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Hi all, I just had a panicky email from my partner, am hoping for some advise to either calm him or make ME panicky!

We have had a male beagle rescue for about four months. He is now about a year old. We had an existing rescue in the house,a female lab/corgi mix - the two dogs do a lot of wrestling, chasing, mouthing, etc, but no one has ever drawn blood.

We have also had the usual "beagle" issues - chewing, stealing laundry & shoes, etc, but have pretty well "child-proofed" the house to prevent some problems.

Well, this morning, my partner caught the beagle chewing on the edge of a rug (a new rug - the last one was replaced because the beagle chewed it up!) He yelled and smacked a magazine on a hard surface. The beagle retreated under the piano bench. My partner, still mad, continued shouting "No" and then smacked the piano bench. Whereupon the beagle growled, barked and bared his teeth.

Since the dog has NEVER reacted like that before, I maintain that it was a one-off fear reaction, since my partner contuned to go after him after he had retreated, and not the "start of something bigger". Also, my partner said he IMMEDIATELY called the dog and cuddled and soothe him - which I'm not sure was the best strategy, given what had just happened - wouldn't that sort of be giving the dog mixed messages?

We have a trainer coming to the house in a couple of days, and I AM willing to consider that this COULD be the "start of something bigger", but I'm interested in anyone's comments?

>>Hi all, I just had a panicky email from my partner, am hoping for some advise to either calm him or make ME panicky!
>>
>>We have had a male beagle rescue for about four months. He is now about a year old. We had an existing rescue in the house,a female lab/corgi mix - the two dogs do a lot of wrestling, chasing, mouthing, etc, but no one has ever drawn blood.
>>
>>We have also had the usual "beagle" issues - chewing, stealing laundry & shoes, etc, but have pretty well "child-proofed" the house to prevent some problems.
>>
>>Well, this morning, my partner caught the beagle chewing on the edge of a rug (a new rug - the last one was replaced because the beagle chewed it up!) He yelled and smacked a magazine on a hard surface. The beagle retreated under the piano bench. My partner, still mad, continued shouting "No" and then smacked the piano bench. Whereupon the beagle growled, barked and bared his teeth.
>>
>>Since the dog has NEVER reacted like that before, I maintain that it was a one-off fear reaction, since my partner contuned to go after him after he had retreated, and not the "start of something bigger". Also, my partner said he IMMEDIATELY called the dog and cuddled and soothe him - which I'm not sure was the best strategy, given what had just happened - wouldn't that sort of be giving the dog mixed messages?
>>
>>We have a trainer coming to the house in a couple of days, and I AM willing to consider that this COULD be the "start of something bigger", but I'm interested in anyone's comments?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

No more angry outbursts at the dog. It forced the dog into a defense-fight survival mode. You and partner will want to work on reducing the dog's sensitivity and making the dog less likely to trigger into this mode--behavior modification which is NOT done by pushing the dog into that instinct. Instead, you work to build his trust and you teach him what TO do (fetch the article TO YOU, or come to you when you call him away to praise him for leaving an inappropriate behavior and obeying your call command instead, as two examples). Punishment is a risky way to handle a dog. You just found out why.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

From what you described this does not sound like an aggression problem. It sounds more like a training/lack of solid communication problem to me.

First, I recommend three books: 1) "So Your Dog's Not Lassie" 2) "You Can Teach Your Old Dog New Tricks" by Dr. Ian Dunbar and 3) "Don't SHoot The Dog."

All three books will get you on the right path to teaching your dog what you WANT it to do instead of what you don't want it to do. Imagine how much easier your lives will be when you can direct your dog to chew on somethi appropriate instead of constantly tell him to not chew on the rug, the walls, the floor, etc?

I'm a huge advocate of preventative training so gettign a trainer involved is a good idea. I hope it's a positive reinforcement trainin method you choose, because for sensitive dogs- beagles tend to be even though they are stubborn- those methods work best.

Again, I understand your fear that your dog is starting habits that will lead it to trouble- if your partner continues to react that way to unwanted behavior, it quite honestly could happen that way. Trust me though, just a little bit of training, some patience, and a sence of humor will help you out 100 times over when training a beagle. You'll be surprised how willing they can be to do the right thing. Good luck and keep us posted.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles

what I've learned is that when you want to teach a dog, you cannot frighten it, because the fear over-whelms the dog's brain (simply put) & it cannot learn (anything you are trying to teach it) for a sensitive dog, this can include just raising your voice.

am not certain what similar types of 'reactions' a human has displayed to this pup (before you got him) but there is definately an issue to work through with professional help.

some increased restriction/supervision & or even temporarily removing tempting objects/replacing with safe fun chewies could help too.

keep us posted. I think all will be fine, if you continue with only positive reinforcement/ the best training makes it fun for pup & handler too.