We have recently started ringcraft classes with our 8 month beagle. Her behaviour began improving after a couple of weeks and she seemed to be doing quite well. However, for the past couple of week she has been very disruptive. If there is a new dog in the room she homes in on it and bullies it through the entire class, no matter what we do to try and prevent it. She is not aggressive as such, she just barks and keeps lurching forward at other dogs. This is obviously a problem as when we go to shows she will not know the other dogs. She currently socialises alot with various dogs that aren't mine and she has also been to obedience class since she was 16 week. To be honest she was better behaved at 16 week than now. When she gets to sniff another dog or if shes off her lead she is very friendly and we have no prolems with that. She hasn't had her first season yet so i don't know whether its that. Also at obedience class for the last couple of weeks shes been very withdrawn and doesn't want to learn. This is strange as she was learning really quickly and improving all the time. Please help, we have put so much time in with her and its so demoralising when all she wants to do is run riot and howl, when we know she can behave much better. We want to start showing her but don't know where to start. If we don't take her to shows she won't get better with strange dogs but on the other hand we don't want to be laughed out of the ring. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Teenagers - you just gotta love 'm eh??

I was mortified by Savannah's behaviour the first few times in the ring - until I looked at how even some of the 'professionals' puppies could play them up.

First time I showed Savannah in front of her breeder and her sire's owner she pulled me round the ring on 2 legs!

Go and have fun - get her out there - the more experience she has now - even if she plays up - the better she'll be eventually.

Wendy

Hi Beagle
pup seems very similiar although he is a bit younger yet at 5 months
but so glad to see its not just us :D
lel

hi,
don't give up be persistant with your training, stack your pup at home and on the table, do your triangle all at home five minutes a day and then increase over the following weeks,only use your show lead for these exersises,train just before meal times or play a game after training so they think it's fun and they have a reward, time and patience, difficult time for pups, if you are still feeding a puppy food with high protein drop it down to a lower one she may then start to settle, good luck and have fun, my bitch was a little B until about nine months old, she loves showing and half jumps on the table now and almost stands herself, she's 20 mths now, regards tina

Hi Tina,

So your message is they do get better. Thank You.

hi,
yes they do get better, but you have to put the training in, and at eight months she has a lot of catching up to do, most people that show start taking pups to class at twelve weeks just to socialise, perhaps a little table work if they are tabled dogs,as i had not long had my second child when we had the pup and also having had a ceaser did not go to ringcraft until the pup was nearly six mnths old, but did what i could at home, stacking her on the table going over her, looking at her teeth etc, by nine mths she was settling down and knew what was expecteted from her, when it does come together it's a wonderfull feeling, you will get there, be consistant, regards tina

Thankyou very much for the advice everyone. I took her to a little show last night, nothing serious and she surprised us, she was quite good for her. I would never have gone if it wasn't for the first reply on here. She was very vocal when we got there until she had scanned the room and assessed every dog there. She stood beautifully but when she walked up and down she spotted a piece of cheese on the floor and being a typical hound she was bursting a gut to get to it. Her legs were diagnol to her body and she started walking like a crab (this didn't really impress the judge !). But what does it matter we had great fun and she was wagging her tail all the time so i guess she had fun too, she has the looks and personality, just no self control. I'm just looking forward to going to another show now.

glad you both enjoyed it, i gather it was a match night at your training club,i also have a hound that if any treats like cheese or liver bait has been used becomes noo noo the hoover much to my embarrisment,regards tina