#TheBeagles Adoption Process and Care Info

Caring for Rescued Beagles

Please review the following information to learn more about the rescued beagles, as well as the care they will need to be successful in their new homes.

A Unique Background
The 108 beagles we welcomed to San Diego Humane Society on Aug. 31 were part of a large-scale national rescue from a facility that bred them for use in scientific testing. The beagles were kept in small, often overcrowded cages and provided with limited care. Beyond this, we do not know what they may have been exposed to — but we do know that respect, patience, care and attention will give them the best chance to acclimate to their newly expanded world and become a loving companion to their new families.

Adjusting to a New Environment
The beagles likely lived isolated lives before being rescued, so new people, places and things may be quite scary to them. This doesn’t mean they can’t learn to be brave, well-adjusted dogs — just that it will likely take extra patience and effort to help them learn they are safe in their new environment. The beagles will need their new families to remain committed to making adjustments in their environments as they get to know their beagle better. Here are some ways adopters can set their new beagles up for success:

Provide a quiet, small space. This should include a crate, soft bed, toys, water and food bowls. Close off any direct access to the outdoors (e.g. doors or windows) to prevent the pet from escaping. The best safe spaces are low-traffic. Some examples include a spare bedroom or tucked-away corner of a living room.

Don’t leave them alone for too long. Gradually get the pet used to being alone by leaving the house for short periods (10-15 minutes) several times a day. Then, slowly increase the time away. Providing the beagles with plenty of activity throughout the day, as well as enrichment to occupy their time, can prepare them to feel safe and relaxed when home alone.

Accidents will happen. The beagles have a history of being crated for extended periods of time without access to go to the bathroom elsewhere. As a result, they are used to eliminating in their own space. This doesn’t mean they will never learn to eliminate outdoors or in a designated space — just that it will take more time, patience and effort. To help the beagles succeed, adopters can start with frequent bathroom breaks (every 1-2 hours). Positive reinforcement can be used to consistently reward the dog for using the bathroom in the appropriate space. Accidents should never be punished — they should simply be cleaned with an enzymatic cleanser to eliminate the odor.

Learn and pay attention to the pet’s body language. Allowing the beagles to choose whether to consent to new interactions or move away from scary things is very important. Cowering, tucking their tail, pinning their ears, averting their gaze or lowering their head are all signs the dog is uncomfortable, afraid or asking for distance. For pets displaying these behaviors, it’s important to recognize they are out of their comfort zone and will need help to remove them from the environment. By showing the pet that their need for space is respected, the pet will learn to trust and approach the adopter more over time. And remember: By positively reinforcing behaviors we want to see, pets learn to continue performing them!

Limit and monitor socialization. It is important to introduce the beagles to new people, dogs, places or even common household items, carefully and intentionally. These interactions should be kept brief and infrequent at first. Adopters should stay aware of the environment and how the dog is responding. If they become fearful or uncomfortable, the interaction should be ended.

Adapt. As the beagles spend their first few weeks in their new homes, their personalities will continue to emerge — including their likes and dislikes, spaces where they feel safe, and changes in their body language. It’s important that the dogs aren’t pressured into interactions or activities they aren’t ready for yet. They will show their new families when they are ready for play and snuggles. A quick way adopters can check for consent is to place their hand away from the dog, palm up. If the dog moves toward the hand, the adopter can pet them for a few seconds. When they stop petting, they should move their hand away — then pause and wait for the dog’s reaction. Their body language will communicate whether they move closer to continue receiving petting, or move away for space.

Behavior and Training Support
Remember: The beagles will be living in homes for the first time. Teaching them “desirable” pet behaviors will take extra time and patience. It’s important that adopters are prepared to remain calm, flexible and committed to helping their dog learn through positive reinforcement. Adopters should be prepared to provide plenty of positive rewards in the form of treats, play time, petting and gentle verbal affirmations. When the dog makes a mistake, they should never be punished — instead, they should be taught an appropriate alternative behavior.

San Diego Humane Society is here to be an adopter’s resource for the life of their pet. We offer training classes and tools that can help families set their new pets up for success, including a free Behavior Helpline, post-adoption behavior consults and an online resource library

For beagle adopters, we recommend (but do not require) our Well Socialized Pet Chat, a weekly online class:

Well Socialized Pet Chat
Sundays at 10:30 a.m., Classes offered online over Zoom
Cats and dogs of all ages, 30 minutes, free Pets need to be socialized here’s a checklist for puppies and one for kittens) with various people, animals, sounds, handling, objects and experiences. Ideally this will happen before they’re 16 weeks old, but socialization is possible at any age! We discuss six socialization topics (one per weekend) and provide tips to develop well-rounded dogs and cats. Register for each! These are an excellent supplement to training classes.

Learn more about our available classes at  sdhumane.org/trainingclasses