BEAGLE INFORMATION

The First Few Nights (will be Hell — you might as well expect it)

For his entire short lifetime, your new puppy has spent virtually all of his time in a warm, cozy environment - first it was mom’s womb and then it was the ‘puppy pile’. If he got a little cold, he just had to burrow down to the bottom of the pile and he was warm. If he got a little lonesome, there were always plenty of siblings around for comfort. Things are different now that he is removed from his canine companions.

During the day when you are awake and cuddling him in your arms, you are the warm puppy pile. But when he wakes up in the middle of the night he is probably just a little lonesome for his former surroundings, and he probably also needs to pee. Therefore, he will probably cry. This is normal. Unlike puppies, adult dogs do not normally sleep in a heap, and they learn to be independent and self-sufficient while growing up.

What should you do when your Beagle puppy cries in the night? First, you should remember that a 7- or 8-week-old puppy must sleep in a warm place and does not have the bladder control of an adult; he can only hold himself for two or three hours. Second, dogs have an instinct to not poop or pee where they live (which in this case means their bed). Therefore, if your new puppy wakes up in the night and screams and it has been two or three hours since he last relieved himself, you should drag yourself out of bed and take the little tyke out for a whiz. After he has finished, you should return him to his bed and go back to yours. [For convenience, you may want to locate his sleeping quarters near your bed.] If he cries, harden your heart, stop up your ears, and let him cry. After 30 minutes or so, he will probably cry himself to sleep. Some puppies have a lot of stamina and will cry for hours. Of course, after another two or three hours, your Beagle has earned the right to go outside for another piddle.

At this age, puppies grow and mature really fast, and their bladder control matures along with everything else. What was said in the previous paragraph about a 7- or 8-week-old puppy doesn’t apply to an 11- or 12-week old puppy. By that time, they should be able to sleep through the night ... well, for at least six or seven hours, without having to go outside for a tinkle. If you have been consistent during the first week or so, you should find that your nights are again yours for uninterrupted slumber.

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Safety Issues The First Few Nights Crate Training Feeding

Vaccinations Socialization Biting, Jumping and Pulling Obedience Training

Chewing Exercise Grooming Dog Shows

Crate Training (providing your puppy with a life-long secure retreat)

The best favor you can do for your Beagle is to buy him a ‘crate’ that he can hang out in. There are basically two kinds of crates. An ‘airline crate’ is made of hard plastic and has metal bar air vents on the sides and a metal-bar door. It is called an airline crate because it is what you would use to take your dog on an airplane trip. The most common brand is called a Vari-Kennel. You can also buy a ‘wire crate’ that is made solely of metal bars. This might have an advantage if you live in Hawaii or Saudi Arabia, but it has been our experience that Beagles like the sense of warmth and privacy afforded by the Vari-Kennel.
Vari-Kennels can be bought at most pet supply stores, from vendors at dog shows, and from mail order houses that specialize in pet supplies. They come in several sizes, designated as 200, 300, 400, 500, etc. An adult Beagle will need either the 200 (for 13") or 300 size (for larger dogs). There is an even larger Vari-Kennel (700), which might be appropriate for a large Great Dane or perhaps a Shetland pony, but there are good reasons not to provide your Beagle with one of these King-Kong-Krates. For one thing, you will eventually want to take your puppy on a trip and it is really convenient if his crate can go too. The problem is that it is difficult to get the Shetland-pony-size Vari-Kennel into most vehicles, so you lose out on one of the really neat features of crate training. Also, remember that if the crate is big enough, your puppy will just choose one end for sleep and the other as a bathroom - so you also lose out on the crate as a housebreaking tool.

The crate should be equipped with a ‘crate mat’ - something soft and comfy for your puppy to curl up on. Most pet supply stores sell various kinds of crate mats made to fit Vari-Kennels and other crates of various sizes. We recommend against mats that are covered foam rubber. Beagles seem to really love to shred foam rubber and will rip through the toughest cover to get to the heart of the matter. The first thing you know, your nice new $50 foam-rubber crate mat has been reduced to rubble. (Although this is a diversion, you also want to avoid doggy beds that are filled with polystyrene beads. There is no sight quite so spectacular as a whole house full of these pesky little white beads, each magnetized with static electricity, after your Beagle has ripped up the outer cover.) Actually, you can make a perfectly serviceable crate mat by folding up a couple of old towels so that they fit the dimensions of the crate.

The crate serves several useful functions. First, if your Beagle gets used to sleeping in it from the time he is a little puppy, it will become his warm, comfortable retreat for the rest of his life. When he has grown up, you will occasionally find that he has curled up in his open crate for a nap, or just to get away from the noise and hubbub of the house. The value of crate training is really apparent on those occasions when you have guests who are uncomfortable with dogs (just put the Beagle in his crate for a few hours) and when you travel (your Beagle is never away from home, because his crate goes everywhere he does).

Some people have an instinctive prejudice against crates, because they equate them with cages and feel that putting a dog in a crate is like putting an animal in a zoo. What you should remember is that a Beagle (especially a young one) is going to sleep quite a bit of the time anyway, so why not have him sleep in a warm and familiar and safe place like his very own crate?
DOWN TO 'BUSINESS' - CRATE TRAINING

But the really great thing about a crate is that you can use it to potty train your new puppy. Here is how you do it. As we have already explained, dogs have an instinct to not foul their living quarters. So when the puppy wakes up from his nap in his crate and needs to go potty, what do you think he will do? You got it—he will yell to get your attention. What he is telling you is that he wants to get out so that he can go do his stuff. At this point you should take him to wherever it is that you are training him to poop and piddle and stand around with him until he does it. Then you praise him extravagantly and take him back in the house. He can stay out in the room with you as long as you are able to supervise him and keep a close eye on him. As soon as you are not able to give him your undivided attention, put him back in his crate. Since he is probably exhausted from all the playtime he has just had, he will probably curl up for another nap. When he wakes up again, repeat the whole process.

What you are doing is using the crate to confine the little tyke so that he doesn’t wake up from his nap and take a whiz on your Persian rug while you are on the phone or in the shower, or otherwise distracted. Since he doesn’t want to piddle on his own Persian rug (his crate mat), he lets you know when he is ready to do his stuff. Then you get to give him all the right positive reinforcement for doing it where you want him to do it. Voila! In no time at all you have a house-broken puppy.

As your puppy gets the idea that the backyard is the place to do his elimination routine, you will find that he won’t have to be confined to his crate at all. In fact, he will soon go to the door and tell you in some doggy way that he needs to heed the call of Nature. But you must be vigilant! Learn his body language. Some puppies will whine or scratch at the door. Some will just pace around looking uncomfortable. The point is, if you don’t get the message, pretty soon he is going to make his deposit(s) on the floor by the door. Every time you let this happen you have suffered a setback in your house-breaking campaign, because he has learned that ‘in the house’ is an acceptable place to do his nasty stuff. Therefore, even after he has become pretty trustworthy about where he does his business, it is still a good idea to put your Beagle in his crate when you are going to be too busy to pay attention to him. Whereas he might just make a puddle on the floor by the front door (after all, it is a long way from his bed or his rug by the fireplace), he is really going to yell if he is actually in his bed. And you will hear him (I guarantee you, you will hear him) and you can excuse yourself from your phone conversation long enough to take him out for his constitutional.

All-in-all, effective crate training is probably the single most important thing that you can do to assure that you and your Beagle get off to a good start and have a harmonious life together.
LEAVING PUPPY FOR LONGER PERIODS

Say you need to confine the little guy to a room or area, like when you need to get more groceries and puppy kibble and have lunch with your friends and... it's just going to be too long to leave the baby in a crate with no opportunity to pee. You can buy an "exercise pen" if you have a large open area that has an easily washable floor (kitchen?) or you can close off a small room with a baby gate or simply by closing an existing door. The puppy will probably be happier out where he can see that there's nothing exciting happening he is missing out on, so the exercise pen might be well worth the investment. I've heard stories of what a puppy can accomplish left alone in a bathroom for a couple of hours!
Whatever you choose, you'll need to provide a few things:
SAFETY - no cords, plants etc in reach, and a comfortable temperature.
COMFORT - a cozy bed, even if it's just a couple of old towels.
WATER - a reliable (non-tip) source of clean water is essential.
POTTY FACILITIES - our puppies have grown up with constant access to a clean potty area of pine shavings. A kitty litter box filled with the same shavings they sell for bunnies serves this purpose well for a single puppy. Some people use newspaper but the puppies' paws do get dirty with ink and most puppies LOVE to shred it!
ENTERTAINMENT - calming toys are probably best. Something to chew on or snuggle with rather than something to throw madly around, knocking the water bowl over and upsetting the litter pan.

One more word on a related topic - barriers. Whether you choose an exercise pen or a gate placed in a doorway, don't make it too low. I recommend a minimum of 36" for a puppy, 48" if you hope to use it for your adult beagle. If the puppy is faced with an impossible obstacle, he will not challenge it as much. If he ever makes his escape - well, now he's got the idea that barriers are not insurmountable. He will always look at every gate and fence with the idea of getting over it. I believe this is often how fence-challenging dogs are created. Then you have a lifelong problem with a dog who is an escape artist. Sadly, that life is often a short one as the escapee runs into deadly trouble.

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Feeding (very popular topic for beagles!)

A Beagle puppy grows at a prodigious rate, and needs a lot of fuel. Puppies usually start on a good quality Puppy Food that is soaked in warm water until the little bits are soft. Babies should be fed three times a day, upon waking (about 6 am at our house), in the afternoon (about 1:30 or 2:00 pm), and before bed (about 9:00 pm). You can change to two meals a day at about four months of age. As their little mouths get stronger, you can reduce the amount of ‘soaking’ time. By the time they are about four months old, you shouldn’t need to presoak the food at all. In fact, this is the time they begin losing their puppy teeth and it actually helps them in teething to crunch on the dry kibble.

Feed your eight-week old puppy as much as he wants to eat at each feeding. This will probably be about 1/2 cup of kibble in each meal. If he wolfs it all down, licks the bowl clean, and searches all around the kitchen for more, give him another portion. Pretty soon you will have him calibrated. If he doesn’t eat all you give him after 15 or 20 minutes, pick up his bowl. Do not leave food out for your puppy all day. ‘Free-feeding’ can lead to all sorts of problems, including Oprah Winfrey-shaped Beagles and generally picky eaters. It also causes problems later when you want to travel with your pet. When it is time to eat dinner in Peoria, you want your Beagle to eat dinner now, not dally around for a few hours until he thinks the time is right. If the little critter doesn’t eat anything in 15 minutes, don’t worry about turning him into a Somalian-dog. He will probably be just that much hungrier at the next feeding time. Eventually, when he is hungry enough, he will eat.

Most beagles will eventually be needing 1/2 to 1 cup of kibble, twice a day. If you can feel his ribs, but not see them easily, and if he has a distinctive 'waist' when viewed from above, he's probably just right.

Dog food is expensive. To get the most value for your money, be sure to store it properly. Most dry dog food is sold in three-ply paper bags with a plasticized liner. This type of packaging ensures a sturdy wrap for shipping, as well as protection from moisture. Once the bag is opened, it's best to store a week or two's supply of food in an airtight container in the kitchen (out of the beagle's reach!). The rest of the bag, with the top rolled to make it as airtight as possible, is best stored in the freezer. If you don't have room in your freezer, buy dogfood in smaller bags rather than storing it in less-than-optimal conditions. If exposed to air for long periods the fat in the kibble oxidizes, making it rancid and highly likely to make your dog sick. As well, dog food stored in a garage or shed is a sure way to attract rats and mice.
TREATS
Just as there are different reasons for treats, there are appropriate treats for each occasion. Our dogs get a very small dog biscuit (or half of one) every time they enter their crate (makes them always happy to oblige). Variety is the spice of life, and fresh foods occasionally are very good for health and happiness. A raw carrot makes an excellent chew toy (just make sure it's outside and not on your white carpet!). Slices of apple are appreciated by most dogs. Leftover veggies from last night's dinner make an appetizing addition to the breakfast bowl of kibble (just lay off the gravy). When I really want my dog's attention - when I'm training for instance - this requires something special. Small pieces of cooked beef or pork liver are undoubtedly the favourite. Chicken is a nice change. Or make liver pancakes and be really popular! Just blend raw liver with an egg and a generous sprinkle of garlic powder, and blend in just enough flour to make 'pancake' batter. Cook just like pancakes, cool and freeze in plastic baggies. One pancake in your pocket and you have your beagle's attention for a whole training session - just break off little bits as rewards.

A word about feeding canned food. DON'T. Your beagle will quickly be spoiled and refuse to eat their kibble, which is FAR better for their general health and for their teeth in particular. Beagles fed canned food are especially prone to dental problems and you may find you have a very fat beagle who is picky about what he eats and who has to have expensive dental surgery yearly.

Briarlane Beagles are powered by ProPlan!

If your Beagle does develop a weight problem, it is much easier to solve than your own. This is because his diet is totally under your control. Let’s say he is eating about 2 cups of dry food every day and you decide that he needs to lose two or three pounds. What you do is reduce the kibble to 1½ cups a day. Of course, all Beagles think they are perpetually underfed, and he won’t like the empty feeling in his stomach one bit. So you make up the missing bulk with something filling but non-caloric, like puffed wheat or canned pumpkin.
WARNING! DISGUSTING STUFF NEXT!
Some dogs (not just Beagles) eat their excrement. Yes, it's disgusting, but true. Not very pleasing to have them come up and lay a big wet kiss on you once you know they do that! Solutions? Obviously, pick up their yard often, so it's just not there. There's a product called Forbid that you add to their food which is supposed to make the by-product untasty or unappetizing (wasn't it before?!) I've also heard of people having success by feeding pineapple, meat tenderizer and other things. I'd worry about the meat tenderizer as being not very healthy long-term, and remember you'd have to give whatever to ALL the dogs in your household. My favourite is to give the dogs about 1/4 cup each of rabbit food with each meal. Yes, rabbit food! It's primarily alfalfa, which is high in chlorophyll (the main ingredient in Forbid, I believe) and the chlorophyll reacts in the dog's gut in such a way as to make the stool unpalatable. The bonus is that it's filling, low calorie, gives the dogs sweet breath and the dogs love it!

And if you have a cat, plan on locating that litter box (and cat food) up on a shelf or somewhere the dog cannot reach. Kitty-litter crunchies are an absolute favourite with the canine crowd.

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Vaccinations (and other ways to minimize health risks)

It is very important that a puppy be vaccinated to protect against several infective agents that are particularly devastating to dogs - canine distemper (D), canine adenovirus-2 (A2), canine parainfluenza (P), leptospirosis (L), and canine parvovirus-2 (P). The most common vaccination is a combination of vaccines against the foregoing viruses, called DA2PL-P. It is given subcutaneously (under the skin), usually in the area on the neck to one side of the shoulder blades. The first vaccination is usually given at about six to eight weeks of age, with boosters four and eight weeks later. Some vets recommend a fourth booster at sixteen weeks. Sometimes, vets omit the leptospirosis component from the first two vaccinations because this organism is rare and most vaccination reactions seem to result from the leptospirosis component. The final vaccination, for rabies, is given at 16-18 weeks of age. In addition, some veterinarians recommend that puppies be vaccinated against canine coronavirus and kennel cough (canine infectious tracheobronchitis, caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica). If you live in an area where ticks are a problem and/or you walk your beagle in the woods, then you should vaccinate against Lyme disease

The latest research is recommending boosters every third year. The more frequent schedule has been blamed for compromising the auto-immune systems of some dogs. If your vet insists on a yearly schedule. perhaps they are motivated more by profit than by the health of your pet. See if they are willing to discuss a more moderate approach to vaccination. You have put a lot of money and love into your puppy by this time and you certainly don’t want to jeopardize his health by being careless with his vaccination schedule.

It is not unusual for a puppy (or even an adult) to have a ‘shot reaction’, which usually appears as a lump under the skin where the shot was given. This bump usually appears within a few days of the vaccination, but it can appear up to two weeks later. It normally lasts a day or two and then subsides. If such a bump appears and persists for a week, consult your vet.

Puppies are particularly vulnerable to parvovirus, which can be fatal. It is important to keep your puppy away from unknown dogs until he has completed his full regimen of inoculations. However, parvo is transmitted in the feces so you must also be careful about taking your puppy for walks where infected dogs may have walked and defecated. Finally, there is some evidence that parvo has been carried by flies from one fecal pile to another, so you shouldn’t let your puppy's poop accumulate in the backyard - he could catch parvo from his own excrement.

If vaccination is so important, why do we wait until the pup is six weeks old to start? The answer has to do with an interesting natural protective mechanism. A new-born puppy has no natural antibodies. However, during the first 24-48 hours the milk of the nursing bitch contains colostrum, a material that provides the pups with immunity to various infective agents. We can’t vaccinate a very young puppy because the antibodies obtained from the mother would just neutralize the vaccine. Therefore, we must wait until some of the colostrum-induced protection wears off. Full development of the immune system takes several months, so there is a ‘window’ during which the level of the mother’s antibodies have declined significantly, and the pup is just beginning to be capable of making his own antibodies in response to a vaccine. This time is at about six or seven weeks of age. However, just as this is the optimum time for vaccination, it is also the time that the pup is most susceptible to infection. It is crucial to be vigilant about exposure of the pup during this vulnerable period. Also, don’t be deluded into thinking that just because the pup has had one or two vaccinations, it is safe. It takes time to build up the antibody titer, and your puppy won’t have maximum protection until the whole vaccination course has been finished.

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Socialization (to other dogs and to people)

Dogs, and particularly hounds, are pack animals. In the natural state, every individual has his or her place in the pack, and this place is established by a complicated set of interactions with the other members of the pack. When little puppies snarl and growl at each other, it is not all play - they are testing their dominance and establishing just where they belong in the pack. It is important to provide a developing puppy with ample opportunity to play with other puppies and adult dogs because it is through these interactions that they learn how to interact with other dogs. If your puppy is completely deprived of canine companionship through his formative months, there is a risk that he will become either overly timid and submissive, or overly aggressive. Just put yourself in his place. Suppose some giant master took you under his wing and kept you completely away from other humans for a few years. How do you think you would react when you finally were permitted to meet other humans? There is a good chance you would feel very frightened and want to run away or hide. Alternatively, you might feel threatened and compelled to drive the others away.

However, don’t forget that your puppy needs to avoid contact with unknown (unvaccinated)dogs as much as possible until he finishes his vaccination regimen. Therefore, between the time he goes home with you (about eight weeks) and the time he finishes his DA2PL-P series (about 12 weeks), he should have only limited interaction with others. After that, he should have plenty of buddies with whom to play doggy games.

Remember that when you walk your puppy, you should be a good citizen about picking up his poop. This is generally a good idea for all public situations (keep yourself stocked with an ample supply of plastic bags for this purpose).

Puppies also need to learn how to interact with people. Remember that the little tyke was born into the world being submissive to all adult dogs. As he grows larger and stronger, he will eventually test his rank in the pack against the adult dogs. These tests of dominance might lead to a change in pack rank. More likely, the adult will put the puppy in his place and he will remain submissive to the adults. Eventually, when he is fully mature, he will probably become strong enough to establish dominance over one or more of the adults in his pack, and the order will change.

Now it is very important for you to realize that to your puppy you are just another adult dog in his pack. As he grows up, he will test your strength and resolve to keep him in his subservient position in the pack. If you want to have a manageable Beagle, your job is to maintain your position as ‘alpha dog’ in your local pack. The way to do this is to maintain firm control from the start, because if you give your Beagle the upper hand, it is the Devil’s own job to convince him to return to his ‘beta’ position in your local pack. This is why obedience classes are so important.

You can continually remind your puppy that you are boss in a lot of very simple little ways. For example, we know of a house where the dogs are not allowed to eat until they are given permission. They usually have three adult dogs in the house, and sometimes four or five. They have taught them that at meal time they are to sit on the kitchen floor and wait for their food bowl to be placed in front of them. When all of the dogs are seated, with bowl to the fore, one of them stands for 5-15 seconds and just lets them realize that they can’t have it until they are given permission. When they say the word ‘chow’ they are allowed to eat (and usually manage to finish dinner in another 5-15 seconds). Sometimes they have ‘spelling tests’, by giving incorrect commands (e.g., chair, plow, chop, now, ...). If one of the dogs goes for the bowl on one of these incorrect words, they make them sit back down and wait a little longer before giving the correct command. This little trick is very easy to teach. The reason it works so well is that they do it twice a day, and dogs learn best by repetition, and they quickly learn that they always get their reward eventually.

The ‘chow’ routine is enormously impressive to guests. More importantly, it serves as a constant reminder to the dog that you are ‘alpha’. There are a number of other everyday situations that can be turned into opportunities to remind your Beagle that you are boss of your local pack. For example, when you take him out for a walk, he is probably eager to get out the door. Take advantage of this eagerness and let getting out the door become a reward - to earn it he has to sit inside the door while you walk out and then continue to sit for a few seconds until you give him permission to follow you, using some appropriate command like ‘walk’ or ‘outside’.

You can further reinforce the proper pack order by locating your Beagle's crate on the floor in your bedroom. In real dog packs, the alpha dog always gets the prime sleeping place in the den, which is the highest spot. Your puppy will instinctively recognize your family as a pack if you sleep in the same den, and he will respect your alpha role in the pack if you sleep up on the bed while he is relegated to a lower, not so prime spot.

There is one final point about socializing your dog to people. Beagles are very people-oriented and will freely approach strangers. You must remember that there are people in the world who don’t like dogs, or are afraid of dogs. So when your rambunctious, 6-month-old, 20-pound beautiful Beagle bounds across the room to greet a new person, the experience might be quite frightening for the recipient of his enthusiasm. Remember, not everyone knows that a furiously wagging tail and a crouch with front legs splayed out mean ‘be my friend - let’s play.’ Some people might just interpret this behavior as ‘how dare you come into my space; now you’re going to get what’s coming to you.’ The bottom line is that it would be better for all of us if we taught our Beagles as pups that they are only to approach a person if they are invited to do so.

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Biting, Jumping and Pulling (the biggest puppy 'sins')

BITING AND MOUTHING - The primary interface between a puppy and the outside world is his mouth - he eats, howls, and plays with this important organ. If you watch a pack of puppies playing with each other, you will see that they are constantly chewing on ears, legs, tails, and about any other part of an anatomy that can fit into their little mouths. Occasionally this play is punctuated by a sharp yelp from the bitee, which gives the message "Ouch, that’s too hard!" You will see that the response of the bitor is to ease up on the force of his biting. This is the way puppies learn how to play without causing damage to each other.

Puppies are also educated to inhibit their instinctive biting urge by their mother. When a puppy bites down too hard on her teat or ear, her reaction is to place her mouth over the puppy’s head or muzzle and apply gentle pressure. The message here is the same as is given by the fellow puppy: "Hey, don’t you bite so hard!" Actually, mom dog uses this little routine often to discipline her pups. It actually means something like, "Don’t you forget who is boss here!"

Now, when you play with your Beagle, he will behave pretty much the same way as he does in playing with his mom or puppy fellows. He will chew on your pant leg, tug at your shoelaces (they really like shoelaces), and bite on your hand. As long as he nibbles gently on your fingers, that is ok - after all, you do want him to be willing to have you or the vet (or a dog show judge) open his mouth to look at his pearly whites. However, you will have to let him know what is ok and what is too hard. The most direct way to do this is to tell him in language he understands. Do it like the other pups do - by letting out a piercing shriek and pulling your hand quickly away. Then offer your hand back. If he licks it or mouths it gently, give him a big, gushy "goooood boy." If he bites too hard again, repeat the yelp, then growl and pull your hand away. If your puppy still bites too hard after three of these admonitions, more drastic action is required. At this point, you can act like mom dog and place your mouth over his little muzzle and give him the "Don’t you forget who is boss here" message. However, most people find that this behavior makes them feel just a little foolish. A more polished way to handle the situation is to get up, growl and walk away. What you are doing by this gesture is telling your puppy "If you’re going to bite me too hard even when I tell you it hurts, then you can just play by yourself" Then let him stew in his loneliness for awhile (it won’t be long, since the attention span of a puppy is about thirty seconds).

JUMPING UP - Right now it's cute when he gets on his hind legs and tries to jump up on you. But it won't be when he's taller and heavier in a few weeks. And it definitely won't be when he's full grown, especially if he's a sturdy 15" specimen. So, here's what you can do to cure him of this habit! Let him go up on his hind legs and put those front paws out to brace on you. But, instead of letting his paws touch your legs or body, you bend towards him and take one paw in each hand. Don't growl, don't say "NO", don't do anything negative. Just talk sweetly to him in a nice voice, lots of happy talk, but keep a good hold on those paws. In a couple of seconds he will want to get down and will try to pull back those paws. Don't let him. Just keep him on his hind legs while you hold his paws another couple of seconds and then let him go AT YOUR CONVENIENCE RATHER THAN WHEN HE WANTED TO GET DOWN while continuing to talk sweetly to him. Throw a toy, pet him on the floor, whatever. When he comes over the next time and gets on his hind legs to jump up on you, repeat the process. Eventually he will decide jumping up is not so fun after all, and instead he'll nudge you with his nose or lean against you with all four of his feet on the floor to get your attention instead of trying to jump up on you. Eventually you'll hopefully have a Beagle who knows the best way to greet people is to sit and look cute!

PULLING ON LEAD - most beagles pull their owners mercilessly around. Training them not to takes patience and a willingness by the dog walker to not actually GO anywhere for a while, but it IS possible. These training tips are based on an adult beagle who has already developed the habit, for a young puppy modify it a bit so you're not quite so rough on the baby's neck.

CHOKE CHAINS - Never use a choke chain on a puppy - only a simple flat collar until they are at least 6 months old. For safety's sake, NEVER leave a choke chain on your dog. They are only for training; leaving them on when your dog is unsupervised is asking for disaster. The chain can easily get caught and strangle the dog. So, please - never, NEVER leave a choke chain on an unsupervised dog.
Have treats in your pocket and reward the beagle with a small tidbit when he is walking at your side paying attention to you ON A LOOSE LEAD. When you expect this kind of attention let him know by telling him 'Heel!' when you start out. It's important to catch every tiny moment of attention. Give him an instant verbal treat (Yes! or Good Boy!) and get that food to him ASAP. Try as much as possible to have a loose lead - no tension on it at all. That forces him to pay attention to where you are and what you are doing - he can't rely on the leash as a telegraph line.

Now, every time he pulls ahead of you, SAY NOTHING! just turn around abruptly and go off briskly in the other direction. He'll get jerked off his feet and give himself the correction for not paying attention. When he catches up to you, say something like 'There you Are!' and give him a treat if he looks up at you. Keep this up indefinitely - your neighbours will think you are nuts, going back and forth and seemingly ignorant of the fact there is a dog on the end of the leash as you do your about turns.

Now eventually you'll want to be able to let him get a bit ahead of you (like on a flexi lead) but you still don't want him to pull. For this you'll need to develop an 'at ease' or 'ok' command to let him know he doesn't have to give you all his attention. When you tell him it's ok, he can then sniff the ground and make those brief pauses to investigate smells as he so likes to do. This would also be when he's able to relieve himself. You need to differentiate from walking paying attention to you and walking for recreation or potty breaks. That's what the 'ok' or 'at ease' command is all about. Now to avoid him pulling when he's in 'at ease' mode, you'll also have to get a really good 'come' or 'here' happening. We do that by always having cookies in our pockets. Call them to you ONLY when they have a lead on and you can enforce a quick come. Give the command and immediately reel them in like a giant salmon, then give a cookie. Within a week you'll have him running to you instantly when you give him that command. If he's on a long leash and starts pulling, call him to you and that will distract him from whatever had his interest. Then make him walk at your side giving you his attention ('Heel!') for a few minutes before he gets the 'at ease' privilege again.

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Obedience Training (soon, or you’ll regret it!)

One of the first things you will want to do is enroll your Beagle puppy in a puppy training class. These are offered in most communities, usually in the evening at a Community Center or by the local obedience club. Sometimes they are available through pet supply stores. Most puppy classes will not accept your dog until the last shots have been administered (roughly four months of age). The normal format of a puppy class is a one-hour class every week for about eight weeks. There will usually be 10-15 owners with their puppies in these classes, and they cost $50-75.

Puppy class isn’t actually for the puppy; it is for you. You will be taught a series of exercises for your puppy, and it is your responsibility to see that he is put through his paces every day for the two months of the course. Usually, you and your puppy will learn a few basic commands, including ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘stay’, and ‘come’. Sometimes you will be shown how to teach him a few ‘fun’ commands, such as ‘roll over’, ‘bang, you’re dead,’ and ‘shake hands.’ Puppy class is a good starting point, partly because it brings your puppy into regular contact with other young dogs (and therefore contributes to his socialization), and partly because these are really basic commands that he needs to know.

But puppy class is just a beginning. We recommend that you enroll your puppy in a normal obedience class as soon as you finish puppy class, when he is about six months of age. In any event, you should do this before he is nine months old. It is essential that you get firm control of your Beagle while he is still young and relatively pliable. Before you know it, he will be strong enough to literally drag you down the street if he takes a mind to. Just as there are many puppy classes, there are also lots of regular dog obedience classes. Again, they are offered through community centers, pet supply stores, and by local dog clubs. Enough said.

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Chewing (what’s his is his and what’s yours isn’t!)

Puppy teeth erupt at about three weeks of age. They are sharp as needles, but a little puppy doesn’t really have enough strength to do major damage with them. Besides, a little puppy is normally pretty well contained, what with potty training and all that. The trouble begins when the puppy teeth begin to be replaced by adult teeth. The process of teething begins when the puppy is about 4-5 months of age and continues for several months. The first permanent teeth are the incisors, then the premolars and canines, and finally the molars.

When the permanent teeth begin to erupt, the puppy needs to chew. If you aren’t careful, he can chew you out of house and home. You should anticipate this period by beginning immediately to teach your Beagle what he can and cannot chew. Observe a few simple rules.

Do not give him old shoes or other such household items as chew toys. [How do you expect the little critter to tell the difference between your old worn-out Reeboks and your new $600 Gucci loafers?

Do give him some acceptable chew toys. His chew toys should not look a lot like other items found in your home that are on the non-chewable list. For example, if there are children in your home, it might be hard for little three-month-old Beagle to distinguish a plastic chew toy from a quite similar child’s toy. A compressed rawhide bone is usually a safe chew toy for a puppy, since most children don’t have one.

Do not give him too many toys at one time. Remember, he doesn’t have much gray matter on board at two or three months of age, and you want him to learn to distinguish between what is his (chewable) and yours (not chewable). If you litter the house with his stuff, he will have a hard time deciding which few things are yours. Better that he have a few chew toys at first. Once you are sure that he has them well identified, you can add some more.

When you catch your puppy chewing one of your possessions, take it away, give him a firm ‘no’ and replace it with one of his toys. When he takes it into his mouth, give him a lot of positive reinforcement (‘goooood boy’).

Never go away and leave your puppy alone in a room where he is likely to get into trouble. If you go out for dinner and come back to find your brief case, two pairs of shoes, and the coffee table reduced to items for the junk hauler, what do you do? You certainly can’t punish the poor little critter because by then he will have completely forgotten what he did. All you have accomplished is to give him a lot of practice in chewing up things that belong to you, and since you weren’t there to correct him, he naturally assumes it was ok.

Most dogs will get through the chewing routine by the time they are 12-18 months old. With Beagles, there's always the exception who likes to chew his whole life!

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Exercise (Beagles need to unwind)

Beagle puppies have an enormous amount of energy and you will have to provide a way for them to burn off some of this enthusiasm every day from the time they are four- or five-months old. If you have a large fenced yard, and more than one Beagle, you will likely find them racing about playing 'tag' at least once a day. If you are not graced with two or more Beagles and your own exercise yard, you will have to accept that the house is a viable alternative and that you are the chosen playmate.

As your dog ages, you will find that he doesn’t require vigorous exercise quite as frequently. In fact, the favorite activity of all adult Beagles is lounging on the sofa or bed watching television. However, for brief periods every day they still like to have the opportunity to race around and be silly. Our three adults spend most of every day curled up on something soft. However, there is a time every afternoon, usually when the sun sinks low and the day begins to cool, when they become banshees. We live on a fairly large lot in a suburban area.

Caution! Forced exercise (jogging or running on leash) should NOT be started until the dog is at least 12 months old, because activity of this sort can cause problems for developing bones, joints and cartilage.

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Grooming (Ears and Toenails and Teeth, oh my!)

COAT
One of the nice things about Beagles is that they are relatively low-maintenance pets! They have short coats that only need a good rub down once a week. Although they do shed once or twice a year, their hair is so short that you don’t see it piling up all over the house (mind you, the black ones always land on white stuff and the white ones on black stuff).
Unless they are showing, our beagles get baths every few months. A really good reason to give a bath is a shedding beagle - you can get a whack of hair out all at once in the bathtub (make sure you have a hair-catcher in the drain!). This is a good time to use that handy rubber Zoom Groom. It just pulls all that loose hair right out when it's wet!
The easiest way to bathe your puppy will be in the kitchen sink. Have at least two big fluffy towels handy - one for the puppy and one for you! No, actually I use two towels to dry the puppy, one to take most of the water off (those feet hold a LOT of water!) and the second to cuddle him in til he's really warm and almost completely dry. Once your Beagle is bigger I recommend bathing in the bathtub, with a shower extension for wetting down and rinsing. Use a mild shampoo specially made for dogs - human shampoos are the wrong PH. Rinse really well and don't scrub the skin too hard or your beagle will get dandruff! Try not to get water in the ears, and make sure you dry the inside of the ears thoroughly with cotton balls after bathing.
NAILS

The second item of maintenance is toe nails. Most Beagles need their nails trimmed once every week or two, and most beagles absolutely hate it! Don't let them convince you that it is not absolutely necessary:-)

For a little puppy nails are best done with people nail clippers, preferably while they are fast asleep in your lap. Get in the habit of taking a small snip (about 1 millimeter) off of each nail weekly, and reward your puppy with little treats after every few toes. In this way, he will grow up with nail-jobs being a normal part of life.

A grown up Beagle will need regular nail clippers, which can be purchased from pet supply stores, through the pet supply catalogs, or at dog shows. The nail clippers come in several sizes, you'll want medium size for Beagles. If you can arrange to have a raised flat surface (we use a grooming table, but a kitchen island or even the top of a washing machine will work), and pad it with a folded towel for the beagle's comfort and to make clean-up easier. I find it much easier if the beagle is lying on his side for nail clipping.

Another great tool for adult nails is with an electric grinder (we use a Dremel battery-powered model). The grinder is much faster and you can use it for the whole job, or to round off the nails so you aren’t left with sharp edges after clipping. It is also more difficult to ‘quick’(to get into the sensitive part and make it bleed) a nail with a grinder. However, if you are going to use a grinder, start at a fairly young age - four to six months, and start gently. Be careful to apply a light touch and not let the grinder sit to long over an area of the toenail, the friction can heat up the nail and become painful very quickly. Most dogs aren’t fond of the buzzing sound, and I'm convinced they find that it tickles. Just take off a little the first few times and give frequent ‘bravery rewards’, and he will soon get used to it.

A dog nail consists of a living inner part called the ‘quick’ and a dead outer part. The thickness of the dead outer layer is on the order of 2-3 millimeters (only about 1/10 of an inch) on an adult nail. In trimming nails, you want to cut or grind away the dead outer part of the nail without cutting into the quick. If you get into the quick, your Beagle will yell (because it hurts!) and he will bleed like a stuck pig. If you happen to quick a nail, don’t panic - you should have on hand a supply of Kwik-Stop, which is a powder that you dab on the end of the nail to stop the bleeding. When I say 'on hand' I mean right there open next to you whenever you do the nails! I must warn you though that your Beagle WILL remember this the next time you pick up the nail clippers.

See Nail Trimming Diagram
EARS

As with most any dog, your Beagle’s ears will need to be cleaned. The problem is that the long, pendulous ear flap tends to hold in moisture and make it an ideal breeding ground for nasty yeasts and bacteria.

Clean your Beagle's ears weekly with a proprietary brand of ear cleaner, such as Epi-Otic or Oti-Clens, or you can try a home made solution of: 1/3 cup witch hazel, 1/3 cup alcohol, 1/3 cup white vinegar, and 5 to 10 drops of tea tree oil. I have found that baby wipes do a good job of the outer ear area, so save the expensive stuff for inside where it counts.
Apply enough solution to a cotton ball or pad to saturate, and with the cotton covering your fingertip, swab the ear clean. Repeat til the cotton comes out clean.
Watch for redness or irritation, unusual pain or tenderness, unpleasant odor or discharge, excessive wax or debris. If any of the above conditions are present, consult your veterinarian.
TEETH

A very important item of regular maintenance with any dog is teeth. Buy a doggy toothbrush and toothpaste and get in the habit of polishing your puppy’s chompers weekly. This little routine (which they generally grow to love) will minimize the risk of periodontal disease and also helps in socialization. However, even if you are really responsible about brushing, you may need to scrape off the tartar every few months or so. This is another activity most Beagles don’t really groove on, but if you are regular about it, they will get used to the routine. The primary cause of doggy halitosis is tartar buildup, usually on the molars. Since most Beagles like to show their affection by giving you big licks on the face, it is in your best interest to keep their teeth clean. Some Beagles, despite our most valiant efforts at mouth hygiene, just seem to accumulate tartar more than others and must have regular (yearly or bi-yearly) appointments at the vet for a professional cleaning.

'THE BACK END'

To keep your pet smelling like the baby you love, you can use baby wipes on your dog's penis tip or bitch's vulva area, and a separate baby wipe to tidy up around the anus.

If your dog is 'scooting' on the carpet, he may need his anal glands checked. Ask your vet to show you how to empty your dog's anal glands - baby wipes work admirably for this too (adding a fresh scent to the whole affair!) The basic procedure is to hold the baby wipe over the anus and, with thumb and forefinger at '9 & 3 o'clock', express the glands into the cloth. The best way to describe the method is that it is like milking a cow - use gentle pressure and stroke from the farthest point towards the anal opening. It often takes a few minutes of gently stroking to get the glands to expel. The glands if full will feel like grapes under the skin, and you will have ample evidence when you have success! The fluid is commonly oily dark brown, with a fishy odor. Amazingly, once your dog gets used to this procedure, they seem to enjoy it (or at least appreciate the relief)! Because even the baby wipes can't completely eliminate the distinctive smell of active anal glands, you may want to save anal glands for bath time. Not only do you get a freshly shampooed beagle AFTER the anal glands are done, but if you do the glands after a thorough warm water wet-down with the shower head somehow this stimulates the 'let-down'. Then carry on with the shampoo and rinse. Bet you're glad we're finished talking about THAT!

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CKC Dog Shows (showing off your dog)

One of the pleasures of owning a quality, purebred dog is showing him off to other people. Conformation shows offer a good opportunity to do this. In a conformation show, your dog will be judged for how close he or she matches the official standard of the breed. As the original purpose of dog shows was the evaluation of breeding stock, only UNALTERED (not spayed or neutered) animals can compete. If your puppy's breeder feels that your new companion has what it takes to compete in shows, then they will provide you with advice on taking on this new hobby. The one exception to the unaltered rule is Canadian Specialty Shows - there the show-giving club has the option of offering an 'Altered' class. Spayed bitches and neutered dogs can compete for their own points, and even earn the title of Altered Champion - when they have earned a total of ten points.

When it comes to showing dogs, you must remember that the opinion you get is that of one judge on one day. Although every judge has the same written standard to work from, the process is obviously somewhat subjective because different judges have differing amounts of expertise with the breed, and different judges value different features. Therefore, a dog that is placed first by Judge A on Saturday might not be placed at all by Judge B on Sunday. This is actually good, because if the same dog won every day, there wouldn’t be any incentive for other owners to even enter after their first few shows.

Here is how a conformation show works. The object of every show is to select the ‘best’ dog entered, who receives the award Best in Show. This selection is done by a process of elimination, something like the NCAA basketball tournament. First, all of the dogs entered in the show compete within their breed (Beagles against other Beagles, Poodles against other Poodles, etc.). Within each breed, there are two basic kinds of entries - those animals who are working on their ‘championship’ and those who have already obtained the title of Champion. The dogs and bitches who are not yet champions first compete in the ‘classes’, dogs against dogs and bitches against bitches. You may enter one of the following classes (there is one of each of these classes for dogs and for bitches):
6-9 Month Puppy
9-12 Month Puppy
Open (Any age may be entered in this class)

Sometimes other classes are offered as well, such as 12-18 month, Bred by Exhibitor, Canadian Bred. They'll be explained in the catalogue so you'll know if you qualify to enter them. The order of judging is dogs first, with the classes being judged in the foregoing order.

During the class judging, the entries in each class are evaluated and ranked by the judge. The judge will examine each dog on a table (where you have him stacked up looking marvellous), and have you trot him back and forth across the ring to see how well he moves from the front and rear, and then around the ring to see how well he moves from the side. Ribbons are then awarded for first (blue), second, third, and fourth. The winner of the blue ribbon gets to advance to the next level of competition; the second place winners hang around to see if the dog that beat them gets Winners (if it does, they go in to compete for Reserve); the other entrants are through for the day.

When each of the dog classes has been ranked, the winners of each class are called back into the ring so that the judge can select the ‘Winners Dog.’ Since the judge has already ‘gone over’ the dogs in awarding class ribbons, the detailed examination is usually not repeated. However, you will probably be asked to put your Beagle through his paces by trotting across and back and around the ring. The judge will then select one dog for the coveted ribbon that denotes ‘Winners Dog’ for the day. This is the first really important ribbon, because with it comes some points toward his championship (more on this later). After awarding the Winners Dog ribbon, the other blue ribbon winners remain in the ring and the dog that was second to Winners Dog in his class goes back in the ring to be judged for the Reserve Winners Dog. That is, suppose that the judge picked the winner of the Open Dog class for Winners Dog. The blue-ribbon winners for the other classes would stay in the ring and the dog who got the second place ribbon in Open Dogs would join them. The judge will then decide which dog he likes ‘second best’ of all the class dogs for that day and give that dog the Reserve ribbon. This award is like a ‘runner up’; it carries no championship points, but if for some reason the Winners Dog is disqualified, the points are transferred to Reserve. In a show with a large entry, winning Reserve Winners is quite a big deal.

After judging of the dogs has been completed, the whole routine is repeated with the bitches (females - you'll get used to using the B word) and the judge selects ‘Winners Bitch’ and awards a Reserve ribbon. Again, Winners Bitch also earns points toward her championship.

The number of points awarded in a given show is related to how many entries there are. The point schedule is established by the Canadian Kennel Club.
Dogs competing=Points allocated
1 =0pts 2 =1pt 3 to 5 =2pts 6 to 9 =3pts 10 to 12 =4pts 13 or more =5pts

This means that if there were only two class dogs entered in a given show, your puppy and some other nice fellow, that the one selected as ‘Winners Dog’ gets 1 point toward his CKC championship. To earn two points, your puppy must beat 2 other dogs, and to earn three points, he must beat 5 other dogs, etc. To become an Canadian Kennel Club ‘Champion’, a dog must earn a total of 10 points, under two different judges.

Now, back to the show. After the judge has completed the class judging and selected the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch for the day, the judging for Best of Breed is conducted. All dogs and bitches who have already earned the title Champion (Specials) are eligible for this competition. They are joined by the Winners Dog and Winners Bitch for the day. The judge eventually makes three awards to this group. First, he or she decides which one dog and one bitch most nearly epitomize the breed standard. One of these two entries is then named Best of Breed and the other is given the award Best of Opposite Sex. In addition, the judge selects either the Winners Dog or the Winners Bitch for the award Best of Winners. It is possible for two of the three awards to go to the same animal. For example, the judge might think that his Winners Dog is also the very best specimen of the breed and give him both the Best of Breed and Best of Winners ribbons.

Being chosen Best of Winners can have important consequences with regard to championship points, because Best of Winners gets points for the total number of dogs defeated. For example, suppose there were four class dogs and 10 class bitches. Winners Dog gets two championship points and Winners Bitch gets four championship points! Now, if the dog is selected for Best of Winners, he gets five points total because he has defeated 13+ dogs that day.

Following the judging for Best of Breed, the judge selects the Best Puppy in Breed. All the first place winners in the puppy classes (dog and bitch, 6-9 month and 9-12 month) come back into the ring for this selection. If a puppy already won Winners, it would only compete against the puppies of the opposite sex; if it won Best of Winners, it's an automatic Best Puppy unless one of the Specials was a puppy, in which case the judge chooses from those. The Best Puppy in Breed goes on to compete for Best Puppy in Group, and the winner there for Best Puppy in Show. There are no points earned by winning Best Puppy; just the thrill of it is enough!

The dog or bitch chosen as Best of Breed for the day gets to go on to the next round of competition - the Group judging. The breeds are organized into seven variety groups:
Group 1: Sporting
Group 2: Hound - this is where you'll find the Beagle!
Group 3: Working
Group 4: Terrier
Group 5: Toy
Group 6: Non-Sporting
Group 7: Herding

GROUP JUDGING: After all of the breed competition is complete, the Best of Breed winners compete for awards in these seven groups. Each group judge awards first-, second-, third-, and fourth-place rosettes, and Championship points for any dog who wins these awards without already being a Champion.

BEST IN SHOW: Finally, the seven Group winners compete for the Best in Show award. These dogs are also competing for 'Top Dog' awards, which are based on the total number of dogs defeated. Best in Show at a show with 1000 entries gives 1000 Top Dog points. Some dogs might be trying to be top in their breed, others aspire to be the number one dog all breeds in the country. These animals will be competing every weekend, and flying from coast to coast to earn the most possible points.

GETTING STARTED: How do you know when and where the dog shows are being held and how do you enter? If you are a member of the Canadian Kennel Club, you will receive Dogs In Canada, which lists upcoming shows and results as well. Also, once you have entered a few shows, you will get on the mailing lists of the Show Secretaries, who organize the details of various shows.

The first step in entering a conformation show is to obtain the ‘premium list’ for the show. You get this from the Secretary by writing or phoning to ask for it. After you have entered a show, you will be on the mailing list, and will get premium lists automatically. The premium list gives all the details about when and where the show will be held, which breeds are judged indoors and which are judged outdoors, and includes a complete list of judges with their assignments. It also contains two entry forms for the show, which specify the entry fee for various classes. Some shows offer reduced entry fees for Puppy classes. Each show has a ‘closing date’, which will be published on the premium list. Entries must be received by the closing date (usually noon on Wednesday about two-and-one-half weeks before the date of the show). If your entry gets there late, it will be returned to you and you are just out of luck for that show. For an additional fee, you can usually send entries through a secretary's website, or by FAX or even by telephone, right up to the closing date and hour.

After you enter a show you will receive a ‘judging program’. This will be mailed to you so that it arrives about one week before the date of the show. The judging program tells you what time of day and in which ring your competition will be held. It also tells you how many entries there are, for example:
Ring No 3 - Judge Mr. Raymond McBeagle, Jr.; 1200 Scenic View Street, Upland, CA 91786
11:15 AM
6 Basenji 1-2-3-0
18 Beagle 4-9-4-1

This means that Mr. McBeagle will judge Beagles starting at about 11:30 am in ring 3. The schedule says 11:15, but he'll first have to judge 6 Basenjis which should take about 15 minutes based on 2.5 minutes per dog. There are a total of 18 Beagle entries; four class dogs, nine class bitches, four Champion dogs, and one Champion bitch.

How do you learn how to present your dog to the judge? One way is by visiting dog shows and observing how others do it. Also, there are lots of handling conformation classes available for novice exhibitors (and even experienced ones). These are usually held in the evening, often at a Community Center. Friends and acquaintances can direct you to their favorite handling class. Don’t forget that handling class is not only for you - your puppy also needs to be shown how to behave in the ring and must learn what is expected of him. Actually, it isn’t much. He will need to learn to ‘hold a stack’ for a minute or two (this means to keep his feet where you put them and to stand there looking alert, proud, and handsome while the judge looks him over). He will also need to be taught to let a stranger approach, examine his teeth, feel his bones and muscles and (!) for boy dogs, handle his privates to be sure everything that is supposed to be there really is there. Finally, he needs to know how to trot across the ring and around the ring (majestically, we assume). That’s really about it. Of course, it doesn’t come naturally, and some training and lots of practice will be necessary before your Beagle will be routinely bringing home ribbons. However, it really isn’t difficult and thousands of dogs learn how to do it every year.

Finally, you want to remember that dog shows are fun and, for most of us, an opportunity to show off our pets and socialize with other Beaglefolk. Each person can compete at their own level and enjoy the pleasure of seeing their dog strut his stuff. It is possible to derive a great deal of pleasure from winning a blue ribbon in the 6-9 Month Puppy class while one of your friends may be trying for Best of Breed or even a Group 1st.

While the above explanation of dog shows is based on the Canadian system (CKC), the American (AKC) system is very similar. One big difference as regards exhibiting beagles is that in the USA beagles are shown in two Varieties - under 13" and 13" - 15". The '13s' may be shown at a completely different time, ring, and with a different judge from the '15s'. The Best of each Variety is shown in Group competition, so it is possible for two Beagles to place in Group.

The Care and Loving of Your New Beagle adapted with permission from: 'The Care and Loving of Your New Rhodesian Ridgeback Puppy' by Clayton Heathcock and Cheri Hadley, Camelot Rhodesian Ridgebacks.
Thanks to Aladar Beagles for much of the information on safety issues. Thanks to Anne Page for her ideas on curing the 'jumping up' problem.

Safety Issues	The First Few Nights	Crate Training	Feeding
Vaccinations	Socialization	Biting, Jumping and Pulling	Obedience Training
Chewing	Exercise	Grooming	Dog Shows