[barykelly]

My husband and I have an 11 week old Beagle puppy named Abby. This post will be kind of long, but I would appreciate any advice you guys can give me...
1)Abby bites us...alot...and hard. Now, I know that puppies chew anything and everything, but we can't seem to get her to stop biting us. She has broken the skin more than once and we are leary about letting our friends meet her for fear she will bite them, too.
2)Abby is really, really, really rambunctious. I feel very confident that if we had not crate trained her, she would never sleep. She doesn't stop running, playing, sniffing, biting, etc, unless she's in her crate. We've gotten her to sit in our laps and chew a bone (rawhide or nylabone) a few times, but after a few minutes she starts wiggling and biting and we have to put her up. I feel like we aren't getting to really bond with her because she doesn't seem to want us to love on her. We play with her when she's out of her crate, so she is getting that fun bonding from us, but not the loving kind. Is this something I should worry about?
3)Abby gets the hiccups pretty often. Is that normal?
4)Abby does not seem to want to eat. We feed her Puppy Chow Healthy morsels (Soft & Crunchy - about 1/3 cup, 3 times a day) and it seems that she could care less about eating, she'd rather play (please don't get me wrong, sometimes she eats almost all that is in her bowl...but for the most part, it's a problem). She will eat the food better if we put water on it, but I don't want to spoil her with that and her expect it the rest of her life. She will also eat better if we put the food in our hands or on the floor - but if it's in a bowl or on a plate she doesn't want it. Side note to this - Abby was diagnosed with hookworms on March 5th. She's had 3 treatments for it. Is it possible that the hookworms are affecting her appetite?
We are taking her back for her next round of shots this weekend, so I plan on asking the Vet about all of this, but wanted your input first.

Thanks for bearing with me and my long post...
Kelly
<span style="font-size: 8pt">A cat-lover trying to learn how to raise a Beagle puppy </span>

 

[Smeagle]

Hi Abby

First of - with her diet, I had a look at the ingredients in the food you are feeding her and it's not the best food - full of corn, grain and wheat which is not terribly tasty to dogs and has no nutritional value for them. You might find she is more interested in a food with less grain content, I generally recommend Eagle Pack, Royal Canin or Artemis. If none of those are available where you live, I would incorporate some raw food into her diet like chicken wings, necks, mince etc. Also raw egg, natural yoghurt, tinned sardines - they are all great for dogs nutrition wise and it's not spoiling her, just ensuring she has optimal nutrition

Try mixing some of the above into her dried food and see if it makes it more interesting for her, if she doesn't eat it within 15 minutes pick it up and put it away until the next meal.

When we bought Daisy home she was very energetic and not interested in cuddles at all - it broke my heart a little bit as I wasn't expecting her to be so uninterested in cuddles. I would maximise her energy and use it as a bonding opportunity, engage with her by playing with her and using her energy to teach her.

Tug of war has always been a favourite of Daisy's, I make sure she learns the 'ok' command so she can grab the tug toy and the 'give' command so she learns to let go. This can also help with the nipping as it gives her an outlet and something she is allowed to 'grab'.

Puppies can be very playful so use it to your benefit! Get some high value food like cooked chicken/sausage/small bits of cheese and teach her some basic commands like sit or down. If she's not interested in food, try using a toy or praise as a reward.

A puppy that nips and bites is a puppy who is yet to learn about bite inhibition. I would completely ignore her, get up and leave the room/stop engaging with her. When she is calm, give her praise, and maybe engage with her in play by encouraging her to tug something she is allowed to bite like a toy.

The worms can certainly affect her diet, I would definitely ask the vet about the worms and the hiccups when you see him

 

[jassy]

You have some great suggestions from Smeagle. I would definitely look for a different food. There are several threads here discussing food and how to choose a good one. You can find some ratings and reviews at www.dogfoodanalysis.com.
Abby sounds like a typical beagle puppy. Can you enroll her in an obedience class after she has had all of her shots? My vet offers a puppy socialization class that starts for pups at 8 weeks. We started learning basic manners in that class.
Maggie had giardia when I got her and I found that the medication affected her appetite. I wouldn't be too worried as long as Abby maintains a healthy weight. Maggie also hiccuped often as puppy.
I can sure relate to your statement, a cat lover trying to raise a beagle puppy. That is where I was 3 years ago. I have had cats my entire life, spent over 20 years working in cat rescue, and then had a beagle pup take over my life. The first year was a lot of work but the time we invested in training and socialization was well worth it.
Maggie did not want to be cuddled as pup. She was too busy. She still doesn't like hugs but is very bonded to us. She is usually sitting right beside one of us, is happy to see us when we come home, and loves to be petted or scratched. Abby's personality sound so much like Maggie's.
Does Abby steal things yet? We had to keep all doors closed. Her favorite thing was to get my daughter's socks or underwear and run through the house and into the backyard if the door was open with my daughter chasing her and yelling mom, help.

 

[barykelly]

I can't tell you both how much I appreciate these quick replies!!!

I will definitely look into getting a different food...and will, of course, talk to the Vet about her worms/appetite.

It makes me feel so much better knowing that she's not the only beagle with cuddling issues and that she will probably grow out of it. I'm so used to cuddling my cats anytime/all the time - it's very hard on me to want so desperately to love on Abby and she doesn't want me to. :-(

She definitely loves tug-of-war, so we play that all the time. Would you mind explaining how I can teach her the ok command? (We've been working on give because, yes, she does steal - constantly - so we've been working on her letting go of the item when we tell her to. I'll admit, though, it is absolutely adorable to watch her prance through the house with her prize - my husband's sock.)

She is also pretty good at sit and down, but not stay yet. I'll get some better treats (right now we're just using dog biscuits) maybe she'll do better with something tastier.

I had already read somewhere about making a loud noise and leaving the room when she bites hard. And, we've tried that a few times, but although she seemed concerned that we've left the room at first, eventually she just starts running around playing on her own so I've wondered if she's even learning anything...?

I do believe someone in the area offers obedience classes, but the participant has to be at least 6 mos old. So, we are trying to do what we can now until she is old enough.

Would you all recommend any good Beagle owner books out there?

Okay, I think I've answered all of your questions and asked more of my own.

Please, please keep the advice coming!

Thanks!
Kelly
<span style="font-size: 8pt">A cat-lover trying to learn how to raise a Beagle puppy </span>

 

[Smeagle]

In regards to tug of war - I always make sure I initiate the game and that I start and stop it, so I have control.

I bring out the tug toy and show it to the dog, before I let the dog capture it I say 'ok' and then put movement into the toy so the dog wants to chase it. It is just my way of saying to the dog that 'ok' means the game is starting

When it comes to give, I let the dog tug on the toy and then I bring the toy close into my knees, hold it still and say slowly 'give'. Dogs lose interest once the prey (the toy) is dead (holding the toy still).

Don't worry too much about stay at this age, puppies have very short attention spans so if she can stay for even three seconds that's great - give her lots of praise and always end training on a high note and before she loses interest.

 

[BeagleWeegle]

Hi Abby

Sounds Like Charlie that's My Beagle and Abby are related haha.

I don't mean to laugh about your situation but I did as I read your post, Ohhhhh how I remember Charlie being such when I adopted Him. He is 2 years old now

But there is good news, I said I remebered when I read your post, which means Charlie has come a long way, and I actually miss the things that drove me batty!

Be patient Beagles tend to grow in stages and mature rather buetifully.

The above posters gave you great advice.

Also socialize Abby with a lot of people and other dogs.
You are going to have a very loving Beagle as months go by.

 

[cheezyridr]

+ 1 on the food, and also on the play bonding.
my sophie loves tug of war, she will bring me her tug toys when she wants to play. she also loves to fetch the ball, although she did lose interest briefly it is back to being a favorite. find the right game that your dog loves, and you will learn something about joy. when we play fetch, sophie shines like the sun, she is sooooo happy.

 

[barykelly]

Smeagle - thanks for the tug-of-war information. We'll try to start using those commands with her!

BeagleWeegle - thank you for the encouragement. I can't tell you how much better I feel reading your response and knowing that we probably aren't doing anything wrong...that she will just grow out of it...

cheesyridr - we haven't tried fetch yet - may need to! This may sound silly, but how did you get Sophie to bring the ball back to you? We throw Abby's toys and she runs to them and chews, but I don't know how to get her to bring them back to me.

Again - thank you ALL!!!!

 

[cheezyridr]

she kind of just understood all on her own that the game ended if i didn't get the ball. it started out not by throwing a ball, but by throwing a knotted piece of rope that she likes to play tug of war with. when she would slip and lose her grip, i would throw it. she brought it back to play tug. eventually, we traded the rope for a squeaky ball. she still likes to fake me out, acting like she will bring it back, but staying just far enough away when i reach for it. that's her way of teasing me i guess. we play fetch in the hallway of our building now, which is about 1/2 a block long. after about 10 throws she's wiped out from running full throttle, but she's happy as the proverbial clam.

 

[Sephly]

Again i must agree with smeagle

my beag also loves tug of war but teaching from the start that its just play and to let go is important, some people dont even like tug games since they feel it might make their dog aggressive etc. Now teaching the let it go will be soo wonderful long term (i'm sure know...when they steal socks......shirts....sweaters....towels...toys they shouldn't have etc.) I taught the let it go by very calmly (in a very relaxed way)just put my hand on the toy or thing in their mouth i wanted and didn't pull just put my hand there almost possessivly but again with no emotion really just calm. Say let it go firmly wait a while and try again, eventually i think it kinda baffles them, and they'll just let go make sure you dont pull even if their still tugging because it'll just become a game. When they let go praise and present the toy again. Thats how i did it now i just hold out my hand say let it go and i'm instantly given watever he's carrying.

Hope that helps!

 

[barykelly]

Cheezyridr - Thanks for the fetch information. We're going to start trying it ASAP!

Smeagle - Thank you for more advice on the let it go command. We were already trying to teach her that when she steals things, so now we'll just incorporate it into our tug-of-war play time as well.

On a more positive note - we are getting some better loving from Abby and it's actually coming when we are outside playing with her. She just loves to be outside and roll in the grass so I believe she's loving on us to thank us for that time.

Thank you all!