Help!

[Undertoad]

Even the same species and breed fight from time to time!


But they settle down.

[darclauz]

following the cabbage patch phenomenon --

them dogs is so ugly that they's cute.

[Elspode]

Houdini is a pretty cool name, but you could make it humorous *and* cool if you called him 'Houndini".

Congrats on the new companioin, Perth...I think you probably needed one, eh? The wife and I treat ours like a kid. A spoiled frigging rotten kid.

[perth]

Oh. My. God.

Why didn't anyone tell me dogs don't understand english?

I brought him home, took him to the back yard, and followed UT's advice. That seemed to work very well, we have not had one accident yet. I spent about 45 minutes helping him explore, and once I was confident I had blocked all escape routes, I went inside to get him a water bowl. Time elapsed from leaving the backyard to return with a water bowl could not have been more than 3 minutes. He lived up to his name to astounding effect. I still have no idea how he got out.

We found him after hunting the neighbourhood, playing with the kids down the street. I have one of those long leashes in the yard now, hopefully situated where he can't get tangled. Famous last words.

I have taught him to sit, but only when he is abso-fucking-lutely certain there is a treat in my hand, and he loves to howl, despite the repeated assurances of his former owner, my so-called-friend.

But on the other hand... He is a very sweet, affectionate dog. He loves my son, and he only howls when he can't see one of us. He loves to play, and the way he lies on the floor, with his back legs splayed out, is the cutest thing ever.

Its going to take a while, I think, to teach him what to do and when to do it. But I suspect its more about teaching him to trust me than teaching him to obey me. He had the run of the house with the previous owner, and I think he might just be rebelling against the more "structured" environment of his new home.

Ugh. Its gonna be a long month.

[BrianR]

Beagles respond best to rewards-based training, eg FOOD!

They are incredible scenthounds and will forget the rest of the world when they are following their nose. THey are great trash-pickers and counter-surfers. DO NOT leave food lying around if you don't want your dog to eat it.

They are also great escape artists and will escape as soon as they feel like it. You have your work cut out training a Beale, but other owners say that hey would never have another breed.

Good luck

Brian

[LUVBUGZ]

Let the games begin .

I was wondering if his name was any indication of his powers to escape. I guess it was. One thing to do until you find out how he escapes (may result in setting up a camcorder) is walk the perimeter of your yard to check for "little diggins", ie. areas he has been working on to dig out. Diggers can be real problems, but I've heard that if you put his poo in the hole his trying to dig, he'll stop or move somewhere else in which case repeat step one. Another thing I've heard is to put pepper (black or cayenne) around areas he digs, not sure how well it works though.

Also try to see if he is jumping the fence to get out. You'd be amazed how high dogs can jump and many can climb fences too. This is important to figure out especially if Houdini wears a collar. I have heard several horror stories of people loosing their dogs by getting their collar caught on a fence and hanging themselves. Oh, and DO NOT let him wear a choker collar/chain as a regular collar. Chokers are training devices ONLY, used while leash training your dog or when you take him out on a leash. I cannot emphasize this enough. If a choke collar get caught on anything it could result in death as your dog struggles to free himself.

I also caution the leash in the yard deal. For dogs not use to this set-up it can also be dangerous. Especially hyper dogs who will pull hard enough and long enough to do damage to their throat. If the leash is nylon, he'll probably chew through it to get free. Be sure he can reach water and shade/shelter while on the leash.

I also highly suggest getting him an ID tag for his successful escapes .

I kinda had a feeling about the howling. Never met a Beagle-O who didn't. When I take my dogs to Dog Beach, you can hear the Beagle-O's a mile away and you know their Beagles without even seeing um. I can tell the neighbors are going to love you, and Houdini. Even friendly neighbors can turn into your worst nightmare if Houdini constently howls. If this starts to become an issue, let me know and I'll try to help, but howling/barking dogs is a tough one especially if he howls every time you leave him alone .

I've had a couple of dogs (and cats) that do the laying down w/ back legs splayed out thing. It is so cute, I love it. A lot of time dogs who do this use it as a way to cool down when hot (ie. on cool cement, tile floors, or the linoleium).

Getting "second-hand" dogs usually presents a set of problems that you might not have if you raised him as a pup. It will take patience and praise on your part to get him to change his ways, but hopefully he'll come around. It is difficult to go from having run of the house to "structure". The rebelling on his part may manifest itself in very creative ways. I'd watch out for chewing. This is a common one, aside from shitting/pissing where he's not supposed to . Let me know if chewing becomes an issue and I'll try to help there too.

Good luck, enjoy him, and give the little beggar a kiss from me

LUVBUGZ

[perth]

He has to be jumping the fence, Because after yet another careful inspection, The entire perimter is intact and secure at the bottom. Its a 6 foot security fence, so somehow he is getting to higher ground before hopping it. Maybe climbing a tree, We have a Russian Olive in the backyard that might be right for that. I think I'm going to build a dog run this weekend.

I haven't bought a choker chain, but i have gotten one with the plastic teeth inside (gives him a little pinch if he pulls too much). I only use it when walking him, and hes actually taken pretty well to it.

I am most definitely going to get professional assistance training him. I feel awful saying this, but I simply do not have the time to devote to stumbling around trying to figure out how best to train him. I need to get down to business, get him trained and get started with the having fun. Anyone have experience with these "Doggy Daycares"? Theres one right near my work, and I'm going to check it out today at lunch. I understand they devote a very large portion to teaching the dogs, but I see 2 potential problems:

1. Its not me training him.
2. I'm suspicious of the claims that each dog is individually taken care of.

[LUVBUGZ]

In the back of my mind I was thinking about the tree thing, I know that dogs have used trees as a means to escape. The dog run might be a great idea to contain him when you're not watching. Put some thought into it though before you build. Most are made of chain link, but I'd highly recommend closing in the top too. Like I said escape artists are usually good at climbing and chain link is a walk in the park if you don't totally enclose it he could still get out and also the getting hung up problems especially apply to chain link. Also, unless you concrete the bottom or bury brick or steel cloth under ground around the edges he could still dig out.

Well, I've seen TV shows on Doggy Daycare, but never actually been to one. They seem to be pretty good, but I'd go in and ask for a tour (behind sceens too) and get a feel for the employees and the facility. As I mentioned about training, if any one or any thing makes you uncomfortable ask questions until you're satisfied or don't use the place. Be wary if they are vague about stuff or if they don't allow you access to certain parts of the facility. Most doggy daycares have play sessions, but I've never heard of one that offers training, not saying they don't exist, but I'd definately ask about the quality or level of training you can expect. Yeah, some people let others train their dogs, but I personally feel it better if you go through the training. As mentioned before, it's really owner training, meant to teach you how to handle, train, relate to your dog.

I use to work in a kennel where we had day boarders (babysit during the day while owner was at work) but we weren't set up like a doggy daycare because we mainly boarded dogs for longer periods so the day borders basically stayed in a single run and didn't get individual attention all day long. We would take them out to run around in a small play area or play with them in their runs, but that was about it. The daycare concept is good and is actually a lifesaver for many dog owners who would otherwise end up getting rid of the dog for behavioral reasons (separation anxiety, destructive chewing, escape atrists, etc.). I'd also recommend checking out more that one place so you have something to compare to.

[perth]

I visited during my lunch, and yeah, its basically a bunch of dogs running around playing. They correct the dog if needed, but thats about it, training-wise. It seemed like a fun place, and I'm sure he would have fun there, so I may still consider it.

On the other hand though, the lady running the place gave me contacts to reputable dog trainers in the area, so I might call around. I guess what I want from a trainer is someone who can teach me to teach the dog, more than someone to simply teach the dog. To that end, our local Petsmart has classes on weekends for owners. Might look into that, becasue it should be a bit cheaper than private training.

[Undertoad]

There is nothing more fun for a dog than a bunch of other dogs to be all social with.

I've been through several group training sessions now and they are all fine ways to get both owner and dog going. And they're also fun, because you see everyone with their dogs and everyone is generally having a good time. It's not like a "class" class.

[LUVBUGZ]

The PetSmart training is usually OK, at the ones I've been to in SD the classes are held inside the stores which I personally don't care for because there are a few too many distractions for owner and dog while customers are shopping and stopping to watch and not really enough room to really work the dogs. There are definitely personal trainers that do one-on-one training (expensive), but most obedience classes are in groups from say 5-15 dogs and are usually held in a large, open area outside like a parking lot. I'd check into these before doing the PetSmart deal and then make a decision for what you feel best fits you and Houdini.

[zippyt]

Let the games begin
sounds like you guys are off to a good start .
A few points ,
1) Doggy day care ???? I bet it cost more than I would pay .
2) training ,, do the pet smart thing if you want ,, I went to a local collage that had a nite corse ,, Verrrry good training !!!
3) pinch collar , some folks think these are crule , i think they help a hard headed dog learn to behave . DON'T DON'T drag him around by that collar !!! All it takes is a swift jerk or 2 , no more . Short concise commands only . None of " if you don't sit I'll kick your ass , you F@#$%*& dog !!!" , simply " SIT " short and sweet .
4) escapeing . HE AIN'T NAMED HOUDINI FOR NUTHING !!!! Seriously he is just probley trying to figuer out his new home and the surrounding area , new smells to find !!!!!!
5) Dog run . I have built a few of these in my day . Slope the floor so you can wash the dog poop away ( and this should be done no less than once a week ) . If you want to get fancy you can build a trough for the poop to run down and burry a 55 gallon barrel full of sand and gravel like a septic tank .
I don't know where in the world you live but you have to think about shade and shelter from the weather .
And a water line is nice to have out at the run as well to wash out the run and to water the dog . I had labs and they LOVED to have a lawn sprinkler by their pens on hot days !!! Talk about HAPPY puppys !!!!

[darclauz]

Originally posted by zippyt
Let the games begin
. Short concise commands only . None of " if you don't sit I'll kick your ass , you F@#$%*& dog !!!" , simply " SIT " short and sweet .

i dunno. my father has a dog who responds well to "shuddup or i'll kick you till you're dead!!!" but he MAY think that's his name.

before you animal lovers call the pet police, he really loves this dog... talks to him all the time, plays with him... i don't know who that man is these days, but he sure ain't the dad that *I* remember. random threats of violence just flow from the man, like honey from a comb..........

[Leah]

Now here's a nice beagle. This is Lucy Loo. She is my sisters dog now but used to be her sniffer dog at Sydney International Airport. My sister is a dog handler for Quarantine. Lucy retired after failing her exam but leads a better life now believe me.
We can never let Lucy run free off her leash, once she gets a scent she will never come back. She did it once to me and just kept going and going, something not to tell my sister, she would kill me for nearly loosing her dog.

[Leah]

don't know what happend to the picture, sorry guys.