misbehaving beagle

Question
I have a 7 year old beagle who is suddenly behaving very badly when we go out, or sometimes when we are home! Most recently, she has learned how to open the refrigerator and will raid it when we are not home.  We are now duct-taping the refrigerator closed when we go out.  In addition, she will dump the garbage if we leave anything in the pail, so we don't!  We got her from the humane society when she was 2, so we've had her for 5 years now. HELP!!!

Answer
Hi Robin, thanks for writing to me...... well there are two things I hear in your description right off the bat 1) This is the sign of a very bored beagle who may also have some seperation anxiety going on  2) I think it is unreasonable to expect any dog not to go in the trash if they can smell something good in there and get to it, especially a beagle whose nose/smelling abilities are even more enhanced than the average dog.

AS far as the refrigerator and the trash either get a gate and close off the kitchen or do not keep trash can where she can get to it. I bought a compactor because mine were trash hunters too but one of my beagles even learned how to open the compactor !!! They are really smart little devils..... I also had one who could use her paws to get cupboards open. Next came the gate and no issues since.

When you are away give your beagle special toys and chews to occupy her, I give nylabones, booda bones and mostly rawhide, or Kongs filled with peanut butter. This is the ONLY time they get these treats as they are meant to occupy them. Can also get a Buster Cube. All of these are available at a pet store near you. The reason you only give them when you are out is that they not only occupy them and keep them out of trouble but they come to see them as "yippee, yeah you just go right on out that door because I know I get something special when that happens".


Try these things out and see how it works for you.