Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | I got a new puppy!! :) Here's a pic.

That's a hard question. Without me hearing it, I'm not sure what kind of growl you mean. If he's just playing, that's fine. If he's barking excessively, you certainly want to discourage that. Or if he's snapping at you, that should be discouraged too. But I would think at his young age, that he's just playing! A certain amount of nipping should be expected with such a young puppy. He's playing like he does with his canine brothers and sisters---and that's the only way he knows how to play. We just have to teach him what's exceptable and what's not.

If he is being too aggressive or nipping at young kids, just discourage him with a stern "No!" He should be able to tell by the tone of your voice that you mean business! Never hit at him. Use your voice! And try not to say his name with the "no"--- or he will associate his name with something negative and he won't want to come to you later when you call his name. Just a stern "No!" will do.

You mainly want to get his attention. Some people use the word "Out!" or "Ouch!" in a high pitched tone--anything to grab his attention and stop the misbehavior.

If he gets too rambunctious and you think things are totally out of hand, gently put him in his crate, close the door and ignore him until he settles down. (I know this is hard!) Don't scold him while he's in the crate. This is just a time-out period for him. He will learn that playing too hard doesn't get him any attention. You're trying to ignore bad behavoir!

And of course, if he's being good, always PRAISE him.

He sounds precious! I know you are enjoying him. Most beagles won't play fetch, which drives my husband crazy! Will he fetch a toy if you throw it? If he will, this is better than playing tug of war with him. Some dog trainers think playing tug of war with them only encourages them to use their mouths aggressively.

Hope this helps! Wish I could see him! We bathed our 2 today, and they loved being massaged by the towel afterwards. They smell so good now!

And yes if your neighbor with the beagles will let you bring him over, get him used to being around other dogs now! Ask her if they are friendly to other dogs. Most beagles like other beagles, but sometimes a spat can occur if they are 3 of them (3's a crowd!).

If she's not sure how her beagles will react, ask her to try one of hers with Rocco. Have her put one of hers on a leash, let the dogs sniff each other, and then you will know how they will get along. Both of you need to be present to see how they react. (Don't put them in a backyard and leave them ---not at first, anyway.) If there's any aggression shown, the owner should sternly tell that dog "No!"

We've had our 2 together with a large group of beagles from the rescue society, and they love playing together. Sometimes there's a growl or two, and we just discourage it, and the playing goes on fine.

I wanna see him! Send more pics!

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