Unpredictable Rescue Beagle

[DogAndWineLover]

Hi all,

Sorry for the sad post on Christmas Day!

Having a nightmare with our 7 year old rescue beagle and just after some support really.

We've had Bruno for 3 years now. When we rescued him, we were told he was thought to be a much loved family pet but later learned that he was a stud dog who lived outside for much of his life. He has lots of scars which makes us think he has not had a happy life at all.

Over the years, we've worked really hard with trainers and successfully tackled some of his issues, but he is still very much a handful and unpredictable. We're currently renting a cottage with family and he has spent a lot of time howling. He cannot tolerate my brothers dog at all and has done lots of snarling and trying to get to him through the stair gate. Everyone is sleep deprived and on edge and I feel like we've ruined Christmas.

Does anyone have any advice? We have taken him to my in-laws this morning as a last resort but I feel a bit hopeless. Can an older dog ever get over it's demons?

Worth stressing that this is Bruno's forever home and we are not rehoming him. It's just the thought of Christmas on our own for the foreseeable is a bit miserable!

Thanks everyone and merry Christmas 🎄 xx

Awww. I think starting by seeing life from a dogs pov is helpful. I have a reactive beagle. Also a rescue so a bit unknown. I can tell you what works for us:

Never taking her to other peoples houses. We tried. She just doesn't know where she is and gets upset.

Acknowledging celebrations involve strange people and noises. None of that is fun for her.

Never off lead

Greedy as hell so all food can be a treat.

I'm sure I can think of more but I remember a very similar scenario where we had to leave my parents home early and she was a nightmare.

Never bothered again!

She likes a quiet life.

Thank you so much for sharing! This all sounds very familiar! Bruno would eat himself to death if he had the chance. How did you relax with the reactivity and how do you get through Christmas with family and other dogs? I don't want to have to spend it on our own all the time!

It would be worth getting in touch with Kellie wyn the beagle lady. She has a Facebook page.

Thank you! I have already done this and worked with Kellie and other trainers, but perhaps I'll book some more sessions!

I think maybe as he is 7 and obviously quite set in his ways you just have to accept not taking him to other houses. It sounds just too stressful for him. Could you get a house sitter for him?

We just don't take her. For holidays we use kennels but I've honestly made my peace with it.

We spent many hours and tears trying to get her to 'behave' but almost like an adopted child... once we accepted her personality life became much better.

We have other dogs and they do live in harmony but we wouldn't have visitors. A war would break out!

Oh and she doesn't have separation anxiety so she's much happier being left at home whilst we go and do our visiting. Tbh 4 hours is enough for me anyway.

Our family are local so it works fine. We used to have dog walkers but the drama of it all made her much more reactive and unhappy.

I also wouldn’t take my reactive rescue dog (not a beagle) to other peoples houses.

We’re lucky in that if we go out it’s just for dinner and what have you, so my DP has currently just nipped home to walk him.

If we were travelling or if I was hosting, I’d find somewhere else for him to be, I’m very slowly (because I have no set dates at the moment I need it) in the process of trying to find a home boarder or kennels that I can then get him slowly used to so I can use them if needed for stuff like that.

I think when you get a dog, you just need to accept their personality for what it is. Don’t feel a failure. I have an absolutely lovely dog who doesn’t like strangers, and so runs up to the end of our long garden and shouts his annoyance from there.

We don’t have people around - never did anyway really. We prepare those who do come to make no fuss of either dog or they go mad. If this was my dog, husband would go and sleep in the car with him and swap at daybreak.

Theres always good and bad with dogs. They tolerate being left easily and are convinced they have been asleep fir 5 mins.