# "Savage beagles terrorize East End" - How difficult is it to re-socialize dogs that have gone feral? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 1, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/savage-beagles-terrorize-east-end-how-difficult-is-it-to-re-socialize-dogs-that-have-gone-feral/527216 "2010-02-01T06:59:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/savage-beagles-terrorize-east-end-how-difficult-is-it-to-re-socialize-dogs-that-have-gone-feral/527216/1 "2010-02-01T06:59:20Z")
Per this story what kind of challenges will potential adoptive owners face when dealing this these feral hounds? [Savage beagles terrorize East End](http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/savage_beagles_terrorize_east_end_FpN3hlz90Jee9rKgTI8VEN) > [@](#): > > Mattituck resident Dot Faszczewski came face to face with the canine menace two weeks ago, when she was set upon by a group of crazed, hungry beagles as she walked her pet dogs near her parents’ Orient Point home. > > She said it was like a scene from a werewolf movie. > > “They were barking so ferociously that I thought they were going to attack my dogs,” she said of the Jan. 16 scare. > [@](#): > > It’s a challenge. While purebred beagles can sell for hundreds or thousands of dollars, most dumped hounds are young, poorly trained and not housebroken. > > “They’re certainly not treated as a pet,” Green said. “They’ve lived in crates.” > > Most are also not spayed or neutered because hunters believe “fixed” dogs lose their hunger for prey. > > Two shelters now have five former feral beagles up for adoption between them. And they said that with love and care these abandoned hounds can become loving pets once again. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/savage-beagles-terrorize-east-end-how-difficult-is-it-to-re-socialize-dogs-that-have-gone-feral/527216/2 "2010-02-01T09:14:30Z")
If dog have been around humans as pups, even if they’ve gone very feral and developed a fear of/aggression towards people they can be rehabilitated enough to be trustworthy pets, with time. I would say the dogs in this particular situation would be great pets if given the chance. What is almost impossible is trying to tame a dog born and raised feral with no contact with humans. Dogs have a formative socialization period - about the 2nd to 5th month of life. Often they will never be comfortable with what they are not exposed to during this time. This is why it’s so, so important to deliberately socialize young puppies to a wide variety of people and situations. As for acclimating a nervous dog to life in the house - it takes time and patience. They need a safe place to hide and lots of quiet. They will need to be housetrained. They need gentle disipline, gentle touching, and just… time. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/savage-beagles-terrorize-east-end-how-difficult-is-it-to-re-socialize-dogs-that-have-gone-feral/527216/3 "2010-02-01T16:33:49Z")
They are beagles. Given the choice between re-socializing them or putting them down, why would anyone pick re-socializing? (yeah, I had a neigbor with beagles. Love dogs, hate beagles. Or at least beagle sounds.) ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/savage-beagles-terrorize-east-end-how-difficult-is-it-to-re-socialize-dogs-that-have-gone-feral/527216/4 "2010-02-01T16:41:38Z")
I am rather biased, as beagles are one of my favorite dog breeds. There is a rescue around here that has had pretty good luck in re-socializing dogs like these. They have the resources and the money to do it, but it can take about a year to get the dogs into adoptable shape. **Dag** I understand the frustration with having outdoor beagles as neighbors. It is my belief that keeping outdoor-only dogs especially chained dogs, is a form of abuse. Even in a mild climate, I don’t think it is right. My parents had a beagle they purchased as a rabbit dog. He lived indoors, loved babies, other dogs, cats and any human he ever came in contact with. It didn’t make him any less of a rabbit dog. He loved going out and sniffing rabbits, it was what he was bred to do. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/savage-beagles-terrorize-east-end-how-difficult-is-it-to-re-socialize-dogs-that-have-gone-feral/527216/5 "2010-02-01T17:14:07Z")
They should also be socialized with members of their own species. My mom made that mistake with her Shih-Tzu, and a wonderful dog who is very affectionate with people is extremely shy with other dogs. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/savage-beagles-terrorize-east-end-how-difficult-is-it-to-re-socialize-dogs-that-have-gone-feral/527216/6 "2010-02-01T18:27:12Z")
i question the accuracy of the article. Are the beagles being dropped off or are they actually getting them from the wild. If they are running wild and attacking people I wouldn’t think the shelter actually goes out and tries to capture them. If they’re dropped off by the hunters then they are not feral. ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/savage-beagles-terrorize-east-end-how-difficult-is-it-to-re-socialize-dogs-that-have-gone-feral/527216/7 "2010-02-01T18:43:27Z")
In shelter parlance, “feral” means not relying directly on humans for food, shelter and resources. If the dogs are in fact finding their own source of food and are not sheltering with humans, they could be considered feral. Some people try and take the definition further to differentiate between “stray” and “feral” as the capability of socialization. “Ferals” are unsociable with humans and are unlikely to socialize with humans, “stray” is an animal that has been socialized with humans are is likely to socialize with humans again, but may or may not rely directly on humans for food and shelter. Not all “strays” are “feral”. There are a small number of “feral” that aren’t “stray”, but the vast majority of “feral” are “stray”. The exception would be barn cats who are “owned” but tend to not be social with humans.