[brandyb]

I don't know what to do anymore. Caesar gets very angry when he's tired or gets woken up. It used to be just at night but now it's in the morning. When I get up in the morning I go down stairs to let him outside for a pee and some play time before I go to work. Shane gets up for work before me. Caesar sleeps on the sofa so when I walk into the living I say "Good morning Caesar" to wake him up before I sit down beside him. This morning I said good morning and sat down. He woke up, stretched, I scratched his back (I just got fake nails, the animals love it!) then his lip started to twitch. I know what that means...he's getting angry. I would love to let him sleep in but he has to go for a pee before I leave for work. I continued talking to him in a soft voice and petting him but he kept getting madder and started growling. So I said "No growling" in a stern voice and tried to put my hand under him to lift him up. That's when he bit me, hard. I was even wearing my terry towel bathrobe and the bite left a terrible bruise. We don't want him biting. What if he bites Shane's son? It hurt me so I can only imagine what it would do to a child. How do I get him to stop biting and stop being so angry. I know I'm not the nicest person when I wake up but I've never tried to hurt someone for waking me. How do we correct this problem? When he does something bad, like steal DVDs and chew them, I stand over him and growl. I'm being the dominant one in the pack. After that he'll put his head down. He submits. But that technique doesn't work in this situation. What are we doing wrong? /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif Shane wants to get another dog but we can't bring another dog into our home while we have one with anger issues. How can we make him stop? I just don't know what to do.

This is the bite that I got this morning. (You can see Charlie on the BW calender in the background /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif )

 

[Murphys Dad]

You do have an unhappy situation. I haven't any experience with this, but wondered if you've had Caesar checked out by your vet to rule out health issues. Have you talked with your vet about the problem? Hopefully, someone on the board will have suggestions that will help you. Good luck.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Sandy, That was my first thought as well. I'd like to rule out that Caesar in pain when he is first awakened and your attempts to move him bring out a defensive action before I offer much advice. That just isn’t a expected hound response. I can't imagine my Bagel biting and have never had a dog that would bite the hand that feeds them (Me) but have rescued dogs who would act aggressive to strangers. I'd praise them for being vigilant and also for not biting and they learned to back the intruder out of the yard .unless assured by me that it was OK. If Caesar is just asserting himself, the first thing should be to deny him couch privileges, and privileges to anything he feels he can claim domain over.

 

[brandyb]

Bob,
We will start putting him in his kennel at night again and see what happens. Thanks!

 

[BeagleBabe]

Have you talked to your vet?

Consider maybe talking to a trainer?

 

[kgh]

I also agree. Something is not right. This is not the "Beagle Way. My first thought also was that something must be sore or hurting. I really hope you can get to the root of this problem for everyones sake. First stop Vet & be firm that you new help, answers and guidance.

 

[brandyb]

I called his vet today and we have an appointment for Monday to see if he is in any pain. They can also recomend a trainer if this is just behavioral. We had Bark Busters come in December to work with us and Caesar and it helped a lot with his listening and obeying commands. But obviously there are huge aggression issues. I keep thinking that because he is our first dog (both of us had cats growing up) that we're not raising him properly. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif

 

[ricksconnected]

ceasers mom

oh wow, thats not a good pick.
1st, off to the vet you go.
2nd,keep him in his kennel for bed time.
3rd, how old is he?
as far as that bite goes........ i will never allow a dog of mine to get away with that. i draw the line way before that. i would lose my mind.
when the dust settled the dog would know his new limits.im am very good to animals, and more so the ones that live, and have lived under my roof. im so sorry this has happened to you. theres issues somewhere. has anybody had the oppertunity to be mean to him w/o you knowing it?
did this come on all of a sudden, like no warning signs days/weeks before? yep a vet visit is in store for you and lil ceasar. theres just something wrong here.

 

[we3beagles]

Yes, first of all rule out pain or illness. Does he seem dominant most of the time or just when you scratch him in a certain place? Growling at him does not make you dominant. Things like making sure he is not on the furniture or bed or anyplace he can get above you to look down on you and making sure he gets nothing in life (food, treats, play, affection) without working for it will make you a benevolent pack leader. Growling is strictly for puppies to be able to communicate with them affectively while they are young and still learning. It is the easiest way and still fresh in their minds that when Mommy says GRRRR I stop what I am doing. Dogs that are a bit older will need to be taught in a different way. How old is Caesar? Is the aggressiveness all the time? with everyone or just certain people? How old was he when he came to you? Do you know if he was with his mother long enough to learn bite inhibition (8-9 weeks)?

I really hate defaming a company publically, but I have rescued an awful lot of beagles where the homes have used the same training company that you did. They seem to use harsher methods than the situations warrant and can make a sensative and trusting breed like the beagle fold. What did you call them in for and what were their recommendations?

 

[Murphys Dad]

Didn't you move very recently? Maybe the change in location, and the upheaval of the move have upset Caesar. If he's anything like my group, a change in routine is upsetting to him. Just another thought.

 

[brandyb]

Caesar will be one year old next Wednesday.
It was Bark Busters that told us to "bah" at him in a growlly voice if he wasn't listening to us. An example of that is when he grabs something that he shouldn't and we tell him to drop it. There were things that I didn't like about them and that we didn't use, like the choke collar. I was almost in tears when I saw the trainer use it on him.
He's never been away from me or Shane for more than a few hours, and he was home alone, so nobody could have been mean to him without us knowing. (except the whole choke collar thing)
We got him when he was 9 weeks old and he spent the whole time with mom and litter mates. The uncle of a lady that I work with got one of the pups from Caesars moms first litter a few of years ago. When we started to have aggression issues (about six months ago)she asked her uncle what his beagle was like and they actually gave him away because he was aggressive and they couldn't control it.
Yes, we moved last month and about two weeks ago we started letting Caesar sleep in the living room. Before that he was in his pen or kennel. We got the pen a couple of months before we moved.
I don't think he's in pain when I scratch him. Last night he was snuggled up beside on the couch and I was scratching him. Then he started licking my face. He is like Jekyl and Hyde. Sweet as pie most of the time but he does not like us near him when we wake him up.
Last night I put him in his kennel and gave him a treat. He wasn't eager to go in his kennel but he didn't fight or growl or anything. Shane let him out of his kennel this morning and put him outside so that I wouldn't have to do it.
I'm thinking that we just need to put him in his kennel every night, but we'll see what the vet says on Monday. I would just like to have a happy little all of the time. Not just most of the time.

 

[K & G]

I'd second the advice for getting professional training, and going to the vet. I gave you a link in your thread about adopting a new dog to a site called yourpurebredpuppy.com The person who runs the site is a trainer, and if you click on the link about beagles, she says she's seen lots of unstable snappish beagles bred by people who didn't know what they were doing. Is he only agressive when you wake him? Have you heard of nothing in life is free training? I'm really concerned about your situation, especially since you have a child around Caesar, and really hope you can find professional help for him.

 

[Jennifer]

That is quite a bite isn't it, your arm looks really sore /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif

My first Beagle Lilly bit me once. She was about 14 months old and got on my bed. I don't allow dogs on my bed so I told her to get off (a command that she understood). She ignored me so I went to lift her off and she sank her teeth into my arm /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/eek.gif . I screamed so loud in pain that she let go and shot off the bed really fast and never done it again. I'm not telling you to scream at your doggie because it's not the right thing to do at all. I only screamed because it hurt so much. I'm just saying that I think it's because you have started to allow him to sleep on the couch. You might have started to allow him other priviledges since you moved that you haven't really noticed and he's maybe testing you to see what he can get away with.

There is also the question that other people have raised about him being in pain because Liily got very snappy with me towards the end of her life because she was in pain.

If the vet rules out pain then I would rethink how things have changed that have made him accert his dominance over you.

He's also at an age when they start to test their owners anyway. 1 year old is a time when they gain confidence in their new found maturity.

 

[Ashley Hellen]

Hi. Oh dear, he is pushing his luck is'nt he.

That bruise looks sore! I would firstly get your vet to check him over throughly.

Secondly limit where he goes, dont allow him to lord it on the settee or on the bed. Make him work for any treats or affection. Make him sit and wait or lie down before feeding a treat or wait for dinner. If he comes over and demand affection I would turn your back and only make a fuss of him when you want to not whe he demands.

I would also to have complete control of him put a short leash on him in the house, so if he parks himself on the settee and wont budge and gets nasty, you grab the lead give a loud command "Off" or "Move" and yank him off firmly with the lead. Avoids getting your hands near him, so no chance of biting.

I use a water spray bottle with mine, set to a jet, onto the nose, works everytime.

Can you talk to a decent trainer and take him to obedience classes and make him work his mind and it will improve the bond with you and will listen more.

I have just starting classes with mine, alternating with Caleb and Gwenni each week and it does help.

Caleb at a year old was a complete S*** and was barky and stroppy and I had to take him to training to get on top of the bolshieness

If your dog is about a year old that is a funny time for some boy beagles, they go about like sulky teenagers. Caleb came out of it at about two.

Caleb does'nt like being moved when deeply asleep and has to be asked to moved nicely.

be fair but firm

 

[brandyb]

I looked up NILIF at printed it so I can take it home with me tonight. It sounds like a good plan. I'll also pick up a spray bottle after work. And yes, he has been neutered.

Thanks for your help everyone!

 

[janna]

The nilf plan is great. We used it on Hunter. It is very hard to ignore and not talk to them, but it works. The "umbilical cord" where you keep the dog on the leash connected to you shows that you are the leader and they must follow. It works great but you must be consistent. Good luck.

 

[we3beagles]

I totally second NILF. Make him work for every bit of affection, food, treats and praise. I would even go so far as to take away the bowl and hand feed him so he has a direct visual on who is the provider of food.
Don't let him up on furniture at all, beds, couch, or anywhere else he may be able to look down at you. You go through doors first, upstairs first and eat first (which I'm sure BB told you).
You can also try associating petting with treats so he has the most positive feelings towards it. Pet him once (under the chin - very unthreatening) and if he allows this without growls give him the treat. If he does not allow make sure he knows that you and the treats are leaving the room. If he follows you great...try again. If he doesn't then perhaps the lure isn't strong enough and you should try another treat (hot dog gets em every time). Work you way up to the side of the face and then the top of the head and then back.
A few things may be contributing factors. Moving may have caused him to become less confident and more territorial. Obviously he has chosen the couch as his. Second, is he at all jealous of the child in the house? No matter what do not leave them unsupervised together. We recommend a child never be left alone with a beagle until they are maybe 6 or 7. Too many things a child does is very threatening behavior to dogs.
It is so hard to help with a problem I can't see, but this is what I would recommend for Caesar. I have seen a lot of beagles come through my house that in no way shape or form were from good breeding lines or properly bred, but none were human agressive without some provoking factor. You just have to figure out what it is. I wouldn't suggest a professional trainer as you have already had one come in. I would suggest you find a certified animal behaviorist in your area.
Good for you for recognizing the choke collar as a useless tool for a dominant beagle. Improper use of such devices can lead to worse agression problems.

 

[brandyb]

When I got home last night I ignored him when he came to the door and then waited until he lost interest in me and then called him over. I ignored him while I was making dinner and he laid across my feet or sat on the floor beside me leaning against my legs. Wherever I went, he followed. We'll keep doing NILIF, so far so good.
I didn't pay any attention to him until I put dinner on the table. We had pork ribs last night and I put my plate down and went back to the fridge. I thought I had put the plate far enough back so he couldn't reach it. I turned around and he was doing the Beagle stretch but he couldn't quite reach so his tongue was fully extended licking the side of the ribs. He had to go outside after that.

 

[K & G]

Glad the program's working out so far. It's really easy to fall back into the "normal" way of interacting with them, but it's worth the effort if you keep it up.

 

[brandyb]

I took Caesar to the vet yesturday and he's fine. As the vet was poking him and checking him for sore spots he had big grin on his face, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth, and his tail wagging. No Pain!
The problem is me. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif I baby him too much and he doesn't respect me or see me as the master. He doesn't treat Shane the same way, Caesar listens to him. I asked about NILIF and she said it was a good idea. I just have to be patient (more stubborn than him I think) and keep working on it. She also suggested that I feed him his kibble by hand so he knows exactly where his food comes from. So last night I sat down on the floor with his container of food beside me and fed him out of my hand. I'll do it again tonight too. It will just take some time to re-train him.