Hey all,

I am new to this group and wanted to ask for advice. We got a beagle
from the pound when he was 2...he is almost 6 now. From the start we
could tell that he had a rough childhood...he is very cautious of new
people and we learned the hard way that if he doesn't know you and you
try to pet him he will bite. Now when people come to the door i have
them stand still and raise their hands while Siggy sniffs them. After
about 10 seconds he just wanders away and is fine. Siggy is the most
lovable dog however, he will come climb on your lap and beg to be
petted. he never leaves us alone and will always trot behind us
wherever he goes...he doesnt run away and we can tell he is very loved.

He tends to get aggressive when he is chewing his bone and when my dad

was home and decided to take him out for a walk he reached down to put
his leash on. Siggy must have thought he was coming for the bone
because in a flash he had bit my fathers arm. Siggy's aggressiveness
is not unprovoked...he only bites when he is afraid (of new people, his

bone being taken away) my believe is he was abused or maltreated as a
pup and this is the result. Before this we have always protected him
but my mother is upset that he bit my dads arm and is suggesting we do
something. The only possibility (i wont even say it) is too hard for
me...we cant give him away because that is just putting the problems on

another family...my entire family would be heartbroken...we just dont
know what to do. Is training an option for a beagle this age? Siggy
would be the perfect pet if he wasnt so afraid....it really stinks. We

have another little guy, Milo, who is the opposite...you could sit only

milo and he would love it and start playing...he is the ideal beagle
pet. It is amazing the difference between the two.


Any suggestions would be appreciated.


Thanks,


Justin Philips

On 21 Mar 2006 12:14:18 -0800, , clicked their heels
and said:

Siggy's aggressiveness
is not unprovoked...he only bites when he is afraid (of new people, his
bone being taken away) my believe is he was abused or maltreated as a
pup and this is the result.

Guarding his bone has nothing to do with fear. Stop making excuses
for this - it won't help anyone.

Before this we have always protected him
but my mother is upset that he bit my dads arm and is suggesting we do
something.

Protected him? How? His biting is a problem in general, but biting
over the bone is downright bratty. What TRAINING have you done and
what steps have you taken to better socialize him?

The only possibility (i wont even say it) is too hard for
me...we cant give him away because that is just putting the problems on
another family...my entire family would be heartbroken...we just dont
know what to do.

Giving a biting dog away isn't an option. You have 2. Train him (get
IN PERSON HELP - NOW!) or euthanize him. I recommend the former.

Is training an option for a beagle this age?

Yes. But it will take commitment from you and you need to stop making
excuses (I understand they are made with the best intentions, but
unfortunately, they don't help or solve the problem).

Be prepared for a bit of "tough love" - structure, rules, and work. A
commitment to getting him out and about in the world will be part of
it as well - something the whole family should be on board with too.

Siggy is depending on you to help him rather than coddle him -
training will do that. Call someone sooner than later.


--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

wrote in news:1142972057.502766.141560
@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:

He tends to get aggressive when he is chewing his bone and when my dad
was home and decided to take him out for a walk he reached down to put
his leash on. Siggy must have thought he was coming for the bone
because in a flash he had bit my fathers arm.

First question...If he tends to bite when you give him a bone, why in
hell are you still giving him bones? That is setting him up to bite
someone.

Siggy's aggressiveness
is not unprovoked...he only bites when he is afraid (of new people, his
bone being taken away) my believe is he was abused or maltreated as a
pup and this is the result.

That is a wild guess. For all you know he may have had a wonderful
puppyhood, but his owners never took anything away from him, so he
doesn't know that it can be done.

Before this we have always protected him
but my mother is upset that he bit my dads arm and is suggesting we do
something. The only possibility (i wont even say it) is too hard for
me...we cant give him away because that is just putting the problems on

another family...my entire family would be heartbroken...we just dont
know what to do.

There are a number of possible solutions.

First - Training. In-person with someone who speceializes in aggression
and biting dogs. You need way more than your average petsmart trainer.

Second - Give him away. If you give him away, you are opening yourself up
to a lawsuit if the family who gets him gets bitten. Plus, say the family
has kids (or knows kids) how will you feel when Siggy bites and it is a
child who gets it in the face??

Third - Euthanize. If it has to be done, it has to be done.

In preference, get the dog trained. If you (and the rest of your family)
are not willing to go through with the training fully and completely, it
won't work.



--
Marcel and Moogli
http://mudbunny.blogspot.com/

i never expected such harsh words from this group. We treat our dog
very well. He was trained when we got him (2 1/2 years) by me. We
taught him how to heel, sit, stay, and not beg for food. We used to
play fetch with him and he let us take the ball from his mouth. This
behaviour is relatively recent and we've gone to a vet that said there
is no apparent harm that siggy is in. I have treated my dog with
nothing but love and care. We give him bones because it make him happy
and we never try to take them away. The biting occurred when my dad
tried to put the leash on. It was a misunderstanding. Do not even
begin to talk down to me like this because we also have another very
well trained beagle that has none of this aggressive behaviour who went
through the same training as siggy. I was asking for advice on
professional help and all you did was say i was making excuses. i dont
see how coming to this group for advice is making excuses...my dog
bites when he is scared...period. We need to get rid of that and that
is what i am asking for help with. I am sorry i came to this group, a
lot of other people have been very helpful. My dog is my life...and
whatever needs to be done i will do it. I never said i was looking for
the easy way out and just handing him over to someone and expecting
results. Sorry if i sound upset but i am. All of you just comment and
criticize and say i make excuses and that its all my fault...why not
just relax and give some advice to someone that loves their dog and
doesnt want to see him or anyone else hurt.

-justin

and siggy is not a little monster by any means...we are tough with him
(no walking on the carpet, no jumping on the couch/bed, no begging for
food, no fighting with milo) he just has this one problem. I
appreciate your help can we just make sure it is constructive...i am
looking for a behaviourist for advice. Thanks.

justin

On 21 Mar 2006 13:25:17 -0800, , clicked their heels
and said:

i never expected such harsh words from this group.

They aren't harsh, they're reality.

We treat our dog
very well.

But perhaps not in the way he actually NEEDS.

He was trained when we got him (2 1/2 years) by me. We
taught him how to heel, sit, stay, and not beg for food.

Great! Did you teach him how to be around people?

I have treated my dog with
nothing but love and care. We give him bones because it make him happy
and we never try to take them away.

Dogs benefit from leadership and rules. Giving bones and never
approaching the dog when he has one, is a recipe for disaster.

The biting occurred when my dad
tried to put the leash on. It was a misunderstanding.

Nope - the dog understood exactly what he was doing - he was saying
"get the hell away from my bone".

Do not even
begin to talk down to me like this because we also have another very
well trained beagle that has none of this aggressive behaviour who went
through the same training as siggy.

They are not the SAME dog.

I was asking for advice on
professional help and all you did was say i was making excuses. i dont
see how coming to this group for advice is making excuses...my dog
bites when he is scared...period.

Exactly what fear was involved with the bone incident?

We need to get rid of that and that
is what i am asking for help with.

Sorry - we're all being blunt about what's really going on - something
you are failing to see and therefore, need HELP with.

My dog is my life...and
whatever needs to be done i will do it.

Then listen to what people here are saying. You are not doing your
dog any favors by making excuses.

All of you just comment and
criticize and say i make excuses and that its all my fault...why not
just relax and give some advice to someone that loves their dog and
doesnt want to see him or anyone else hurt.

Because we don't like seeing anyone hurt either, and they WILL be if
you continue to make excuses for your dog instead of getting IN PERSON
HELP.

--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

On 21 Mar 2006 13:29:50 -0800, , clicked their heels
and said:

and siggy is not a little monster by any means...we are tough with him
(no walking on the carpet, no jumping on the couch/bed, no begging for
food, no fighting with milo) he just has this one problem.

It's a biggie! No walking on the carpet? I hope you have hardwood
floors!

I
appreciate your help can we just make sure it is constructive...i am
looking for a behaviourist for advice. Thanks.

You need IN PERSON HELP. Your dog is going to continue biting people
until you get that and a reality check.
--
Janet Boss
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

In article . com,
wrote:
i never expected such harsh words from this group.

Well, that's what you get when you wander into a group of
strangers and ask a question as fraught as yours.

As far as making excuses, the issue is that you seem to
think that your dog guarding his bone is a reasonable
explanation for what happened. The reality is that it's not
a reasonable explanation. You have to be able to take
valuable things away from your dog and have him accept it.
Otherwise, he's not safe (as you've experienced).

Biting is an extremely serious problem and not one that I
think can be handled on Usenet. Get yourself to a
professional trainer, post haste (or sooner!).

Also. make sure that your dog is up-to-date on his rabies
shots. A dog that bites that's been vaccinated may be
ordered to be put down; a dog that bites that isn't current
on his rabies vaccinations *will* be ordered to be put down.

But do take care of it. A friend really never dealt with
her dog's biting and she let him run off-leash, and the dog
bit a lawyer. Seriously. That was an extremely awful
situation - she could have lost her house and everything she
owns, and if that lawyer hadn't been such a hippie my friend
would be living out of her SUV.
--
Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis -

Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community

do you know where i can look online to find a list of trainers in
america/michigan...thanks for the advice
-justin

Very well put Justin. I had the exact same experience. My conclusion?
This group is worthless - don't waste your time. A bunch of
self-proclaimed know-it-alls who are unable provide one shred of useful
information - except for "seek a professional".