Suddenly aggressive adolescent Beagle?

Hello

I’m looking for some advice on how to handle my 10 month old Beagle bitch. We have had Phoebe since she was 9 weeks old and she has always been a delight, full of fun (and mischief!), very sweet natured to both humans and other dogs and really quite well behaved.

To give you a little background, the only issue we have had with her is that we noticed that as she approached 9 months old she started to bark at various things going on around her, eg; people in the distance, unusual sounds, etc. We worked on the barking issue and it seems to have improved greatly. She has always been terribly friendly to the dog owning people she knows out walking giving them big body wags, similarly, she welcomes people into the house with no problems. She is a little shy with people who don’t like/know dogs as I assume they have different body language. She is also quite worried by toddlers so I always put her back on the lead if we spot one in the distance. She is very friendly to other dogs and usually submissive to them, rolling onto her back, although she is very bossy at home to our other older boy Beagle. He even seems a bit scared of her sometimes, but on the whole they get along really well, spending much of the day romping round in the garden together. She has never shown any signs of possessiveness be it over food, toys, etc.

OK, here’s the problem. About a week ago, Phoebe was lying on the sofa (she’s allowed on the furniture but not the beds) downstairs, she was a bit groggy having just woken up but awake. My husband bent down to stroke her and she went for his face whilst making horrible snarling noise. He was bitten quite deeply on the nose. I didn’t actually see this attack and we decided to give her the benefit of the doubt as we thought maybe she’d been startled. Two days ago, again she’s sitting on the sofa and I go to stroke her and, again she jumped up and snapped at my face. I managed to block her and really shouted at her. Then, last night, Phoebe’s sitting on the sofa with her head resting on my husband’s arm when I witnessed her turn around and lunge at his head. He put his arm out in time to stop her and I also put my arm out and pushed her back into a sit position and shouted ‘No’ at her. She never went through a play biting stage like our boy Beagle and these attacks do seem not seem to be about play! It really worries us that she has never growled before pouncing on us, she just goes straight in with her teeth.

Apart from these incidents, which I would consider to be very serious, Phoebe’s still a lovely dog to have around. She’s normally so loving by nature, I just have no idea why this has suddenly started happening. Phoebe hasn’t been through any recent trauma or upset, she’s been spayed so it’s not her homones.

As I wrote this I did notice that it’s always been when she’s been on the sofa? I wonder if she’s trying to claim the sofa for herself? I have had many dogs and have never had to deal with any kind of aggression. We just feel like complete failures as dog owners. We talked about getting a behaviourist in to see her (and us!) to try and help us establish what’s gone wrong.

Any help/suggestions/comments would be very much appreciated. If anyone knows of a good trained/behaviourist in the North West Surrey area (UK)then please let me know.

Many thanks, sorry this is so long……………
Sarah

No wonder you're upset, but please don't feel like you're a failure.

My first thought is to have her checked by your vet to make sure that there isn't a medical reason - e.g. that her hearing and eyesight are fine and that she's not in pain anywhere.

If there's clearly nothing wrong medically, it does sound like guarding. She's also reaching that 'teenage' period where she will be pushing the boundaries, but a lunging at the face does sound serious and something I'm not confident about giving you advice on, nor, unfortunately, do I know anyone in your area to recommend.

(((hugs))) to you though - I do hope you are able to resolve it.

oh dear hun, i can see why you would be upset...

I really have no advice except that a behaviourist is a good idea....

also has she been vet checked in case its medical?

But here are some big hugs for you all

((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))))) )))))))

Hi

I am certainly not in any way qualified to give you advice on this but certainly agree with Hali about getting her checked at the vets to rule out any and all possible medical causes.

If she is fit and healthy how about deciding from that point that she is not allowed on the sofa anymore to allow her to re-recognise the boundary that YOU set. I have no idea if this is the correct thing to do but I do know that when I started dictating to my dog where he could and couldnt go I got more respect from him and he is now allowed back on the sofa but only when I inviteee him and when I have had enough he is told off and rewarded when he does this so the sofa is a privelidge and not a right. But I also add mine had not shown any aggression.

As I say not qualified advide just a suggestion. Hopefully others will offer advice.

good Luck

I feel it is difficult to advise over the net. I would suggest a consultation for your dog and you both with a reputable behaviourist. Assuming no medical issues, your beagle may just be pushing the boundaries of guarding/possession, but it can escalate.

Until you are able to get an assessment, I would a) not approach her when she is relaxed/lying down. but call her to you.
b) use your body (not hands) to prevent her from getting up on furniture or recall her from furniture if she is already up there, ie claim the space by edging over gently without directly staring. These are safe ways to get what you want without confrontation, until you have explored reasons behind her behaviour.

Good luck and let us know what happens
Mary

I'm afraid I can't offer any more advice than has already been given, just wanted to say I understand how upset you are but please don't feel a failure. These things happen and I am sure you will find a solution.
Would love to see a piccie of Pheobe

It is extremely unusual for a Beagle to show signs of this sort of aggression so I would get some serious nedical tests sorted if I were you.

Debs

Hello All,

Thanks so much for all your replies. The support means a lot as we feel pretty devastated by this problem. I have booked Phoebe in for some blood tests and a sight and hearing test (she manages to hear me opening the door of the oven from the back of the garden so pretty sure it's not her hearing !!!) tomorrow so we'll see what the outcome of those are.

There are a couple of behaviourists that I've found on the web who are local to us. I'm not quite sure how I tell if they're reputable or not though...... they all seem to have lots of letters after their names from associations that I've never heard of

As Debs says, I have never heard of any aggression in a Beagle before. I grew up with Beagles and every one I've ever met seems to have the temperament of a saint.

Nippy, I shall post a pic later. All the ones I have on this computer are huge and too big to fit in my profile!

Thanks again for all our help/comments/etc.
Sarah

I would check out all the 'qualifications' on the internet - some of them I've seen are no more than a group of people getting together and forming a sort of club which they give letters to, others are genuine qualifications.

If there are specific qualifications/letters that you want further info on you can always ask on here whether anyone's heard of them.

Sorry to hear about the problems you are having, you are most certainly not a failure though.

I hope that all goes well tomorrow with Phoebe's vet check. Many behaviourists do need a referral from a vet so that they can exclude any medical reason for the dog behaving like that. As you are seeing your vet tomorrow you could ask them if they can recommend and refer you to a reputable behaviourist, should there be no medical reason for her behaviour.