Strange Beagle Behavior

Question
Hello,

My female beagle will be 5 years old next month.  I have had her since she was a puppy ... she is very well-trained and loved.  She is a sweet and well-tempered beagle and acts more like a child than a dog!

Anyway, I married 18 months ago and she has always been a little skiddish around my husband throughout our dating.  He is a very controlling man and has become more so throughout our marraige.  He isn't actually "mean" or abusive to either of us (the dog or myself), but he has a strong temper and a loud voice.  

He works overseas and just returned home yesterday.  When she saw him, she tucked her tail between her legs and went into her crate.  She still slept cuddled next to me last night, but would wimper if she saw or heard my husband.  We have never had such a problem with her ... usually she loves to see people and make friends.

Could her behavior be due to the fact that he has been away for 3.5 months?  Or is it possible that she honestly is scared of him?  There is tension between the two of us, so could she be sensing that?  I know dogs can sense things much better than we can.

Is there anything I can do to put her at ease?  Your advise is greatly appreciated.

Answer
I currently have 7 Beagles. You are correct, if the dog senses that you harbor fear of your husband, the dog will also. We transmit our emotions that are sensed by the dog with multiple and often subtle cues we don't recognize but the dog does, This includes scent, (we emit different scent depending on our emotional state). physical cues in our body language and voice. Dogs mostly watch our faces for cues.

Second, the dog can also be reacting to your husbands scent, physical body language and cues. Dogs do not like loud or gruff voices. To them it sounds like an angry dog. Dogs want to avoid confrontation and thus can be "hiding" by snuggling up to you for protection.  Lastly, the absence can be interpreted by the dog as an intruder to the dog's home territory.  

To get over this, your husband needs to play nicely with the dog, associate more, and participate in obedience training with the dog.  Only by socialization efforts will the dog become comfortable with your husband.

regards,
henry Ruhwiedel
www.dogkennel.org