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Bless you for easing your relative's mind about the beagle's home.
Beagles are wild animals! Fortunately, they are SO food-oriented, that food will train them faster than some other dogs.
I cannot add anything to the wise posts already here, but am smiling remembering my beagle/basset, the late Snoopy, who was hell on wheels to live with (multiple homes/stray) but great for sleeping on cold feet. I still have the child locks on the cabinets and am still enjoying eating or preparing food without a defensive water bottle. But then, he was about nine when I got him, and had been all over the place.
Still, he'd see red when food was involved. I imagine he could have been well trained as a young one.
Bless you again for taking this pup and easing your relative's mind.
Well, I did have success with him going outside yesterday morning. No luck today. He also doesn't like the dog chow that another relative caring for him had bought. I was going to wait until the vet appt. tomorrow for a food recommendation.
I am concerned that he pulls on the leash so much, he starts choking. I can't really use the retractable leash because he pulls. I try to hold and calm him.
The relative suggested that I move the crate to the garage. I was going to do that, but I'm thinking it may be too cold. He says the dog is used to being outside.
Through all of this, my cat is strangely calm. She generally seems to like dogs. She hissed once, and he keeps his distance for the most part. But I am keeping them separated right now and ease into the adjustment.
Thanks again. When I have time, I have to figure out what to do about that carpet...
First, GET RID of that retractable leash. They are DANGEROUS. You have NO control of the dog with them and they can inflict nasty cuts and even take off fingers! Put it in the trash.
Get a nice, comfy hemp or leather leash.
This is a dog that is SCREAMING for training classes. It is actually FUN to go to class with your dog and you'll bond with him more than you ever thought possible.
DO NOT move the crate to the garage. You WANT this dog to bond with you and think of your home as HIS home. Plus there are all kinds of toxic substances in the garage you do NOT want him to get anywhere near.
I suggest you look into really GOOD foods for your dog: NO corn, NO sorghum and protein as the first couple of ingredients (and NO by-products!). There are TONS of excellent foods on the market: Wellness, Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, Natural Balance - and these are just three of the gazillions. Just do some research, but make sure there's NO corn and NO sorghum (a corn product). These are fillers and are associated with a LOT of gas, development of allergies. And with better foods the stool volume will be lower!
I have a 9 year old blue-tick coon hound that was a 100% outdoor dog until we moved 2 years ago. She is now comfortably an inside dog. Just a little patience and mutual understanding is all it took (and more frequent bathing for her, lol).
If an old coonhound can be broken for inside living, I'm sure a 9month old beagle can.
Bless you for easing your relative's mind about the beagle's home.
Thanks. Not everyone is supportive about my decision.
Training classes, here we come!
Viralmd, I never used the retractable, once I saw how hyped he was (and I read the "amputation risk" warning on the packaging). I bought a regular leash. But thanks.
Our beagle mix was a HORRIBLE leash puller when we adopted him - darting, straining, choking, etc. He was a year and nine months, had been raised essentially in shelters/foster care, and had never really been leash trained or walked regularly...his foster family would let him loose in the back yard or off-leash park, for exercise, not walk him on a leash, so he needed to be trained. After doing some research, we opted to try a harness, and work with him on not pulling. They don't work well with every dog, but it's been a good move for us. He very seldom pulls, now, and on the rare occasion when he does, he's at least not choking, because the pressure's not around his neck. It's an ongoing training process, though.
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