that is exactly what I've been doing. The problem is that I cannot find a way to discipline her that works yet. I actually have to peel her teeth out of things(not flesh..yet). I've tried a spray bottle, compressed air, loud shaker can, pulling her neck, now smacking in the nose which I know isn't a great idea but I'm desperate...and all of that only after positive reinforcement failed.

If she has to go I'd like to find another family while she is still small enough to settle nicely.

She is a good little pup above and beyond the terrorizing of small children.

[PoorSucker]

Contact the dogfather for training sessions.

http://www.thedogfathers.com/

[stiggy]

Try and have your son ignore the dog,no eye contact no touching no attention at all.until your son allows especially when coming home etc.

When your dog next hangs on to him have your son firmly but calmly turn the dog on its back and hold still untill the dog stops yapping creating or wriggling about, you cannot let in untill submission is gained.

Also have your son feed the dog but only after your son commands it to.

Same for exercise make the dog wait put your son in charge.

Make it agame for your four year old and put that pup in its place.

This won't be easy but bottom line dogs see a pecking order,your son is way down in it and the dog acts accordingly.You need to change this immediately .

Being a beagle has it started barking yet?

[ShannonCuller]

She doesn't bark much at all. She talks a little, cocks the head and howls but that is it. At night she comes in and goes into her nice comfy crate and snuggles up and sleeps until morning without a peep until she hears us stirring.

[Rooo]

You can have a quick look trough this forum, you could find some answers.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/105240-training-your-dog/

[sbk]

nienke is a forum sponsor and is worth talking to although she is in Chiang Mai she may be able to give you some advice

[Tropicalevo]

Contact the dogfather for training sessions.

http://www.thedogfathers.com/

I agree. Michael (aka The Dogfather) is quite knowledgable and does offer training. I know of two dogs that have been 'rectified' by him. Head to Maenam from Bophut and turn left just before Angelas bakery.

His number and map are on the website.

You have obviousy worked this out, but get it fixed fast before something bad happens.

Good luck

[ShannonCuller]

Thanks again for the replies and advice. We had another strange day with the pup and a too close for comfort eye injury with my son.

I just tried holding her down(she was on her back, belly up) as she was getting out of control and she would not calm down for me, becoming more and more agitated and trying to bite me the entire time. When I finally let her go after a several minutes she was crazy, jumping and biting.

So with that said I think it best to find a nice (no-kids)family that is interested in a challenging beagle pup and say our goodbyes rather than have something more serious happen in the time it will take to have her properly trained.

If anyone is interested please pm me. I'd post a photo if I could figure it out! Happy to email photos and all relevant information.

Thank you all again for the help. Certainly if we don't find an interested family we will contact the Dogfather and plead for help.

Shan

[stiggy]

Try the dogfather, as still a pup can be sorted I'm sure.

[sootybrown]

We had similar experience with a Beagle pup we were given, must admit it chewed almost every thing but soon grew out of it. The Beagle is a hunting dog and loves to run and chase a scent, that's why they are hard to train and get back if you let it off the leash. The crouch thing is a scent check, ours loves the beach and digs up the crabs, once it gets near one it will howl and put its white tipped tail up in the air so you can see it and come and shoot the crab. In the back of the pick up with its ears flapping it howls at every dog on the road and you are followed by dogs until they leave their territory. As a pack dog they do not like to be on their own, the Thais cannot quite understand why the dog does not bark but howls, we spent quite a bit of time at first explaining to our neighbors about the howling. Can tell you lots of stories about ours.

From a serious point you must check that it has had its rear legs dew claws removed, this is quite important, if yours hasn't PM me and we will tell you where we got ours done. We would not let ours go for all the tea in China and my Thai wife would kill anyone who threatens him, they are loyal and crazy, ours only wants to sit on your feet.

[BigC]

try the Dog Farther he knows his dogs. He used to be a trainer in the Swiss army passed down from his farther who also used to train dogs.

My friend had a Rotviler which turn on the owner. He was about to have him put down. before they triued one last attempt to try to taim him and took him to the dog farther in Manam. After a few hours he was a good as gold wouldn;t say boo to a goose.

or ruff

another alternative which seem cruel but sometimes u have to be cruel to be kind isa shock collar.

i do not know where you can buy one here but dogs work on association. So if one was to hit a dog when it was bad for example ran up to the street then it would associate you as the bad person and not the street. it is complicated

anyway with a shock coller which is detinated via remote control when a dog gets close to a street or chicke or what ever. you press the remote control and the dog associates the pain with thechicken or the road and does not turn a hatred to its owner who it respects and trusts .

When the dog owner hits the dog with his own hands it confusses the dog as the hand that feeds them is now turning on the dog which can cause problems later.

I am not an expert but maybe a few technques might see a big change in your dogs behavier. First step is understanding the mentality of the dog as it is not a human and they tink differently. Once you can work out how the dogs think via association you can minupulate the dogs to behave in a better way

[Rooo]

Here is a picture of the culprit, posted on behalf of the OP.

[Rooo]

I honestly think he will grow out of it. A bit of discipline now won't go astray, but he is still a pup , he will get into mischief.

[ShannonCuller]

Thanks to all for advice! Great forum here. The dogfather coming on Saturday so fingers crossed!

Shan

[MauriceVanTine]

Hi.

How are things going with the pup? Has he settled down? Beagles are pack animals and need the other memebers of the pack human and k9 alike. They have real anxiaity issues when left alone which often results with distructive behaviour. Let me know if you think you may need to get rid of him we have alarge place with a built in Pack if you are looking for a home for him.

Regards

Maurice

[BigC]

Thanks to all for advice! Great forum here. The dogfather coming on Saturday so fingers crossed!

Shan

can u let us know how you got on thanks

[ShannonCuller]

It didn't go well! We tried every training technique but the dog would not stop biting our son. She had him by the bottom and wouldn't let go. I had to pry her teeth out of him (he was bleeding)and that was the final straw. She is, as of last week, now happily at home with our friend and neighbor who has no children but does have four small dogs. Apparently she is very happy and her first act of freedom was to attack a neighborhood chicken! I think she killed it.