Feel like I'm the only one struggling with my dog

[sunriseoversea]

He is 8 months old, we've had him from 12 weeks. He is lovely - fab temperament, very gentle and loving. But he has had separation anxiety and some adolescent behaviours are making things challenging e.g finding things to steal and run off with (even if I think I've put everything out of reach), barking while we're eating. I feel like we're in constant management and have gone backwards with training. We're keeping up the training, giving him appropriate exercise + enrichment etc, but it feels hard at the moment. Maybe we've gone wrong somewhere, or maybe this is normal?

So as not to drip feed, I am also unexpectedly pregnant. We did not plan it when we got the puppy, and I definitely did not want a puppy and a baby, but here we are. I am dreading it. He will be 14 months when the baby arrives.

I feel like everyone else has well rounded, well behaved dogs and we're the only ones struggling. Please tell me it gets better? Oh, and that life with a young dog, a baby and a 5 year old isn't hell?!

What breed is he op?

Id say those are both fairly minor, normal issues that can be solved by training a settle command and teaching him that you instigate attention and food, and not him. The Dog Training Advice and Support Facebook group is really great.

Teenage dogs are dickheads and it won't be like this forever with a little bit of training.

What's his background??

Sorry, I see you've had him from very young. I misread. But yes to answer your q, normal, others are lying or lucky, and it'll get better with training !

He is a Beagle. Sorry, I should've mentioned that.

I've had Beagles before and they are honestly my favourite breed. Yes, they are hard work but I've always thought it was worth it before!

He is a gorgeous natures boy, and probably by Beagle standards, not too much of a handful, objectively. He isn't destructive, doesn't make all that much noise, sleeps well overnight in his crate and was super easy to house train. Absolutely dotes on my DD - it is true love with them.

I think I'm the problem more than him, to be honest.

Ahhh! A beagle. Food obsessed and noisy. Yep 🤣

My dog used to bark while the humans were eating so we started putting him in another room at dinner time, then he had his own dinner when we’d finished ours. We hand feed him now (absolutely gross because he’s raw fed 🤮) but he knows that all food comes from us and he won’t get any elsewhere.

With the stealing, try and teach him ‘drop’ or swap; you give him something he wants if he gives back what he stole. Is he more food or toy motivated? If it’s food, swap a stolen item for a high-value treat (cheese is the winner in my house), if it’s toys, swap the stolen item for his favourite toy.

We have a beagle. The first 12 months nearly broke me 😂. The separation anxiety was the hardest thing for us. We worked with a local trainer and it took maybe 6 months to sort.
Ours however has never been bothered by food and rarely makes a noise… he howls about once a month!
We had a baby when he was about 3 years old and it actually seemed to calm him down. He was very gentle around the baby. He’s nearly 13 now and just sleeps all day!

Ahhhh, I have three beagles, so know exactly what you're going through. At this age they're hideous dickheads, steal anything that isn't nailed down, totally incapable of listening, but capable of driving you to total meltdown. And then they come and snuggle up beside you on the sofa, and your heart melts again...

He will grow up. I promise.

Thanks @Motorina and @DanceMonster. It's nice to have some solidarity!

To be honest, the biggest issues we have are the barking during eating (he barks because he's behind a baby gate, otherwise he would literally steal the food from our plates) and the separation anxiety. Everything else I can pretty much handle.

The problem with these two things is that I don't feel like we can take him anywhere (because he's such a fiend around food) but also we can't leave him!

Any tips?!

Get in a good 121 trainer. Let them see the situation in RL and put you on the correct training path for you and your dog. It will be worth the money and will sort out the issues quickly.

Dont berate yourself dogs are hard work! Separation Anxiety is extremely hard work - do get some rl support before the baby arrives to help make things easier for you.

“I feel like we're in constant management and have gone backwards with training.”

Hes a teenager, that’s exactly what happens. 😊

They're fairly “normal” issues to be having, a trainer would be worth it because it’ll be a lot quicker to resolve then.

Now and again I have to try and "renew my vows" of dog ownership and remind myself that she's a dog with less brains than a bumblebee, an innocent happy soul, who loves people, walks and food - she had a simple life - those are the only things she can get excited about. I remind myself of the benefits of being out to walk - to see places, to walk in nature is good for my physical and mental health. She's 7, Springer spaniel - on the one hand lovely in do many ways but also hard work. So... Renew your vows and count your blessings.

We have a beagle too. The teenage years nearly broke me 😂

While you're eating could you distract him with something? When ours was younger we would give him a chew or a stuffed kong to focus on while we ate - just so he wasn't sitting staring at us eating all this delicious food.

He also had horrendous separation anxiety and we couldn't leave him - do you use a dog walker or sitter or boarder at all? If not I would highly recommend finding someone who can look after him so you can have some time out. It's not cheap but it's so worth it and it will save your sanity!

We used a dog sitter when he was a puppy and then as he got older and calmer, he started going to my in-laws during the day. He absolutely adores it there and has his own cupboard filled with snacks

I feel like everyone else has well rounded, well behaved dogs and we're the only ones struggling

I spend a lot of time walking and cycling in the countryside. Judging by the out of control dogs I constantly encounter you are not the only one struggling.

The 8 month + age period nearly broke me with my show cocker spaniel. She forgot everything I'd taught her and was a nightmare when out and about. I just went back to basics with her training and she we got through it. I hope you find a way through it with yours @sunriseoversea

I knew from the description in your OP that you were describing a beagle - very typical behaviour! I promise that it will get better! They do settle down when they get older.

Look for Kellie the Beagle Lady on Facebook. She is a former police officer who is very experienced beagle trainer who offers online one to one sessions. She is very reassuring and the FB group is really helpful too.

Our beagle used to object loudly when I dared to leave the room to go to the bathroom but we found that he doesn't mind staying on his own for a few hours if we leave him in the front room where he can look out of the window and watch the world go by. He looks at us slightly resentfully when we leave (no barking) and then settles down.

Good luck, your children are lucky to grow up with such a placid soft-eared hound.

Thank you everyone. @WehIstMir I don't really use Facebook often, but I'll have a look for the lady you mention.

@coffeecupsandwaxmelts Did you do anything specific for the SA or did it just get better with time? We are working hard on it but it's such slow progress it's difficult not to feel disheartened. We have a trial booked with a sitter/boarder soon which I'm hoping will give us some options when we need to go out. I'm just hoping he passes the trial!

Folk with Beagles and kids - please tell me they are as good with young children as I've heard? He's fab with our five year old, but I'm conscious a baby will be a big change for him as well as us.

How are you working on the SA?

Separation anxiety is completely normal in puppies and if you've left him alone for too long too soon it can really become a problem.

There's a great Facebook group called dog training advice and support (make sure to join the proper one not the fake one - admins Sally Bradbury, Emma Judson etc). There is a support group you can join there online with lots of proper advice. Both with puppies and with SA. So two for one - reassurance, a place to vent, and practical advice! Please consider joining it. They are brilliant.

@sunriseoversea we didn't leave him for a long time as it wasn't possible to do so without him becoming distressed.

During lockdown I was able to work on it as I was home all the time - so I'd leave and watch him on a camera, coming back before he became distressed - he's now okay for a couple of hours but he doesn't really like it. It's just something he tolerates.

Definitely speak to Kellie Wynn (The Beagle Lady) she's fabulous and has had lots of issues with her own rescue beagles so she'll know exactly what you're going through!

Puppies need to be worn out. Exercise is the key Take him to a field and let him run every day

Yes and no.

Of course dogs need exercise and the chance to run, but beagles are also scent dogs and if you just run them and never let them use their nose, you'll end up with a dog that's physically tired but mentally frustrated.

You need to get a beagle to use its' nose. Take them on a sniffy walk, hide treats or toys for them to find, get them doing scent work in the house and garden.

I was always told my beagle needs loads of exercise but the only thing that tires him out is letting him sniff. He can walk for hours but if he doesn't get his nose working, he'll be just as hyper afterwards as he was before!

I agree @coffeecupsandwaxmelts Mental exercise is as important as physical exercise. We used to do a lot of find it games at home with ours. We still do now, if she has to skip walks due to injury or bad weather. Her nose sniffs so much you can hear it across the room!

Same here 😂

He sounds like a little piglet when he snorts and snuffles his way about on a scent 🐷

@longtompot @coffeecupsandwaxmelts Yes, I agree with you both and mine also sounds like a snuffly little piglet when he's onto something good. Snuffle mats, foragers abs puzzle games are part of our daily routine now, and they really do fire him out, but sadly it doesn't seem to make any difference how tired he is as soon as we go out of the front door. Queue the howling.

He's current curled up like a bagel next to me on the sofa, and I know he'll be flat out on his back, snoring away soon. He's not all bad -- just some of the time!

I'm glad to hear it gets easier at least. Thank you.

It definitely does get easier.

Mine is five now and he's absolutely fab unless he catches a scent - which is when he starts baying and hopping on his back legs like a kangaroo 😂