In a little over a month, I'll be bringing home a brand spanking new, freshly minted beagle puppy. She'll be about 9-10 weeks old when I get her, so naturally, I'm turning to my fellow writers who may be beagle owners for any tips on beagle training and ownership.
I'm not new to dog ownership; my last dog, a Bernese Mountain Dog, was sadly put to sleep 2.5 years ago. She was the gentlest, most placid and sensible dog you could ever hope to meet despite some considerable health problems. I've purchased a book on beagles and devoured online resources about the breed too, but I'd hoped to hear about the trials and humourous anecdotes from owners of the dogs.
I'll be crate-training, with toilet training done in a designated astro-turfed 'toilet area' in the yard, and there's a spacious garden for exercise and play. She'll be in a house with an 8 month old Mal-shih pup (also for play), and a grumpy 20 year old cat (definitely not for play). I've bought the toys and the bowls and all the usual accessories, and I've got plans to do scent training to keep her mentally stimulated.
I've heard that beagles are generally intelligent but stubborn, and most of them not too reliable off the leash unless they've got exceptional recall. Any tips on introducing new puppy to other dogs and cat, plus discouraging play with aforementioned cat, and any other tips you can offer, would be muchly appreciated.
I'm not new to dog ownership; my last dog, a Bernese Mountain Dog, was sadly put to sleep 2.5 years ago. She was the gentlest, most placid and sensible dog you could ever hope to meet despite some considerable health problems. I've purchased a book on beagles and devoured online resources about the breed too, but I'd hoped to hear about the trials and humourous anecdotes from owners of the dogs.
I'll be crate-training, with toilet training done in a designated astro-turfed 'toilet area' in the yard, and there's a spacious garden for exercise and play. She'll be in a house with an 8 month old Mal-shih pup (also for play), and a grumpy 20 year old cat (definitely not for play). I've bought the toys and the bowls and all the usual accessories, and I've got plans to do scent training to keep her mentally stimulated.
I've heard that beagles are generally intelligent but stubborn, and most of them not too reliable off the leash unless they've got exceptional recall. Any tips on introducing new puppy to other dogs and cat, plus discouraging play with aforementioned cat, and any other tips you can offer, would be muchly appreciated.