Need a little help..

[myarmor]

My wife and I just picked up a Beagle/Jack Russell mix pup, but turns out he is still a bit young and should have stayed with his mother a couple more weeks, I believe him to be 6 weeks old. Well he is eating and drinking very little and I cant get him to the Vet for a couple days.  So we are a bit worried about him. I have had my share of pups in my day and had a good companion  Jack Russell for about 13 years while growing up, hunted and fished with me daily, but I have never had a pup this young before. I went and picked up some pup milk mix and he seems to take somewhat of an interest, but he still isn't drinking a whole lot.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.




-Aaron

[mrbigtexan]

if your feeding dry dog food, then wet it down with water. 6 weeks is the norm for puppies to be given to new homes.

[streak]

Did the people that had the pup tell you whether the pup had been fully weaned from it`s mom?
7.5 to 8 weeks of age is usually the time that most pups are separated from the mother dog.
I have raised and bred English Pointers and Labrador Retrievers and have had to take care of some tiny pups who were having a little trouble getting going. Some I even had to nurse out of a small baby nipple and bottle that I bought at the drugstore. So if the pup has shown some interest in the pup milk, you might want to try the small baby bottle an nipple with some of that milk,slightly warm.
Just be careful that it does not get strangled!!

[myarmor]

No they didn't tell me if he was weened, he clearly isn't though. But he is doing better, and the wife is taking good care of him. He is taken with the pup milk now and we are mixing in some soft puppy food in with the milk and hard food. Got him drinking finally and gave him a vac shot. Looks like he should be ok I believe. Still going to get him into the Vet soon to check out.

-Aaron

[streak]

Good news myarmor!
Hope you have a lot of fun raising that pup!!

[Tom R]

I've used plain yogurt mixed 1:1 with water when I had too many pups for my huskies.  I hear Pedialite is good, too.

[myarmor]

Well the little guy is doing great he is out fishing with me and loves the water and being outdoors. I have a lot of training to do with him, but he is a lot of fun...not to mention he is no longer a moma's dog he stays with me everywhere I go. I have never trained a beagle, but I have heard I should get him started soon on rabbits. Any advice you guys can give me I would greatly appreciate.
Side note, I wonder if he doesn't have a little Blue Tick in him, he has spots under his fur the likes I have never seen... he looks like a dalmation when he's wet
Thanks for the feedback, please keep it coming.

[Airedale From NY]

Color wise a Beagle can come in just about any typical hound pattern. While many are the common tan with black saddle with a bit of white trim, they can be mostly white, red and white , lemon and white, redticked and blueticked.

Here is a photo of my Beagles both are the Bluetick color.

Al

[myarmor]

I thought I might just pop up a couple pics of the little guy...


 Just a couple taken a few min ago.
Looking forward to getting him started on rabbits

[streak]

Now that is a "purty good" looking hound dog!!
Those eyes tell it all.

[myarmor]

Well the little fella is out and about chasing rabbit/groundhog/ and deer tracks! Though he still has abandonment issues and is a little harder to train. Any more info on training ?

[Tonk]

First of all to all those who think they know a whole bunch about your puppies! Now 6 weeks is surely NOT the time for a puppy to leave it's mother and I can tell you for a fact, that 8 weeks is the norm but we don't let our puppies go until they are 9 weeks and in some cases 10 weeks old. They are chosen on the 7 week but they stay with the mother dog. I do not charge for feeding puppies the 1 or 2 extra weeks. Our puppies are usually eating on their own by the 3 or 4th week, still like mama's milk though and some are just down right little hogs about that fact........We supplement litters both the Mamma dog and the puppies with formula and vitamins & minerals.

Now there is a world of difference between a 9 week old pup and a 6 week old pup! Also the person that wrote that book, telling everyone that the best time for a dog to bond is at (49-days) 7 weeks didn't know his head from a hole in the ground. This is strickly HOG WASH!!! I would think that your going to have to bottle feed this pup for a week or two, help get him on his feet. You can get food from the VET or dog supply store like PET SMART etc. They have the puppy formula, vitamins and small nipples for the bottles too.

Now getting back to the puppy, there can be a number of reasons this puppy seems to be having problems but the first thing you must do, is see to it that it gets plenty of water in order to stay hydrated.
The giving of moist warm puppy feed is best (if it will eat) try putting a little Caro Syrup on the food.....not to much ok. The puppy is no doubt "stressed" from being away from it's mother. Also you can feed a vitamin supplement to help regain it's strength and vitality. Good Luck

[GeorgiaDave]

Greetings from Georgia,

   I am a dogman from way back and have seen this situation a number of times. Seperating a dog from its mother early can be traumatic no doubt, BUT, it can also lend to some very deep bonding with the dog's "new pack". All dogs are pack animals in their genetic makeup, some more than others. A Beagle is known to be raised and hunted in a pack. JRTs are a bit more independent, but still prefer to be with their own "family". The most important advise I could give is to get him to your vet as soon as possible. Shots are needed and I am sure that your vet will be able to answer most any question you may have. One thing I have used regularly to help my dogs pick up weight is regular calf starter you can get at the local feed store. It has done well for me as well as other dogmen I know and I have never known of any negative effects.

   Now, as far as the training goes, I posted here earlier about a sure fire way to train a dog. I still reccomend this, but with a young pup, it would be best to get all his shots completed first. This will also give the dog time to grow a bit and find his place in the family. You can begin a lot of training now. Basic obedience is PRICELESS !!!!  This will make a dog a joy to live with and the lack thereof can drive you crazy. If you are willing to put forth the effort it will be repayed a thousandfold. I will share a few other proven tips that may work for you. Never allow a pup to do things you do not want the grown up dog to do. EVER !! Place one of your worn t-shirts in the dogs bed, and change it every few days. This will help to imprint your scent into the dogs very being and he will never forget you. Take the dog with you even if it is only a short trip. Hey, dogs like to go out to. Always be fair and consistant, as this will help prevent any resentment from the dog. I guess most of all, just love the dog, and remember, right now he is just a baby and does not know any better. It is up to the leaders of the pack to show the new member what is expected and accepted. Good luck with your knew pup, and keep us posted.

Dave

[Tonk]

Folks the very first thing you need to do, is make sure that puppy is hydrated or you can loose it in a matter of just a few hours. This is a very serious thing in puppies and leads to a high mortality rate in pups at this young age. If in doubt get it to a VET.........ASAP! Good Luck

[myarmor]

Well, bad news around here poor little guy got hit by a car and they run Don't know who but he was tore up pretty bad. I was out of town and my neighbor found him and took care of his remains. Good neighbors are most excellent as I have added. I miss the little guy, but a few months found another little fella... blue tick beagle/ fox and he is doing well. Out about about hunting and is a great dog.
Still miss Zeke though If ya hit a dog don't run off! poor fella....

[bobg]

  Sorry to hear that myarmor. My thought is someone who would do that to a dog would do it to a person too. I have owned beagles now for 50 years. Not the same one though. The last one i had to have put down was 17. She was a rabbit hunting fool. She run her first rabbit when she was 4 months old. I just take them to a spot where there are rabbits and turn them loose. Most of them it takes 2 or 3 trips before they want to venture into the thick stuff. The beagle i have now was given to me by my neighbor. Said the pups were 6 weeks old and eating on there own. That sure wasn't true. She had no idea how to eat or drink. Bought baby formula and fed her with a baby bottle and baby food with a spoon. The damn fool is over 4 now and still wants to eat off my spoon. Found out later she wasn't yet 4 weeks old when i got her. I had two hip replacements right after i got her. Don't hunt rabbits anymore. Can't walk around in the brush anymore. I never got to take her hunting. At one time i had 7 beagles. 5 of them were outside dogs. We had a very bad storm one winter and i had a heck of a time getting out there to feed the 5. Brought them all in the house and that is where they stayed. They never returned to the kennel. I am down to 2 now. They are both asleep on my bed. A friend of mine won't eat at my house. He knows when i am done the dogs lick off my plate. I sure don't have many dishes to do that way. . Why do people get me started on talking about beagles. I love them. Don't know when to shut up once i get started.

[myarmor]

I am sad to say my boy was ready to go any/which way. He was my little guy And would jump in anyones Truck just being friendly