Beagle aggressiveness

Question
Hi Kenny    My wife and I adopted an 8-month old beagle about a month ago from another family.  We don t know much about her prior life.  She is very sweet and affectionate to us though.  I did have her spayed a week after we got her.    On the other hand, she is very aggressive towards other dogs.  We do have a second beagle (6 years old) and she snapped or growled at him a lot for a couple weeks if he came anywhere near her food, a toy she was playing with, or even her space when she was laying down.    She has gotten much better with him so that is no longer a problem.  However, when I take her outside on walks she always lunges toward other dogs (whether big or small) and snaps at them within about 10 seconds.    On the other hand, she is very shy around new people and very afraid of noises when outside.  For instance, if a truck goes by she tries to run in the other direction.  I don t know if any of this is related.    I would really like her to be friendlier toward other dogs though.  Is there anything I can do to get her to be less aggressive?  I feel like I have to warn other dog owners to stay away whenever I encounter someone    Thanks for your help.    Chris

Answer
You SHOULD warn other dog owners. It sounds like she has not been properly socialized with other dogs. The good news is that at 8 months there is still time. I would recommend contacting a local dog trainer. This isn't something that you should do on your own.
I would guess this is all related to how her first 8 months was. I adopted a 2 year old beagle that acted the same way. She would never lunge at other dogs but, she didn't care for dogs to much. She weighted 18 lbs and was chained in the backyard for TWO years. She was never socialized as a dog should be.  She would snap at other dogs if they came to close but, wouldn't bite. There is a different. By snapping she was saying leave me alone and most dogs would unless they were aggressive or Alpha. By biting, you have an aggressive dog.
As she learns that you are there for her I bet she will become more open for new things (not run from vehicles or people). My girl still doesn't like everyone but, she takes to some people. Most of the time instead of going to a stranger she will come to me.
So, talk to a local dog trainer and look into a supervised doggie daycare. If you have a doggie daycare in your area I am sure there will be a dog trainer there. DO NOT take her to a doggie daycare until you meet with a trainer. At 8 months there is still time to socialize her.
Fellow beagle lover,

Kenny