Adopting a Beagle?

[mark]

Wife's co-worker is offering her 5 year old Beagle as will be heading out on a extended holiday, plus finding when around, not all that much time for it.

Concerns I have though, although told it's a great dog, if it has any bad habits, might be difficult to check with a 5 year old Beagle, second is our situation; there are times between the wife's and my work plus the and kid in school, dog would be on it's own for ~8 hours. No other pets.

Thoughts?

[BlueAbyss]

Hmm a beagle by himself for 8 hours is asking for trouble. The words 'abandonment issues' comes to mind :wink:

[megs_clark]

Hi. Beagles are awsome family dogs. Their super smart. Fun to have around. We have a 3 yr old Beagle. Things to keep in mind. You need a fenced yard in my opinion. They are extreamly active dogs that follow their noses. We have a fully fenced yard and still wound up buying a invisable electric fence. After googling this seems to be common with them. They love company. Our dog follows us around the house everywhere. If we leave him in the house when i go to the grocery store by the time i get home he is going nuts. I leave him outside when i go out now other wise my blinds are on the floor and paper is shreaded when i get home. If i leave him outside where he can run around he doesnt seem to mind when i go out. So its something to keep in mind if you are working all day. Because their active they need alot of outside time to play, ours goes out quite a bit. And food is a big thing with them. I read most Beagles have food aggresion. Though ours doesnt at all. Something you might want to ask about. Our dog if we have food on the table and leave the room for a second he will get it. Iv never been able to break him of that. Its the following their nose thing. I think the only time he misbehaves is when his nose kicks in. He almost tunes us out if he is sniffing a scent, its odd to watch but if our yard want fenced it would be next to impossible to keep in in the yard when he thinks he smells something. The plus side they are super loyal, great with kids, loving and smart.

[Aquattro]

If he's crate trained, not really an issue. If not, ya, 8 hours is a lot of time to lounge around eating furniture. 5 yrs old is still plenty young to re-train something if needed.

[megs_clark]

I just thought id mention, our Beagle is crate trained. But theirs a limit on how long he can be in their before going nuts, lol. And 8 hours would by far be exceeding that with a Beagle i think. They really are high energy dogs.

[Aquattro]

I just thought id mention, our Beagle is crate trained. But theirs a limit on how long he can be in their before going nuts, lol. And 8 hours would by far be exceeding that with a Beagle i think. They really are high energy dogs.

I think as long as you wear them out before hand, an occaisional long term nap might be possible.
Another option for those times you have to leave for a full day, doggy day care.

[mark]

Going to have to think on this a bit more as a bit bothered on the idea of leaving it.

Live in Edmonton so not sure how humane it would be to leave the dog out even with a heated shelter (dog house) over winter while we are at work. As for being crate trained (new lingo for me) not sure but will ask. All I got from the wife is the people have been leaving the dog in their basement when they are out. Guess might be able to leave it in the basement fishroom, just wouldn't want it defecating there.

Dog daycare, here we went with the live-in nanny when the kid was younger to avoid daycare, seems strange to consider daycare again for a dog.

[fishoholic]

I know a few doggy daycares that are pretty good if you're interested in that route, the idea of doggy daycare is that the dogs gets it's energy out at daycare instead of taking it out on your carpets/furniture etc.

My dogs are left for 9-10 hours (WOW when I did the math, I leave for work around 8am and get back home around 6pm, I hadn't realized it was that long I was leaving them for :sad:) but that being said they are usually pretty good. However if I leave anything on the table within their reach, forget to hide my pillows under the blanket, leave shoes out etc. it's basically considered fair game and it will be ripped up/destroyed by the time I get home.

When we just had the one dog (Oreo) she would pretty much always find something to destroy on a daily basis from being left alone for so long. After we got our other dogs it helped a lot, for the most part they keep each other company. It also helps to walk them everyday, I know when I miss taking them for a walk they usually will find something (mostly paper ie: fliers left on the table) to rip up.

Most dogs, as long as they are potty trained, will not mess in the house and will hold it for up to 10 hours before they would defecate inside the house.

As for crate training I think 8 hours is too long to leave a dog in a create for on a regular basis and you are right, with Edmonton weather, leaving a dog outside for an extended period of time (especially a short hair dog) is a bad idea.

This is just my experiences and my opinion but I hope it helps. Feel free to pm me or call me etc. if you have any questions, and I'll try to help answer them.

[Leah]

I would be leary of the fact that they leave the dog in the basement.
Dogs are great, but a huge responsibilty.

[fishytime]

If he's crate trained, not really an issue. If not, ya, 8 hours is a lot of time to lounge around eating furniture. 5 yrs old is still plenty young to re-train something if needed.

I just thought id mention, our Beagle is crate trained. But theirs a limit on how long he can be in their before going nuts, lol. And 8 hours would by far be exceeding that with a Beagle i think. They really are high energy dogs.

If you need to put a dog in a box for any length of time to keep it from chewing things up, then you shouldnt have a dog IMO. Putting a dog in a box is not responsible pet ownership. Way too many people own dogs that probably shouldnt.:sad:

[Ian]

Beagles are truly a high energy breed and a crate for 8 hours may cause huge issues for you when you let it out. Especially if it is not crate trained allready.
They are a terrific family breed as has been mentioned but you have to find a method of using up some of that enery and curiosity every day or you will have a very unhappy dog and you will be unhappy also. If doggy day care is not an option maybe a good dog walker is available to you. He/she could come over mid day and take this puppy for a nice long walk. It would give the pooch a great break in the day whichever way you choose to house it while your away and keep it from having accidents in your house.
I have had great succes with this for a couple of my dogs in the past.

Good luck

[Aquattro]

If you need to put a dog in a box for any length of time to keep it from chewing things up, then you shouldnt have a dog IMO. Putting a dog in a box is not responsible pet ownership. Way too many people own dogs that probably shouldnt.:sad:

Well, you obviously don't know much about dogs and crates then, because my dogs love their crates. They sleep in them, by their own choosing. A crate trained dog is so much easier to manage, from transport, vet care, and attending sporting events is just not possible if the dog won't sit in a crate.
Now I'll be the first to agree that many people shouldn't have companion animals (pets is such a bad term), but it's not due to crating them. My dogs participate in agility or flyball 2 - 3 times per week, go for 5-10k runs 3-5 times per week, and after all that, they love to go home for a nap in their crates.
In your defense, I used to feel the same way before I understood the benefits of crates, for both me and my dogs.

[Aquattro]

Here is a link to crate training for anyone that isn't sure why it's a good thing.

http://www.thedogtrainingsecret.com/crate-training/

[Leah]

Crates have their place that is true but not 8-10 hrs a day for 5 days a week.

[Aquattro]

Crates have their place that is true but not 8-10 hrs a day for 5 days a week.

Yes, a crate is not a substitute for interacting with your dog. But, my dogs are crated from 8-12, I'm home for lunch, then from 1-5. The few times they were not crated, I ended up with a three poster bed and a chewed lamp cord. If they're left out, they also sleep all day, so whether they sleep on my bed, or their own bed, not much of a difference. Once I get home, they spend the night training, running or wrestling with each other.
Leaving a dog out loose is a sure way for bad things to happen. I understand that some people don't agree with it, so I won't go on about it, but to label someone an irresponsible pet owner because they use a crate simply shows ingnorance.
As an example, one person I know that has a beagle, but does not believe in crates, has had the poor little guy in for surgery 4 times because the dog was unsupervised for a few moments and was allowed to swallow something it shouldn't have. I'm happy to admit I do not subject my dogs to such cruelty.

Ok, I'm done :)

[fishoholic]

I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about crates. Crates can be a good thing as long as they are not misused. If a crate is not being misused the crate usually will become a safe private space that most dogs enjoy retreating to, especially at bed time or when they need/want alone time.

Although there are some dogs (like mine) who absolutely hate the mere thought of a crate, and trying to keep them in one (while they are literally flipping out) is just mean. I know as tried once with Oreo and she freaked out so bad that she somehow manged to flip the whole crate over and kept rolling around in it until she got it to pop open, and it only took her about ten minutes to do so. Needless to say that was my 1st and last attempt at crate training :redface:

[megs_clark]

I think that all dog breeds are different. Some breeds of dogs are more active, some need more companion ship, dogs who are pack dogs have more anxiety issues often. Of course their are times when an exception is made. But often they can be predictable when looking at breeds. And as someone who owns a Beagle (this is the breed in topic) I can say that i dont think it would be good for him to be alone in a room, crate or anything else where he will be alone for 8 hours. Even a single walk in the eight hours will not make for a happy Beagle. In my opinion anyways. Beagles are highly active, and need company. They hate being alone generaly. They can become deppressed easily, and being alone pent up is going to drive a Beagle crazy. We used our crate training more for potty training at night, when he was a puppy (worked awsome) and as a spot he can go if he needs to be alone, LOL. It doesnt get used much, because he NEVER wants to be alone. We are lucky that i work from home so am home all day and so are my kids. When i would leave him to go out for an hour if he is locked up, by the time i were to get home he is going nuts. So i think putting him in your fish room for 8 hours would be leading to behaviour issues. Its not the worry of having accedents, its the dog trying to get out of the room, and wrecking things. Beagles aim to please, so i find they only misbehave if not happy or fallowing their nose. They are prone to getting fat if they dont get adaquite exercize which can lead to health problems. I found before buying our Beagle that they need a little more attension then some other dogs. They are not independent dogs. Im assuming if the dog your thinking of aqddopting is being locked up in the basement when they go to work, its because its misbehaving when alone. Sooooo if its doing that for them, its going to do it to you if in the same situation!!! A fish room typicaly (i dont have one myself unfortunetly) has alot of pipes and such that i bet will become a chewing post to vent frustrations after a few long days of being holed up.

[fishoholic]

I think that all dog breeds are different. Some breeds of dogs are more active, some need more companion ship, dogs who are pack dogs have more anxiety issues often. Of course their are times when an exception is made. But often they can be predictable when looking at breeds. And as someone who owns a Beagle (this is the breed in topic) I can say that i don't think it would be good for him to be alone in a room, crate or anything else where he will be alone for 8 hours. Even a single walk in the eight hours will not make for a happy Beagle. In my opinion anyways. Beagles are highly active, and need company. They hate being alone generally. They can become depressed easily, and being alone pent up is going to drive a Beagle crazy. We used our crate training more for potty training at night, when he was a puppy (worked awesome) and as a spot he can go if he needs to be alone, LOL. It doesn't get used much, because he NEVER wants to be alone. We are lucky that i work from home so am home all day and so are my kids. When i would leave him to go out for an hour if he is locked up, by the time i were to get home he is going nuts. So i think putting him in your fish room for 8 hours would be leading to behaviour issues. Its not the worry of having accidents, its the dog trying to get out of the room, and wrecking things. Beagles aim to please, so i find they only misbehave if not happy or fallowing their nose. They are prone to getting fat if they don't get adequate exercise which can lead to health problems. I found before buying our Beagle that they need a little more attention then some other dogs. They are not independent dogs. I'm assuming if the dog your thinking of adopting is being locked up in the basement when they go to work, its because its misbehaving when alone. Sooooo if its doing that for them, its going to do it to you if in the same situation!!! A fish room typically (i don't have one myself unfortunately) has a lot of pipes and such that i bet will become a chewing post to vent frustrations after a few long days of being holed up.

+1 well said.

Trust me when I say do not get a dog unless you are willing to except that chewing up of things not meant to be chewed up might happen (like pillows and baseboards) pee and poo indoors might happen, holes in your yard might happen. Some dogs are better trained then others and some make more messes then others but even a well trained dog can get into mischief and have accidents every now and then. As long as you're willing to live with that then go for it as the companionship a dogs gives is a wonderful thing.

[Leah]

Have we scared you enough yet?

[StirCrazy]

Crate training is the best thing for any dog, unless it is going to be with you 100% of the time, but they should be confined nolonger than 4hours at a time, Brad has good luck as they are in there crate for 4 hours and then out for 1/2 to 1 hour then back in for another 4 hours.

I am working on getting mine trained, and it is a slow process, but we don't know any of the history as it was tied to the fence at the SPCA when they came into work. we do think it was a res dog, no real issues just no real training either. so the only time she is crated is when I have to run out the odd time when I don't take her with me. they look at it as there den and there place to escape if they feel there is to much going on.

but being gone for 8 hours solid is to long, unless you have some one to stop by and let them out for a bathroom break and to play for a bit befor going back in.

Steve

[MitchM]

What about installing a dog door and having a certain area cordoned off in the house where he/she can go for warmth and water?

I've always had good luck with doggie doors.

Mitch

[fishytime]

Well, you obviously don't know much about dogs and crates then, because my dogs love their crates. They sleep in them, by their own choosing. A crate trained dog is so much easier to manage, from transport, vet care, and attending sporting events is just not possible if the dog won't sit in a crate.
Now I'll be the first to agree that many people shouldn't have companion animals (pets is such a bad term), but it's not due to crating them. My dogs participate in agility or flyball 2 - 3 times per week, go for 5-10k runs 3-5 times per week, and after all that, they love to go home for a nap in their crates.
In your defense, I used to feel the same way before I understood the benefits of crates, for both me and my dogs.

Yes, a crate is not a substitute for interacting with your dog. But, my dogs are crated from 8-12, I'm home for lunch, then from 1-5. The few times they were not crated, I ended up with a three poster bed and a chewed lamp cord. If they're left out, they also sleep all day, so whether they sleep on my bed, or their own bed, not much of a difference. Once I get home, they spend the night training, running or wrestling with each other.
Leaving a dog out loose is a sure way for bad things to happen. I understand that some people don't agree with it, so I won't go on about it, but to label someone an irresponsible pet owner because they use a crate simply shows ingnorance.
As an example, one person I know that has a beagle, but does not believe in crates, has had the poor little guy in for surgery 4 times because the dog was unsupervised for a few moments and was allowed to swallow something it shouldn't have. I'm happy to admit I do not subject my dogs to such cruelty.

Ok, I'm done :)

Ok first of all you dont know me or my level of experience with dogs.... Im almost 40 years old and have had dogs in my life for thirty years.....the last ten years I finally got my head out of my butt and realized that I was not a good fit for dogs because I am not home enough.....there is a difference between going into a crate of his own accord (out of comfort due to being locked in the crate for 8 hours a day) and being confined to a crate for 8 hours a day.... would you put a cat in a crate for that length of time?....how bout a tang in a 10g?....I applaud you for your involvement with your dogs ...you do way more than the vast majority of people to exercise your dogs....I will agree with you that a dog being comfortable with a crate is a good thing for all the reasons you posted...except for one.....you said yourself that when you havnt crated your dogs they have chewed your furniture...You need to learn why a dog starts acting out to begin with....they are not bad dogs....they are not stupid....they know they arent supposed to chew/pee/bark....they act out because you are not there for 8 hours a day!....so we respond by putting them in a cage.....really responsible!...think for yourself and stop listening to everything you you read...... All a dog wants is to be with "top dog"....which is us...when we leave them home alone some dogs act out....the only way a dog knows how.....they pee on the couch or they howl all day long or they chew up your ____ (insert object here)....people really need to think about whether or not they are right for dogs rather than "is that dog right for me"

[Leah]

Aquattro - just wondering if the dogs sleep in the kennels at night as well?

[Aquattro]

Aquattro - just wondering if the dogs sleep in the kennels at night as well?


One does, the other sleeps on my bed. The new puppy is crated at night for obvious reasons, but my male BC goes to his (open) crate on his own.

and yes, the "bed post incident" is my own fault, it was a busy week at work and they didn't get out as much as usual, hence the bored chewing.
I am certainly not condoning crates as babysitters, simply a way to keep dogs safe. I do know people that overcrate, and the dogs suffer for it, and this to me is not acceptable. Should all dog "owners" have dogs? Absolutely not. But people not familiar with crates often jump in with the cruelty factor (and I used to be one of these people, having had dogs for my entire long life).
But, having used crates for the last couple of years, I'm now a big proponent of crates (when used properly). They aren't for everyone, but they are a huge asset for me in managing 3 dogs. For the most part, my dogs can be left loose in the house for a couple of hours, but with wrestling, running around, etc, it's better to tire them out, then let them nap while I'm out.
Perhaps some of you know people that abuse crating, but within my circle of dog sport enthusiasts, we all put considerable time, effort and thought into managing our dogs and crates are used as a responsible management tool.
Of course, it's one of those topics that you can't argue to win, I'm just stating what works for me, I have healthy happy well adjusted dogs, and that's my end goal.
If something different produces the same goal for others, then by all means use it.

[mark]

Met the dog today, seems alright.

What the plan is is we'll take the dog as a trial and if it doesn't work out, the owner has no problem taking him back.

As for how the dog was being kept when the owner was away, seems by their front door there's a bit of an entry-way/landing. There they placed it's bed and would have him on a lead so he could still move around but not into the rest of the house.

Am amazed though when walking him, how strong a beagle is.

[intarsiabox]

I think all you need to keep the beagle happy is a dog house to lay on top of and WWI flight hat!:biggrin:

[Aquattro]

I think all you need to keep the beagle happy is a dog house to lay on top of and WWI flight hat!:biggrin:

No, beagles need a challenge....red baron maybe? :)

[Leah]

Congratulations on the addition, hope it goes great and you enjoy him.

[mark]

Well that was a bust.

Plan was we would take the dog on the weekend but ends up the woman is going to keep the dog. Though my wife was ensured repeatedly before the dog came over and while it was here, she was okay giving it away, when she returned home with it, guess the woman's mother had other thoughts.

Little miffed about explaining this to my 9 year old as went through this a couple of years back with another dog (wife's Aunt family had all agreed they had no time for their dog and then came back for it a few days later). This was why my wife wanted it to be so clear before the Beagle was brought over.

No more private deals, going to the SPCA tomorrow.

[Leah]

Oh no that is hard, but a younger dog is probably better anyway. And it is great that you will rescue a dog hope you find the perfect match. And this way you can pick your own dog that will fit into your lifestyle/family. :biggrin:

[fishoholic]

Well that was a bust.

Plan was we would take the dog on the weekend but ends up the woman is going to keep the dog. Though my wife was ensured repeatedly before the dog came over and while it was here, she was okay giving it away, when she returned home with it, guess the woman's mother had other thoughts.

Little miffed about explaining this to my 9 year old as went through this a couple of years back with another dog (wife's Aunt family had all agreed they had no time for their dog and then came back for it a few days later). This was why my wife wanted it to be so clear before the Beagle was brought over.

No more private deals, going to the SPCA tomorrow.

Sorry to hear it didn't work out. If nothing at the SPCA grabs your attention this rescue organization SCARS http://www.scarscare.org/ has a lot of nice dogs to choose from. Click on adoptions then scroll down to adoptable animals or use this link http://www.scarscare.org/AnimalsLanding.aspx

[StirCrazy]

I am not sure SPCA or rescue is the way to go anymore after my experiences as of late. I think you have to be open to getting a dog that has baggage, we ended up getting a beautiful dog from the SPCA but now we are faced with the decision of returning her. so basically I have spent 400ish on supplies/toys/crate, ect the adoption fees and about 150.00 in vet/shots ect. and may have to throw it all away. the problem is she has an extreme dog aggression and in my neighborhood ever second house has a couple dogs and the ones in between have 1, so taking her for a walk is like an episode of ceaser mellan. we have also spent almost 300 on private lessons with a trainer who specializes in aggression but nothing she has tried has worked at all. now after talking to the SPCA they asked me to try one of there volunteer trainers at no cost to me be for we make the final decision. they do agree that keeping here is not a good option due to the liability as if some ones dog come running up to us on a walk she will probably try kill it. the other problem is I can't let her in the back yard with out being with her and having her on a leash which isn't the best environment for her either. so if the new trainer doesn't work, I think we will return her and eat the money we have spent already then start looking for a reputable breeder and get a puppy. no more rescue or SPCA for me, as ten rescue dogs we looked at had some sort of issue also.

[EmilyB]

There are so many wonderful dogs in rescues all over, it is unfortunate you feel that way. :sad:

But at least going to a reputable breeder will eliminate encouragement of backyard breeders that simply add to the number of dogs that end up in rescue.

Unfortunately, not all rescues or shelters are "reputable" either, and do not put forth the effort to carefully match the animal with its new family.

[Aquattro]

I am not sure SPCA or rescue is the way to go anymore after my experiences as of late.

Steve, that's a rather broad statement, no? :) While it's true that rescue dogs can sometimes have baggage that we prefer they didn't have (Nyx is a great example :)), it's not always the case, and with proper training and management, they can turn out great (again, Nyx is a great example). It all depends on how they got there. Also, rescues are often really anally retentive in making sure their dogs are matched properly to new owners. If they aren't asking you 100 questions, they might not care enough..
On the flip side, I know a few dogs with issues that were raised from puppies. Puppies aren't guaranteed to be great dogs just because they're puppies.

[StirCrazy]

True, but rescues in BC that are good are hard to find, there have been 8 of them in court over the last 10 years and there are a lot more that are run rather shady (we have a friend up here that is big involved in them)

yes it was a little to broad, I should say if you are looking for specific things it is hard to find, if you are open to certian things it may be more simple. I need a dog that likes other dogs, my cat, good with the kids, and is house broken. am I looking for to much? or do thoes types of dogs usaly not end up in rescues or at the SPCA?

As for NIX, the only baggage she has is that her tail is realy a wrecking ball :mrgreen:

Steve

[StirCrazy]

There are so many wonderful dogs in rescues all over, it is unfortunate you feel that way. :sad:

But at least going to a reputable breeder will eliminate encouragement of backyard breeders that simply add to the number of dogs that end up in rescue.

Unfortunately, not all rescues or shelters are "reputable" either, and do not put forth the effort to carefully match the animal with its new family.

we went to about 6 different rescues to look at dogs, about 4 of them said one thing and after we drove for anywhere from 1 to 3 hours the dog ended up being totaly unsuitable and the foster people couldn't believe what the rescue people told us about the dog, so I was a little jaded there.

we figured with all the formes and info the SPCA made us fill out, if they looked at them they would have knowen I was looking for a dog that I could take hiking, camping, to the dogpark, but all they cared about is the photo of my yard and let us have a dog that I can only walk at 6am, or at supper time, when there are no other dogs around as to many damn people let there dogs run off leash here, and I am worried about the ones that come running up as if she gets ahold of them I have no doubt at this point she will try kill them. soooooo........ not realy a match to all the questions they asked me at all.

They told us it was a golden retriever/lab cross, but I have discovered it is a Golden/Chow cross. the Chow is the dominant personality and it was never socilized as a pup, and to make it worse the girl who is trying to get rid of her agression has a feeling she was being groomed to be a fighting dog. so I have a highly inteligent, indemendant stubbren dog who wants to kill any other dog it sees

Even the trainer I have been working with cannot believe the SPCA would have given her to a family with young kids.

Steve

[mark]

So did the SPCA thing and got the son a 3year old Chocolate Lab.

Story with her was owners moved to a no pet apartment building. Very well behaved with about the only negative is she seems attached to me rather than the kid but we'll work on that.

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h316/das75/PB110051.jpg

I would like to thank all for the comments above.

[fishoholic]

Mark- congrats on the new dog, I hope everything works out for you :biggrin:

Steve- I'm sorry to hear that, I know how you feel though. My dog Bailey was (and still could be if I'm not tuned into her behaviour) very aggressive with other dogs. She's good with my other two dogs but walks were a nightmare. I'll be honest in the fact that I will never feel comfortable taking her to off leash parks due to her aggressive tendencies, she did attack another dog at an off leash park 3 years ago luckily we were able to pull her off of the other dog before she did any damage. However for a moment when it was happening I thought Bailey was going to kill the other dog and thought OMG what have I gotten myself into.

After that I stopped going to off leash parks. I would however take Bailey and my other dog Oreo for walks together. Unfortunately Bailey's aggressiveness towards other dogs started to rub off on Oreo, so I learned to do my best to avoid other dogs while on a walk. Which in a neighborhood like mine were every other house has dogs is near impossible. I got a wake up call when I was walking them and I turned the corner and suddenly there was a husky dog right in front of us, well both of my dogs went crazy and started attacking the other dog, my dogs actually knocked me over and dragged me in order to get to the other dog :sad: I was pretty horrified (and a bit banged up) but really lucky that they didn't hurt the husky and that the husky's owner was able to get her dog away from mine and that she was more worried about me being ok (since my dogs had dragged me a fair way before I regained control) then upset by what happened.

I made a promise to myself that day that I would get control of Bailey and she would not control me. I read a lot of books and watched a lot of Cesar Millan and I started taking Bailey on separate walks. I learned how to get her to heal (walk beside me), I learned to control my fear of her attacking again and I learned to watch for all her signs so I could correct her before any aggression started. It took me a whole year to do all this, but it was worth all the hard work and in the past year I have not had any problems walking her.

Bailey literally went from going completely psycho when ever another dog was within sight to ignoring any other dog we run into on our walks. Yes it was a lot of hard work and yes it was worth it and if Bailey could change I'm sure your dog could to, so don't give up hope yet. The key for me with Bailey was for me to stay clam (not an easy task, but with time I was able to) whenever another dog came into view and to correct her immediately at the first sign of her showing any interest in another dog, to the point were now she pretty much ignores other dogs on our walk. I always keep a close eye on her and there are times when I still need to correct her but in the past year she hasn't even barked at any other dogs we walk by, even if they are barking at her.

[Leah]

Mark the dog looks like a sweetie, I hope for your son's sake it works out great. She just looks like a boy's dog.
Laurie that is great that you have put the time and effort in, it usually pays off. The not panicking part is so hard to do. :neutral:
All dogs have the potential to become aggressive at any age. Regardless of if you have had it since a puppy. So no Guarantee's.

[fishoholic]

Mark the dog looks like a sweetie, I hope for your son's sake it works out great. She just looks like a boy's dog.
Laurie that is great that you have put the time and effort in, it usually pays off. The not panicking part is so hard to do. :neutral:
All dogs have the potential to become aggressive at any age. Regardless of if you have had it since a puppy. So no Guarantee's.

It took me about 3 months of walks before I managed to get my heart to stop racing every time I saw another dog on our walks. It was totally worth the effort though. I used to turn around and walk the other way whenever I saw another dog, now I move over to one side of the path tell Bailey to ignore (and she pretty much does) we let the other dog pass by then we continue with our walk.

[StirCrazy]

It took me about 3 months of walks before I managed to get my heart to stop racing every time I saw another dog on our walks. It was totally worth the effort though. I used to turn around and walk the other way whenever I saw another dog, now I move over to one side of the path tell Bailey to ignore (and she pretty much does) we let the other dog pass by then we continue with our walk.

Mark, she looks nice, and what a fancy adoption center.

Laurie, I am actualy realy hoping that the new trainer works out, as I realy do like the dog, and like the other trainer said all dogs are good 95% of the time, it is just the other 5% that you have to decide weather you can deal with. I have been doing about 2 hours of training a day for over 2 months now and she is not getting any better towards other dogs, and only slightly improved on walks as if she sees another dog its all bets off.

from everything I have read the biggest problem is she is a chow chow mix and the chow is the dominant attitude, so she is not driven to please her owner only herself, she is highly protective of her owners and I feel she wasnt socalized at all when she was young which for a chow is absolutly nessisary or they get very agressive.

I am also working on a bit of a time like as after christmas my retirment is done and I have to start looking for a job :cry: so I won't have all the time in the world to work with her like I do now, and because there will be no one here all day when I start working I was planning on putting a doggy door in the garage (which is heated and insulated) with a little area for her so she could go inside if it is cold but still be able to get outside to play or go to the washroom. right now with her agression there is no way to do this as there are dogs on both sides of us and they are out all day.

I could realy care less if she ever played with other dogs, all I need is for her to ignore them.

I have been reading alot of stuff, from everything I have read from Ceaser and saw on his show, she is way worse than what he normaly calls his red zone cases, and his touch method and foot distraction doesn't work on her as she just ignores them.

everything else I have read is consistant with, forget about halties, harneses ect.. if you have a chow or chow mix with agression problems get a prong colar or domanant dog colar and learn how to do sever corection. well I don't know if I am comfterable with that level of corection even though I know it doesn't realy hurt them when done right. we also have a guy that has a real submissive dog that is willing to come over and work with us also so we are going to look at that also.

anyways sorry for stewaling your thread Mark.:mrgreen:

Steve

[fishoholic]

I use a harness on Bailey as I'm not comfortable with prong collars either, I got lucky though as she responded well to the "shhhing" and touch techniques Cesar uses.

I got Bailey from a rescue society that gets a lot of dogs from the woods up north and reserves. I'm not sure what her history is but she has a large thick scar that runs across her neck all the way down her front leg. It looks like she maybe got caught in barb wire at some point in her life. Bailey was 3-4 years old when we adopted her 3 years ago. She is very laid back in the house and is great with adults and children. I'm not 100% on what bread she is but her face and body look just like a Rhodesian Ridgeback, only she has brindle colouration.

Rhodesian Ridgeback's were developed in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) and South Africa back in the 16th century, this breed is also known as the African Lion Hound. These silent pack hunters were bred by European settlers to track down a lion, or other game, then corner it and or lure it into shooting range. So these dogs were originally bred for their courage, agility, endurance and instincts. So I know what you mean when you say what a challenge certain breads can be.

[StirCrazy]

I am on my second halti, at least the store replaced it free, they said they have never seen a dog break one befor :mrgreen: I picked up a muzzle today and we test drove it during our walk tonight, figures not one dog out at all.

anyways here is a pic, you'll see why I want to keep her and am hoping we can get through this issue quickly.

http://members.shaw.ca/s.l.s/dog/sadiesmall.JPG


Steve

[fishoholic]

I am on my second halti, at least the store replaced it free, they said they have never seen a dog break one befor :mrgreen: I picked up a muzzle today and we test drove it during our walk tonight, figures not one dog out at all.

anyways here is a pic, you'll see why I want to keep her and am hoping we can get through this issue quickly.




Steve

Very cute, I hope it all works out for you. When I bought Bailey's harness I made sure it had a really thick metal ring, she broke the smaller metal ring on her collar when I used to hook her leash to her collar. She saw a rabbit and took off after it, at first I thought she broke the clasp on the leash, but when I finally got her back I was amazed that she had actually broken the metal ring on her collar.

Here's a pic. of Bailey, she's a big suck most of the time and often thinks she's a lap dog, but at 86 pounds I don't :lol:

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii53/Laurie_Morin/dogs/DSC_1722.jpg

[Edmonton newbie]

I have 2 very high energy pups that i need to walk and off leash EVERY day! Congrats on a gral looking lab, i hope you have a good throwing arm lol. Both my pups are blue heeler crosses i have developed a great thowing arm.5209

[Leah]

Hey Mark,
How is she working out?

[JPotter]

If you are seriously considering taking the dog be certain to start with a trial period...not working back it goes. Some behavioural issues can be adjusted in adult dogs ..others not so easy.
Get full vet records from the attending vet hospital before taking on an adult dog..chronic issues can prove to be costly.
If you are not going to have someone around you may well need doggy day care..it depends on the energy level of the dog and Beagles can be quite busy.
You will need a well fenced yard.

[StirCrazy]

If you are seriously considering taking the dog be certain to start with a trial period...not working back it goes. Some behavioural issues can be adjusted in adult dogs

ya, don't I know this, but the problem is the trial period from the SPCA is 1 week, most dogs won't present there true selves for a bit longer than that as they become more comfterable in the home.. I know ours took a month. :neutral:

Steve

[JPotter]

Sorry..I thought the Beagle was coming from a co worker or friend.

[mark]

Sorry..I thought the Beagle was coming from a co worker or friend.


The Beagle was from a co-worker of the wife but didn't work out (they decided to keep her), so ended up getting a fantasic Lab from the Edm Humane Society.

As well behaved the dog is the owners must spend lots of time with her, it must of killed them to have to give her up. Very playful, doesn't bark, no issues in the house, great dog.

As for the trial period from the pound, at least in Edm, there's sort of is one. You pay a non-refundable adoption fee and if the animal needs to be returned you might (and they stressed might) get a exchange.

[StirCrazy]

As for the trial period from the pound, at least in Edm, there's sort of is one. You pay a non-refundable adoption fee and if the animal needs to be returned you might (and they stressed might) get a exchange.

thats better than here, they have a 1 week money back then after that if you have to get rid of her in the first year you have to give her back to the spca and you don't get anything for it. so you are out the adoption fees vet fees ect .. but it isn't a lot of money anyways.

Steve