Our beagle just bite the dog groomer! We think she's about to have first season

[IzzyImmyIndyMum]

Basically help! Our dog is a lovely cuddly beagle.
I'm feeling we have let her down. She's 13 months old snd we did warn them to put a muzzle on her. My husband was called to pick her up and she was shaking and teeth chattering.
She's also scared of having her harness put in her.
We are re starting dog training tomorrow but are we bad dog owners.
I feel terrible.

If the bite happened today, I wouldn't start dog training tomorrow. She needs time to decompress, i.e., you need to give her chance to relax and avoid all scary things (including her harness) for a few days. I would also keep children away from her for the time being, to help her relax. A dog that has recently bitten may be more likely to bite again soon after, if it isn't given a chance to decompress.

What training are you planning on doing? Are you going to get help from a behaviourist?

Poor girl - she sounds utterly terrified and the groomer should have listened to your warning and muzzled her, not just gone ahead anyway.

Beagles don't need grooming (I have one myself) so don't put her through that again. You can practise lots of positive association at home so you can bathe her etc. without stressing her out with a groomer visit. Vets can also do things like nail trims if they're ever necessary

Please give her some time (a good few days) to decompress before doing any training with her. She sounds like she was pushed well outside her comfort zone today

Why do you send a beagle to the groomers?

Lots of owners send their beagles to the groomers, they can get bathed and have their coat desheded, they get their nails cut and ears cleaned and teeth cleaned.

Why was she at the groomers? I would bath her yourself and if she need nails trimming take her to the vets our vet nurse does our dogs and they’re more likely to listen to you when you say put a muzzle on!

Beagles are so low maintenance that they don’t need anything doing that you can’t do at home. How long have you had her for? They’re generally very happy go lucky dogs, you’ve gone wrong somewhere if you’ve had her from a pup and she has all these issues. Is it necessary for her to wear a harness and why is she scared of it?

They’re generally very happy go lucky dogs, you’ve gone wrong somewhere if you’ve had her from a pup and she has all these issues. Not necessarily true. Puppies are not blank slates. One of her parents could have had similar issues.

@IzzyImmyIndyMum, I hope you’ve not been put of coming back to this thread. It sounds like you need to slowly condition her to enjoy handling and grooming before you attempt to groom her again, preferably with help from a behaviourist. Once she’s more comfortable with handling, self-service dog washes are on the increase, so there may be one near you if you don’t have a bath at home.

Please don’t be too hard on yourself. We’re all continuously learning and what works for one dog doesn’t work for others.

Happen I've not been put off. To answer another poster - we have taken her to the groomers to have her toenails cut and ears cleaned - although we do a fair bit of brushing, I do take her on runs and she gets quite muddy.
We have a behaviourist coming round this afternoon (I booked a while ago). She's always been very protective of her spot - where she sleeps and snarled even just after we got her (age 9 weeks) when we tried to move her. She's more stubborn than bad tempered. I do wonder - she's very small and was the smallest in her litter - if that might have affected her. She's not as nervy as she was 6 months ago. The vet said that her temperament could be changed if she was spayed. They thought she was in season (although it's larger and pinker down there we've not seen any blood). But yes she's definately got a bit more bad tempered and nervy the last few weeks.

This is why I always stayed with my dog at the groomers.

That option wasn't available - I think if I had that would have helped!

In that case I just wouldn’t have left him. I’d have found somewhere I could stay or I’d have groomed him at home. Probably seems over protective but dogs can’t talk and tell you what happened.

I've seen her lady bits _ she stuck her bum in my face and there's something going on! Could this explain her behaviour somehow?

my girl has "silent heats" basically the only way we know that she has started is her swollen lady bits and that she is constantly cleaning herself. If you think this is what is happening...stick a doggie diaper on her and see if there is any spotting. Mine bleeds so lightly that unless I am paying attention, I would be none the wiser to it!

Doggie diaper!

like these! This is what i use. I put a sanitary pad inside and just change that a few times a day. Only comes off when she goes out to do her business.
www.amazon.ca/Wegreeco-Premium-Diapers-Female-Pack/dp/B017EJEV68

Yes. She's on heat. Isn't very happy about it and we've found a local guy who can clip her nails while I'm with her