[Fyrstorm]

Hi all,

I'm the owner of a Beagle/Springer Spaniel and am looking for any and all advice I can muster because I am almost at wit's end.

I don't know what I am doing wrong. I've watched Cesar Milan, this is my second dog and I learned many things from that show with what I did wrong with the first dog. I thought I was on the right path, but now this dog is starting to act just like my last dog and I am at pains with WHY!!!!

He is constantly ON. He does NOT settle down, he did when we first got him (11 months) but as he's getting older (1 year and 1 month) he is now starting to whine all the time. He's fed, he's been out for his business, he's been on walks every other day because I just can't every day.

We go for walks in a conservation area and it takes me an hour to walk him through. In the house he is cuddled, played with, and when taken out for business is also played with - every night (except long walk night), for at least 30 mins.

I don't know what to do, I am getting to the point where I am thinking of giving him back to the adoption agency I got him from because I just ... don't ... know ... what ... else ... TO ... DO!!!!

The rough list from Cesar's show, is (if I remember it right):

-Exercise
-Discipline
-Affection
-Exercise

I have bent over backwards giving him exercise, so much so that I have injured myself (knee) from walking too much (old injury has resurfaced after 4+ years). As far as affection goes, he's on my chest asleep getting scratched while I watch TV in our down times. In the house, when he's not asleep on me, we have to tether him to the coffee table because he roams roams roams roams roams roams roams alllllllll night - into areas we can't see so he gets into trouble.

My biggest fear is we can not provide enough exercise for him, which is 30 mins to an hour every night of intense running and playing and chasing. I've read this hyperactivity is the Beagle side and not the Spaniel, so I'm starting here first.

 

[BeagleWeegle]

Hi and welcome to you
Be patient lots of people will help you through your difficult time with your canine, this place is like finding a GOLD MINE.

The only advice I personally can give you, is, Believe it or not Beags do settle down in time mine He was just over 2 when this happened and Patience is needed in the meantime.

I found getting My beag a companion of the canine kind worked.

What about play dates to play with other dogs?

I also know that you can't train beags like other types of dogs. people here will give you more info and help on that and a lot of other things.....HANG IN THERE!

 

[RosCole]

I agree that it will take patience (a lot of patience), and consistency.

Roscoe had me in tears when we first got him, several times! That may sound crazy but I was the main person home with him majority of the time, my hubby worked long hours, and I was beside myself sometimes. He NEVER stopped!

One thing I can tell you is that it WILL GET BETTER! I promise. Despite the aforementioned frustrations, we now have 3 beagles and I wouldn't trade it for the world. It can take up til 2 years for them to settle down and in some cases even a little longer.

BeagleWeegle's suggestion of play dates with other dogs is a good idea! Do you have a dog park where he can run around off leash with other dogs?

Hang in there!

 

[Fyrstorm]

I really hope so, he's sitting with my wife crying right now and we can't get him to stop. We've pat him and exercised him, his high pitched crying is driving us both absolutely insane.

We don't have a dog-park but we may have one soon. There's a little old lady around the corner that offered play-dates but I'm not sure what's worse - the dog whining or her constanlty talking. It wouldn't be so bad if she would allow me a word in edgewise once in a while :hyper:

I'm not sure I am going to make it though, the stress it is putting on the both of us is insurmountable :/ :sad:

 

[RosCole]

Just a thought, because we totally did this with Roscoe, are you "spoiling" him?
We learned the hard way with Roscoe, because with our second beagle we didn't run to him at every cry/whimper. Roscoe is still the needest little bugger out of all three and it is b/c we catered to him constantly to get him to stop barking/whimpering or whaterver.

Cole, our second, we love to pieces but let him bark sometimes and were a bit more firm with the rules and such. Because of this he is ok just chilling by himself, or he can be in another room from us when we are home. Don't get me wrong he is still a little cuddlebug and loves being around us and people but doesn't need it 24-7.

Again, just brainstorming and comparing our experiences.

Do you have a Kong for him? Safe chew toys (nylabones, or the like)? These can help appease him at times.

 

[Fyrstorm]

We have a couple of kongs, a kong brand bone, a yellow chewtoy thingy with tiny spikes all over it (soft, thought it might be interesting to him but...nuh uh). He's gone through a million rawhides and he's bored now with those, of many shapes and sizes (sticks, chips, bones large and small).

Unfortunately, his constant "on" switch this evening has broken us. We've contacted the original place we tried to save him from and will probably visit the pound this weekend. We've been trying to decide this for 2 weeks, and we just can't get him to stop no matter what we do.

Thanks very much for the responses, I feel like a failure and that we've let him down but our health comes first. I honestly feel like I am going to have a heart attack as I have a pain in my chest because we are so stressed. We really wanted him to have a good home here :sad:

he's such a smart boy, smartest dog I've ever had (this would have been my third). *sigh* sorry, i'm babbling. this isn't easy.

 

[cobismom]

My heart goes out to you. Take a deep breath and relax. I know it's hard to contemplate giving him back...and maybe you'd want to wait to make that decision when you aren't so stressed out by his behavior. Beagles are smart dogs....although most people don't believe that. I almost gave our second one to a pet store, because I didn't think I could handle two at the same time....thankfully my dh had more patience and faith than I did at the time. Cobi is now 9 and very much calmed down.

Please know that I am not going to talk you into keeping him or taking him back. Just maybe giving yourself and him some breathing time. He is only 13 months old, might be very immature for his age...we have one like that who at two is still very much a puppy. Like children they are all different.
Could you leave him at the pound for a period of time, to rethink this adventure, and contact someone who can help you with the training of this little guy? It would be wonderful is Caesar could come to all our homes, but there are some very competent loving people out there who help owners like us with pets that we love, train them to be sociable in our homes.

Give it some thought in a relaxed time together with your wife. Starting anew isn't impossible, but you might just need some assistance in helping to train him.

Best of luck on whatever you decide to do.

 

[Fyrstorm]

Thanks for the kind words.

I think our last dog really wore our tolerance levels quite thin as she whined a lot too - but was no where near as active as Chester. Once Chester started that, and add in the energy it is too much for us to bear.

Thankfully, the rescue organization has agreed to take him back to a foster home on Sunday. It's so unfortunate as he is such a cute and cuddly little guy, soon as you pick him up he goes limp. Soon as I sit down with him though it's fidget fidget fidget no matter how much soothing I do.

I was hoping he wouldn't be much of a hassle being a mixed breed, I had read the Springer Spaniel side was a bit calmer than the Beagle and really hoped he'd be more calm. When we went to see him he wasn't all that wired, but he also just journied from the states to Canada. He was completely quiet on that ride home, and several after that. I thought he liked the car, until 2 weeks ago when he even started to whine in there.

I do feel better that he's going to a foster home instead of the pound, the thought of leaving him behind in a cage breaks my heart. :sad: