Little Max is a beagle puppy to two young girls. These young pet parents play with him, make sure to walk him before school, have been extremely involved with his obedience training and continue to teach him new tricks!

Beagles make great family pets. However, they are not for the lazy 🙂 Beagles are bred to hunt. A group of beagles would lead the hunt using their excitable noses, and the white tip tails make it easy for the hunter to spot them! Stubborn, headstrong, and built to follow any trail, beagles need a lot of exercise and a firm command over their recall.

Sense of smell

Due to Max’s innate abilities to whisk away at a whiff, building a fool-proof recall was the most important. We started with the recall in the same room, reinforced it with hide and seek around the house, building up to outdoor recall on a long leash. We have had many successful off-leash and outdoor recall sessions since!

Possessive issues

Every time someone came to pet Max while he had a toy in his mouth, he would freeze ever so slightly. This could be the start of possession issues. We immediately stopped all handling near his face and neck when he had a toy in his mouth. Instead, we taught Max to play fetch! Fetch is not only great exercise, but is also an activity that encourages sharing. His pet parents play fetch with him using multiple toys, thereby avoiding having to snatch them away from his mouth. Max also enjoys a game of tug!

Kids

I always learn something new from my doggy clients, but this time I learnt something new about kids! I love that the Max’s young pet parents are responsible, tuned to his needs and so eager to engage with their pup. How often do you find a 9 yr old walking her beagle pup before school at 6.30am?

A few tips on safe interactions between dogs and children here.