Our 8 month old Beagle

Question
Hi
We bought our 8 month old Beagle just over 5 weeks ago from a family who no longer wanted her due to work commitments. It was clear she was extremely lively when we first got her but she has calmed down an awful lot in her 5 weeks with us.She was completely housetrained when we got her but did not seem trained in any other way! We have a problem with her getting over excited and biting which I need advice on. Normally this does not hurt but she seems to have a particular liking for our 11 year old son and today caught him so hard on his stomach that she drew blood. I did not see the incident as they were in the garden but my son had picked up a cane stick. Jessie our Beagle wanted it to which our son held it higher in the air. It was then that she jumped up and bit him. I asked my son if he thought she caught him by accident instead of the stick but he said it was is if she was biting him because she wanted the stick.
I'm really upset about this as she has settled in with us as a family beautifully and we love her but I am concerned she will do it again. He had been playing with her for several hours before this in the garden and she had also not long got back from an hour and a half walk at our local park. I do sometimes wonder if he is a bit too energetic when playing with her (ie tearing up and down the garden - which she loves but sends her loopy), leaping up and down on the trampoline with her which she also loves. Should we be restricting our son to just throwing balls for her and things for her to fetch?
I have also been reading various other questions people have asked you, particularly ones on meal times and walking on the lead. Jessie has dried food, the correct amount but it is left out for her to just help herself. She is also a bit of a nightmare on her lead, pulling constantly and over excited with other dogs, people etc although she is slowly getting better. I have ordered her a Mikki training harness which I am hoping will help her. Do you think she would benefit from training classes?
Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated
Kind Regards
Helen

Answer
Hi thanks for writing....

Yes you should be restricting the kinds of activites your 11 year old is doing with her. He shouldnt be playing with her unobserved either especially when you have only had her 5 weeks. A typical 11 year old boy will wind her a dog up like a top and then let it spin out.... this is teaching her to roughouse and be wild! Their play needs to be supervised by you and there should be training involved while they are playing such as fetch/bring it, leave it/let go etc. Making her sit for things as well. I do not recommend that you just leave her to your son as you will end up with a dog that is wild and wants to jump up and bite etc. He may have been teasing her with the stick thinking it was all in good fun but it could be why she bit at him as he was keeping it away from her and there was no discipline or limits happening so she got frustrated.  

As far as her food it is a big mistake to leave it out all the time. Beagles have weight issues and their diet needs to be closely monitored. She should have her bowl put down for 10 minutes max (and soon after for only 5) and then picked up until the next meal. Another reason for this is establishing yourself as the ALPHA, YOU must be the provider of the food, she eats it when you say, not when she feels like it. this is the most precious resource for a dog and it must be under your control and rules.

As far as walking on the lead get her and yourselves to obedience classses ASAP! She must learn to properly walk on the leash and not have a fit when she sees other dogs. I do not know what a Miki training harness is but if it helps that is great. What you want to work on is having a calm well balanced dog who listens to you and is well exercised. A tired dog is one who will listen easier but there must be boundaries, she can't be allowed to be wild, but if your son is acting wild then it isnt her fault. Make sense?

Feel free to write back anytime. Good luck!