playing fetch

Question

Dexter   QUESTION: Is it a problem for beagles to get obsessive about playing fetch or other games to the exclusion of almost everything else? Are they usually very demanding?

ANSWER: Hi thanks for writing..... Being obsessive about playing fetch etc to the exclusion of almost everything else is not normal behavior for any dog who is well balanced emotionally. In fact it is probably a bit unusual for a beagle as they are more driven by their noses than most breeds and much prefer smelling and exploring things than anything else.

Can you give me some history of Dexter? When you got him, under what circumstances and info about his life and behavior since then. Are there other dogs in the home? Are there kids? How much time alone does he spend with his humans gone? Also from his picture he is a very handsome boy but also looks like he may be overweight? How tall is he and how much does he weigh and what food do you feed him and how often? Looking forward to helping out once I have all this info.

Have4Paws

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Dexter   QUESTION: I got Dexter when he was 8 wks. old. I do not work on a public job, so he is seldom home alone for longer than a few hours a week, i.e., while I am gone shopping or to church, etc. I recently got a 4 month old border collie puppy, and Dexter and he get along very well.
I bought Dexter from a breeder. I picked him up from her. He was raised in her home with him mom and litter mates. I have no young children, but when people bring their children to visit, Dexter is fine with them. He loves people! He is not overweight now, but he was. When we got the border collie puppy he became more active and lost several pounds.
Dexter is 13 inches, I think he weighs about 35-40lbs. I feed him the Costco brand dog food, and he eats two times a day.
He has started whining at me when I don't stop what I am doing and throw his ball for him. He is not ill, he just had a check up a couple of months ago. He's like a little kid! I love him dearly, and I can usually ignore his whining for a while, but I feel like I am teaching him it's okay to do that, and it really isn't. Except for that, he is an awesome guy!
I was reading thru some of the other questions and comments on the website, and Dexter also had the zigzag pattern in his hair along his spine. Very unique! It is pretty much gone now, but still visible, and he is 2 1/2 years old.
Thanks for your help.  

Answer
Thanks for giving me all the background info on Dexter. Based on what you have told me all seems pretty normal which means one of two things; 1) he has dog OCD which believe it or not is real and vets will often prescribe doggy Prozac for it or 2) you have reinforced the behavior inadvertently by giving in and doing it amng other ways of not being the ALPHA. There is a saying with dogs like people that there is no free lunch. Your dog needs to understand that you are the ALPHA and you make the decisions for your pack. A dog that respects it's ALPHA doesnt whine and try to manipulate its ALPHA. In the real pack it wouldnt dare so I am tending towards option # 2 above. You need to start working on establishing yourself as the ALPHA. This means that every time you feed him he needs to sit for you and not release until you tell him it is ok. He cannot jump up on furniture or your bed (if he is allowed on them now) without an invitation from you. You always exit a door or go in a door first and make him wait for you to do so (sit again) He gets to play when YOU INITITATE IT and has to stop when you tell him. He gets a toy or treat or chewy when you decide to give it to him (sit again). And most importantly If he isnt good on his obedience stuff (sit, stay, heel etc) he needs to be retrained until he gets the picture that you are in charge.

As an aside, he is definately on the heavy side. Beagles have obesity issues and it is very easy to go there. How much are you feeding him at each meal? It should be about 3/4 per meal of dry food.  A 13 inch should be 20-25 # max. A 15" like 25-30. 17" would be 30-35, any beagle over 35# is either not a full beagle or overweight. Even though he has dropped some wt he really needs to lose some more. Here is the really sad part, beagles can live to 15 or 16 but when they are overwt years are taken off their longevity. And because they literally live to eat and will eat till they explode they always need to be watched carefully.

WEll, hope this is helpful..............