Noisy Little Fella

Question
Hi there.  I have a three year old beagle named Jake.  He is a great dog in most respects, well house trained, handles basic commands with ease and is nice and quiet in the house.  He goes to dog day care a few times a week on days when I work, and is really well adjusted with other doggies there.  BUT...when I take him out for walks and he sees another dog, he loses his MIND.  He just bays and bays and won't listen to any commands or react to me at all.  

Now I know being noisy is kind of a beagle thing, and I am ok with that.  He is such an awesome little dude, it is completely worth it.  But this is such a complete switch from his behavior at home and his behavior when he is with other dogs during the day.  And, even when we are walking away from the dog, Jake will look at me but keeps baying - honestly, his eyes almost seem to say "Sorry lady!  I can't help it - this noise keeps coming out of me!"

Is there anything I can do?  I can handle the mild social embarrassment associated with having a noisy dude, but he seems REALLY stressed out by the event, and I don't want that if I can help it.  Thanks for any tips!

Answer

Zeppelin Well interesting that you should choose to ask ME this question, hahaha because I think I have Jake's brother!!. As I was reading this I wasn thinking How could this possibly be exactly about my Zeppelin. Mine is also three and we call him affectionately the "devil in the beagle suit" I have trained just about every bad thing out of the little stinker except that. I even got another trainer to come and work with me with him to no avail. I currently have a dog walker that comes several times a week while I am working and she says that the best thing she can do is that when they see another dog and they are on leash walking she goes to the other side of the street and starts running which takes his mind off it (somewhat) Maybe that will work for you as well. Besides the fact that I work, I had to get someone else to walk him because I have back problems and he weighs 35# and when he sees another dog he goes bezerk and has pulled my back out before. He is absolutely a charmer at the dog park and with his "cousins" when they come to visit but on a walk he is hell on wheels. People don't phase him, only dogs when he is on a leash walking just like Jake. So....... wish I had magical words of wisdom but I have the same issue with my boy!I have just come to accept that that is his one quirk I cannot fix....