Home for 3yr beagle

[Ama]

I am looking for a new home for our family pet beagle. I would be looking for a home without children, ideally in the campo as he loves roaming.

This is very difficult for us. He has been with us from being a puppy, he’s now 3 yrs old, but unfortunately last week he bit my daughter in the face. My daughter knelt down to hug him and may have trod on his paw or something but he bit her hard, not just a nip. I fully trust the dog would never attack or bite without motive, however I believe the same could happen in similar circumstances, and with children and their friends in and out I cannot take the risk.

He is a lovely dog & great company. He has been castrated, but is still fairly dominant towards other males, so he may not suit joining other males.

If anybody is interested in re-homing him, please pm me.

[Jool]

I am so sorry, how distressing for you - have you thought about keeping the dog muzzled with a soft muzzle and getting some training with a dog trainer for all of you so the dog learns its place is bottom of the hierarchy and nowhere else?

[Pauly]

This is a real heart-breaker for me.

I had a terrier that became a biter. At the time we had young children who visited regularly and we couldn't take the risk of her turning on them.

I went to the vet who said he could try a hormonal treatment to reduce her aggression - but it wasn't guaranteed to work. Eventually after talking it through at length with him we agreed that the safest thing to do was for her to be put to sleep. It was terrible, but in retrospect I think it was the right thing to do.

I have since had 2 labs who have been wonderful and will even let kids take their meals away from them without a murmer.

The thing about re-homing a biting dog is that even if the new owner is aware of the problem the same thing could happen again. Even a beagle has the ability to seriously injure or even kill a small child.

Sorry to put it so bluntly but even though we love our animals sometimes we have to take decisions that are not influenced by sentiment in the interests of others.

I hope you are able to find a way around this but unless you can find a new owner who doesn't have visitors and who is prepared to take the risk of being bitten then it's impossible to guarantee that the dog won't re-offend short of keeping it confined - and where's the point in that?

Just my opinion of course and previous posts suggest it may be a minority view.

[Pink Lady]

These posts made me feel incredibly sad. I think many of these situations could be prevented if the dogs were taught from day one what is expected of them and if children were taught how to respect dogs. I appreciate this is time consuming and hard work but that is part of the responsibility you agree to when you own a dog. Dogs that bite have not been treated correctly in my opinion whether the owners have done this intentionally or not. Owners may not always recognise the signs but there will definitely be some before it gets to the point of a dog biting someone. Something as simple as a dog helping himself to a space on the sofa without being given permission first can be a sign of disrespect. I believe that no dog should be put down for behavioural issues, a leopard never changes its spots but a dog definitely can!

[Ama]

Thanks for the input. We have always done our best to treat the dog as a dog and to teach the children to respect him. As you mention I expected a forewarning, but the reaction was immediate.

As Jool says, he has not accepted his place at the bottom of the hierarchy, but above the children. I have considered re-training but he is very set in his ways and stubborn (like most beagles) and I’m unsure of results. He had obedience training when he was a puppy, and wasn’t the best of ‘pupils’.

[Jool]

Behavioural training is totally different to obedience training and results can often be quite fast if the whole family follows the pattern and in the meantime the dog wears a muzzle so everyone is safe........

There is a place over my way that will take your dog in and teach it pack hierarchy in amongst a pack of trained dogs but then you need to ensure you do it in your household as well. This couple are qualified dog behaviourists and fluent in english. They use kind training methods in pack hierarchy, similar to Cesar Millan.

Please do not read my post as criticism as I do not intend it as such just trying to help as it seems you all love the dog and this was a one off incident with unknown provocation...........and beagles are a key pack breed so it may be a lot more successful than you antiicipate!

[princess peach]

I really do not know what to put regarding this subject,however i would like to say a dog never bites or snaps without good reason to.I would look to the child before looking to the dog,especially as he is only 3,hes still a baby isnt he.
I had a staff in UK when my son was a toddler and although he was taught to respect the dog,i caught him a couple of times being cruel to the dog,nipping his skin,pulling his tail and pinching in between his claws,Luckily the dog never reacted,Maybe it is just a one off,or maybe your daughter has been cruel to the dog behind your back It is quite normal for children to be horrible to animals even tho sometimes we wont hear of it.
I think your dog has warned your daughter,maybe she wont be so hands on with him again.
Im sorry but if this was my dog,i would look to the child not the animal,how else can he stick up for himself?...if he growled at her,he would be in the wrong too,so he cant win..
Did he actually break the skin when he bit?
If not,could your daughter have over reacted in shock when he turned on her?
What are you going to do if you cant re home him?

[crazyred]

For once PP I disagree. Yes, children can be very cruel but, the dog needs to know his place. Reggie is 'tolerant' of my youngest son (because he's a git) but, will move away or give a rumble - not even a full growl - if he is being tormented although, they are never left unsupervised and both dog and child are told off (dog has to be too, otherwise he'll think he's higher up the pack than the child). If Reggie ever turned on a child he'd be off to the vet to go to sleep, much as I love him!

I too would like to know more behind the circumstances as this sounds like an act of aggression rather than a warning or even a reaction to being hurt (which would usually be a loud yelp). Beagles are notoriously hard to train and I'm not sure I would run the risk of re-homing for the reasons given by Pauly. Behavioral training may help but, how does your daughter now feel about the dog and would you ever trust him with her again?

It's a very sad situation to be in.

[princess peach]

Crazy i suppose we all have our opinions on this matter,at the end of the day the lady has decided the beagle has to go and us giving any of our opinions right or wrong, isnt going to help the beagle find a new home.
Shame,i feel sorry for him.

[murbisa]

PP - however sorry for him you might feel, and don't we all, I have to totally agree with Crazyred.
There is no way this dog should ever be rehomed. He has proved himself unreliable.
A dog that will bite the family will bite anybody. I have been in this situation with a dog that I rescued and it is a hard decision to make. He bit my husband. How would you feel is this dog got rehomed and killed a child?? or even attacked one.
The only responsible thing to do is take the dog to the vet and have him humanely put to sleep. To pass him on would be totally irresponsible.
I have worked with "rescue" and no way would any responsible rescue society ever attempt to rehome him.
I have been bitten on the face by a dog "not mine" and I still have the scars to prove it. Had it been a child and panicked it might not have survived! As it was I had to be stitched up without anaesthetic by St Johns Ambulance at a dog show ground and as I said - still have the scars and the memory.

[Ama]

My daughter is 9 and it happened in front of us all. As she has often done she walked into the lounge, just hugged the dog and she either trod on his foot or tail and the growl and bite were immediate. At other times when he has not wanted to be bothered, as you say, he would growl or walk away. The bite crossed her face teeth sank in next to her nose 1 cm from her eye and in the middle of her opposite cheek. She has not had stitches, but 'puntos de aproximación' (sorry don't know what they are in english). She adores the dog and has not become afraid of him.

I definitely do not want to put him to sleep, as I feel he is a good dog. I just thought about rehoming because I know of many couples who live in the campo, without children. I'll be still checking out options at least until next week, as he doesn't get the 'alta' from the vet till next Friday.

I'll let you know what happens.

[Julie]

It is so sad, I love dogs, but I think that sometimes we have to be cruel to be kind, and the dog would be better put to sleep to ensure safety for others, and for the dog, not everbody would be as honest as you, and if it bites again it could just be rehomed with people knowing the truth, the responsible dogs homes usually don,'t rehome dogs that bite.
Such a sad situation !

[Jool]

I have to agree that the dog should not be rehomed, he is not reliable at the moment and he will be more likely to be aggressive if he feels unsettled etc.............so I think your options are 1 to 1 behavioural training or putting him to sleep.....and use an indoor muzzle while you decide. As your daughter is 9 then she could be included in the training as well, if that is what you decide.

It is a dreadful position to be in and my sense is you will feel happier with your decision if you have given your dog and family the chance of further specialized and targeted training...do not attempt these approaches yourself without being taught how to do them properly first, its amazing how many unconscious signals we send out and that dogs pick up on.

Good luck.

[Scot]

What a difficult situation to be in. My Chihuahua nipped my daughter on the eyebrow last year. He is tiny with legs of approx 1cm wide and he lies on his back whilst we all blow raspberries on his belly. I feel that she accidentally leant on his leg whilst playing with him and his reaction was to nip her to say "you've hurt me". He was immediately sheepish and it has never happened again. He does get fed up when the kids are round as there is always one or two that are relentlessly pursuing him, scooping him up and I tell them, please don't chase him as he wants some time alone. I also tell them "he will bite you if you carry on" and because he is so tiny, they giggle. I end up carrying him around myself because if I put him in another room, as soon as my back is turned, the kids have opened the door to go and play with him. So, all I can say is if he does nip any of them, they have been well warned and I shan't be paying out ANY form of compensation!! I'm no dog expert and I'm simply posting my own experience. A few of the kids have asked their parents for Chihuahuas and I have strongly suggested that it is not a good idea Ama I do wish you well and hope the situation works out well all round.

[Pauly]

[quote="princess peach"] i would like to say a dog never bites or snaps without good reason to.I would look to the child before looking to the dog,especially as he is only 3,hes still a baby isnt he.
quote]

A 4 year old boy on Merseyside has been killed by the family dog. He was only a baby too. I think this demonstrates the risks.

[Pink Lady]

I think it demonstrates the stupidity and total carelessness of the childs parents who were also the dogs owners!

[Pauly]

Agreed it ALSO demonstrates their stupidity. My point however is that keeping or re-homing a dog that is known to be dangerous it's like doing the same with an unfit car - it's an accident waiting to happen. I say don't do it.

[Pink Lady]

Whether you get help and training from a professional and muzzle the dog when in the company of the kids until the dog is reliable and can be trusted or you rehome them with someone experienced and capable of transforming the dog are the only two choices as far as I am concerned. When you take on a dog you are taking on a lifelong responsibility, exactly the same as when you have children. Why is it right to take a dogs life away when it is absolutely not his fault???????? Dogs seem to just be another disposable commodity to some people these days!

[Pink Lady]

Oh and all dogs have the potential to be dangerous (just like humans actually if you push the wrong buttons) so should we not have them as pets at all ?

[Pauly]

I suppose it comes down to what the owner wants to do. But the owner needs to take a decision based upon the full facts and in the knowledge of what could happen and recognise the responsibility lies with them.

In consultation with a vet I came to the conclusion that I couldn't live with a dog that had the temperament that could have resulted in someone being badly injured, or worse. Children reguarly being around made the decision more crucial.

The problem is that once a dog has bitten you can never say that it will never happen again, regardless of training or hormonal treatments or whatever. It only hasn't bitten since the last time it did it. Muzzles? Possibly, but what happens if you forget to put it on or whatever? Also, dogs do not just injure people with their teeth - they have claws too that they can use to badly maul someone - particularly a small child.

I do not regard dogs as a disposable comodity and neither did my vet, although I acknowledge some people do. It was a very difficult decision. However there is such a thing as societal responsibility, and personally I couldn't live with myself if I knew my dog was dangerous and it attacked someone.

What you say about it not being the dog's "fault" is a bit of a red herring. If you had a pet alligator would you allow it to roam free next to people? If it bit someone it wouldn't be the alligator's fault either but it would be a damned stupid thing to do. Would you sit a child in a dangerous car or leave it with dodgy electrical equipment? Just as bad would you pass on such a car or equipment to someone else? That to me smacks of saying "I can't handle this but I'm perfectly prepared to let someone else take the risks I'm not prepared to take".

As to all dogs having the potential to be dangerous you are right - so ownership should not be taken on lightly - the difference we are talking about here is that unfortunately the dog in question has already proven itself to be dangerous - so it is not a potential danger it is an actual danger.

I realise this is a highly emotive subject but it is irresponsible to just say 'it's not the dog's fault'.