OT: The Dog Who is ALWAYS Hungry!

[MyAngels]

Ugh. I know, I am a bad person for being irritated with our dog. I want to love this dog to bits. I do. I am too busy with the daycare to have a crazy, hyperactive dog pulling on me, jumping on me, and possibly knocking kids down because he is tethered to me. My kids walk him in the evenings, or run with him in the back yard. I researched dog breeds and we decided on a puggle because they were supposedly great family dogs and not supposed to be hyperactive. He is fantastic with ALL of the kids. He is a little love bug, and I love it when he is calm and likes to snuggle, but it is the during the day stuff that I don't have time to deal with that drives me nuts. He seems to get going with the chaos of the house during the day with the kids, and is a lot calmer at night. It does make sense, and I can't blame him completely, I was just venting some frustrations and looking for ideas. If I had known how crazy he would be, yeah, we probably wouldn't have gotten him. Maybe would have gotten an older dog who was thru the puppy phase. I think he has a lot of potential, and we need to get him thru this and learn as we go, which again, is why I was asking for advice.

You are not a bad person for being irritated with your dog . Dogs are like kids, sometimes - you don't always know the personality ahead of time so you just have to work hard at being a "good parent" and teach them how to behave properly. Kudos to you for knowing your limitations and asking for help. Many people would just drop them at the pound and be done with it.

Have you tried having someone else work with him? Our last two dogs were hunting dogs and we sent them out to trainers when they were pups, which always included obedience training as well. It sure was nice when they came home perfectly trained .

[Kaddidle Care]

A puggle? What is that - a Pug and Beagle if I recall correctly? I would have guessed he was a retriever! ::

I don't know their personalities but maybe try a pug or beagle forum (or both) to see what they recomend.

Every dog is different and we all have certain tricks that work for our breed.

I have an online friend that has Newfoundlands and while they appear calm and laid back, they are stubborn mules when they want to be. If a Newf wants something, chances are he's going to get it.

[Ms. Stephanie]

I thought about these things when I got my puppy. We did two obedience classes and never waivered from what his rules and expectations were/are. My dog was great the first 18 months. Now he is a a PITA dog! :: He weighs more than my DH so he pretty much does what he wants when he wants now. But, fortunately for me, is not around my daycare or the kiddos so it isn't an issue.

The point I'm making is that things change.

Things change how? I don't really get what you are saying here. Kids change too, that doesn't mean we just say F it and give them away. It takes work and patience. Also, its something people have to think about before purchasing a dog. Do I want to deal with this AND children? The shelter is filled with MILLIONS of dogs that have no homes. Some of those dogs come from families that loved them to pieces when they were cute little puppies. Then they grew up, became sassy dogs because of lack of training, and the family didnt have time for them anymore. Can you imagine if we did that with kids? When they got a little older and started mouthing off, just gave them away? It's going to be tough. But most people will get through it with a little training and love.

To the OP. You aren't a bad person. Dogs can be real annoying. I get annoyed with mine everyday. But what I do is just find ways to fix it. Unfortunately, YOU are in charge of them, just like children. You make their decisions. You have to show them what you expect. The link I posted will be very helpful, I promise.

If you can't tether him to you, I would suggest simply keep him kenneled during the day. My dogs are kenneled while I am at work. When I get home, they get tons of attention and love.

Ill ask this again because I think it is very important to know, is he neutered? If not, that will for sure calm him down.

[sahm2three]

Things change how? I don't really get what you are saying here. Kids change too, that doesn't mean we just say F it and give them away. It takes work and patience. Also, its something people have to think about before purchasing a dog. Do I want to deal with this AND children? The shelter is filled with MILLIONS of dogs that have no homes. Some of those dogs come from families that loved them to pieces when they were cute little puppies. Then they grew up, became sassy dogs because of lack of training, and the family didnt have time for them anymore. Can you imagine if we did that with kids? When they got a little older and started mouthing off, just gave them away? It's going to be tough. But most people will get through it with a little training and love.

To the OP. You aren't a bad person. Dogs can be real annoying. I get annoyed with mine everyday. But what I do is just find ways to fix it. Unfortunately, YOU are in charge of them, just like children. You make their decisions. You have to show them what you expect. The link I posted will be very helpful, I promise.

If you can't tether him to you, I would suggest simply keep him kenneled during the day. My dogs are kenneled while I am at work. When I get home, they get tons of attention and love.

Ill ask this again because I think it is very important to know, is he neutered? If not, that will for sure calm him down.

Yes, he is neutered.

[MyAngels]

Things change how? I don't really get what you are saying here. Kids change too, that doesn't mean we just say F it and give them away. It takes work and patience. Also, its something people have to think about before purchasing a dog. Do I want to deal with this AND children? The shelter is filled with MILLIONS of dogs that have no homes. Some of those dogs come from families that loved them to pieces when they were cute little puppies. Then they grew up, became sassy dogs because of lack of training, and the family didnt have time for them anymore. Can you imagine if we did that with kids? When they got a little older and started mouthing off, just gave them away? It's going to be tough. But most people will get through it with a little training and love.

To the OP. You aren't a bad person. Dogs can be real annoying. I get annoyed with mine everyday. But what I do is just find ways to fix it. Unfortunately, YOU are in charge of them, just like children. You make their decisions. You have to show them what you expect. The link I posted will be very helpful, I promise.

If you can't tether him to you, I would suggest simply keep him kenneled during the day. My dogs are kenneled while I am at work. When I get home, they get tons of attention and love.

Ill ask this again because I think it is very important to know, is he neutered? If not, that will for sure calm him down.

Who said anything about giving their dog away? This must be some kind of hot button issue for you...

[Kaddidle Care]

Ill ask this again because I think it is very important to know, is he neutered? If not, that will for sure calm him down.

Neutering is not the save all/cure all. It might help with a dog that tends to escape his yard a lot but that's about it.

My neutered dog is much more hyper than the previous dog I had that wasn't neutered. Same breed just different personalities.

It's more important to spay a female than neuter a male IMHO.

sahm2three - just do your best to spend more time training him in the evenings (yes, your kids and hubby can help too - it doesn't have to just be your job.) - get everyone on the same page with the commands. It will pay off quicker than you realize - just like with the children, be consistant.

[Ms. Stephanie]

Who said anything about giving their dog away? This must be some kind of hot button issue for you...

The op said if the kids didnt like the dog so much she would have already gotten rid of it.

It is a hot button issue for me. I am a member of several pit bull forums and a volunteer for a local "end dogfighting" program that works with people on how to properly train these dogs, instead of fighting them or abandoning them.

[laundrymom]

My opinion here,... I'm going to get flames I'm sure but oh well. My almost 5 yr old poodle mix. I bought a shock collar 3 months ago. I use it daily. He is the most well behaved dog. He will sit stay, has to be told to pee pop and eat. He is amazing with the kids. Is at my side 24 hours a day. Doesn't chew toys or have food aggression issues. However he always would bark and chase motorcycles and big trucks. I tethered him on a tie out , pulled him to me if he chased. ( inside our fenced yard) , leashed him to me, chased him down, etc. Nothing helped. So I bought a beep or zap collar. The first time I said, rascal NO! And beeped him. No response, kept barking. Chasing, I said rascal no, beeped, shocked him on # 1. Nothing, yelled again and beeped then shocked at # 2, no response. He was continuing to bark run chase so I yelled again, beeped and shocked him at level 3. He stopped, shookhis head, and sat. Then came to me. The next time I repeated saying rascal no, beep, then shocked at level 3. He came to me and sat at my feet. From that time I just have to beep him. I feel it's more humane than yelling, pulling, or anything else. He doesnt have a collar that shocks automatically. It only gives one if I push the button. And I WILL shock him again if he hesitates and continues to bark. He will learn remember and be a well behaved boy. But he's a dog, if I let him get away with it once all the training we have done is moot. Because just like a child dogs will always push boundaries. Especially if you keep changing them on him. Just like kids consistency is the key. I think if he begs when there is food, remove him like you have. Every meal. Even if the behavior changes. Dogs are creatures of habit. They aren't vindictive, or cunning. They are opportunistic. To a fault. If you don't teach them " to" behave, how will they know they are not behaving. Also, you have to replace the unwanted behavior with an acceptable one. Walk them in the mornings. And before anyone says,... Why do " I " have to. It's my kids dog or my husbands dog, or it's too early, too cold , too rainy, etc. Those are excuses. I rise at 4 am to walk mine. I put forth the effort because he is an important part of our family. I know he is happier after a good LONG run, or a walk. A happy dog is an easier to live with dog. I wish you luck,...

[momofsix]

My opinion here,... I'm going to get flames I'm sure but oh well. My almost 5 yr old poodle mix. I bought a shock collar 3 months ago. I use it daily. He is the most well behaved dog. He will sit stay, has to be told to pee pop and eat. He is amazing with the kids. Is at my side 24 hours a day. Doesn't chew toys or have food aggression issues. However he always would bark and chase motorcycles and big trucks. I tethered him on a tie out , pulled him to me if he chased. ( inside our fenced yard) , leashed him to me, chased him down, etc. Nothing helped. So I bought a beep or zap collar. The first time I said, rascal NO! And beeped him. No response, kept barking. Chasing, I said rascal no, beeped, shocked him on # 1. Nothing, yelled again and beeped then shocked at # 2, no response. He was continuing to bark run chase so I yelled again, beeped and shocked him at level 3. He stopped, shookhis head, and sat. Then came to me. The next time I repeated saying rascal no, beep, then shocked at level 3. He came to me and sat at my feet. From that time I just have to beep him. I feel it's more humane than yelling, pulling, or anything else. He doesnt have a collar that shocks automatically. It only gives one if I push the button. And I WILL shock him again if he hesitates and continues to bark. He will learn remember and be a well behaved boy. But he's a dog, if I let him get away with it once all the training we have done is moot. Because just like a child dogs will always push boundaries. Especially if you keep changing them on him. Just like kids consistency is the key. I think if he begs when there is food, remove him like you have. Every meal. Even if the behavior changes. Dogs are creatures of habit. They aren't vindictive, or cunning. They are opportunistic. To a fault. If you don't teach them " to" behave, how will they know they are not behaving. Also, you have to replace the unwanted behavior with an acceptable one. Walk them in the mornings. And before anyone says,... Why do " I " have to. It's my kids dog or my husbands dog, or it's too early, too cold , too rainy, etc. Those are excuses. I rise at 4 am to walk mine. I put forth the effort because he is an important part of our family. I know he is happier after a good LONG run, or a walk. A happy dog is an easier to live with dog. I wish you luck,...

No flaming from me...I was going to write something similar but somehow I deleted it all and didn't feel like typing it all over again.
We used our collar for a couple of months, and got a whole new dog. Our dog really was a good dog, but could get easily distracted by a cat across the street or something like that. We only had to use the "shock" part twice, then the beep worked. Very rarely do we have to pull it back out just as a 'reminder". The collar is one of many tools that can be safely used to help train dogs. I would rather use a shock collar than take the chance that my dog would jump our fence and bite a child. Even though I could 99.99% guarantee that would never happen, my dog is still an animal and wiill react as an animal.
I was seriously attacked by a dog as a child and had over 200 stitches on my face/head. I don't feel bad at all about using a shock collar if it could prevent another child from going through that. A dog that is obedient will not lash out like that.
Our collar's instructions said to try it on ourselves first so we would know what the dog was feeling-it's more of a "tingle" than an actual painful shock.

[Ms. Stephanie]

My opinion here,... I'm going to get flames I'm sure but oh well. My almost 5 yr old poodle mix. I bought a shock collar 3 months ago. I use it daily. He is the most well behaved dog. He will sit stay, has to be told to pee pop and eat. He is amazing with the kids. Is at my side 24 hours a day. Doesn't chew toys or have food aggression issues. However he always would bark and chase motorcycles and big trucks. I tethered him on a tie out , pulled him to me if he chased. ( inside our fenced yard) , leashed him to me, chased him down, etc. Nothing helped. So I bought a beep or zap collar. The first time I said, rascal NO! And beeped him. No response, kept barking. Chasing, I said rascal no, beeped, shocked him on # 1. Nothing, yelled again and beeped then shocked at # 2, no response. He was continuing to bark run chase so I yelled again, beeped and shocked him at level 3. He stopped, shookhis head, and sat. Then came to me. The next time I repeated saying rascal no, beep, then shocked at level 3. He came to me and sat at my feet. From that time I just have to beep him. I feel it's more humane than yelling, pulling, or anything else. He doesnt have a collar that shocks automatically. It only gives one if I push the button. And I WILL shock him again if he hesitates and continues to bark. He will learn remember and be a well behaved boy. But he's a dog, if I let him get away with it once all the training we have done is moot. Because just like a child dogs will always push boundaries. Especially if you keep changing them on him. Just like kids consistency is the key. I think if he begs when there is food, remove him like you have. Every meal. Even if the behavior changes. Dogs are creatures of habit. They aren't vindictive, or cunning. They are opportunistic. To a fault. If you don't teach them " to" behave, how will they know they are not behaving. Also, you have to replace the unwanted behavior with an acceptable one. Walk them in the mornings. And before anyone says,... Why do " I " have to. It's my kids dog or my husbands dog, or it's too early, too cold , too rainy, etc. Those are excuses. I rise at 4 am to walk mine. I put forth the effort because he is an important part of our family. I know he is happier after a good LONG run, or a walk. A happy dog is an easier to live with dog. I wish you luck,...

Great post! If a shock collar works, great. But it's not a substitute for training- it's a training method. Which means it needs to be done correctly.

[Ms. Stephanie]

No flaming from me...I was going to write something similar but somehow I deleted it all and didn't feel like typing it all over again.
We used our collar for a couple of months, and got a whole new dog. Our dog really was a good dog, but could get easily distracted by a cat across the street or something like that. We only had to use the "shock" part twice, then the beep worked. Very rarely do we have to pull it back out just as a 'reminder". The collar is one of many tools that can be safely used to help train dogs. I would rather use a shock collar than take the chance that my dog would jump our fence and bite a child. Even though I could 99.99% guarantee that would never happen, my dog is still an animal and wiill react as an animal.
I was seriously attacked by a dog as a child and had over 200 stitches on my face/head. I don't feel bad at all about using a shock collar if it could prevent another child from going through that. A dog that is obedient will not lash out like that.
Our collar's instructions said to try it on ourselves first so we would know what the dog was feeling-it's more of a "tingle" than an actual painful shock.

Agreed! Working with the breed I do, i am very familiar with dogs that have the ability to do some real damage to children. It's so unfortunate that that has happened to you, or anyone else for that matter. Having dogs around children requires supervision at all times. And IMO, running a daycare out of your home with a family dog requires that dog to have a good understanding of basic OB. And if a shock collar is what it takes (used correctly of course) to train your dog, so be it. Dog attacks are 100% preventable.

[Cat Herder]

I had a beagle once for about 15 years. They are strong willed little clowns. :::::: Mine had to get a "cookie" after we ate dinner or she howled and cried incessantly. She felt she was one of the family and was being left out, I think.

My mom has a pug now who gets his feelings hurt when she has company over. He drags all the pillows (beds, couches, etc.) into the floor, knocks all her shoes off the shelves in her closet and drags his bed into the center of where ever the group of people are sitting.

I bet you have your hands full with a puggle. They are so much fun, but can get under your skin, just like toddlers, when they don't get their way. ::

[SandeeAR]

I didn't read all the replies, b/c I knew it would break my heart. (Lost our 13 y/o yorkie poo, almost 2 years ago and I still hurt for him)

PLEASE have the dog checked by a vet. Our Hershey died of cushings. One of the symptoms is they never get full and they are always thirsty.

It may be more than behavior. I pray for the dog and you, that it is only behavior. After the vet trip, if all is clear, head for the nearest dog training class.

[Unregistered]

Beagles have a trait of eating to excess. Don't allow this habit to continue. Kennel him during feedings or like the other posters said teach him self control. We trained our dog min pin/jack russel mix by putting treats out drawing an invisible line between them and him and not allowing him to eat them for x amount of time. We started with 30 seconds and moved on once he was able to master that skill. We actually trained him professionally also and in order to pass the class the dogs had to sit with treats in front of them with owners 10 feet away while a motorized squirrel zipped around the room for 10 minutes. Torture! If you put in 3-5 min a day with this it will save you all the time you are spending keeping him out of the food now.

Our trainer also said if you must do an aversion therapy type thing try something like lemon juice (in the squeeze bottles) or breath spray (the kind used for humans) we had to do that with our dog for excessive barking (when he was a puppy) and now if he has a bad barking episode- about 1 per year- all we have to do it SHOW him the breath spray container and he stops. We just lifted his lip and sprayed 1 spray. Obviously we had to do it more in the beginning- a couple times a day total. He didnt like it so it worked to stop the behavior. Less cruel than a bark collar and you can keep it in your pocket for when you need it.

Also, do you have a way your dog can be outside in the AM? We have a leader leash that he can be on all am so he is tired by lunch.

[Ms. Stephanie]

oops. darn iphone.