Important Information About Beagles Giving Birth

A normal canine pregnancy lasts approximately sixty-three days following conception. Signs of pregnancy include increased appetite, weight and breast size. beagles with false pregnancy can also exhibit these symptoms, however. Veterinarians can usually diagnose pregnancy through abdominal palpation at twenty-eight days or by using ultrasound or X-ray tests.

Once pregnancy is confirmed, it’s time to review special feeding requirements and what to expect before, during and after the birth with your veterinarian. You should also be briefed on how to recognize and respond to an emergency.

A few days before she gives birth (known as whelping), the dog may refuse to eat and start to build her nest, where she plans to have her puppies. Unless you introduce her beforehand to a whelping box, the delivery room may be your closet, the space under your bed or any number of places you would probably consider inappropriate.

A whelping box should be sufficiently large to accommodate a comfortable stretch for the dog. It should have low sides and be placed in a warm, dry/draft-free and secluded place. Place towels or other soft material in the bottom of the whelping box. Fresh newspapers are also fine and may be easily removed and replaced as they become soiled during whelping. Once whelping is completed/ however, you should replace the newspapers with something that provides better footing for the puppies.

Shortly before whelping, the Beagle’s body temperature will drop to 99 degrees or lower (normal temperature for a dog is between l00 and 102.5 degrees). By this time, you should have shaved her belly, where appropriate, to allow the puppies to find the nipples. If she has a long or dense coat, you should also shave and clean the area around her genitals.

Approximately twenty-four hours after her temperature drops, she can be expected to enter the first stage of labor, when the cervix dilates and opens the birth canal for the passage of puppies. At this time, she will pant, strain, appear restless or may perhaps vomit. Vomiting is normal at the onset of labor, but persistent vomiting may be a sign of illness. This stage of labor is followed by actual abdominal straining and production of the puppies and placentas.

Most dogs give birth easily, without the need of human help. Each puppy emerges in its own placental membrane, which must be removed before the puppy can breathe. The mother usually takes care of this by tearing off and eating the membrane, and then severs the umbilical cord. After delivery, she will lick each puppy to stimulate its breathing.

Frequent licking, which continues for three weeks or so, also has another vital function: it stimulates the puppy to excrete waste. Without maternal assistance puppies cannot do so. At the time of birth, new mothers are also busy cleaning their offspring, warming them and allowing them to suckle. It is very important for the puppies to suckle soon after emerging from the womb. Suckling lets them ingest colostrum - a milk-like substance containing maternal antibodies which is produced in the mammary glands just after birth. Colostrum helps the newborn puppies fight infection in their early days while their own immune systems mature.

If You Live In The City Then Make Use Of The Alleys, Beagle’s Love It!

Most city dwellers never think of training their beagles in alleys. Many people think of alleys as being unsanitary as well as unsafe. But alleys are a great place to train a dog because there is little traffic and very few people.

If you are going to use an alley, make sure you find a clean alley in your neighborhood that is free from broken glass and strewn garbage. Also be on the lookout for cars exiting garages. Alleys are a great option if you don’t have a backyard or if you only have a limited amount of time to play with your dog and don’t have the time to go to the park.

Before entering an alley, the same methods should be used as in crossing streets. The dog should sit at the curb and you should practice street identification techniques. Cars don’t always stop at alleys before entering the street.

Alleys are a great place to play games with your Beagle. You can play a game of fetch, especially if you can get a friend to stand at one end of the alley so your puppy can’t take off from you. You can also bounce a ball against a brick garage and have your dog chase the ball. Clean areas around garbage cans and dumpsters also make a great place to play hide and seek with your dog while using your whistle.

I like alleys because there may be times when you don’t want to go to the park and compete with other dogs for your puppy’s attention. There is nothing wrong with playing with him in an alley before you let him graduate to the dog clubs in your park. You can also invite a couple of friends to have their dogs play with your dog in the alley too.

If your dog happens pick up garbage in the alley, then this is a great place to teach the “Drop it” and “Leave it” commands. Always have motivators on hand to distract him from objects he shouldn’t be putting in his mouth.

Exercising your dog in the city will give you a healthier and more confident dog. The city is full of obstacles and environments that act as agility courses. Don’t get me wrong, of course parks are a great environment for your dog but why limit yourself to taking your dog only to the park? Give your dog as much mental and physical stimulation as possible. When training your dog in different city environments, use common sense by not putting yourself or your dog in dangerous situations.

Your dog will even see a short errand with you as something fun and exciting. He’ll be thinking: “Now where are we going? What kind of fun are we going to have today?” Every walk will be an adventure. All your Beagle’s senses will be in optimal use. And as you train your dog in different city environments, you will feel more confident about taking him almost anywhere with you.

Identifying The Level Of Beagle Snapping Within A Family Pet

If you have a Beagle that has a bad habit of snapping at people, especially children, then you should first understand what this behavior means and why your dog may be doing it. Snapping is usually thought of as being a signal that dogs use to drive other dogs or people away, without biting them or inflicting serious injury. Often considered an expression of irritability, snapping is also a form of communication that females use to keep their puppies from pestering them.

It is natural to expect dogs to use snapping as a form of communication with people. beagles will usually not snap at adults to, whom they are subordinate. And with adults who are snapped at, it is usually only their hands that are at risk. With children, however, snapping can be dangerous, because a child’s face is often level with the dog’s head.

Centuries of selective breeding have attenuated this natural canine trait until dogs of some breeds now seem to be almost incapable of snapping, regardless of how much they are pestered. Yet however hard we try to train young children not to abuse or pester a dog until it becomes irritable, we cannot count on a child to always following instructions. Families with a young child at risk who still find themselves wanting a dog are therefore advised to select a breed that ranks low on snapping behavior.

Regarding a Beagle’s tendency to snap at children, the experts say: “This question deals with a dog’s tolerance for being poked, pulled, and handled by children, not always as kindly as we might like. Picture the prospective dog owners who want to feel confident that their dog, once it is an adult, will not snap at children. For such a person, can you rank these breeds from least to most likely to snap at children?”

Snapping is a characteristic that diners in prevalence from males to females, at least to a minor extent. According to the experts, males are in general somewhat more predisposed to snap than females. A good family or children’s pet would necessarily have to rank low when it comes to snapping habits. However, other characteristics, such as high rankings on demand for affection, playfulness, and obedience training, and a low ranking on dominance, certainly enhance the profile of a good family dog. Snapping is one component of the overall reactivity, explained at the beginning of this article, and beagles that are low on snapping will tend to be low on other traits associated with reactivity.

Hyperkinesis: Understanding The Over-Reactive Beagle

Anyone who has worked extensively with beagles has occasionally been confronted by an over active, sometimes raging, vicious beast, the handling of which has required a heavy-duty tranquilizer and several assistants. In many instances, such behavior cannot be explained by improper handling or cruelty and neglect by owners. When it seems that nothing can be done, the dog is written off as “just plain mean” and relegated to the end of a chain or destroyed as a menace to the neighborhood. Since the early 1970s, such excitable and vicious behavior has been identified in some dogs as hyperkinesis, which in children has been under study for 40 years, and which can be effectively treated medically.

Hyperkinesis information and cases need as much exposure today as ever. “Hyperkinesis,” as a diagnostic entity, is described as: A hyper behavior that is treatable with stimulants. A great deal of public ignorance abounds regarding hyperkinesis, probably because it has recently been given a new label, i.e. ‘attention deficit disorder.’ While ADD, as it is termed, may describe certain aspects of the readily observable behavior of a hyperkinetic dogs, it lacks the physiologic symptoms which can be described and measured.

Signs associated with hyperkinesis in beagles are usually displayed when the dog is stressed by close confinement and/or social isolation. Signs include rapid heart rate and respiration, excessive salivation, a high metabolic rate and reduced urine output.12 The major difficulty in identifying the syndrome, however, is that there is no apparent cause. Clinical signs may be evident in dogs that are normal in other circumstances. Moreover, dogs identified as hyperkinetic do not always exhibit the same behavior patterns or physical symptoms.

The Diagnosis: Despite variations, clinical signs can give the veterinarian diagnostic clues in distinguishing the hyper-reactive from the hyperkinetic pet. Initial clues may come from the pet owner. Complaints fall into the following categories:

1. The dog cannot sit still, even for aminute.

2. The dog never becomes accustomed to everyday situations.

3. He cannot be taught anything (often an obedience school failure).

4. The dog salivates constantly and always seems excited or nervous.

Many beagles living in stressful environments may be stimulated toward hyper-reactivity. An amphetamine response test can differentiate hyper-reactivity from hyperkinesis. The seemingly paradoxical calming effect of amphetamines and methylphenidate (Ritalin) on hyperkinetic and even violent children and adults has been put to use for many years. In veterinary cases, amphetamines have resulted in about 75% positive results.

Beagle Hyperkinesis: A Case Study Of Drug Treatment

The first controlled studies of hyperkinesis in dogs were an outgrowth of a long-term attempt to develop animal models of psychopathology. Dogs were chosen for these studies for several reasons, primarily because there were many carefully bred animals available. This allowed an evaluation of genetic strains in certain breeds. Also, dogs are the only domestic animal with a variety of emotional responses comparable to those seen in people: they worry about things not essential to their survival.

In studies designed to evaluate responses to stress, some dogs did not respond to Pavlovian conditioning. Positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and tranquilizers were all tried, but nothing worked. Typically such dogs would be eliminated from the study, but because the researchers were interested in the interaction of genetics and psychological environment, they were curious about dogs that appeared unwilling to be studied. Eventually the researcher decided they were dealing with the equivalent of a hyperkinetic children. On that basis, amphetamines were given, and the tentative diagnosis proved correct.

The first model of hyperkinesis in a dog was Jackson, a Cocker-Beagle mix whose usual response to any approach was to snap, snarl, growl or, if possible, bite. Many experienced, gentle dog handlers were bitten, until eventually laboratory personnel refused to approach the dog. Jackson responded the same to other dogs. He viciously attacked any dog without hesitation, even friendly and docile animals. He refused to submit to Pavlovian conditioning, and destroyed laboratory equipment in his rages.

Because depressants were not effective against Jackson’s abnormally hyperactive and vicious behavior, it was suspected that hyperkinesis may have been involved. On this assumption, the dog was given amphetamine orally. Within 2 hours, Jackson’s personality changed to complete docility. He whimpered as if he wanted to be petted. When petting was stopped, he begged for more. He became nonviolent, even submissive, toward the same dog he had attacked earlier. Jackson appeared to be perplexed and unsure of what to do.

When placed in the Pavlovian experimental stand after medication, Jackson responded normally and learned rapidly, indicating that his previous failure was not a result of mental retardation, but rather a secondary effect of his behavior problem. After 6 weeks of drug-facilitated psychosocial therapy, medication could be withdrawn without reappearance of aggression, but hyperkinesis reappeared in low-threat situations. Aggression was apparently trained out by the drug-facilitated social interaction and conditioning experiments, indicating that what is learned under the influence of amphetamines is retained later.

After 2 more months of psycho-social therapy using amphetamines, Jackson’s non-medicated hyperkinesis was also reduced. Because he was between 1 1/2 and 2 years old at the time of the experiments, maturation could have been associated with the cure; however, 6 older hyperkinetic dogs did not outgrow their abnormal behavior patterns.

Comfortable Bedding For Your Precious Beagle Puppy

A Beagle puppy or dog will take great comfort in discovering there is a warm, soft sleeping space all ready for her in her new home. Once you choose the type of bed she will be sleeping in, be sure to place the bed in a place free of loud noise and distraction - a new dog needs to sleep in relative calm.

The most popular commercially made beds are made of wicker. One of the advantages of a wicker bed is that movement causes it to creak, a sound that seems to calm dogs. However, dirt and crumbs get easily lodged in wicker. Wicker also is an easy target for teething and destructive puppies. Not only is it prone to damage, it can break off and wind up inside your puppy’s body. Therefore, avoid wicker beds for young beagle dogs.

Another type of bed available in pet stores is constructed of hard plastic. This will both indulge and survive dogs that relieve their anxiety by chewing on their beds. Beanbag chairs can also
work as long as the cover is very sturdy and can be easily removed and washed.

Of all beds, the one that makes the most sense is a collapsible crate or cage-like enclosure. A cage can be used for housebreaking purposes and often gives a new dog a sense of security. In essence, the new dog will “own” this structure, and consider it to be her very own space in the house. Standard crates suitable for dogs that never exceed thirty pounds are about two by four feet and stand three feet high. Larger enclosures are available to fit bigger breeds.

When She First Comes Home

When the Beagle puppy first enters your home, place her in her cage and leave her alone there. After ten or fifteen minutes, return and release her. While the puppy is in the cage, do your best
to resist her mournful howls, which should subside after a few minutes. Try to ease her fear by placing a light blanket over the cage to transform it into a cozy enclosure. Of course, the puppy’s world should in no way be confined to the cage. Supervised ventures throughout the house are crucial to her becoming fully acclimated to her new environment. A puppy probably longs for the snug camaraderie of sleeping with her litter-mates. To reproduce the warmth a mother and litter provides, wrap a lukewarm hot water bottle in a towel and place it in the bed.

puppies need gentle discipline to give them a sense of order. When it comes to bedtime, they need to learn early that sleep usually means temporarily leaving the fun and attention people provide. A puppy should be confined to her “room” when her natural sleeping time occurs. Stick to this schedule so that it becomes routine. A good way to ease the trauma of these nightly separations is to place a piece of your clothing in the Beagle puppy’s bed. The scent that emanates from the garment will be calming.