Dog advice About This Page:

[MrsM]

There seem to be alot of pet lovers out there, so here goes - my DH bought me a beagle puppy for my birthday last year. He is now 1 year old and currently resides in a pen in our kitchen. We have gotten him to be mostly housetrained while in the pen, but every time we try to let him wander around the house, he pees on the carpet! After almost a year of this, DH is now ready to get rid of the dog. I would feel bad about getting rid of him, but I also do not relish the ideas of 1)the dog pen occupying half of my kitchen for the next ten years or 2)constantly cleaning up after him! I'm really at a loss with how to handle him. Any suggestions?? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[ILuvDisney]

Just like potty training kids....if you see him acting like he/she has to go, run them outdoors and praise, praise, praise. Is your puppy always in the pen then really excited when you let her out? My little boston terrier has this nasty habit (even now at 8 years old) of getting so overly excited, he wets a little bit. I've just learned not to pet him until he's over the initial excitement is over. Good Luck!! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Wild4Diz]

I used to manage pet stores and I can tell you that Beagles are one of the most stubborn dogs there are. Is the dog constantly going potty in the same place or various places? Has the puppy been fixed? What other signs does the dog exhibit when pottying in the house? There's a lot of different methods out there. I like to take the constant approach. Just like kids you cannot let your pets rule the house. They need boundaries and consistency in order to learn. If you catch the dog once and scold them, then you need to scold them the next time you catch them. Praise is also very, very important. My animals don't do anything for treats, they do everything for love. If you are constant with this method they will know when you are upset with them.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

[stonewall]

I have handled,bred,and shown dogs for 40 years,so I think that I am pretty competant in these matters. A few questions, if I may; Why is the pup in a pen in the kitchen? How much time are you away from him every day? Is he allowed to be with you, even if on a leash, when you are home? What have you actually done to housebreak him?
My suggestions would be as folows:
1)If he is not neutered, have it done ASAP. An intact male, especially a hound, will tend to "mark" everything.
2) Get rid of the pen,please, and get the dog a properly sized crate. The pen is too big, and allows him room to urinate in the area. He will not do this in a crate. A caution though- you cannot just leave him in the crate all the time when you are home(see below,#4).
3) He MUST go outside immediately when you get home, and every time he eats or drinks. In addition, while you are working through this, you should probably just bit the bullet and take him out every hour!
4)After he goes outside, let him just "hang" around with you, on his leash, in the house.Socialization is a very important part of a pup's life, and he is way past the point of "easy learning". This is going to require a lot of time and effort on your part, but it can work. Please give it a try-and feel free to e-mail me privately if you want, I'll do all that I can to help you(we'll be at WDW from 8/26-9/3) If you honestly feel that you cannot deal with the little guy,please contact a Beagle Rescue organization in your area(I can help with that if needed), and place him with them. Take care, and keep me posted!

[Teresa]

Mrs.M - Of all else fails, I will meet you half way and bring your pup to our house. I love Beagles. We have a huge yard and are thinking of moving further out to a place with woods, and a lake. We also have a chow-golden mix, 3 kids (2 tame, 1 wild) and a stay at home mom. Just a thought. DH would certainly be surpised at that, huh Debi?