[HelpBenji]

I am caring for a 7 year-old beagle who must be a direct descendant of Houdini himself. He has been here a week (he's with me for two months) and starting to test boundaries as he settles into his new environment.

I'm thanking the stars that he is housetrained and not destructive. But he howls and barks when left alone (it's not separation anxiety) and is constantly escaping when unattended. He has broken out of his "safe room" 4x in the last two days, including learning how to knock down 3 baby gates. This is actually what makes me most nervous as he is bound to get out of a window, into trash, or some other unsafe room. He is not crate trained.

I know all this just spells boredom and craving interaction. But I don't know how much more we can give him. He gets two 45-minute walks, "go find" games and training through the day, and HOURS (5+ hrs per day) of hanging out with us. In between, he has ~2 hours where I need him to chill unsupervised in a gated area without trying to break out of it.

I know he is trying to be a good boy but this is escape #2 just TODAY and I am feeling a little frayed! Any advice or solidarity? Any practical tips on how you keep your beagles entertained alone? Amazingly, he does not care for a kibble/PB Kong if he's alone. He does love raw bones but I can't give them every day.

 

[Cassie]

I feel your frustration... do you have a fenced yard he can run around in?
Put his leash on him at all times in the house.. they think they're under control. My dog is 10yrs old and drags her leash around in the house. It also helps for you to grab it to stop and mischief. Give him a hard chew that he cant consume like a raw bone for him to entertain himself.
Also talk to him giving commands so he focuses.
Also a "thunder shirt" might help calm him.. its a tight wrap uou can get on line or in a petstore.

Let us know how its going.
Heres cassie wearing her leash.

 

[BeagleMom27]

They do have endless energy, don't they? You say he doesn't care for a peanut butter filled kong if he's alone? I'll usually hide half of Rosie's breakfast on the balcony and while she's searching for kibble, I can get stuff done. I also have a kong type ball that I'll shove a dental chew into; it rolls so she ends up chasing it everywhere and having to figure out how to get it out from under furniture which keeps her distracted and focused on something other than causing trouble. Does Houdini jr. climb over the gates or just open them somehow? or just knock them down?

 

[HelpBenji]

Thank you both!!

He does love finding kibble but that takes approximately 5 minutes! I just bought a treat-dispensing toy to give him his meals in. Will see if that helps.

He sticks his nose in the grills and levers it with his upper body long enough that the gate falls down.

How much exercise do your hounds get? His owners said 30 min twice a day and he would sleep the rest of the time... which has NOT been the case, hahaha

 

[Cassie]

Beagles have boundless energy... try a hard chew and wipe something tasty on it..a Himalayan chew keeps them busy..be careful who makes it. When it gets down to a small piece put it in the microwave and give it about 15 seconds..it puffs up. When it cools off you can give it to the dog.

 

[allymcbeagle]

I think you hit the nail on the head, he's testing his boundaries. I see a couple things that might be going on.
He's in a new environment so trying to establish he's the boss. Consistency and a routine is key so he knows from day to day what is going to happen next. I like Cassie's suggestion of the leash, you're in control and he gets that message. If you can work with him on mental stimulation rather than giving him a toy and letting him go at it, it will provide structure. We need our breaks too, crate training is key (and it's not necessarily easy), even if he's not destructive in the house, it provides structure - for Ally, crate meant time to chill.

Have you considered foundation class? This is usually where an older dog learns obedience and you have to continually reinforce it (without treats) so he doesn't out-think you in the treat department. This happened to me when Ally was a pup. I wasn't consistent long enough thinking she learned it, it became a game of how fast can I do this to get another treat. Had to start over. She would put paws on kitchen cabinets, I said "off," she would get off then do it again or look at me waiting for a treat! This was never one that she excelled at but I would continue to say off.

His howling and barking is a sign of wanting attention (which is in part a form of separation anxiety). 30 minutes 2x a day isn't enough depending on the pace. I literally ran with Ally for hour in the morning and evening. They are bred to be fast. He may need to burn off energy off leash also along with walks.

Wish you well - keep at it! We've all be through those kinds of times!

 

[Cassie]

Another idea...get a "training leash".. its 10-12 feet long and hook it up to something stationary. Your dog can move around but with a limited amount.

 

[HelpBenji]

Thank you everyone! It's really good to know other people have been in the same place... there are moments when things are amazing, and there are moments when I just don't feel cut out for this dog...!

I only have him for 7 more weeks so it doesn't make sense to enroll in a class, but I think I can manage if I 1) start running with him and 2) do some deliberate mental exercises

Any ideas for mental stimulation? We do "go find" and long down-stays but that's about it. He is only food-motivated. I am waiting for my puzzle toy to come in the mail.

 

[allymcbeagle]

Ooops sorry, I skimmed the part he was with you for 2 months. "go find" is a great one, whether outside (if fenced) or inside. Everything I can think of requires the human to be with the dog. Hide a treat under one of a few plastic cups, switch them around and have him find the treat (essentially what your puzzle toy probably will do). Vary the scenery of your walk/runs, give sniff time too, esp if you have a wooded area - they love exploring (use a retractable lead). We had creek in the woods, I let Ally wade upstream - it was shallow, she didn't like swimming, but always was looking for little fishes or moving rocks around in the water. Re-purpose stuff around the house for an obstacle course- it's a good diversion from a routine walk. We had little orange traffic cones for weaving, but you can use anything that's stationary. A broom can be a "pole" to jump over - coax him over it with a treat but don't give the treat on every jump and alternate weaving, jumping, weaving - keeps them from going nose to the ground. We tried my son's jungle gym playhouse but Ally was afraid of it (she had a lot of fears). Blow non-toxic (the kind kids can play with) bubbles for him to burst (they even have bubble machines but might be kind of expensive for a temp situation. It's a lot like having a bored 2 yr old sometimes. Soon it will be 6 weeks, then 5 etc.

 

[Amanda & Holly]

Hiya, how you getting on with your beagle? I found hiding little pieces of pig liver sent mine into sniffing heaven, and I believe sniffing tires them out a little bit too! I also have a kid’s ball pit that I put treats in and let her sniff them out. She loves squeaky toys of any sort and can entertain herself by squeaking one in her mouth and another two with either front foot… hope you get some reprieve!