[Nifferboyd]

Molly is a bit over three months now and she doesn't bark. I know beagles are supposed to be vocal, but she seems totally disinterested in barking or howling. I have only heard her growl a handful of times, mostly at the local squirrels. I don't want to get really vocal, but I was wondering if this is normal for a puppy her age or if she is just a bit more shy using her voice?

Also, she is really biting a lot. I haven't had a puppy in a long time, but I remember that the biting is just normal puppy behaivor, I just can't remember when it is supposed to dwindle. We are very good about consistency in saying no, and now allowing chewing on our hands/fingers/ankles/feet/legs/arms/etc. - at least as much as we can. I am just really worried she will bite someone on a walk. We have a lot of young kids around us who love to run up to her and pet her, which she loves too, but she hasn't gotten the concept that she can't chomp on a person like she would another puppy. When can we expect this to end?

 

[Murphys Dad]

Chloe was practically mute until she was around 8-9 months old. That's when I first heard her howl. She started growling at the door when hearing strange noises at about 5-6 months.

I call her my little Rottweiler

 

[jassy]

Maggie didn't make a sound until she was 6 months. She started to bark at about 9 months and now at 2 has a more mature, full beagle bark. The biting didn't stop until she had all her permanent teeth. In fact when she was spayed my vet removed two back baby teeth because the permanent ones came in without the old ones coming out. Thats when she really stopped chewing on things. The biting got noticibly better at about 6 months. I thought she would never stop biting hands, arms,toes and chewing everything she could get ahold of but it does get better. I think it is a combination of maturing enough to understand what we wanted her to do and her mouth being more comfortable with all her permanent teeth finally in.

 

[Makaella's Mom]

Man, I would consider yourself lucky!! (LOL) Jack is two (the vet thinks) and for the first two weeks he was with me, never barked. Then his confidence began to build and OMG. I have to leave the dog park because his barking is out of control and driving everyone else crazy.

Despite his confidence growing he has separation anziety and it's getting really bad. I have a large outdoor kennel where he goes when I leave the house. Yesterday my neighbor called to say that his barking and crying was happening for the entire time I was gone from the house and would I please do something about it. So, I'm bringing in a trainer to make sure I am doing the training correctly.

Jack does the hand biting too but I've been able to about 90% of the time stop it with a verbal signal and a quick replacement with something he's allowed to chew on. It's taking a while to learn because he never really had a puppyhood being tied to a 6 ft chain his whole life.

So, this hasn't been much help in the sense of solid solutions but I thought I'd at least share your pain as I am going through the very same thing.

Good luck - and share with me any successful tips you learn for either the biting or the barking - when it starts!

 

[AJollyBengali]

I've had Oreo for just under a month now and he has yet to bark or bay at all. My vet said that as long as he appears otherwise physically and mentally healthy - appetite, walks well, energy level, sleeping well, bowel movements - not to worry about the lack of barking. So I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[fauxpasta]

I think some beagles are barkers and some aren't. Spock is quiet as a mouse and only barks at the vacuum cleaner, leaf blower, etc. while Bones barks at strangers walking by the back yard, shadows, clouds, sunshine...

 

[beaglesmom]

I think Eve is right - some beagles are just more vocal than others. I'd just be grateful if you have a quiet one. My Tanna's nickname is Sir Barks-a-Lot, and his daughter Angel is VERY vocal. She's got a double whammy of barking genes because her mom is quite vocal, as well.
As far as the biting is concerned, puppies DO bite. I think Angel was one of the worst I've had about biting. We were just very consistent with telling her no bite - and giving her something that is appropriate to chew on or distracting her with a toy. She is now a very grown up young lady beagle of 15 months - and while she still chews on things - she leaves people parts alone. Some of the things that have been recommended is to freeze a wet washcloth - and give them that to chew on when they're teething. That seems to be when the majority of the chewing occurs. Many people recommend Kongs, but I've never been able to keep them from demolishing a kong. You'd think hey were rotties the way they chew. I've even bought those hard rubber toys made out of tires that are supposedly industructible - yeah, right - I have a half a ball here now. When I have pups in chewing stages, I usually do keep rawhide chewies around - but now that my kids are grown up, I'm not doing that - none of them need the extra calories - and I can't give a chewy to one without handing them out to everyone. They're very special treats now. When possible now, I use real bones - they last longer and don't make them fat. I'm going to the store in a few minutes and hope to come home with some nice marrow bones for them.

 

[Zookeeper]

Ours are fairly quiet, though they do both bark. Duke has the loud bay that my son termed The Rooster Bark. Violet's is much quieter, but she howls and Duke doesn't. Though she only barks when he has something she wants and he only barks at the door or something he thinks he sees or hears.

Roscoe barked less than 5 times in his entire life! Though that did change when we got Duke and he would pester him so much that Roscoe would finally bark at him, but it always sounded like a very immature bark.

 

[Nifferboyd]

I would be so happy if she turned out to be a less vocal beagle. I do feel bad, but I keep a lot of rawhide around for her to chew. We definetly watch her when she chews, but at this point I don't care about anything but that she has something appropriate to chew on - basically something that isn't me.

 

[brandyb]

Caesar is generally very quiet. Unless he sees his reflection in the glass door of the TV stand then he barks at growls at himself.

He bit a lot until he was about a year old. It was little puppy bites, like he would bite the hem of all my pants, nip at hands and feet etc... Whenever we were around little kids I would warn the parents and kids that Caesar was just a puppy and he sometimes bites, but not because he's mad, he's just playing.

 

[Mollys Mom]

My first beagle, Benny was totally silent except for some play growls and whining until he was 6 months old! I remember it well because we were camping with him and someone walked by our campsite at night -- he barked, scared himself and the rest was history!

 

[Java]

Java has never barked in the 7 months he's been with us. He's only about 10 months old and will only bay/howl when I coax him into it. He does, however, LOVE to use a high pitched whine--whether it be to protest being left alone, happily munchin away at something scrumptious, or using as some sort of echolocation to determine where I am in the house.

Don't worry about the biting or chewing right now, though. Similar to infants and toddlers when they like to grab everything, puppies like to grab with their mouths. I do think it's still important to remind them that biting/chewing on anything that isn't given to them is a no-no.

 

[Brisen]

Maggie is an incessant barker. Just this morning (5:30 am to be exact) she got out of bed, jumped up on the chair in front of my bedroom window and started barking and baying as loud as she could. It was still dark out and I couldn't hear any noise or movement outside, so I have no idea what she was barking at...but she barked non-stop for over an hour.

I got up several times and brought her back to bed, but eventually I just had to close the window and let her bark...there was absolutely no stopping her.

It wouldn't be too bad if this were an isolated incident, but it happens mulitple times every evening. As soon as it gets dark, she acts like she has to go outside to go potty, but as soon as she hits the door she takes off into the backyard barking her head off. We bring her back inside, and then she stands at the door again and barks. It's sooooooooo annoying!