Beagle that Doesnt bark

19 15:01:13

Question

Turbo and Buster Hi, we just adopted a beagle today (Turbo), and he has yet to bark at all. No whining, no barking, no noise whatsoever other than a grunt/groan when he lays down to sleep. He is 18 months old according to the shelter we picked him up from, and had been in a home that did not provide for him properly (1/2 cup of food a day, he is very underweight and we are going to be working hard to make sure he gets healthy).

My question is what would cause a dog that is known for its bark/howl to not make a noise? I know he is in a new home with strange people, but it seems odd, because every other dog in the shelter was jumping/barking up a storm (including 3 other beagles) to get our attention and this little guy was just sitting calmly giving us the "help me" sad eyes, which melted my heart and we had to help him.

I am worried that the last home he was in was abusive, and "trained" him not to bark at all, hitting when he did. It really seems that Turbo wants to be loved, as he will jump up and cuddle with us on the couch, but if we are walking around, he will follow with scared eyes, and will shy away from fast movements. I want this dog to know love and a good home, and be happy and healthy, and the barking thing really concerns me.

I know that when he comes to trust us more he may not shy away, and love and affection are the only things we can do to help the scared deal, but the barking i am really worried about. How can we teach him that its OK to bark?

Answer
Turbo is absolutely adorable! He reminds me of one of mine, Zeppelin, his picture is on my expert page.

Thank you thank you thank you from Turbo and all dogs for rescueing him! He is very lucky. OK first things first......

Don't assume that Turbo isnt a barker. Right now he has been traumatized by being in a shelter and now a new home. It will literally take minimum of a month for a new dog to begin to feel
at home" and safe and if he was abused as you fear it will take even longer. He may end up barking when he feels more safe and comfotable and that he needs to protect his new home. Right now he is probably in a daze. When I brought Zeppelin home he slept non-stop for 3 days, we thought he was ill and he didn't bark for over a month. Now we can't shut him up! :)

Work on gaining his trust for right now, be firm but loving, be consistent. You want himt to know that you are the pack leaders, believe it or not this gives them a feeling of security. A dog with no pack leader becomes anxious and domineering eventually in an effort to compensate. I would use treats for getting behaviors especially now while he is underweight. You want to start him off right which is teaching him that there is no "free lunch" Make him sit for his food, work him often doing sits and stays and offs.

At 18 months he shoul be eating twice a day and should be getting about 1 1/2 cups total for the day. Beagles are always hungry and will eat until they burst, they have no bottom. Be careful in ayour attempts to put some weight on him that you do not stimulate future overeating or begging. Also, increase the amount of his food slowly, if all of a sudden he gets a lot more than he he is used to it will upset his tummy and body chemistry. I am attaching for you the way that a vet would judge weight so you can keep this in mind as you work on his nutrition. Also, NEVER, EVER give him people food, his system cannot properly digest our food and it will lead to oebsity, especially in a beagle who are prone to obesity anyway. You want him to be lean machine with a lot of muscle instead.

Here are guidelines for judging whether your dog is at a healthy weight.

-- Emaciated
Ribs, backbone and pelvic bones easily seen, even from a distance; no body fat; obvious loss of muscle mass

-- Underweight
Ribs can be seen and easily felt; pelvic bones are prominent; obvious waist and abdominal tuck

-- Ideal
Ribs can be felt; waist obvious when viewed from above; abdominal tuck evident

-- Overweight
Ribs hard to feel, covered by fat; noticeable fat deposits over back and base of tail; waist and abdominal tuck barely discernible

-- Obese
Ribs cannot be felt, under heavy fat covering; massive fat deposits over back and base of tail; no waist or abdominal tuck .

Good luck with your handsome boy and feel free to contact me anytime for further info. I can be reached directly at have4paws@verizon.net

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