# My first Dog thread!



## LaurenBay (5 December 2018)

Hi all,

I am not usually found in this part of the forum (although I love Dogs)

So the opportunity has arisen for me to get a Dog. I have always always wanted one and have looked after friends and families for the past few years. I never got my own as I would struggle timewise with a Horse and a Dog and I felt it wasn't fair on either animal. However 2 weeks ago I lost my Horse and now I don't know what to with my spare time. I am missing being outdoors!

I had a call from one of my closest friends last week, a friend of hers needs to rehome her 5YO Beagle. She doesn't have time for him anymore and feels its not fair to keep him as she lives in a flat and cannot walk him (has 2 very young children and a medical condition) I met him yesterday and he was lovely. I am going back over the weekend to take him out for some walks to get to know him a little bit more. We have agreed on a 2 week trial at my house to see how we get on. OH and Child have never really been around Dogs so its a trial more for them then me. 

So the one issue is he is super overweight. He is on a dry Pedigree diet food at the moment but does not get any exercise so I am hoping that with consistent walks that the weight will come off.  

Does anyone else have any weight tips?

I am really excited, I have always wanted my own Dog! We have a big house with a big garden plus my friend is a Dog walker so she has agreed to walk him twice a week also. I do work full time, but got home for an hour in my lunch, but partner is often home anyway as he works from home. 

Any other advice for a first time owner?


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## bonny (5 December 2018)

I would be very careful about having a beagle, all the ones Iâ€™ve met have had nice temperaments but do their own thing regardless. They are hard to train so I wouldnâ€™t assume any problems this dog has, if any, can be ironed out. Regards the weight, that should come off if you are prepared to put in the miles and feed less but be aware he could have physical problems in the future as a result of his first 5 years.


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## Archangel (5 December 2018)

Every beagle I have met has been on its own approximately 5 miles away from the last known location of its owner!


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## meleeka (5 December 2018)

My top tip is to weigh food and feed as good a food as you can afford. Allaboutdogfood is a good website to start with. Keep treats to minimum and aim for two walks a day. Donâ€™t let the dog off the lead until you are certain of recall but a lunge line makes a good compromise. You can also buy 25m leads on eBay for under a tenner.

Do remember that this dog may not be perfectly behaved but with kindness and consistency, it should improve with time.

Good luck x


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## MotherOfChickens (5 December 2018)

I love beagles  I've not had one (yet) but did loads of research when last looking for a dog.

they are hounds, many dont have a lot of recall when they catch the sniff of something so be prepared to walk/run with the dog on lead-and they can run all day and take as much exercise as you can throw at them. They are counter surfers and bin raiders and love to eat.They can tackle most fences-there are videos of them on line going straight up and over 5ft garden fences. There are alot doing cani-cross.
They are all individuals and you'll hopefully have a good history of the one you are getting but one thing I was told by quite alot of people is that they dont do all that well alone-they are especially happy with other beagles but many of the behavioural problems you see online with them is howling and destructiveness-due to being the only dog. Yours may well be absolutely fine but thoguht I would mention it.

eta a fun way of engaging sniffiing dogs brains and tiring them out that way is by doing scent work or tracking-plenty of classes all over the UK now but you can also teach it at home.


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## LaurenBay (5 December 2018)

Hi all, thanks for your replies.

I asked about the being alone, chewing, barking, howling and recall.

Owner has had him 5 years and said he only barks when someone enters the house (I witnessed this but he calmed down super quick and was super excited to see new people) I have been told he does not chew anything and can be left alone in the house without him barking or ruining the house. She did say that food needs to be kept up high and no floor bins as he will get into the bin and eat any leftovers and will try to get food left on the side. She also said that he will get on the beds if he can to sleep (which isn't a huge issue) I stayed for a good hour and apart from an excitable 1 minute when I first walked in, he pretty much slept and wanted attention. He fell asleep on my feet. 

To walk he does pull to start with (but he doesn't have consistent walks so this could change) but then is fine. Happy to play fetch or with other Dogs but is happier to track a scent and will have his head down most of the walks smelling. She does let him off lead and said he does have a good recall but he can go quite far from you, so she tends to just use an extendable lead and only let him off in enclosed areas. But again he might only have 1 walk a month so will have a lot of excess energy to burn and he will be in overdrive.

He knows sit and paw, that is about it. 

She also said that he hates the vets and will plonk himself on the floor in the doorway at the vets and not move. But has never shown aggression towards a vet.

I am aiming for 2 walks a day, an hour in the morning and an hour in evening. Twice a week I will also ask a walker to take him out at lunchtime (I share a Horse twice a week so was going to get him walked on those days so I don't have to do as long of walk in the evening) 

We have a 2 week trial with him, I am curious to see if his behaviour changes any in the second week when he has had a good week of long walks.


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## MotherOfChickens (5 December 2018)

he sounds fab and that you asked the right questions  

a fit dog though will be even more capable of overdrive just sayin'  don't undestimate their stamina or their nose.

I meet a couple of beagle owners often when out and about and they have some with good recall and others with not great and one of my best firends has a beagle with none so it just depends.

 also I think when you rehome a dog (especially an older one) although you get a good feel for them in the foster period, it can take a good 6 months before they really let their character come through sometimes. and thats not a bad thing, they often get more affectionate and fabulous the longer you have them.


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## bonny (5 December 2018)

Sounds like you would be doing the dog a huge favour, anyone who walks their dog once a month should have it taken off them.


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## JFTDWS (5 December 2018)

I've known a few terrific beagles - like all dogs, some have recall, some don't.  It's not too much of a problem to walk them on lead and let them off in enclosed spaces though.  Good luck!


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## FinnishLapphund (5 December 2018)

I haven't thought about it before reading MotherOfChickens post, but the few Beagles I've met in real life have all lived with one or more other dogs, but if he's happy as a single dog, then that isn't a problem. The ones I've met were as Beagles usually is described, absolutely adorable with people, but with poor to no recall. 
The instinct to follow scents, and be very food oriented, is the way it is, but you can teach old dogs new tricks, you just have to remember that he has had 5 years practice of doing things the way he is used to.

If you do decide to keep him when the 2 weeks have passed, and if your vets isn't too far away, perhaps you could just take him there a few times, perhaps check his weight if they have a scale in the waiting room, give him a few treats, and if they sell toys or such, maybe window shop for a minute or two, before you go home again. If we only take them there when there is something wrong, or to vaccinate them, it isn't strange that they don't like going there. My veterinarians likes to recommend new dog owners to see it as part of their young dog's training, to come by, maybe sit down in the waiting room for awhile, before going home again. Sadly very few dog owners takes the time to follow that suggestion.


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## Moobli (5 December 2018)

How exciting! I can still remember the excitement of getting my first dog (also a rehome but through my local police dog training school) over 20 years ago.  

Getting to know the beagle before you bring him home is a good idea and the two week trial will also give you a taster of what itâ€™s like to live with a dog.  As has been said though thereâ€™s often a honeymoon period and you wonâ€™t get to know your dog until youâ€™ve had him for some time.  

Regarding his weight you could set up a weight loss programme with your vet to keep track of any losses, gradually increase his exercise as heâ€™s likely to be fairly unfit as well as overweight.  You can get special complete good for dogs who need to lose weight.

Enjoy and good luck â˜ºï¸


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## LaurenBay (5 December 2018)

Thanks all, Yes I would like to take him to the vets to be weighed and then I can put a plan in order. I was told he was overweight but I was shocked at how big he actually was. Seems it has only been the last year he has been like that though. He is actually registered at the vets I would go to anyway, so they already know him.

I would also be willing to go to obedience classes if I felt that I needed to work on re call or any other issues. I'd have to see what the future brings when he is fully settled.

My main priorities was that the Dog cannot chew up the house, my OH simply wouldn't stand for it (understandable) and it wouldn't be worth the arguments it will bring. The other priority was must be good with children, there was a newborn baby there yesterday and the Dog showed the right amount of interest, not completely ignoring the baby but also not getting in the babies space and being respectful. From what I have heard from my good friend, the Dog is often around toddlers and has always been 100%. This Dog ticked both of these so anything else I feel I can work on.


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## nutrock (5 December 2018)

One walk a month! Beagle kept in a flat!
Jesus it's a wonder the dog hasn't got other issues.
Seriously though hopefully it will work out with you but most of the Beagles I have known have been hard work
Good luck


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## Karran (5 December 2018)

I know 2 beagles. One is hard work but good as gold - once the rules have been established.
The other knows the rules but chooses not to listen to them! I look after him when his owners go away, he is spoilt, incredibly hard work, raids my bins, goes off on his own adventures, i'm constantly on the alert that he doesnt go and investigate strangers bags and he likes to do 5am howling karaoke sessions! But plus side, he has the softest ears, is incredibly huggable and is a real character!
Both are greedy buggers and both have put me off ever having one of my own!


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## deb_l222 (5 December 2018)

Beagles are fabulous but be prepared for lead walks, rather than running free, especially as he loses weight and gets fitter and feels more inclined to move. 

As with humans, slow and steady weight loss is best and will be maintained long term.  Speak to your vet and get a target weight to aim for.  Thereâ€™s plenty of â€˜lightâ€™ foods out there to pick from.  The â€˜seniorâ€™ foods are also low in protein.  Thereâ€™s no law that says a younger dog canâ€™t be fed a senior food 

Treats are fine but not to excess.  What you really need to avoid is any human food because of hidden calories.  For instance, donâ€™t let him polish off the takeaway leftovers no matter how much he bats those beagle eyelashes!!

Itâ€™s a very rare dog that will starve itself, so donâ€™t give in if he get â€˜fussyâ€™.  Put food down, if he doesnâ€™t eat it, pick it up again and donâ€™t offer again until next mealtime. 

Good luck, exciting times ahead and we need to see piccies


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## SpringArising (5 December 2018)

nutrock said:



			Beagle kept in a flat!
		
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There's absolutely nothing wrong with keeping dogs in flats providing they get enough exercise. 

My ex had a Beagle. He was very stoic about everything and suddenly became deaf once outside. He did bark/howl quite a lot too, BUT overall he was a lovely dog. 

As a warning, for the first few weeks you may think 'Oh Christ, what the hell have I done?' and want to send it back, but it does get better!


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## TheresaW (5 December 2018)

When Aled came to live with us, it took a good couple of months before we saw the real him. There were a few issues, mainly resource guarding, which we are on top of now, but came as a bit of a shock the first time we saw it. He was a bit older though at 10.

He was also very overweight, and although weâ€™ve got about 3kg off him, weâ€™re unlikely to get any more off, but his exercise is a bit more limited now as heâ€™s almost 13 and quite arthritic, so we take it a bit more gentle with him. 

Good luck, and all you can do is see how it goes.


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## Rowreach (5 December 2018)

Just a Festive Troll in the Dungeon said:



			I've known a few terrific beagles - like all dogs, some have recall, some don't.  It's not too much of a problem to walk them on lead and let them off in enclosed spaces though.  Good luck!
		
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As the owner of a part foxhound, I can confirm that hounds of all kinds can present with certain, um, characteristics (the no bin rule and never leaving anything remotely edible less than six feet off the floor ...) and they are more likely to have poor recall than good - but of all the many beagles I have known that have been rehomed, or in one case pts, it has been more down to the owners' behaviour than the dogs.

Tbh if you know what you are taking on, have a trial period, and are happy with the compromises, then go for it and enjoy!  Sounds like he will have a lovely home with you


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## Shady (5 December 2018)

Well I think he sounds lovely
Stand on the scales holding him , then stand on the scales by yourself, the difference is how much he weighs!
My only comment would be that the dog he is now could change dramatically once the weight comes off and he has more energy, he might not be so inclined to sleep so much!!. The only one's I have ever known have been quite busy little things!
I hope you take him, not because he lives in a flat, that doesn't matter at all but that he will clearly have a better, more active  life  with you


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## Clodagh (5 December 2018)

I think he is your first dog - congratulations!
I would imagine though, as Shady has said, his behaviour will get worse not better as he gets fitter and more physically able to hunt. At the end of the day it is what they have bred forever to do, asking a beagle not to follow scent is like asking a lab not to pick things up and carry them.
Have loads of fun.


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## Amymay (5 December 2018)

Nothing to add, other than good luck and I hope the trial is a success xxx


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## gunnergundog (5 December 2018)

Assuming your friend had the dog from an 8 week old puppy (or thereabouts) I would quiz her a lot more on his early days and recall history.  Why was he allowed to become fat?  Was it genuinely because of her lack of time to exercise him that he became fat or was he a bogoff dog with zero recall that she stopped exercising?  If the latter, you are setting yourself up to climb mount Everest.  It's do-able to keep such a dog, but you need to devote time to stimulate the mind, as well as exercise the body in a safe environment.

Sadly, I have a neighbour with a GSD that hasn't been off-site for 8 years because of zero-recall.  It is totally screwed up.


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## Cinnamontoast (5 December 2018)

Harder to get weight off a dog if it cant be let off lead. I'd be wary, just because of the stories of nose down, goodbye that I read on another forum this week. 

I'm sorry to hear about your beautiful horse. ðŸ˜¢


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## splashgirl45 (5 December 2018)

good luck with him, hopefully he will be able to get your mind off your your recent sad time.  as others have said hounds can be a bit dodgy with recall so you may have to accept that you use a long line for times when he is in the open and only have him off lead in enclosed spaces.  he may yet prove us all wrong and be perfect.....have fun..


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## skinnydipper (6 December 2018)

I haven't any personal experience with Beagles.  I occasionally meet 2.  One is a lovely bitch who is never far from her owner and the other is a young dog, good natured and friendly, but wears a shock collar to stop him disappearing into the distance.

big thumbs down for shock collar.

I hope you will be very happy with your new friend and have lots of fun.

Gunnergundog, that is terribly upsetting about the GSD.  To not be able to train a GSD must take outstanding effort on the part of your neighbours.  How very sad, poor thing.

Edited following Bonny's post. I should have said how could you fail to train recall to a keen to please, eager to learn, intelligent breed like a German Shepherd, I doubt there is an easier dog to train.


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## bonny (6 December 2018)

skinnydipper said:



			I haven't any personal experience with Beagles.  I occasionally meet 2.  One is a lovely bitch who is never far from her owner and the other is a young dog, good natured and friendly, but wears a shock collar to stop him disappearing into the distance.
View attachment 27899
big thumbs down for shock collar.

I hope you will be very happy with your new friend and have lots of fun.

Gunnergundog, that is terribly upsetting about the GSD.  To not be able to train a GSD must take outstanding effort on the part of your neighbours.  How very sad, poor thing.
		
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On a similar theme a family near me got a long haired gsd at the same time I got my kelpie. He was walked several times a day but always on a lead. He was desperate to play with other dogs but the owner couldnâ€™t bring himself to let it off, even in the park and the dog got more and more hyper. What started as playfulness became aggressiveness and he got worse and worse. It got so bad that he was only walked at night and he avoided passing other people. The family have got other problems and the dog has now gone. Well meaning owner but thatâ€™s not enough sometimes to deal with a dog like that.


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## LaurenBay (6 December 2018)

I don't mind lead walking as I am used to doing this for other Dogs I Dog sit for. I don't ever let anyone else's Dog off the lead, just in case. And I would like to have a bond with the Dog before I trust letting him off. The lady said when her dad occasionally walked the Dog, he never used a lead and the Dog had fantastic manners. but what I would call a good recall and what she calls a good recall might be very different. She used to put him into a Doggy daycare centre twice a week when she was working, she said he never caused any issues with the others Dogs and would happily play for a while, before going off to smell things. When she has let him off the lead and called him back, if he hasn't come straight away she will turn and run and the Dog will go straight to her then. But we will see. Once he is home I will take post some photos.


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## skinnydipper (6 December 2018)

bonny said:



			On a similar theme a family near me got a long haired gsd at the same time I got my kelpie. He was walked several times a day but always on a lead. He was desperate to play with other dogs but the owner couldnâ€™t bring himself to let it off, even in the park and the dog got more and more hyper. What started as playfulness became aggressiveness and he got worse and worse. It got so bad that he was only walked at night and he avoided passing other people. The family have got other problems and the dog has now gone. Well meaning owner but thatâ€™s not enough sometimes to deal with a dog like that.
		
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It is a tragedy that so many of these intelligent dogs don't receive the appropriate training and guidance that they need.


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## LaurenBay (10 December 2018)

Hi all, just a little update. I spent the weekend with the dog. He is called Ralph  I took Ralph on a longish walk on Saturday on my own. We went out for around 50 minutes, I could have gone further as it was a beautiful morning but I'm aware that Ralph is not that fit.

He was super excitable for the first 2-3 minutes, tried to pull me everywhere and ended up chocking himself, after this though he was superb. We met about 16 other Dogs in total and I am very impressed with how he interacted with them. Some that were less playful he just sniffed and carried on, others he was happy to have a play with. Not an ounce of aggression or any signs of being nervous. He didn't go off the lead, but that didn't matter as he was a pleasure to walk on the lead and when he was at the end of the extendable lead he was happy to wait for me. I did try to call him back a few times to see what would happen. His re call is not great to be honest. But he doesn't know me and although he did turn to look at me every time he never came to me (apart from when I got a poo bag out and it rustled, he was over like a shot then!) I did throw a ball and a stick, he is happy to chase it but picked neither up. He was more then happy to sniff everything though and had his head down most of the walk.

The second day, only a minute or so of excitable behaviour but didn't choke himself and calmed down much quicker. We met a friend and her Dog and he was super again. We had 2 loose dogs run up to us in our walk, 2 great big Irish Wolfhounds whose owner was desperately trying to call them back (and failing) Ralph was super, he stood calmly and when they approached him he had a dog on each side sniffing him, they were both in his personal space but he didn't bat an eyelid and was happy to just stand there and be sniffed!

He was so super to walk that even G (who is 6) could walk him (well after the initial first couple of minutes)

We are starting our trial on Friday evening.


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## SpringArising (10 December 2018)

Great update!


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## twiggy2 (10 December 2018)

Sounds just perfect, enjoy him and I hope it works out for a long term dog in the house for you all


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## skinnydipper (10 December 2018)

He sounds like a lovely, well balanced dog.  Best of luck with the trial.


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## Amymay (10 December 2018)

Fabulous update.

Get him a good harness op if he's going on an extendable.


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## Fiona (10 December 2018)

Good luck OP, he sounds lovely.....

Do you have a suitable large garden for him to play in, if it turns out most of his walks will be on lead??

Or a local enclosed dog park/play area.

Fiona


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## LaurenBay (10 December 2018)

amymay said:



			Fabulous update.

Get him a good harness op if he's going on an extendable.
		
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Harness is on the list, I am going to take him with me to buy as I have no idea what size he would need as he is quite overweight currently. I was quite worried he would slip the collar on our walk. 

Fiona, medium sized garden. We do have a couple of fenced areas I can go in though. Hopefully with a bit of training I will be able to have him off lead. Right now til he knows me better I don't want to risk letting him off.


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## CorvusCorax (10 December 2018)

I walk both mine on flexis with flat collars. A boink on the neck and a boink on the shoulders/under the leg would be all the same to a breed the size and strength of a Beagle, IMO. The OP says that the dog isn't running out to the end of the line anyway/is waiting for her, so don't see why this is an issue?


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## Shady (10 December 2018)

What a lovely update. I am so pleased for you both
Photo's will be needed soon or I will sulk


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## splashgirl45 (10 December 2018)

great news, hope all goes well


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## JFTDWS (10 December 2018)

Sounds really positive - great news!  Be good for the wee lad to have a dog in his life too - animals are good education for kids!


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## Cinnamontoast (10 December 2018)

I use a harness if the boys are on longlines, can't stand flexis, I'm paranoid it'll break! Zak's a sod for running to the end of the line and I didn't want him yanking his neck/having that impact on his throat.


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## MotherOfChickens (11 December 2018)

He sounds lovely, a great first dog. I've dropped a flexi when wearing gloves, they can scare dogs clattering behind them and chasing them lol if they aren't locked off but I have used them and so do plenty of others.


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## splashgirl45 (11 December 2018)

oh dear, i use a flexi on my little terrier and its attached to his collar!!!!!!  i sometimes have to keep him on the lead if i am in a busy area as he loves people and other dogs , it gives him a bit of freedom to run and means i can stop him from bothering people.


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## CorvusCorax (11 December 2018)

That'll teach me to reply in haste lol!

It's horses for courses, if your dog pulls or drags out to the end of the line, or is small and delicate and keeps boinking itself, then a flexi is probably not the tool to use with a collar OR a harness. It's not a tool to teach recall or prevent pulling.
In this instance, a rotund beagle with, I imagine, a not unsubstantial neck, who is turning around and waiting for the handler, is not likely to come to much harm with a flat collar on a flexi.
To be honest harnesses can cause as much damage as collars if the dog runs out to the end of the line hard enough, I'd rather people taught a command like 'easy' or 'steady' or a static command like a sit or a down to prevent it from happening in the first place.

Anyway OP, sounds very positive


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## LaurenBay (11 December 2018)

What lead would you suggest CC? 

He pulled like a tank for the first few minutes, but I guess that was the initial excitement of leaving the House and actually getting out and about. He did calm down super quick and didn't pull once after.


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## CorvusCorax (11 December 2018)

If a flexi is working for you, use it, most dogs, including my own, pull for the first wee while on a walk. Something like a half check/martingale collar might give you more control. I've a bit of a lead fetish so have something for all seasons 

If you want to prevent pulling you need to train that as a separate exercise with a comfy leather or double ended training lead.


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## 3Beasties (14 December 2018)

I really hope it works out for you both, it sounds like he will have landed on his feet if he can stay with you!
Re. Recall - could you take some low fat treats (or even kibble from his meal) and encourage him back to you with that? I would think that once he's on a diet training with food will be the way to jos heart!


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## LaurenBay (18 December 2018)

Hi all,

Just thought I'd update as we have had Ralph since Friday.

He settled in very quick, ran around everywhere sniffing and then went to sleep. He has been very good with G and OH is quite smitten with him. The first 2 nights were not too good, he slept on the landing outside the bedroom doors, he cried, when that didn't work he barked and then started to scratch at the doors. We ignored the behaviour and after about an hour he gave up and went to sleep. Since then he has slept perfectly fine on the landing and I've not heard a peep from him.

We started clicker training yesterday, he can now sit and stay and ignore a treat in front of him until I call him. Still having issues with trying to train him not to jump on the sofas but that is a work in progress.

He is loving his walks, he no longer pulls at all, I guess the novelty has worn off as he goes on 3 walks a day. Yesterday we let him off the lead for the first time, we were in an enclosed area so I felt safe enough to do so. OH and G played football and Ralph had a great time chasing the ball and really let off some steam. We called him and we were ignored, so we started walking away from him and then called him and he came straight to me. unfortunately I didn't have a treat on me, but I am going to do some recall training with treats also.

The only trouble we have is meal times, he is very stubborn and fussy. From what I gather his old owner used to give him chicken and ham mixed in with his food so that he would eat it. He shows zero interest in his food, so I picked it up and put it back down at the next meal time. This went on for 2 days. We went to a pet shop and asked advice, they told us the food we were feeding (pedigree diet) wasn't great anyway so recommended we switch. So we are trying a new food, he is more interested in this, but only if we put a dog gravy on it. Any advice here please? 

We took him to be weighed, he is about 8-9kg overweight, we will take him again over the xmas period to see if he has lost anything.

I have concerns that he will not be happy when me and OH are both out, we left him for an hour on Sunday whilst we did the food shop and we could hear him barking from the car. When we returned we sat in the car for 5 minutes and couldn't hear anything. So I hope he settled quickly. I'd love to set up some kind of camera though if anyone has any recommendations? He didn't chew anything though so I was happy with this! 

Overall we are very very happy with him, he has the sweetest and most gentle nature and is a pleasure to be around and take on walks. We also took him to the pub with us on Saturday afternoon, he was super! 

So everyone meet Ralphy - He doesn't actually look too chubby in these pics!


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## MotherOfChickens (18 December 2018)

man, he is cute! fussy dogs are the pits (I had one) and with that dog, he just hated kibble-was fine on tinned or RAW.  I know people say they wont starve themselves but my dog went 4 days with not eating and I wasnt prepared to do that to him-mind you, he couldnt afford to lose the weight either.


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## LaurenBay (18 December 2018)

The man in the shop said just keep taking his food away as he won't starve. But I was worried after 2 days of not eating. what raw food did you feed?


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## Fiona (18 December 2018)

I'm sure a little bit of dog gravy isn't the end of the world, or a few morsels of your dinner leftovers...

Definitely treat profusely with any recall successes, it's the only way to do it. Really nice high value treats like chicken or cheese. 


He looks gorgeous, congratulations on your new baby x x 

Fiona


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## MotherOfChickens (18 December 2018)

I started him off with Nature's Menu but he was a big dog (33kg) and it wasnt cheap. I am not anti-RAW but feel I have to point out that there is  small risk to your partners kid if you feed your dog RAW so if you go that route, do your research and go with RAW suppliers who screen for the more common pathogens.

Tinned food is a bit of a pain but has improved immensley in quality over the last few years-Zooplus in particualr ha a good range of decent wet food and they also have great dog beds etc

re treats and recall-with a dog with a hunting drive no amount of high value sausage will win over his nose. Thats not to say dont treat but don't rely on it long term. I messed up my retriever's recall early on-it took a dedicated program of whistle training/conditioning and reward to get it to 100% and only the first bit of it was using food (in the meantime hot dog chopped up is a good, if messy one).


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## Clodagh (18 December 2018)

I would just feed a decent kibble and add leftovers or egg, or gravy.


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## Amymay (18 December 2018)

I'm so pleased that it's going well.

Just buy a decent kibble (Barking Heads is quite good) and add a bit of gravy.

He looks very sweet.


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## CorvusCorax (18 December 2018)

Good news!

If he's got weight to lose then I wouldn't worry about lifting the food for a few days. I also personally wouldn't 'treat' train on top of that, but use an allowance from his daily quota of kibble for training and bonding, but can understand that it's not for everyone. Canids can go for prolonged dry periods and then gorge themselves to fill up again, so it's normal for them to run off a reserve for a while. If you give caviar in training then he's not any more likely to tolerate gruel at home.
When I got another dog a few months ago all I did at first was walk him and feed him out of my pockets on those walks. Me = nice, lol.
You can also throw water in with the kibble to make it a bit more palatable.


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## JFTDWS (18 December 2018)

No help with the fussiness (mine is a hoover) but he's adorable, and I'm glad it's going well!


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## splashgirl45 (18 December 2018)

my lurcher was always fussy and also had a delicate stomach so i fed james wellbeloved turkey and rice kibble with something nice on top and i tried to vary it to keep her interested.., half a pouch of meat,tuna in water,pilchards. cooked chicken  and she used to eat most of her food,  if she didnt i took it up as have a collie cross who is a dustbin so she would have got fatter. my lurcher needed to keep the weight on ,  your new boy looks lovely and sounds like he is good natured and has fitted in well already...you may find off lead will not be an option as he is a hunting dog but if you have a long line he will still be able to run about....good luck


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## Clodagh (18 December 2018)

I had no idea fussy beagles existed! In the days when I hunted with a beagle pack I never saw them decline anything organic or inorganic, if they felt it might have calorific value.


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## Shady (18 December 2018)

No idea about fussy eating. It's eat the extremely expensive kibble in my house or go without!
He is absolutely gorgeous however. You might try leaving the tv or radio on when you go out for longer periods


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## TheresaW (18 December 2018)

Luna can go a few days only picking at her food, apparently itâ€™s not uncommon in Huskies, so I wouldnâ€™t worry too much as heâ€™s not exactly wasting away. 

Aled was obese when we got him, and like CC, if we were doing some training, or giving him treats in a kong or something, it came out of his daily allowance of food. The only real â€œtreatâ€ he gets is a blob of peanut butter with his tablets in twice a day.


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## LaurenBay (19 December 2018)

So now he just licks the gravy off the top and leaves the rest! I will try to cook some chicken and mix that in later. He already looks to have slimmed down some. Don't know if that is the regular exercise or the not eating though. On yesterdays walk he saw a squirrel and he did try and chase it (until it went in the trees) then he still continued to follow it. I called him back and he came straight to me. So I was pretty happy with that. He slept through the night again yesterday which was lovely. 3 nights in a row, so think he is now settled. 

He didn't eat again yesterday.


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## Cortez (19 December 2018)

Ralphie is gorgeous! I have a soft spot for beagles and have had several over the years. I must say I have never heard of one refusing food (they are the go-to dog for experimental trials precisely because they are greedy), but I wouldn't panic if he doesn't eat; does he take kibble as treats? 

Recall with scenting and sight hounds is seldom reliable - I had a neighbour tell me that all beagles were deaf, really deaf, and it's true that mine would never lift their heads if they were on a trail. Good luck with him, they are lovely little hounds. (Making me want one now.....)


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## Clodagh (19 December 2018)

LaurenBay said:



			So now he just licks the gravy off the top and leaves the rest! I will try to cook some chicken and mix that in later. He already looks to have slimmed down some. Don't know if that is the regular exercise or the not eating though. On yesterdays walk he saw a squirrel and he did try and chase it (until it went in the trees) then he still continued to follow it. I called him back and he came straight to me. So I was pretty happy with that. He slept through the night again yesterday which was lovely. 3 nights in a row, so think he is now settled.

He didn't eat again yesterday.
		
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Are his teeth OK? I wonder if he has some pain.


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## LaurenBay (19 December 2018)

Clodagh said:



			Are his teeth OK? I wonder if he has some pain.
		
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You could be right, Although he eats treats quickly enough. I dropped a carrot the other day and he ran in to the kitchen from no where and snatched it up and ate the whole thing. I messaged old owner to ask and they said they always found him a fusspot and they put ham at the bottom of the dry food.


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## HeyMich (19 December 2018)

We were told by a vet to sprinkle garlic powder/granules on top of food for an old dog we had who went off her food completely. The garlic made her drool and drool some more, and eventually she ate it all!


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## Fiona (19 December 2018)

Your updates are all so positive LB....

Well done...

I defy any hound or terrier not to chase a squirrel up a tree, they must be so tempting...

Fiona


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## Amymay (19 December 2018)

Are you mixing the gravy in with the kibble? It might help to soak it a little


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## pippixox (19 December 2018)

Yay!


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## skinnydipper (19 December 2018)

Getting Ralphy's teeth checked is an excellent suggestion by Clodagh.

CT usually provides a link to a dog food index to help in choosing a good quality food.

I note you are using dog gravy in an attempt to entice him to eat and that the little tinker is just licking it off and leaving the kibble.

To make the food more appetising you could try adding homemade stock and letting it soak in as it cools. It is easy to make and not too time consuming (though I speak from the perspective of someone who does not have a hectic lifestyle).

Ask your butcher for meaty bones (usually free) and throw them in the crockpot for 24 hours with a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Strain the liquid and allow to cool - good stock will set to a jelly. To avoid pancreatitis, once it has cooled remove the fat from the top - easy to scrape off when set. At each mealtime heat up some of the stock and poor it over the kibble, allow it to soak in and feed while still warm.

If you make a big batch of stock it can be frozen.

He will probably enjoy the meat which has come off the bones but don't give him any of the fat and definitely do not give him the cooked bones.

Similarly, when you have chicken save the carcass and go through the same procedure. The collagen that will come from the chicken cartilage is excellent and is used in joint preparations for dogs - chondroitin and glucosamine are derived from chicken breast cartilage.

Personally, I would not use human stock cubes - they contain too many additives like MSG - which comes in many guises, and is a neurotoxin. It is possible to buy MSG free stock cubes but they generally contain other rubbish.

When you cook meat, strain the fat off and mix warm water with meat juices and pour that on his meals.

I avoid anything from the allium family as they are known to be toxic to dogs and destroy the red blood cells - the effects are cumulative. I know some people do give garlic (and some dog treats contain it) but personally I don't.

Sardines are tasty and cheap, I buy the ones in spring water. You could mix some with his food, including the spring water, and see if that makes his dry food more appealing. Once you get him eating his kibble you could stuff kongs with the dry food and pack sardines in the end so that he has to work to get his dinner.

I prefer natural treats and use dried sprats, JR Pure dog treats or similar.

Apologies if my suggestions conflict with those of others.


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## twiggy2 (19 December 2018)

I would choose what I want to feed him and stick with it once his teeth have been given the all clear.
Are you feeding him slightly less than is recommended for his ideal weight not his current weight?
I have found that once you start offering all sorts of food to a fussy eater they wait until something really special is put in the bowl before eating.
The only time I will vary a diet is for I'll, old or puppies that are very underweight, for a dog that needs to loose I would not worry.


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## LaurenBay (20 December 2018)

Well OH mixed some peppers in with his dry food yesterday and then put the gravy on and mixed it all in. The bowl was empty this morning so I can only assume he liked it. I was at Olympia last night and didn't get in til late. Will have to ask OH how it went with Ralph as I know he popped out and left Ralph on his own.


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## pippixox (20 December 2018)

You can get some quite good quality wet food trays that are much better than the tins with god knows what meat in, but which would work out quite affordable for a dog his size. Or also I think foods like canagan do tins.

I would definitely recommend keeping a long line on his (I used a horse lunge line) as even in enclosed areas you never know. Especially as he gains confidence. Then it is easy to grab trailing behind and also I find gives freedom but with the little reminder of slight tug as it drags behind. I chuck mine in the washing machine when it gets gross


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## LaurenBay (21 December 2018)

I thought of a lunge line actually, I have a few spare so I can use one of them.

He was left on his own for 4 hours yesterday which is the longest he has been left. So he went into the toilet bin and took some of my lady things back out of it and left them on the floor (for OH to find) How lovely. Also (and this is completely my fault!) I stupidly left my cousins Christmas presents in the landing so I'd remember to take them with me (I forgot them!) Ralph went through them all and opened up the Reeses Chocolates, he didn't eat any though but just unwrapped them. Apart from that I think he was fine, certainly looked very settled when I came in and found him tucked up asleep on the sofa (naughty on the sofa) Neighbours said they didn't hear a peep out of him. He left the lights and TV on for him.


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## Cortez (21 December 2018)

LaurenBay said:



			I thought of a lunge line actually, I have a few spare so I can use one of them.

He was left on his own for 4 hours yesterday which is the longest he has been left. So he went into the toilet bin and took some of my lady things back out of it and left them on the floor (for OH to find) How lovely. Also (and this is completely my fault!) I stupidly left my cousins Christmas presents in the landing so I'd remember to take them with me (I forgot them!) Ralph went through them all and opened up the Reeses Chocolates, he didn't eat any though but just unwrapped them. Apart from that I think he was fine, certainly looked very settled when I came in and found him tucked up asleep on the sofa (naughty on the sofa) Neighbours said they didn't hear a peep out of him. He left the lights and TV on for him.
		
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That's not so bad, really. I laughed at the "lady things", but the chocolate might have been an emergency trip to the vet if he'd got into them. I'm sure he will do well, but I must tell you that we long ago gave up on the no sofa thing.


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## LaurenBay (21 December 2018)

I thought he was quite good, Yes I was kicking myself with the chocolates, everything is now kept up high and out of reach. He also ate every last scrap of his dinner last night. I made the dog gravy quite thick and tipped it over when it was still warm. Stirred it round with the food and he loved it.


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## Cortez (21 December 2018)

'Tis a lucky beagle that gets gourmet meals


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## windand rain (21 December 2018)

We have a beagle that walks near the horses field he is never on a lead and potters along the lane about 6 ft from his owner he has superb recall if we drive up he goes to his owner immediately so it can be done


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## CorvusCorax (21 December 2018)

Ah that all sounds much more beagley lol.

Is he sometimes allowed on the sofa, or never? It's really hard to train a dog not to do something if you are not in the room with it and it is a big ask for a dog you've only had for a short time to understand he's not allowed somewhere, that he has access to, when there is no one there to tell him it's not allowed. If you don't want him on the sofa when you are out, either restrict access by shutting the door/putting up a baby gate or put obstacles on the sofa which will make it uncomfortable to be there (clothes horses etc).


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## LaurenBay (21 December 2018)

He was allowed on the safe in his old home. We haven't let him on the sofa in this house (whilst we are there anyway) but hard to stop him when we aren't there. I don't mind him so much on the sofa, me and OH were actually talking about this last night. I think we are just going to get a large throw for the sofa when we aren't there, its the hair that drives us mad! ha ha. He has stopped trying to get on the sofa when we are home though. So we can just remove the throw when we are back.


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## Cortez (21 December 2018)

LaurenBay said:



			He was allowed on the safe in his old home. We haven't let him on the sofa in this house (whilst we are there anyway) but hard to stop him when we aren't there. I don't mind him so much on the sofa, me and OH were actually talking about this last night. I think we are just going to get a large throw for the sofa when we aren't there, its the hair that drives us mad! ha ha. He has stopped trying to get on the sofa when we are home though. So we can just remove the throw when we are back.
		
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Yes, we (largely) all succumb....sofa cuddles are the best


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## LaurenBay (2 January 2019)

UPDATE:

Ralph is staying! we are over the moon with him.

He has really settled and is so affectionate and loving. He is enjoying his walks and has lost 1.4kg so far (still have another 7 to go though before he is a healthy weight) we have loved exploring together and we have even had a go at agility (I will try to attach a vid) we spent a lot of time doing some recall training on the long line which proved a success. He is now being walked off lead for short periods of time in safe areas until I know he can be trusted. So far so good, we went to Thorndon County Park and he stayed off lead for over an hour. He did take off once after a squirrel and he ignored my calls, but when I started to run in the other direction he quickly followed. Apart from that he has come to call each time. 

We have cracked his feed, we found out he has a love for rice. He gets a couple of spoonfuls of rice added to his meal and he gobbles it up.

He has been kicked back off the sofa, we loved having him for cuddles but the hair is just too much. we have brought throws to cover the sofa with for when we go out. My partner was started to get itchy and wheeze on the sofa and it wasn't fair on him so Ralph is back to the floor.

The only thing we are struggling with is humping. He has been done. Only humps when guests come over and usually he humps and bites his bed. This wouldn't be a problem but he also tried to hump my partners little boy which is not on. It's so odd as it is only when we have guests come in, I guess its all the new smells that set him off?


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## meleeka (2 January 2019)

Lovely update 

Humping is excitement, my bitch does it too. I think if you can warn guests not to get in the position where he can do it (standing still for too long) and learn to see the signs and redirect him to something else it will ease over time. Mine gets a sharp â€œnoâ€ and understands what Iâ€™m saying it for and I then give her something else to do, like come to the kitchen for a treat.


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## MotherOfChickens (2 January 2019)

agreed-humping is excitement/frustration at not being able to act on the excitement, its not sexual. redirect it with a toy.

lovely update though, lucky dog


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## LaurenBay (2 January 2019)

__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10158155766195200



Not sure if the link will work? we need more training! we didn't attempt the higher stuff because of his (and mine) current fitness levels.


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## CorvusCorax (2 January 2019)

Oh bless him! Glad to hear he has settled in.

He looks like he is having a great time but you are right not to overdo the jumping - please take this in the spirit with which it is intended, as you have pointed out, he still has a lot of weight to lose IMO, which will be putting pressure on his joints so groundwork would be best. My friend has a beagle and he is just a blob with a head and four paws...I do a lot of tongue biting


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## LaurenBay (2 January 2019)

That was the only jumping we did CC  we were quite happy to watch the other dogs. He did go through the tunnel though which he seemed to really like bless him. I didn't even realise there was a dog agility course, we were out for a lovely walk and we spotted it and I was curious to see what he would be like. The other Dog (the little cavapoo in the pink coat) was a superstar and did all of the obstacles.


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## CorvusCorax (2 January 2019)

There's loads of stuff you can do on the ground to prep him too


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## Cortez (2 January 2019)

I think I'm a little bit in love with Ralphie . 

He's such a handsome boy, but my gosh you are right: he's a little porker! He's so lucky to have you to look after him and get him back to a normal weight.........I really don't understand people who have fat dogs (not you, obvs).


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## LaurenBay (2 January 2019)

He is a beauty Cortez. But yes super super fat! we still have a lot to go but so far he has lost 1.4kg. We try to keep him really active so he can work the weight off but at the same time we don't want to overdo it so its finding the right balance. He doesn't get any human food apart from rice (he did have a bit of gammon for Christmas though) and his food is low fat so hopefully if we keep going the way we are he will lose the weight.


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## MotherOfChickens (2 January 2019)

I just love him-he's loving working with you in those obstacles, bless him. He is chubby, he was carrying it well in the photo I saw him in last. I took a small dog off my brother when she got really fat-she was about 8 we think, didn't put her on special food, just reduced what she was getting and plenty of exercise-she turned into a wee ball of muscle and never looked back. 1.4kg off will be making him feel better already.

LB is you are on FB, there is a low impact version of agility -doggy parkour. just search International Dog Parkour. I taught it to mine before they were old enough to jump stuff and I still do it on walks. Some of the moves will use his core muscles and back muscles as well.


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## Clodagh (2 January 2019)

A wonderful update and what an incredibly lucky dog. (And you too of course). Treat humping like you would any bad behaviour - as has been said.


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## splashgirl45 (2 January 2019)

lovely update and so pleased you are keeping him, he looks like he is enjoying interacting with you,keep up the good work and you will have a much slimmer boy....my friend took on a rescue beagle bitch and she never ran off when she was younger and was always quite obedient.  they are not all enthusiastic hunters but you just have to be alert all of the time which i am sure you are,  have fun


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## pippixox (3 January 2019)

Yay ðŸ˜ 
I have an entire male rescue who actually doesnâ€™t hump,except on rare occasions like others have mentioned: when we have visitors! He humps our girl (not properly and she is done)
I just tell him NO and then either redirect with toys or attention or sometimes they are told BED to go and calm down!

We have leather sofa because of the dogs.... easy to vacuum the fur off. But they also have a bed (made from old sofa cushions with waterproof covers over) in the living room and when we have people over they are told to go on their beds. They also know they are not allowed on my families houses sofas as different rules!


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## LaurenBay (9 January 2019)

Still going well, he has a couple of little habits though.

When we go out, he has to sleep with his lead, he ransacked the house last week because I put the lead away and he went searching for it. He likes to sleep with it. I assume because it smells of me where I hold it? He also knocks the washing basket over, takes the clothes out but doesn't actually do anything with the clothes, again I assume its because the clothes smell of us. 

He is enjoying his walks, looks to have lost a bit more weight but I haven't weighed him yet. I will take him at the weekend, luckily we have a pets at home within 15 mins walk and you can weigh for free. I took him to a big dog park on Sunday, he was fab. Went off the lead for the majority of the walk, back on lead for the last 10 minutes as began to ignore me. He loved playing with the other Dogs and played with the tennis ball. 

One problem I have with him (this only applies to me, he is fine with OH but he loves men and listens to my OH more then me) I can't put his harness on, If i walk towards him he runs and thinks its a game, if I call him over he won't come. OH never has an issue and just points at the floor and says here, Ralph goes trotting over to him and stands still to have the harness and lead on. It can take me up to 10 minutes to do. Once the harness and lead are on we have no issues. Just seems to think I want to play with him. I have limited time in the mornings and he has been losing 10 minutes of his exercise time because of this issue. Any ideas?


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## Amymay (9 January 2019)

Get up 10 minutes earlier ðŸ˜‰ðŸ˜†ðŸ˜‰ðŸ¤”ðŸ˜‚ðŸ˜‚


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## LaurenBay (9 January 2019)

amymay said:



			Get up 10 minutes earlier ðŸ˜‰ðŸ˜†ðŸ˜‰ðŸ¤”ðŸ˜‚ðŸ˜‚
		
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I have been getting up about 45 minutes earlier every morning ha ha. I walk him 3-4 times a day and OH walks him once at night before bed. So in a day, I roughly spend half hour trying to put a lead and harness on. Then OH walks in and does it in 30 seconds, very frustrating!


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## Amymay (9 January 2019)

Pain in the bum.


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## HeyMich (9 January 2019)

I know you're trying not to give him treats, but this may be the exception....? He needs to learn that you saying 'here' means the same as when your OH says it! I'm not a dog trainer though, so please ignore me if you want ðŸ˜‰


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## CorvusCorax (9 January 2019)

Slip lead on over head as he's walking past, hold him in place/make sure he can't go anywhere, harness on, no messing about. I personally wouldn't give him any more treats


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## LaurenBay (10 January 2019)

Could have killed him today. 18 minutes! I got up 45 minutes early today as OH isn't well so had to get G ready for school and drop him off. Gave me extra time with Ralph, thought we could go for a nice long walk. He cut into his walking time by 20 minutes by faffing around. I tried ignoring him, treats (yes I resorted to this, didn't work though) trying to clip the lead on. He kept wagging his flipping tail and running round the house. Once the lead is on he is straight to the door and can't wait to go out. So my thinking is, I am going to keep the lead with me later at all times, and just randomly through the night clip it on, take it off, on and off, on and off. So he doesn't know when he is going out. Do you think that will work?


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## CorvusCorax (10 January 2019)

Honestly, with the best will in the world it doesn't take 18 minutes to put a lead on a pet dog. You're turning this into a huge game for him, it shouldn't be this much of a palaver. 

Thread the clip end of lead through the hand loop so it is essentially a slip lead, when he's walking around or mooching, not before this big game has started, drop the large loop over his head (you're holding the clip end) and it will naturally close around his neck.  Now you have control and can lead him to where you want him to be or hold him in one place.


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## LaurenBay (10 January 2019)

CorvusCorax said:



			Honestly, with the best will in the world it doesn't take 18 minutes to put a lead on a pet dog. You're turning this into a huge game for him, it shouldn't be this much of a palaver.

Thread the clip end of lead through the hand loop so it is essentially a slip lead, when he's walking around or mooching, not before this big game has started, drop the large loop over his head (you're holding the clip end) and it will naturally close around his neck.  Now you have control and can lead him to where you want him to be or hold him in one place.
		
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Thanks, I will give it a go. The problem starts when I pick the lead up. I haven't even attempted to put it on at this stage. The second that lead is in my hand he runs off. I don't chase him as I don't want it to be a game. So I put the lead down and go off and do something else around the house.  Today I just ignored him, didn't talk to him, didn't even look at him and I got on with the washing up. Eventually after 18 minutes he realised I wasn't playing and came up to me.


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## meleeka (10 January 2019)

My dog doesnâ€™t much like her harness and tends to walk away if she sees me with it. She doesnâ€™t get infinite chances and has mostly been cured when I gave up and left her at home while I went out. She now knows if she wants to go she needs to have it put on. If she does start to walk away just need to put my hand on the door handle and she definitely doesnâ€™t want to get left behind.  Do make sure you arenâ€™t causing discomfort when doing it up. I hadnâ€™t realised that when I was doing up the clips I was putting slight pressure on my dogs back. I think this was the problem since sheâ€™s a delicate flower, so then it was months trying to undo the association with discomfort/harness.


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## LaurenBay (11 January 2019)

so lunch time yesterday, I didn't have the lead fiasco. He came straight to me and we enjoyed a lovely walk together. Yesterday evening I picked up the lead and he did a runner! so I went into the kitchen and made a loop, went into the living room and started cleaning and within 2 minutes he was over and I put the loop around and he went to run but it pulled tight and I had a hold of him. This morning I walked down the stairs and he just to happened to be standing next to his lead. I made a fuss of him and clipped the lead on before he knew what had happened. yay!


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## CorvusCorax (11 January 2019)

Good news!


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## LaurenBay (16 January 2019)

Well he went for his first "party" today with my friend. He gets picked up and dropped off and goes for a lovely 2.5 hour walk with lots of other Dogs (they have more then one person) at the moment he is on the lead as she likes to get to know them for a few weeks first to access firstly how he is with other Dogs and also to make sure he won't run off. She sent me some videos and pictures and looks like he had a fab time. The 2.5 hour playtime will certainly help him burn off that fat too!


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## Cinnamontoast (16 January 2019)

Also re putting on lead-get a proper sliplead-donâ€™t let him see that youâ€™re getting the lead, just conceal it and drop it over his head in passing. Boom, off you go. If he tries to mess round, scruff him. You donâ€™t need to hurt him-reinforce with a key word.

With training, our lot sit at the front door with it open. Theyâ€™re not allowed a paw over the threshold. They wait til the boot is open then are told to get in and jump in. This took a while! They also have a key word/noise which makes them stop messing round/give up a toy etc, particularly useful given how easily they knock over the big dog.


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## splashgirl45 (16 January 2019)

if he runs off as soon as you get the lead, i assume he wears a collar so just make a fuss of him and keep hold of the collar and take him to where you keep the lead and clip it on there....i also make it a habit that my dogs have to sit before the lead is put on or off, also once the lead is off they have to wait for the command to go...


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## LaurenBay (17 January 2019)

He has actually been a lot better over the last few days. I don't let him see the lead and I go up make a fuss and clip it on as quickly as I can.


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## LaurenBay (22 January 2019)

UPDATE: he went for a check at the vets last night, she said apart from being overweight he is healthy and happy. She is happy with the amount of exercise he is currently doing and said the food we give is fine, however we are perhaps giving too much so we have halved it. He has grilled chicken, cooked rice and dry biscuits mixed together. I can't remove the rice otherwise he wont eat. We are starting some beginner lessons next month to improve on re call and learn some new bits. Recall is a bit hit and miss to be honest, he is fine for my OH but can sometimes ignore me. Having said that I did go for a 1.5 hr walk on Saturday and he spent 40 minutes off lead, playing catch with the tennis ball. He then decides he has had enough and switches off which is the moment I pop him back on the lead. He will always come back to me, however he does get a very good distance away (too far for my liking) The other day we went into the woods and he took off after a squirrel, I lost sight of him and I was so panicked, I walked in the direction he took off in and whistled and called and I couldn't see him, all of a sudden I heard rustling of leaves and I turned round and he was running at me wagging his tail. 

Regarding putting the lead on, I now clip it on when he is still in bed (I am always first to get up) then when i'm ready I just pick the lead up and we are off, sometimes he will get up and walk around the house with the lead attached but won't run if it is already on. He now has extra walk time in the mornings! He is off for his second group dog walk tomorrow with friend for 2.5 hours. He has managed to bag himself the front seat as he is such a good traveller and he has a seat belt adaptor on his harness. The rest of the Dogs are in the back of the van in cages (she has a modified van) 

We have entered for a sponsored dog walk in Feb for the hospice where I lost my Nan in July. We are going with some friends and then after there is a Dog show and dog stalls, bbq etc. Should be a good day.

We all totally adore him!


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## Clodagh (22 January 2019)

Great update, what a lucky dog and lucky owners. Does your OH's son love him?


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## LaurenBay (22 January 2019)

He does really like him, he keeps trying to play with Ralph but Ralph doesn't really play back. He is happy to be cuddled and fussed over though. Ralph only seems to like playing with me and OH. For example, I will throw the ball and Ralph will run to get it and bring it back, G then throws the ball and Ralph watches it roll away and then comes back to me and wags his tail wanting me to throw it. poor G! G is super happy though as Ralph has started to sleep in his room for a couple of hours before taking himself off back to his own bed. G has a bunkbed and underneath OH built him a little den, filled with blankets and cushions. Ralph seems to rather like this space and sleeps here for around 3 hours and then goes back to his own bed. G is thrilled!


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## MotherOfChickens (22 January 2019)

I love reading your updates


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## Clodagh (22 January 2019)

LaurenBay said:



			G is super happy though as Ralph has started to sleep in his room for a couple of hours before taking himself off back to his own bed. G has a bunkbed and underneath OH built him a little den, filled with blankets and cushions. Ralph seems to rather like this space and sleeps here for around 3 hours and then goes back to his own bed. G is thrilled!
		
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Oh thats really nice. When my stepson was small my OH had a working terrier called Buzz who used to go to bed with him and then come downstairs when C was asleep. I am sure it was mainly for his own benefit but it made it special.


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## splashgirl45 (22 January 2019)

what a great update, so pleased things have worked out and it seems that you are in a good routine...


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## Karran (23 January 2019)

LaurenBay said:



			G is super happy though as Ralph has started to sleep in his room for a couple of hours before taking himself off back to his own bed. G has a bunkbed and underneath OH built him a little den, filled with blankets and cushions. Ralph seems to rather like this space and sleeps here for around 3 hours and then goes back to his own bed. G is thrilled!
		
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My childhood lab used to come check on us each night when she and my parents went to bed! She would come to each room and sit by the bed for ten minutes or so, until she was satisfied we were asleep and then go to the foot of my parents bed for the night.


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## LaurenBay (11 February 2019)

UPDATE:

Things are still going really well. He got weighed yesterday and I was happy with the results, he weighed 24.6kg on 15th Dec and yesterday he weighed in at 21.6kg. He looks so much better, still a bit to go but a good step forwards I feel. Mainly down to us cracking the food and him being off lead a lot more. His recall is good, could be worse, could be better. I only let him off in certain areas but we are lucky that he have lots of nice off road walks by us, the other day I went out for an hour and half, he probably spent only 10 minutes of that on lead. He will only come back if I have a treat or his tennis ball. If I have neither of those things it can be tricky. He ran off from my OH the other night as someone across the road dropped their food, luckily no cars. I wasn't happy that OH let him off that close to the road though anyway. I had a heart stopping moment the other day in the woods (I have never seen anyone in it) and he was trotting along the narrow pathway and I could hear Horses cantering, turned around and there were 3 riders cantering right at us with no signs of stopping. I got off the path and called Ralph who has now spotted the Horses and he wouldn't come to me. I shouted "loose dog" as I didn't know what he would do as he hasn't seen them before. Riders cantered right passed us anyway, I could have reached out and touched them they were that close! Ralph luckily didn't do anything but watch, no leaping, no chasing, no barking. Just stood there and watched. Could have been bad though had he reacted (although stupid of the riders to do what they did too) 

I have hopefully attached some videos below that were taken on Saturday. I have also attached a pic of his nose, over the last 3 days it has become red and sore looking, he isn't bothered by it, he doesn't rub it and lets me touch it. Any ideas? 




__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10158258205600200






__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10158258205885200






__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10158258206020200



 - had to ask him a couple of times before the video started to come back hence the little s**t comment 

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=9d6899a851dcbf4a191bca248f263473&oe=5CFADDD8


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## LaurenBay (11 February 2019)




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## CorvusCorax (11 February 2019)

Not the best pic but he could be rubbing it on something when you are out, I have seen that kind of mark on dogs sticking their noses under kennel/cage doors etc.
I have always carried food and a ball as a matter of course, so the dog always believes it might be there, so I wouldn't worry about bribing a relatively new dog 
With offlead work, the dog can always set their own pace, I do things like running, swimming, weight pulling/hill work or biking for fittening but it's a tricky situation as he is still carrying a bit more weight than I would like before starting anything high impact - you're doing a great job


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## LaurenBay (11 February 2019)

I actually really want to start getting out and about on my bike again, I am not sure how he would be although I suspect he would be fine as not much bothers him. But I want him to lose a bit more weight first. He is still doing the group dog walks on a Wednesday, he is off lead for the first time this week so that will help him, he can run with all the other dogs and hopefully shed a bit more weight. My friend who does the dog walking has been away for the last 2 weeks. Her employee stepped in and has fallen in love with Ralph, she left us a lovely note to come home to, telling us how beautiful he is, how well behaved he is and she adores him. 

CC would you put anything on the sore part to soothe it?


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## Cortez (11 February 2019)

Ha ha: typical beagle! He looks like a happy boy, keep going with the weight loss and as he loses more he will be able to do more.


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## CorvusCorax (11 February 2019)

You can also do stuff like doggy interval training (bike a bit, stop and slow down for a while, throw a ball uphill a bit etc etc) but as you say with a bit more weight off.
I wouldn't put anything on that he could lick off and poison himself, but my own dog healed really well with Botanica cream a few months ago after managing to remove the skin and hair under his eyes by wodging himself through the garden gate  hair grew back the same colour and everything....


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## splashgirl45 (11 February 2019)

does he try and bury bones or toys.  my little terrier buries antlers sometimes under one of the dog beds and his nose looks like that,  i never put anything on it and it always heals ok.  i have found my terrier can be a bit hit and miss with recall and i think he is being a bit of a teenager at the moment.  i have just started using a whistle , giving two sharp beeps and always treat when he comes to me.  i think the whistle is more effective than the voice for him and although i can whistle, in this cold weather i found i sometimes couldnt so resorted to the dog whistle,  the one i use is not one of the silent ones but a gun dog whistle,  may be worth trying.  glad you are enjoying having him and he looks very happy , and slimmer than when you got him.  well done


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## Cinnamontoast (11 February 2019)

I think thatâ€™s a fabulous weight loss. Youâ€™re right to wait til heâ€™s lost more for high impact. I like the going uphill suggestion. Bikejoring eventually? For recall, have you tried a squeaky toy? Is he into them? Itâ€™s astonishing what it does to my lot! 

Re the nose, do you have an aloe plant? Iâ€™d want straight aloe gel on it for a quick impact.


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## LaurenBay (12 February 2019)

Splashgirl, actually he has started burying his bones, he does it under Geroges bed. 

Cinnamontoast will Aloe be ok if he licks it off?

He does sprints already for the ball, He does get out of puff quickly though (understandable) but has improved fitness too.


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## splashgirl45 (12 February 2019)

dont worry too much about the nose, i thought it looked the same as my terriers and at the moment his nose is normal as he hasnt tried burying anything lately..but im sure he will soon


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## LaurenBay (25 February 2019)

So the Beagle has come out to play.

He has decided he can't hear me when I call him back. I lost him in the woods for half an hour, I was almost in tears as I didn't even know if he had left the woods. I had a ball (2 balls actually) and he did not care one little bit. Finally I caught site of him and managed to get him. I hoped it was a one off and he picked up a scent that he really could just not leave alone. Doesn't seem the case though, he went off for a wander this morning on a usual route we do (always off lead) admittedly he did come back after a good while. So he is back on the lead at all times and we are back to doing some training on re call. 

Nose has healed up fine, so those who suggested he had rubbed or scraped the skin when digging, I think you were right!


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## Tinkerbee (25 February 2019)

LaurenBay said:



			So the Beagle has come out to play.

He has decided he can't hear me when I call him back. I lost him in the woods for half an hour, I was almost in tears as I didn't even know if he had left the woods. I had a ball (2 balls actually) and he did not care one little bit. Finally I caught site of him and managed to get him. I hoped it was a one off and he picked up a scent that he really could just not leave alone. Doesn't seem the case though, he went off for a wander this morning on a usual route we do (always off lead) admittedly he did come back after a good while. So he is back on the lead at all times and we are back to doing some training on re call.

Nose has healed up fine, so those who suggested he had rubbed or scraped the skin when digging, I think you were right!
		
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Apologies if its been mentioned before but are using a whistle for recall? Mine is terrible for coming back and a whistle helped start afresh the training and also gives a more neutral command rather than a panic/angry (depednding on where we are!) tone seeping into the words...!


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## LaurenBay (25 February 2019)

I haven't tried a whistle, although I do own one.

Thanks I will give it a go


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## Cortez (25 February 2019)

Ah: the selective deafness ploy


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## pippixox (25 February 2019)

I have found with any breed of dog that I have rehomed (GSD, collie, lab, so all trainable breeds!) they hit a point about 3 months in when they felt more settled and therefore I think their perceived recall went out the window! All three were around 2 when I got them and with very very little previous experience. So at first I treat like a puppy with a long line. But they pick up fast so you give them some freedom. Only to find a few months later they have a â€˜blipâ€™!
I would go back to long line again and treat like a puppy. Of corse it may also be a true character trait becoming clear now he is settled and confident with you.


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## LaurenBay (27 February 2019)

So yesterday I took him out on a lovely walk, they are huge fields but there is no way out of them. I came armed with 2 tennis balls, a squeaky toy, a whistle and some low fat treats. Now he has lost some weight I can afford to use some small treats. I let him off, gave him a couple of minutes and called him back, he ignored me so out came the squeaky toy, he came straight back so I gave him a treat and off he went again. I didn't have a problem the rest of the walk (45 minutes) I called him back if he seemed distracted or going to far from me and he came back every time, got a treat and he went off again. Played with the tennis ball for quite a while (with some nice long sprints) and found a poodle cross to play with.


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## splashgirl45 (27 February 2019)

good news, keep up  the good work , you  may find he still goes awol sometimes as he is a hunting dog but the more you practice the less this will happen....but remember he is still a beagle....my lurcher was ok most of the time but did on the odd occasion disappear so i know what you are up against...


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## LaurenBay (1 March 2019)

I am so shaken up and upset.

I have just got back to the office from my lunch break, took Ralph out on our usual 45 min route. We came across 2 Labs on a lead, the owner had them very short so I collected Ralph's lead up so he was short and on my side of the path. He still tried to pull to see the 2 dogs and 1 of her pulled to see Ralph but they didn't get near. Then all of a sudden the Dog on her outside leapt over the other lab, snapping his lead in the process and before I could blink was on Ralph and was attacking him, Ralph didn't even attempt to fight back and was just trying to run but the other Dog had him pinned to the floor. His owner and me were trying to get her Dog off. After smacking her dog a few times in the head he did let go. I checked Ralph over who didn't look any worse for wear but was very shaken and frightened. Owner did say sorry, and that her Dog had been attacked which in turn has made him aggressive but he has never bitten before. I did respond that if her Dog is unpredictable he should be muzzled to which she replied that she wasn't going to do that as doesn't like them and Ralph was the one who approached her. I did shout at her, she did look just as upset as me though to be honest. It is not her fault that the lead snapped. It was so horrible, I felt powerless to do anything. Ralph was shaken for a little while, we didn't meet any Dogs for the rest of the walk so I really hope it hasn't effected Ralph going forward. I gave him a very good check over once we were home and he was back to his usual happy self.


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## pippixox (1 March 2019)

How scary. I hope she is literally buying a new very strong lead right now! And perhaps a yellow jacket. 
My GSD was reactive with unknown dogs and he was taught to wear a muzzle when necessary- such as when we may have to pass close to other dogs. But in general he just stayed on a lead and he would never launch over another dog to get to one. Especially smaller dogs. He only barked and snapped if they went towards him and he didnâ€™t have enough space to retreat. 

Sorry you had to go though such a scary situation. Keep up the good work


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## MotherOfChickens (1 March 2019)

oh I am sorry-this type of thing is very scary. lead aggression is very common and its unfortunate the lead snapped but if her dog is liable to do this she needs better control of it (ie with a headcollar and double ended lead). Hope Ralph and you are ok and try not to dwell on it too much. tbh if I meet someone on a path I do my best to get my two off to one side and make them sit until they've passed by-its the head on thing that makes some dogs react , even ones that can be fine generally.


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## LaurenBay (1 March 2019)

The thing is she didn't even call ahead to say that her dog can be unpredictable, I would have been happy to give her space and move as far as I could over to the side. She didn't say anything though.


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## MotherOfChickens (1 March 2019)

well unfortunately lots of dog owners are muppets and she didnt expect the lead to break.


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## ester (1 March 2019)

She prob thought as on the lead would be ok even if he did kick off, always easy to do what ifs in hindsight though she definitely shouldn't have said to you she wouldn't use a muzzle (even if she was then lying). 

Hopefully Ralph will bounce back and be none the worse, at least he knows you well now and you have other doggy friends he can socialise with?


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## LaurenBay (1 March 2019)

ester said:



			She prob thought as on the lead would be ok even if he did kick off, always easy to do what ifs in hindsight though she definitely shouldn't have said to you she wouldn't use a muzzle (even if she was then lying).

Hopefully Ralph will bounce back and be none the worse, at least he knows you well now and you have other doggy friends he can socialise with?
		
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He has lots of other friends luckily. He goes to a doggy social group on a Weds and his best mate is a Pug. We also go for long walks with my cousins Cavapoo who he adores.


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## ester (1 March 2019)

I thought so


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## LaurenBay (1 March 2019)

I am sure he will be ok, I can't be nervous because then he will pick up on it. But I will be worried when he meets unknown Dogs from now on.

The more I think about it, the more angry I get. If I had a Dog known to be aggressive and I was on a narrow path, I'd have either stepped off the path (there was woodland so although a bit muddy, loads of room to go) or shouted ahead that my dog is not great with others so please make sure your Dog stays away, there are the leads as well (red I think?) which say not dog friendly or something. She knew he was aggressive as she said that he was. Had Ralph been a smaller dog he might have been more hurt. I regret loosing my temper but I was caught up in the moment and over emotional. But as you said she probably didn't think her lead would break, hopefully this will make her think next time and act accordingly. I am just grateful her other Dog didn't decide to join in too.


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## Clodagh (1 March 2019)

If he seesm reactive next time he sees a lab we can arrange a meet up with my lot so he sees they are just big, black, greedy beagles. Poor boy. I'd have gone mental.
If it ever happens again, kick the dog up the bum if you can, safer than putting your hands in.


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## LaurenBay (1 March 2019)

Thanks so much Clodagh  I a hoping no lasting effects but only time will tell. We are going for a river walk tomorrow so bound to be other dogs.


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## MotherOfChickens (1 March 2019)

LaurenBay said:



			I am sure he will be ok, I can't be nervous because then he will pick up on it. But I will be worried when he meets unknown Dogs from now on.

The more I think about it, the more angry I get. If I had a Dog known to be aggressive and I was on a narrow path, I'd have either stepped off the path (there was woodland so although a bit muddy, loads of room to go) or shouted ahead that my dog is not great with others so please make sure your Dog stays away, there are the leads as well (red I think?) which say not dog friendly or something. She knew he was aggressive as she said that he was. Had Ralph been a smaller dog he might have been more hurt. I regret loosing my temper but I was caught up in the moment and over emotional. But as you said she probably didn't think her lead would break, hopefully this will make her think next time and act accordingly. I am just grateful her other Dog didn't decide to join in too.
		
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don't get me wrong, its scary when it happens and as you rightly point out, completely avoidable and annoying and I would have reacted in the same way. But as long as you are both OK, its best to not dwell on it for your own sanity  Hopefully she'll be more proactive in future but you can't rely on other people to do the right thing when it comes to dogs sadly IME.

Things like this happen every so often -its one reason I avoid walking mine in dog walking hotspots (and I am lucky to have the choice) because people are useless. Last week I took Quarrie jogging in the park next to work and had to fend off a lab and two other (much bigger) goldens because the owner had no recall (they were initially 200 yards away) and Q got a bit worried as he was on a lead and they were just mugging him. Owner said it was my fault because he always walks his dogs there that time of day .


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## Clodagh (1 March 2019)

We are very spolied in that we never walk with other dogs, we only see them out working.
We were in Ross-on-Wye on Tuesday night and went for a walk along the river at about 5pm, so a busy time. OMG, I had no idea people that are talked about on here really are that stupid! We didn't have a dog with us, but observing others was far more fun.
Why does constantly repeating your dog's name, like a litany, while it blanks you make you feel you are achieving anything? There was a young GSD bitch, called Luna (I heard that name 50 odd times) jumping on all the other dog walkers and their dogs. OK she was only the size of a small lab and gawky puppy cute, but is that behaviour suddenly going to cease when she is adult? A poor older lady with a staffie on a lead was trying to get her away from her dog, who was giving every signal going that it wanted the pup to go away and the three owners with it did nothing. Well, they said it's name a few more times...And that is only one example on a 30 minute walk.


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## {97702} (1 March 2019)

Awww you were 10 mins down the road from me Clodagh   I never walk my dogs in populated areas because of the sorts of other dog walkers that you describe!   I have to say that the river by Ross is always ridiculously busy mind you....


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## splashgirl45 (1 March 2019)

sounds scary, but no one got hurt and the sooner you get yours walking with other dogs the better....my friend went through something similar but she didnt have a dog with her.  she was wheeling her pushbike through the park and a man was on the other side of the path with a dog on lead and in a halti.  as my friend has german shepherds and this dog was similar,  she stopped and asked the man what breed he was , he walked towards her to reply and the dog (belgian shepherd) lunged at my friend and bit her arm.  the man apologised and was very worried that she was going to report him.. apparantly the dog has bitten someone before!!!!!    he has had the dog since he was a puppy and it is a year old, my friend told him to get help soon, keep it muzzled and if she heard of it doing it again she would report him...the bite drew blood through her coat and jumper and she is still bruised a week later...she has spread the word to all of use who use the park in case we see him....what a numpty!!!!  shouldnt have a big powerful dog if he cant control it, in fact shouldnt have a dog at all!!!!


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## Cinnamontoast (1 March 2019)

Please use your feet if thereâ€™s a next time (hopefully not!). Two owners needed hospital treatment this year in my local park, intervening in dog fights and reaching down to pull their dog away.


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## Clodagh (2 March 2019)

Levrier said:



			Awww you were 10 mins down the road from me Clodagh   I never walk my dogs in populated areas because of the sorts of other dog walkers that you describe!   I have to say that the river by Ross is always ridiculously busy mind you....
		
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I've been on an hho users tour and I had no idea! ðŸ˜†


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## LaurenBay (4 March 2019)

So on Saturday we went for a long 2 hour walk down the river. We had only just started our walk when a Basset with no owner approached us (Owner must have been in one of the canal boats) Ralph showed no nervous behaviour and wanted to greet the other dog. Because there was no owner I did not let Ralph over to see the Dog and lead him off, all of a sudden the Basset started chasing him and growling at him and went for him, he ran off straight after. Not the best start! We then met a walker and Dog and she shouted ahead that hers was not Dog friendly, so we moved off the footpath and they went by safely. We then came across a yellow lab, a Husky mix and 2 GSD's. Only lab was on a lead. I called ahead to check that hers were friendly, and she replied yes all were fab. Whilst they were really friendly, he was quite nervy and tried to run, showed no interest in greeting them and wanted to get away from them ASAP. We met about 5 dogs (all smaller or same size) after which he wanted to meet. One of them he liked so much I took him off lead and they played really nicely together. Hopefully he does not develop a fear of bigger dogs (4 in one go probably was a bit frightening, had there only been 1 I think he would have been ok)


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## CorvusCorax (4 March 2019)

Clodagh said:



			We are very spolied in that we never walk with other dogs, we only see them out working.
We were in Ross-on-Wye on Tuesday night and went for a walk along the river at about 5pm, so a busy time. OMG, I had no idea people that are talked about on here really are that stupid! We didn't have a dog with us, but observing others was far more fun.
Why does constantly repeating your dog's name, like a litany, while it blanks you make you feel you are achieving anything? There was a young GSD bitch, called Luna (I heard that name 50 odd times) jumping on all the other dog walkers and their dogs. OK she was only the size of a small lab and gawky puppy cute, but is that behaviour suddenly going to cease when she is adult? A poor older lady with a staffie on a lead was trying to get her away from her dog, who was giving every signal going that it wanted the pup to go away and the three owners with it did nothing. Well, they said it's name a few more times...And that is only one example on a 30 minute walk.
		
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Nothing like giving a breed a bad name, is there 
Round here there is a RUPERTRUPERTRUPERTRUPERT who is extremely aggressive and always offlead, but it's OK, he's muzzled while he barks, growls and headbutts your dog. The last time he did it I roared, and I mean really roared at him and he ran away, so I said to his owners 'See? That worked, maybe try something like that!' or words to that effect.

I'm sure he'll be fine Lauren, just try and control all meetings where possible and work from there. If he does not want to interact with other dogs, while it is not ideal, it is also not the end of the world. The kind of dog Clodagh describes, that wants to go up and meet anyone and everyone, is not ideal either (for me, anyway...) as not all dogs and people appreciate an unsolicited approach.


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## splashgirl45 (8 March 2019)

just watched team agility on crufts u tube and there was a team of beagles!!!!!!  interesting to see them behaving mostly..  it can be done...


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## CorvusCorax (8 March 2019)

Clodagh said:



			We are very spolied in that we never walk with other dogs, we only see them out working.
We were in Ross-on-Wye on Tuesday night and went for a walk along the river at about 5pm, so a busy time. OMG, I had no idea people that are talked about on here really are that stupid! We didn't have a dog with us, but observing others was far more fun.
Why does constantly repeating your dog's name, like a litany, while it blanks you make you feel you are achieving anything? There was a young GSD bitch, called Luna (I heard that name 50 odd times) jumping on all the other dog walkers and their dogs. OK she was only the size of a small lab and gawky puppy cute, but is that behaviour suddenly going to cease when she is adult? A poor older lady with a staffie on a lead was trying to get her away from her dog, who was giving every signal going that it wanted the pup to go away and the three owners with it did nothing. Well, they said it's name a few more times...And that is only one example on a 30 minute walk.
		
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I met a GSD called Luna twice this week. First time she came charging over on Tuesday and made a couple of sneaky grabs at my dog (who ignored her) which I don't think owner saw, he apologised for her running off and I said 'that's fine, just be careful if you see me with a black dog as he's much more grumpy'.
So, yesterday, he wasn't and luckily the black dog was carrying a ball and didn't let go of it when she came charging over...


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## Clodagh (8 March 2019)

CorvusCorax said:



			I met a GSD called Luna twice this week. First time she came charging over on Tuesday and made a couple of sneaky grabs at my dog (who ignored her) which I don't think owner saw, he apologised for her running off and I said 'that's fine, just be careful if you see me with a black dog as he's much more grumpy'.
So, he wasn't and luckily the black dog was carrying a ball and didn't let go of it when she came charging over...
		
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I used to have a very DA dobermann cross who was ok with a ball most of the time, but sometimes, without telling me, he had enough and spat it out.


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## TheresaW (8 March 2019)

Our Luna isnâ€™t let off lead, one because of her high prey drive, and secondly because absolutely everyone she sees has to be her friend and she would be all over them. Her and Bo together on leads can come across as quite agressive and mouthy little gits, but if we see other dogs, I always take them to one side. Off lead, they both mix and run round with the other dogs at the horses, and if we go to offlead parks with them. 

Iâ€™m sure Ralph will be ok given time and space. It sounds like you are doing marvellously well with him.


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## CorvusCorax (8 March 2019)

Clodagh said:



			I used to have a very DA dobermann cross who was ok with a ball most of the time, but sometimes, without telling me, he had enough and spat it out.
		
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He can still bark whilst holding something to his tonsils, I've never figured out how.


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## LaurenBay (17 December 2019)

So it has been a whole year that I got Ralph (doesn't time fly!)

Save to say he has a home for life with us, he is well and truly part of the family.

He has just been the most amazing dog, he came to us an overly excitable obese dog who only knew sit and paw. He is now a very well balanced dog, still a bit more weight to come off but he really has trimmed down! He has learned high five, stay, leave, spin and play dead. We have enjoyed many lovely walks together and I really couldn't imagine my life without him. 

Thanks all for giving great advice over the year xx


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## LaurenBay (17 December 2019)

__
		http://instagr.am/p/B5fPi_oHRPr/


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## TheresaW (17 December 2019)

He’s gorgeous xx


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## LaurenBay (17 December 2019)

__
		http://instagr.am/p/B6B0GsvpFyy/


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## Chiffy (17 December 2019)

Glad it’s all worked out so well. He is lovely looking.


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## Clodagh (17 December 2019)

He is so handsome. What a lovely dog, and a great family photo.


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## FinnishLapphund (17 December 2019)

So nice to read your lovely update. He looks cute, you all look cute together, and I hope you have a lovely Christmas.


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## splashgirl45 (17 December 2019)

so pleased for you,  he looks like he has blossomed into a very handsome lad..


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