Ive read a few posts by people that seem to be at their wits end with their dogs behaviour, I am one of those! Its getting so bad, I cried for hours tonight. I have a 7 month old male Beagle who completely rules my house. He does whatever he likes when he likes and barks at me if i tell him off. He knows he is being naughty for example I have placed a piece of wood to block of my computer and all the wires he pushes it out the way and sits behind the computer and just looks at me. If I just leave him there he eventually comes out but I cant just leave him there because he chews the wires! Ive tried everything to get him out treats, walkies, dins dins, toys nothing will budge him. If I go to remove him myself he growls very nastily and bites me not very hard but its not nice. I know he knows hes being naughty. Sometimes I think he does stuff just to annoy me. He is a very playful dog and I love to play with him but he thinks its playing to bite on hands,ears,feet anywhere really and he repeatedly does it over and over theres only so many times I can say no. He just doesnt listen, he barks at me if I tell him off and he gets even more wound up. The problem with our flat doesnt help much either, we have no doors! Some stupid style feature. He can jump over baby gates in about two seconds flat its a nightmare. He also steals stuff and runs off with it under the sofa or under the bed and chews it up. I cant get the items back because the nasty growling comes back. Ive tried the exchanging for more valuable items thing but the item he stole also seems to have the most value to him. He also digs in the carpet and sofas no matter how many times I say no once again he just carrys on. It cant even be blamed on boredom because I am willing to play with him and his toys and I walk him 1-3 hours a day where he plays really nicely with other dogs. His recall is also quite good at the park (except when theres food). Food! thats another thing. He does running jumps at the kitchen side to try and get stuff down, and if im eating something he will try his hardest to get it off me. I swear this dog was Spiderman in a previous life. I treat him so well its so upsetting that hes so horrible to me. I dont want to give him up but Im having a baby soon and I cant see things improving. Plus I cant afford a dog behaviourist. I have a few books but its hard to implement anything when he just does not listen to me at all! Sorry to rant but I really am on the way to a nervous breakdown... :(

My heart goes out to you it really does. Regarding getting behind your computer I am willing to bet he sees this as his safe place - somewhere where he knows it is hard for you to get him out.  Why not try to give him another safe place i.e. a crate with a blanket over it where he can have his toys in peace. 

Puppies love a game of chase and stealing your things and running off with them happens to be the best way to start the fun. 

Your puppy is at the 'do I look bovered stage?' which sadly some dogs do go through like teenagers. You have to step in and be the parent and take calm control.  You and your partner have to be the boss and not allow the behavior you really don't want.

I don't know about breed specifics as Beagles are not my breed and hopefully someone with more insight into that will come along soon.  If you have insurance they will often pay for a behaviorist (after whatever the excess is on your policy), but in all honesty this sound like a puppy pushing at the boundaries just like children will and you need help to stamp it out now.

Your breeder is the first person you should call for help. The will know how to handle a beagle best.

Good luck with your new baby

Hi MowglisMummy

Never fear - pups are not always the cute fluffy bundles of joy we often fondly remember them being, so thug-dug behaviour and toad like tendencies are not unknown to the rest of us :)

Firstly, immediately put him on a house line (a lead will do meantime) so that whenever you want him to follow you or obey a command to stop doing something you have a physical means of backing this up :)  As you're aware, him growling and/or snapping at you is a completely unacceptable response no matter how tempered the pressure he uses so you have to remove the opportunities for him to do so (the line will help tremendously) and establish what triggers bring about this behaviour so you can safely and successfully modify your own responses.

I agree with echo re getting him a crate as a safe haven and so discouraging his desire to tuck himself in behind your PC area.

When he steals it's because of two things, (1) you've made available something which you don't want him to have - being extremely tidy over the next few weeks will help break this habit (2) you've almost certainly made it a game in his eyes so need to ensure that no matter how desperate you are to retrieve something from him you don't show it ;)

Walking him up to 3 hours a day is IMO too much for his age but, more importantly, is only increasing his stamina/energy levels.  Physical exercise is necessary for all dogs but many owners fail to recognise that MENTAL stimulation is also very much essential, particularly in breeds which have working type backgrounds.  You may well find that if you drop his exercise to two 30-45 minutes a day but also set aside two or three "game" times a day that he's more calm and content than under your present regime.

If he eats dry food make him work for it - don't just give it to him in a bowl and let him scoff it a.s.a.p.  Use most of his daily ration as rewards for things you get him to do so that he's having to 'work' for his supper and use his highly intelligent brain :)

Don't let him brow beat you when YOU are eating or preparing food - presumably he's at least found random rewards from this behaviour and so has quickly learned that if he tries hard/often enough it pays off.  Again, you have to modify your behaviour and any other household members, visitors etc so that the pattern is broken.

> I treat him so well its so upsetting that hes so horrible to me

That is very possibly the problem - you have been treating him TOO well and he's taking advantage because he hasn't learned boundaries.  I spoil my dogs too and currently have a pup of similar age to your own who would take liberties at every given opportunity so I ensure that opportunities don't arise for that very reason :)  Occasionally one of us slips up and so monster man gets the spoils but it's our fault and it's sometimes easy to let our guard down - we're all only human but these cunning canines can find ways to mould us to their liking if we don't put serious thought, effort and consistency into our training methods.

You will overcome these issues so please don't despair :)  Take one step at a time and don't try to implement too many new solutions overnight as it's important for your own self esteem (as well as his ability to quickly learn house rules) to set yourself up for successes rather than failures.

I'm sure you'll find the house line will make a world of difference to resolving many of the situations you are currently most anxious about and you can then work on from a positive start.

HTH meantime.  Very best wishes,

Teri

He needs a timeout area ;-) Not as punishment, but as a chill out place for him to go to. It sounds like you may be over stimulating him, which is a possible reason for him to be this way. He just doesn't know when to stop. I would give him attention when you want to give it, not when he demands it. Ignore him as best as you can when you need to do other things. I know it isn't easy.

I agree that a crate would be a good idea. But take it slowly with him. You need time out just as much as him. You can't be forever at his beck and call or you will have even more problems as he grows. I have heard that Beagles are stubborn, well you're finding that out, aren't you :-) The little s*d!! :-D

Please try to see it as your puppy is not being 'naughty' he actually knows nothing about 'naughtiness'...he is a puppy and acting in the way he has been allowed.

At 7 mths old I would reduce his exercise, 1 - 3 hours is way, way too much.  Take him out 3 times per day for about 20 mins each time.  This will be plenty for him.  Like someone else has already said, if a dog is over stimulated they sometimes just do not know when to stop.

Do you have a crate for him?  I would suggest crate training him so after he has been for a walk or after training etc or when you are popping out you can put your pup in his crate with a chew/toy etc and he will learn to settle and sleep.  Remember the crate is always used as a nice place to settle....never punishment.

I would suggest taking along to training classes (you say you can't afford a behaviourist) but normal training lessons should be cheaper.  Find a trainer who teaches using reward based methods.  A good trainer will spend time helping you with any problems you have at home.

Also yes he probably see's behind your computer as a safe place....he goes in there and barks or nips you and you back away...he has won this game!  Can you put a guard around the computer?  If he goes behind the computer pretend you have something interesting the other side of the room...make a fuss of this 'something' (have treats in your hand)...give it time and your pup will be curious...when he comes to investigate...praise, praise and praise even more (even if it takes ages to get him out!!)

To give your pup something to do in the day you can hide treats around the house or garden and help him to 'find' them...this will become a great game and he can use his nose and do abit of work.  Mentally he is being stimulated which is great.

If he gets more attention for behaving in a way you don't want he will continue to do that because of the attention he is getting.   When he is being good you have to remember to pay him attention so he knows this is what you want.

To stop him jumping up and getting things off the kitchen sides...simple solution is to put everything away.  If you leave something tempting out he will want it.  He doesn't know the difference of what he should or shouldn't eat.

When you implement new ideas you really need to stick with them.

Try looking up on the internet NILIF - Nothing in Life is Free, this might give you a few ideas.

You've had some very good responses regarding behaviour so I won't comment on that but about the computer.

My dog used to love to get in behind the PC.  It's where I spend a portion of my day and he likes to be close but also it's warm and I think he liked the vibrations from the hard drive!  He has a bed next to it but even now will flop off that to lean on the plug collection we have under there...

If you are planning on using a crate - a great idea - can you position it near the computer, at least during the day?  Your dog obviously considers this a safe place anyway so it shouldn't take much adjustment for him.  By the way you can get cable tidies from Ikea which may help to make it a bit safer.

Excellent advice already given. :-)

Teri's houseline suggestion is a great start especially as you have an open living space with no doors, it will immediately give you back some control your pup goes where you want when you want and can not go into certain unsafe or private areas, especially once you have your baby.

Puppyhood is only a joy if you have containment and control of a pup, otherwsie as you've found it can be a nightmare and owners throw their hands in the air feeling very much like you do, dogs are dogs living in a human environment, it is hard for them to learn that they can go some places, run and dig and chase, be allowed to be just a dog out on walks, but not in the home, they don't understand the difference. :-)

Pups shouldn't really be allowed to come and go as they please they not only need behavioural boundaries but physical boundaries, child gates are no good for many breeds, as well as a house line, I would suggest looking in Argos for inst. for a dog gate, much higher than a child gate and perhaps position one or two in your home if you can. Otherwise a crate (as mentioned) is where you need to pop your pup whilst eating or doing things where he is unsupervised.

I agree that he sounds as though he needs a den, the crate would be great for this reason also, you can even pop a cover over it to give a more den like feel for him.

You need to give your pup time outs when he refuses to do as he is asked, popping him behind a dog gate or in his crate for a few minutes to show your disapproval, there is nothing worse for a dog than being seperated for a few minutes from their beloved human.

I know he knows hes being naughty. Sometimes I think he does stuff just to annoy me.

:-D Dogs truly do not have the capacity to feel such things, these are complex human feelings, which we often try to grace animals with, dogs don't have these emotions, so firstly stop looking at him as though he is doing these things to upset you, he truly isn't, he is being a dog, doing dog things.  Growling and acting out a bite is his way of communicating that he does not wish to do something, he does not understand why you want him to move, he is happy where he is, however a dog needs to learn that what you want is more important, if he ever growls or tries to bite you,  you must immediately put him in time out and ignore him, never allow a dog to rule you, use the search engine to find the document, The Bite Stops Here, or Bite Inhibition, to help with his play biting too or perhaps JG or someone will add the link again you need to read it, I would also recommend popping into your local pet shop for behavioural books to help you to re-establish yourself as the master here, and praise and reward training.

He needs to learn that this is your Kingdom which is also an important reason why a pup needs a place of their own, i.e an open crate with his own bedding and toys in it or a dog bed in an area he likes to sit.

Your having a baby so you are bound to be even more emotional than ever, your pup is also reaching that dreaded adolescent stage where he will become much more stubborn anyway, reward good behaviour, he will learn his quickest lessons this way, a quick treat or lots of praise for obeying a command registers very quickly, but become much more stern, use the word NO! and strong eye contact to re-establish yourself as his master, never get angry or shout, he will 'shout' back and become defensive,

Once you take back the control he will settle quickly.

Above all else, please don't get upset and beat yourself up, you are not alone, believe me all pups are little monkeys who can easily take advantage and can 'misbehave' (in our eyes) terribly, they are just like our children, they need rules and boundaries then you can all be a happy and relaxed, we have all been through it, most of us have survived it. :-D  You will too. :-)

This is a great thread.........So  sorry for the despair Mowglis mum!
This is puppy behaviour as I know it and probably all less experienced (like me recognise).
What I am coming to learn is that they all need to be with you for company,and lots of attention in varying forms.
With a 2+ 3/4yr old and a 6month old I can readily see where you are coming from.
I find that still with my older boy when he starts getting ott, in the home, I put his lead on and make him stay with me when he gets 'that way'....barking and naughty.
The puppy we mostly know it's puppy pushing her luck traits and will pass with perserverance. The crate/den is fab advise.
Please dont despair.
Karen :)

You have been given excellent advice but I also feel you should be asking for help from your pups breeder, hounds can be a handful and any breeder worth their salt will, over the years, gain a good deal of information to help you deal with this difficult period.

Please try not to let his behaviour get to you.  He is only 7 months old, I have dachshunds and they want to do everything their way until they are at least a year to 18 months old.  We have learnt over the years to make everything dog proof when we have a kevin around (awkward teenager).  Some great advice has been offered but just remember all dogs go through this, when you come out the other side you will look back and think some of the things he is doing are funny.  As they say patience is a virtue.

Emma

Thanks for the advice. I took him to the dog exercise area at the park for 30 mins a time yesterday instead of 1.5 hours. When I tried to leave he flopped on the floor in the middle of the road and I had to drag him all the way up the road. Hes so stubborn!! Im going to buy a crate and try and get him to see it as his bedroom. I should have done this from the beginning but was always put off. I think he will be horrified if I shut the door on him in a crate straight away. I imagine he would scream the house down!

I think he will be horrified if I shut the door on him in a crate straight away. I imagine he would scream the house down!

Don't shut the door to start with - he needs to feel the crate is a fun place to be not a place where he doesn't want to be. Feed him in the crate, put his bed in there, give him a toy to play with in there and he will start to see it as his refuge and somewhere he wants to be. Closing the door for a minute or so to begin with comes after he sees the crate as a good place to be. It takes a while for this to happen and you don't want him to associate the crate with anything negative so never use it as a "punishment".

Do you use a crate in the car?

They are great from a safety perspective but it's another good way to help get a dog accustomed to a crate. 

Your puppy seems to be a potential alpha male. In every litter there are a dog puppy and a bitch puppy who, in the wild, would eventually become alphas. Your whole mental attitude needs to change. You and your partner need to learn to be dominant. Your puppy will resist this strongly at first. Having got used to being in control, he won't be prepared to give up his position as head of the pack without a struggle and there will be tantrums, but you must be firm. Never feed him until you have eaten. Pretend to eat from his bowl before you put it down for him. Don't let him go through doors in front of you. You be the one to instigate play and you decide when playtime is over. If he gets too rough during play, or starts nipping, IMMEDIATELY end the play session and just walk away. If he jumps up, say nothing, fold your arms and turn your body away from him. Don't let him get higher than you, for example, him on the sofa and you on the floor. When you come into the house after leaving him on his own, ignore him, let him come to you. In the wild, when the pack leader returns to the pack, the other pack members all rush to say hello to re-affirm their position in the pack, whilst the pack leader remains aloof and accepts this adulation. If you drop to your knees and fling your arms round him, overjoyed to see him, you are only confirming to him, in his eyes, that you are his inferior. He growls at you because he knows he can. It works and he gets his own way. This is typical intimidating behaviour from a potential alpha who is testing his 'muscle'. I'm afraid you are going to have to get used to punishing him when he growls. I don't mean physical punishment. A very sharp and loud NO! followed by shutting him in another room or in the garden for a few minutes will be sufficient. Being excluded from the pack temporarily is a tried and tested method of punishment for animals and humans alike, (think of the nanny's 'naughty step') He'll soon get the message. The important thing is to be constistant, do it, and do it NOW before he gets any older. As other posters have said, he's going through his teenage phase and, just like a teenage human, he resents authority. When it all gets too much, say to yourself, I AM IN CHARGE. This will also stand you in good stead for when you own child becomes a teenager.

I personally don't agree with the whole 'you have to be dominant over your dog' theory.  Yes you should be in charge and manage your dogs so they behave in a way that you would like them to.

I have never pretended to eat out of my dogs bowl before they eat, I also generally get their meals done and sorted before I prepare mine and depending on where i'm going or what i'm doing sometimes I walk through the doors first or they may go first...however I can say wait and the dogs will not move until given a command to walk on.

I own 6 dogs - 2 GSD's, 2 Rottie's, an Akita and a Staffie, all these breeds have the potential to be pushy but mine live in harmony and behave extremely well.  I'm only saying this because I don't train mine in the way that I am dominant over, I just make sure I can manage them well.

Also you could cause a potential problem by telling a dog off for growling.  Growling is a way of telling us they aren't happy, take this away and you have a dog that will potentially take the next step which is to bite.

Mowglismummy,

PM if you need anymore advice, more than happy to help. He looks super cute!

Have you thought how he will get used to the new baby? At the moment it sounds like he is very much the centre of attention - he is bound to feel like he's had his nose pushed out of joint a bit when baby arrives and all the fuss is on him. There's lots of advice on the internet about getting a dog used to a new baby, but my friend found the most helpful was to make the dog associate the baby with good things, not with lack of attention for him - so when people used to come visit the baby, she got them to give the dog a biscuit and a pat too so he didn't feel left out. She made sure she had dedicated time for playing/fussing her dog too, when the baby was safely asleep. It did seem to work and the dog didn't become the jealous monster she'd feared!

We have two dogs both from 8 week old pups and both male. we have crtae trained from day 1 and endorse what people here have written.
Whilst not agreeing totally with some writers our two do know who is boss. Its not a matter of dominating the dogs its a matter of being very firm, our BC is growled at if he is naughty (he's 16 months now) and he will not meet my OH's eyes at all. My Cocker (18 months) can be very stubborn but again we have had to stop him doing things by putting him on a lead and making him sit, stay whatever.
Yes of course they will try it on simular to kids in that. My two are never left really they both are walked into the office and out again daily and have to behave as we are both working here from 7am - 6pm.
Jake & Whistler have calmed down and now realise that a) if OH clicks his brief case its time to get up and go out and b) when the computers go down ditto. I cant remember teaching that but they begin to associate actions with events.
Bed time, if in the crate and they will stay in there all night with or without the door shut. Go back to absolute basics, come, sit, wait and lead work to reinforce the status quo that you little mite is pushing.
A crate is a time out area as well, when I went shopping when they were tiny they went into the crate with a chewey. Now as teenagers they get left in the kitchen for an hour or two with the crate doors open, they are often asleep in the crates when we get home! In the beginning when ever they went to sleep we put them in the crate so they always woke up there, then straight outside for a wee.
Its going to be harder with yours at 7 months but you need to establish a quiet/safe area where play does not happen a chilling zone. When you get that sorted you can both take time out.
But I do think dominance/staus quo needs to be established because you own him its not the other way around.

Dear MowglisMummy,

I have just read through your post and the various replies. You have received very good advice. Nonetheless I feel concerned for you. You are obviously at a very vulnerable time in your pregnancy,  in the coming months and once the little one is born, I doubt you will have much energy to deal with your lad as well and things could get impossible.  Although you cannot afford a behaviourist I do feel that you need some outside help to get you and your boy's relationship more sorted and off on the right foot. A few sessions might be money very well spent and save heartache later down the line.

Have you tried contacting organisations like the APDT?

Might I ask where you live? Between us we might come up with some ideas.

I don't think you mentioned if you have a partner? If you do could they take over with his training and be more hands on?

I don't want to sound negative. Your Beagle (or Bugle, as my nephew once said) sounds like a rather pushy and ambitious young man. I think you are going to need a bit of hands on to get your confidence up and show you how to deal with him -given that you are likely to be feeling all over the shop anyway!

Would agree with all you have said Staff.

I have 5 dogs, 4 males and 1 bitch.  I eat before mine if it's convenient, I step over mine if they are lying in doorways, my little bitch lies on the back of sofa/chair whichever I happen to be sitting on and rests her head of my shoulder, sometimes they go through doors before me, sometimes I make them wait.  Sometimes I sit on the floor to watch TV and one of the dogs gets in 'my' place on the sofa but there is not one scrap of trouble between any of the dogs nor do they challenge me.

Clear leadership is far more important than dominance.

Hi
Dominance seems to be the label on all dogs that dont do what we want - thanks to the likes of JF I think!  Personally, leadership and boundaries are the key.  There are very few dominant dogs out there.  Most just need to treated like dogs and not people, given boundaries and consistency.  Adolesence is a tough time, hang on in there.  Visit a training club and get some advise quick.
Good luck
L