doggy advice for a new pet owner- i have a misbehaving beagle

[jasons_owner]

i have had many pets however i havent had any puppies.i have a 3-4 month old black beagle and he is very hyper. Is this normal behavior for a beagle puppy. he likes to jump around the house -knocks things down-he even broke a lambonce and he likes to jump on people and when i let him out to go to the bathroom he likes to run off and i have to run after him. he chews on everything and just a pain lol. he digs constantly and he tries to bit me. it doesnt hurt or anything but i dont want him to grow up biting people and when i try to disicpline him when he does it again and gets more aggrasive. can anybody give me some puppy advice on how to make this an enjoyale experience for me and the puppy. :confused:
Love me and jason

[Flatcoatluver]

well, that is really normal for a puppy, when I took puppy classes they taught us to say when the dog barks to say ouch in a high pitch, that usally works, but welcome to pet talk and maybe some otehr people can have a better way of displine. any pics?

[areias]

He sounds very bored...and he is a beagle, so he will get bored very easily. He might also be teething. Does he have toys? A variety of toys is always good for a puppy. Don't leave them all out all the time. One or two at a time is good, so he won't get bored. Try a kong, and put some peanut butter or kibble in it. Does he get walked or played with? What about training time..short sessions of working on sit, down, come, etc.

For him running away...he needs a fenced in yard, a tie out, or you to walk him on a leash. Some dogs just cannot be let off leash. And the aggressive behavior-do not play aggressively with him whatsoever. Try and keep a spray bottle near by and give him a squirt, with a firm NO. The "leave it" command is very useful for this also.

Good luck!

[Pit Chick]

Welcome to the world of owning a puppy. I'm not sure if there is a such thing as an enjoyable experience with puppies. ;) Just kidding.
First, you need to enroll him into an obediance training class. If you have a Petsmart nearby go check out their classes, sit in on one or two to get a feel for the trainer and environment. You don't want to take him to a trainer that requires you to leave the dog with them for days or weeks because you need to be the one learning how to train the dog. High energy is normal for most puppies, Beagles included. Next, don't ever let him off leash in an unfenced yard, this is a disaster waiting to happen. He could be hit by a car, attacked by other bigger dogs, shot by a neighbor. Beagles are scent hounds so once they get their nose set on a scent they will track it as far as possible and end up getting lost. He's chewing on everything because he's teething and bored. High energy dogs need an outlet for their energy and if they don't get enough exercise they chew to relieve their frustrations. Rawhides and stuffed Kongs like areisas said make wonderful chew toys that keep them busy for a while, but you do need to provide more exercise with nice long walks everyday, several times a day if possible. When he jumps on you, put up your knee so his chest hits it and it knocks him back, at the same time tell him "no, off". When he bites, you can do like Flatcoatlover said and yell out OUCH and that usually stops them, if he persists, grab his muzzle and say NO then walk away. Grabbing the muzzle is the same thing his mom would do to make him behave. For the digging you can take his poop and put it in one of his holes and cover it a little, once he starts to dig and finds his poop, he won't dig there anymore. You can also get a plastic baby pool, fill it with dirt and burry some toys and show him that this is the place to dig. When he digs up his toys he'll get the idea that digging here is exceptable and fun. He's also close to the right age to get him neutered. This will help prevent future problems such as territory marking in the house, a greater urge to wander in search of a bitch in heat, territorial aggression along with preventing health issues like prostate and testicular cancer.

Do you have a crate for him?

Here is some breed info about Beagles. http://www.canismajor.com/dog/beagle.html

Where did you get him and why did you choose a Beagle if you don't mind me asking?

[Pawsitive Thinking]

He's sounds like a real handful - makes my Tobey look sedate!

Can only agree with all the advice given above - assert your place in the "pack" i.e. in charge! Good luck!

[sammy101]

I used to have a Beagle,and i'll tell you that they are a handfull. They need obediance training,and can be difficult to train. They are also known for running off so be careful!They also gain weight easily when they get older so keep exercising him. Get him in a Obediance class ASAP!

[Lescoop77]

Puppies are a real handful!! What I did when Pandy was a pup to discipline was get a metal coffee can and put some loose change in it - when she did something wrong I rattled it and it scared her and she quit doing whatever that was. Worked like a charm!

[.sarah]

When he bites you must take control. You either need to scare him (loud noises), pull away your hand and YELP (this is what a mother does in the wild), or pull away and ignore him completely for a while.

It sounds like your house isn't "puppy-proofed". Anything within reach or any breakables that can be knocked down have to be moved until he is mature and well-mannered.

Don't let him jump on you. Basically, when you can see he is going to jump you have to move away. This is the most effective way (usually) to train a dog not to jump. They become frustrated that you move and eventually quit doing it. However if you can't move before he touches you push him off with your leg, not your hands. If you use your hands, and especially if you do it gently, he will think "Oh, she's petting me".

When you take him out are you in a fenced yard or not? Either way he needs to be leashed until he learns to stay nearby, but if it's not a fenced yard he should have been leashed from the start. Don't let him off-leash in an area that he can run away from you unless if he has been trained to stay and come.

Having a puppy is both fun and annoying. My puppy is a "teenager" right now and she is rebelling against everything. It'll get harder before it gets easier!! Because of his breed and the fact that you have never had a puppy before classes would be the best thing for you guys. You will thank yourself in the end even if it is more money now. You won't want all the future training devices you will need and stress you will have if you don't take classes now! Trust me, I've been through it! :rolleyes:

And classes will be the easiest and best way to socialize him with dogs and people!

[dab_20]

beagles are known for running away!! its nearly impossible to teach most beagles not to run away. get a rope and tie it around a tree, or one that goes in the ground. give him plenty of walks! and he is prolly teething and his 'biting' is just puppy chewing. give him a kong with some food inside. sometimes you can freeze the kong to relieve some of the pain. tell him OFF! when he jumps on you, if he gets more aggresive, than do dominence lessons with him. hes a puppy, and cant expect much more from him! good luck :)

[grinchy21girl]

I think it's just how Begales are.... I have a 5 month old and he is a pain... he gets into everything even if you put it away... and he is ALWAYS hungry!! He doesn't listen and if you block something from him it just makes him try harder to get it... GOOD LUCK TO YOU!! I am hoping he grows out of all his bad habbits...

[dab_20]

i think both of your beagles will be great dogs when they get out of the rambunctious stage. they may be a pain to train, but all the beagles i have met have turned out to be great dogs.

besides, there cutness makes up for it!