I need help with my puppy

Question
HI, I just got a puppy and she is 9 weeks old. She is a Lab mix with Beagle. My question is How can I stop the barking? She like to chew and bit my shoes even thou she has a lot of toys, how can I stop that? Also when my mom, the puppy and I go for a walk she enjoys it, but when I take her for a walk she refuses to go. Also she is afraid when she hear other dogs barking, why is that?
Thanks

Answer
The chewing and biting is pretty normal at this age. When she tries to bite you, pinch her lip hard and then quickly release as you loudly tell her, "NO BITING!" If she bites at your shoes, grab her by the scruff of the neck and give her a brief shake as you give her the same command (I am assuming that the shoes are on your feet). If she is chewing your shoes as they lay on the floor, PICK THEM UP! Don't leave anything within her reach that you do not want destroyed. If she is chewing on something she shouldn't have, get a toy for her, and as you remove the contraband from her while telling her "BAD DOG!, quickly put the good toy in her mouth, hold her mouth gently, and praise her, "GOOD Dog!"

As to the barking, that may be a problem you will have to deal with her entire life. Beagles are natural barkers. They are bred to work together in packs, sniffing out rabbits, then chasing them, as they bark/yodel to tell the hunter which way the rabbit is going. Barking just comes normally for them.

As you begin to train the puppy, use pieces of kibble to reward her. Once she understands that she will be rewarded for doing what you want, when she starts to bark, call her to you with a firm "dog, COME" and reward her with a piece of kibble (assuming that she is quiet at the time). Never reward her when she is barking. Work on rewarding her when she is paying attention to you... making eye contact with you would be a good time to reward.

As to the walks, she is still pretty young, and I think that she is more comfortable when your mother is along because your mother is more alpha and the puppy feels safer in her company. She thinks that you are her littermate, and she doesn't feel like you could protect her if one of those big, nasty, barking dogs were to come after her.

Get the paperback book, "How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With" by Rutherford and Neil, and work on training her with that book. When she is a bit older and has more shots, get her into some local obedience classes and work with her every day. There may also be some 4-H classes in your area if you live in the United States.

Also, the entire family needs to start practicing "Nothing in Life is Free" with her. http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm  It is important that she learns to work for everything that she wants in life.

Have fun with your puppy!