[Sandy S.]

Hey guys hope can help me, I have a almost 2 year old beagle a smart guy, but he’s getting very territorial, up you know paws on counters, sniffing everything and everywhere, trying to get up unto my table top getting food off my tables etc.. you guys know, what I have read they say there trying to be the alpha dog at this age and you should start to limit them in your house at to where they can be, well, he is limited, doors are closed he can’t get into the back bedroom, nor the bathroom these doors are always closed, it’s just a tiny apartment, but the growl and biting. If it try to show him nothings there on the counter top, he will grow and bite, so I have no idea what to do? How to limit him my home except to move his crate from the living room to the hallway and stop him from sleeping on my chair with me. I have no idea why he is so aggressive now and wants to be the alpha I have been the alpha all along leading on leash at the doors etc now in the house he wants to be 😵‍💫anyone else have this happen and by the way he’s getting a muzzle for outside because he eat everything on the ground, he’s not going to like that at all. Can any of you help me or have any of you had this happen to your beagle?

 

[Cassie]

Sounds like you've got the right idea about closing off access to rooms. I wouldnt allow him to sleep with you..he needs to sleep in his crate. My dog will be 10yrs old soon and sleeps in her crate..at this point i dont even need to close the door of the crate. I can actually say..go to your "crate" and she goes. Make it comfortable with a pad and blankets.
Dont leave food where your dog can get it..simple as that. Push items back on the counters out of reach. Put a leash on your dog at all times..that way the dog thinks he's under control..and you can grab it to prevent mischief if needed.. my dog wears one even now at her age in the house.
Has your dog had any obedience class training? Regardless..talk a lot using the same command words to get your dog to listen to you.
Here's cassie in her crate and wearing her leash.

 

[Sandy S.]

Yes he’s had some training, but I never thought of the leash in the house I have seen that on video’s with beagles that bark, Dodger’s to a barker so I never considered doing that how long should this leash be? And Dodger will kennel too if I tell him to I just don’t do it much mostly to put him to bed or when he gets on my nerves and he needs a nap…lol , but he kennels pretty good, but I lock him at night or he will roam around if I don’t, but he is acting just like a teenager they say and I have no children, but him so I should keep him off my chair even during the day? And take away those plush toys he eats up and tears apart? He growls and bites if I get down on the floor to play with him he’s just to big to play with and he jumps with those big paws of his he doesn’t mean to, but we I can’t play with him anymore, It’s sad we try to play tug-of-war and now that’s even becoming a growling biting game, I am lost as to what to do? He’s out grown those puppy games, and he whines to go out like every 15 minutes and I just can’t do that , really wants out every 2 hour that has to stop he’s not, a pup help!

 

[Cassie]

The length of the leash doesnt matter..its whatever i usually use. Give your dog chews ..not plush toys..they just rip them up in 5 minutes. When my dog was young i never sat on the floor or played tug of war..it gets them worked up.
I used to close the crate door at nite but my dog stays in it..she will come out and go to the door if she needs to go out.
We beagle owners generally agree it take about 3 yrs to calm down.
Get a CLICKER at the petstore and watch YouTube videos on how to use one.
When my dog barks I say..NO BARKING! And she goes silent...lol
Stay on the forum for more help and to give feedback on your progress.

 

[Sandy S.]

I know about the clicker nd Dodger never barks he only barks chasing rabbits, the door, or when I leave, it’s just recently that his personality is changed and the clicker never worked well with Dodger treats have made Dodger Fat, so we do praise with him and whistles plus he understands my words, when we go on trials he walks exactly we’re I tell him to, etc I wish I could explain on the phone I have him leashed up and no plush toys I ordered goughnut chew toy I don’t know if you’ve heard of them but I got him one, I have so much more to say. Dodger was house trained at 5 months and never pooped in the house, I am lucky to have him, most people have beagles that bark at everything but Dodger never barks at anything and he and I walk fields we go on trails and he never runs away except to chase rabbits and he wears an e-collar then so he doesn’t get killed, he was trained by me I grew. Up training hunting dogs back in PA. We raised spainals, but I have never had a beagle in a HOUSE that’s my issue it’s winter @-14 degrees and his paws need protection, but wy in like Alaska so dogs like beagles just only hunt back east between oct and may, but temps are this cold so it’s not normal for a hunting dog to be locked up and I have no backyard just 2 small fields like today the high is 0 wind chill is -14 see one of my issues so he wants to hunt I have trained him to hunt run trails, hike , we live in the Rockies mountains, etc, and he’s Locked up for the first harsh winter and he’s gotten fat, because I got sick and the weather got cold and we couldn’t hike, see my issues in the house and he whines all the time and he wants to go out so I don’t know what to do?

 

[allymcbeagle]

I know about the clicker nd Dodger never barks he only barks chasing rabbits, the door, or when I leave, it’s just recently that his personality is changed and the clicker never worked well with Dodger treats have made Dodger Fat, so we do praise with him and whistles plus he understands my words, when we go on trials he walks exactly we’re I tell him to, etc I wish I could explain on the phone I have him leashed up and no plush toys I ordered goughnut chew toy I don’t know if you’ve heard of them but I got him one, I have so much more to say. Dodger was house trained at 5 months and never pooped in the house, I am lucky to have him, most people have beagles that bark at everything but Dodger never barks at anything and he and I walk fields we go on trails and he never runs away except to chase rabbits and he wears an e-collar then so he doesn’t get killed, he was trained by me I grew. Up training hunting dogs back in PA. We raised spainals, but I have never had a beagle in a HOUSE that’s my issue it’s winter @-14 degrees and his paws need protection, but wy in like Alaska so dogs like beagles just only hunt back east between oct and may, but temps are this cold so it’s not normal for a hunting dog to be locked up and I have no backyard just 2 small fields like today the high is 0 wind chill is -14 see one of my issues so he wants to hunt I have trained him to hunt run trails, hike , we live in the Rockies mountains, etc, and he’s Locked up for the first harsh winter and he’s gotten fat, because I got sick and the weather got cold and we couldn’t hike, see my issues in the house and he whines all the time and he wants to go out so I don’t know what to do?

Let me know if I misunderstand but it sounds like Dodger is used to a high level of activity and now he is inside because of the cold weather. I think he is acting up because he’s used to being active. I would get online and find activities that you can do indoors, for example hide small treats (make sure to cut down his food for the amount of treats so he doesn’t get fat). Can you find places in your house to hide treats and turn it into a game? For example get one of those things that they have to work hard to get the treat out of, but also hide it behind a door where he has to find it first, then work at getting the treat out (a little treat, not lots). Will he fetch? If he will, play fetch a lot. Ally never like fetch but she like to be chased, so I would chase her into one room, then the next and keep going. He probably needs at least 2 hours or more of indoor exercise if he can go outside for hikes. My last house had the kitchen, living room and family room as separate rooms connected so it made a kind of circle and I’d chase her around and around. Agree with Cassie about the leash. I’m a bit softie so once he starts behaving, his reward can be to chill with you on the chair. Seems like he is just trying to get his way and your attention (like sometimes kids misbehave just to get their parents to pay attention to him). Let us know how it goes. Is he neutered?