Castrating The Oversexed Beagle Puppy

Castration is the best way to deal with an oversexed Beagle puppy. He will not get better as he grows older, as some people would have you believe; he will get worse. Destructive acts such as tearing up bedding are all part of the sex urge, and eventually he will mount people’s legs to the intense embarrassment of those concerned.

Castration, if done young, has no bad effect on the puppy at all, and the result will be fairly speedy. If left until the Beagle is really a confirmed nuisance, it takes much longer to have effect. Most vets do the operation overnight and let the puppy go home next morning. There need be no stitches in the incision. After a week the puppy is quite over it. Some vets put in stitches, but these do occasionally get infected. So keep an eye on the puppy’s backside for at least a week to see that all is healing well.

A castrated puppy should be strictly dieted to keep his figure. He is inclined to beg for food. There are no harmful effects after castration. All male beagles kept as pets would only benefit by this operation. They are much nicer to own, and remain happy.

Beagle Hypochondriacs

What makes human hypochondriacs so odd and disturbing is that they really do believe that they are suffering from an illness in spite of all evidence to the contrary. Beagle hypochondriacs are in many ways far more innocent. They have simply learned that certain actions are rewarded, and behave accordingly. Given the inventive repertoire of behavior that dogs are capable of thanks to their playful propensities, and given how strong a drive social attention is for a dog, they are adept at forming such associations in their minds and sticking with them.

beagles that have been genuinely sick and who get a lot of attention as a result are the prime candidates for the “sick pet syndrome.” They can quickly discover that when sitting quietly or acting normally they are ignored, but if they suffer a sudden relapse of an alarming symptom, their owner immediately rushes over, pets them, makes concerned cooing sounds, and so on. Dogs that suffer gastric upheavals, as all dogs do, often get extra attention and sometimes special food. It doesn’t take long for certain dogs to learn that bouts of vomiting and diarrhea are rewarded with hamburger and rice dinners, while behaving normally results in the same old dry dog food. Dogs have acquired such imaginary ailments as lameness, paralysis, muscle twitches, and runny noses, among others.

The surefire test for whether a Beagle is faking an illness is to leave the house and then sneak back and peek through a window to watch what the dog does when no one is around to provide the immediate reward of attention. Many alarmed owners, concerned that their pets are suffering from some horrible disease, who refuse to believe that it could just be an act, quickly become converted when they see their lame or paralyzed dogs get up and prance around the house when they think no one is there.

The solution, once it is clear that it is an act rather than a true illness, is simply to ignore the dog whenever he is performing his routine, and to pet him and give him extra attention and food treats whenever he is acting normally, or even just lying quietly. This exactly reverses the previous reinforcement schedule, under which the dog was rewarded for acting goofy and ignored for being normal.

It might seem that a dog that can put on an act only when it has an audience must have some ability to understand the mental state of its audience, a conclusion that seems at odds with the experimental evidence that dogs lack a “theory of mind” and an ability to imagine what others are thinking, perceiving, and feeling. But most likely the dogs in these cases have learned a fairly simple association.

Dogs that seek attention seek that attention from a human, so the presence of a human is the stimulus for its learned behavior. This is no different from a Beagle that learns to jump up on a bag of dog food - it is the simple presence of an object associated with a reward that is the trigger for the behavior. A dog does not have to grasp the idea that another being is watching and interpreting his actions; all he has to learn is that taking such an action when a person is present results in a reward - and doing it when no one is present does not.

How Sociable Is Your Beagle Puppy?

Do you want to find out how sociable and outgoing your Beagle puppy is? Then try this little experiment:
Put a few toys down in the room. Quickly walk away from your puppy and then observe his reaction:
*A favorable response would be the Beagle puppy running happily after you, regardless of what else might be occurring. This shows that the puppy highly desires the company of people, a trait that is advantageous. This puppy should be easy to train and should learn to focus well on you instead of distractions.
*An unfavorable response would have the puppy ignoring you and investigating something else, perhaps a toy on the floor or a sound coming from another room. This puppy may not value interaction with humans over his own desire to investigate his surroundings.
He may not be as easy to train as the Beagle puppy that values human interaction above all else. A puppy that ignores you in this way may have an unfocused or independent mindset that could be a prelude to dominant behavior.

Helping Your Blind Beagle Around The House

beagles can adjust to blindness and poor eyesight with very little difficulty. Their senses of hearing and smell begin to function as directional indicators, even though they may occasionally bump into table and chair legs or stumble over objects.
The following steps may help a blind pet find his way about the house and yard more easily.
1. Mark upright obstacles, such as chair legs and door jambs, with a light-scented cologne, spray or other scented substance. This helps your Beagle identify perpendicular objects.
2. Use a different scent on the floor about 6 inches from steps or similar obstacles. Use a light scent to avoid the buildup of odors around the house, which has been the only owner complaint about this method.
3. Wear a small bell or a bracelet that jingles. Visitors can also be equipped with such jewelry. This allows the dog to follow his owner’s movements more easily.
Sightless beagles adjust well to the problem, with little trouble to the owners. The suggestions above have been helpful in cases where the owner feels the need to do something to make the adjustment a little less difficult for your beagle dog.
Older blind beagle dogs may be handicapped, but they should be treated, as far as possible, as if they were normal. This means using the earned-petting routine regularly and performing obedience routines learned before the onset of blindness.

Getting Your Beagle Puppy To Fetch AND Track

These are just two things you can do to build rapport between you and your Beagle puppy and at the same time teach him to respond positively to learning so that his advanced training will be easy.
Tracking: puppy tracking is a wonderful way to get you and your puppy out for a walk. Tracking is natural for a dog and is relatively easy to teach, at least for short distances.
1. Find a park or a nice open area. The initial site does not need to be very big. Tie your puppy to something and let him watch you “lay a track” by placing tidbits on the ground one foot apart in a straight line for ten feet. Also let him watch you put his favorite toy at the end of the track.
2. Walk back through the same track to the Beagle puppy. Take him to the first piece of food, point to it and say “Track.” Encourage him to put his head down and keep it down by pointing to the next piece of food. He will quickly start smelling the food from piece to piece! When he reaches the toy, praise him and play with the puppy and the toy. Repeat this exercise three times.
3. If you practice two or three times a week on short tracks, he will become reliable pretty quickly. As his nose keeps to the ground, spread the treats a little farther apart each time you “track.” When he can go fifty yards in one direction, lay another track at a 45-degree angle to the right or left. You should also have someone else start laying the tracks so that the puppy will learn to track different people. Do not try to hurry things along by going too far too fast or by making too sharp turns.
Fetching: puppy fetching is important and helpful. It both uses energy and teaches the Beagle puppy to return to you. Again, this exercise will help as a basis for more advanced training later on.
1. Find a toy that your puppy really likes. Sometimes this can be difficult if your puppy is the type who does not like to play (and there are those types, it’s up to you to teach them to play). A little agility work can loosen up a reluctant puppy, and when they are all wound up they are more apt to fetch. Try using a soft sock or small stuffed toy.
2. Put your Beagle on a twenty-foot line. Place the toy in front of your puppy and back up, waving the toy gently on the floor as you move back. When the puppy first grasps the toy, tell him “Good boy!” and very gently tug it for just a second to make him hold it (no tug of war). Let go and praise him as he carries it. If he drops it, repeat the process.
3. After a few successes, throw the toy a few feet from the Beagle puppy and tell him “Fetch.” When he gets it, praise verbally and let him carry it for a few seconds. Gently pull him to you (do not make him drop the toy by tugging too hard). When he reaches you, offer him a piece of treat for the toy. When he drops the toy, give him the treat. Repeat until he understands what you want. You will both greatly benefit from this game!

Socializing Your New Beagle Puppy

Below are some helpful tips on how to socialize your new Beagle puppy with existing pets in the household, with your friends, and with other people’s animals.
Socializing with Existing Pets: Make an initial contact with other dogs outside the home. If you can, take your existing pet (or pets) for a walk and have a friend meet you somewhere with your new dog. Take a long walk so the dogs can get used to each other. Switch dogs on your walk.
Take all the dogs back to the house. Switch dogs and have a tour of your home, with all dogs still leashed. Let your existing house dogs loose, but keep the new Beagle tied to you. If the new dog tries to mark the house anywhere, correct him with a sharp jerk and a stern “No!” If any of the existing dogs try to mark, correct them in the same manner. Explain to all, in no uncertain terms, that marking will not be tolerated. In addition, when you feed the dogs be sure to feed the established pets first and stay near the new dog while he eats.
Most established pets, if already well socialized, will enjoy a newcomer as long as the newcomer is friendly and is introduced in the manner described above. If you find you have brought in a troublemaker, you must remain the Alpha dog. If you are not willing to assume that responsibility, take the dog back.
Socializing with Your Friends: While puppies always generate warm feelings, adult dogs do not. It is especially important that they make a good impression on your friends and neighbors from the start, especially if you already have other pets. Set rules for your new Beagle puppy immediately.
No jumping on friends; keep your dog leashed the entire time friends are at home gatherings for the first few weeks to make sure your dog does not try to jump on them. No barking when the doorbell rings; no running out the door when you open it for guests; make him sit at your side and ask the guests to ignore him until everyone is in and he has a chance to evaluate the new people. Let him approach them for petting if he is calm; if not, wait until you have established the control you need so as not to make a spectacle of yourself and the dog.
When he can accept guests, make sure he does so with all four feet on the ground. It is easy for a Beagle to try to explore with his paw as well as his nose. If you are firm and consistent from the first guest on, you not only will eliminate obnoxious behavior but will instill acceptable behavior. The end result: Your friends will welcome his addition to your family.
Socializing with Other People’s Animals: The same logic applies here as with your other animals, so use the same type of rules. Take long walks on which you know you will meet friends doing the same with their animals. Contain and restrain your Beagle puppy from barking at other animals as they approach. If necessary make him sit at your side.
Always allow thorough sniffing from both animals, as this is their way of saying hi. If at all possible, invite friends and their animals back to your home and allow the dogs to play by themselves. This solves many problems the everyday pet owner may not think about and he will find the Beagle puppy much more relaxed and easier to handle.