Taking a Bite out of, well, out of everything

Fred. The beagle. So sweet and cute, sitting on the cold cement floor of the animal shelter. He was so well behaved for the first 4 months or so. To anyone who doesn't know we think he's between ten and twelve years old, we just got him in June though.

He has occasional peep accidents in the house. I can deal with that. When you try to feed him a little treat, he snaps at your hand and scarfs it down like he's never seen food before. I can deal with that. But he is learning not to snap when I offer him the treats, it's taking some time, my dogs don't get treats alot, but it's working a little bit. I don't think he's ever really been a pet. Probably a hunting dog, part of a group, with no kids around. He's done pretty well adjusting. Until recently.

The girlie, she treats him like a personal plaything. With the hugs and the dragging by the collar and the hugs. He gets tired of it and after MUCH antagonizing has snapped or growled a few times. Does she learn? No. That would be problem number one.

Number two would be that you cannot have any food anywhere near this dog. He'll snatch anything right out of your hands and quite possibly bite you in the process. Which is what he did to the girlie tonight and the son last week (both were nipped). And he's a beagle/basset hound mix so he smells Kate cooking dinner over in LA. We punish him, with a little swat on the nose or butt and mean looks. I might add here that Fred is deaf or very nearly deaf so yelling must be loud and obnoxious - A stern voice won't do. He's getting enough to eat, what is the deal and how do I fix it? Or can I? I do not want to send this dog back to the shelter but on the other hand I cannot have him nipping at everyone for a piece of cheese either. Plus he's ripping into the trash because it contains food and he's ripping apart anything he finds that at one time contained food. Remember the fundraiser gifts? No, well, that's okay, it's not a test. But it is getting obnoxious. And the dog is TEN. And I love him. And he loves me. He sleeps at my feet and follows me endlessly. Wah.