Beagles parents? Or any 'experienced' to help a newbie

[KitKyle]

I recently got a three month old Beagle pup. Adorable as can be but she's driving me and my cat crazy. XD I posted once before about my cat Karisma not using her litter box after some remodling. (( Sorry I forgot that account's name|log-in so it's me again I KNOW this name so I'll be using it now. But yea.. if anyone recalls Karisma from a previous account that'd be me. ))

Anyways to the questions at hand.

The people who bred her clearly did a "LOT" of work with this dog. She's not consistant but she knows sit, come and speak. -- Probably not wise for a Beagle -- And I even taught her 'bed' when she's being all rowdy I can make her lay down. However my biggest problem is the bathroom issue. Now I know scold me okay, she's 3mnts she shouldn't have free run of my room. I have a decent sized 'apartment' type bedroom an add on to my parent's place. Yes I have a crate but I'm a bad mom and already I've broke this 'code' of keeping her crated. She whines and I just can't she will stay in if I'm not home but my trouble is when I'm here. She does know to go outside and I do walk her however I don't know how often she needs to actually go out. I'm thinking I want to try even thirty minutes or so, but there in lies if she goes "before" I get her out what do I do? Is rubbing her nose it and saying 'bad dog' really the best way? I'm really at a loss. I think ealier tonight she was trying to tell me she had to go out but I couldn't get dressed quick enough. I'd just gotten out of the shower.... O.o' Visual much for you all I know sorry.

Second issue is 'come' and 'leashing'. She comes sometimes. I actually hit her once since I got her on the 22nd of this month. Apparently she likes 'Kitty Tootsie Rolls' >_< Hoping my stubborn cat will let me change the type of litter box she has. Anyways having said that getting Shiloh ( the Beagle ) to go out is hard. She doesn't 'come' to her leash should I actually use food as a motivation? I don't want her to rely on that because I know Beagles are chow hounds, so I want to train mostly without food in the end if I can. I just at a loss please any possible help would be greatly appreciated it. Shiloh is a four-teen year dream and I don't want to screw her up. <3

[Ari_RR]

Well.. Experts will be here soon to advise, I can only offer my own 2 cents re: bathroom habits. We got Ari when he was about 13 weeks. He is now 14 months, and in this time we've had no more then 5 instances of him going to the bathroom inside, all of them within the first month or two.
The key - taking him out proactively, all the time... During the day, and during the night. Starting at every 3-4-5 hrs (for a ridgeback, maybe even less for a small dog like beagle) and after every meal... As time goes by and he grows up, you increase the intervals. Not every time you take the puppy out is a success. More often then not he doesn't go, especially at the beginning. Then you go inside, and back outside again soon after. Praise every time he goes outside - really praise, big party, fireworks and balloons, treats!
That we got Ari last December didn't help - taking the puppy out several times during the night when it's snow and freezing outside, and you have to go to work in the morning, was a major pain.. But it was well worth it. And lesson learned - next puppy we get, she will arrive late spring

As for calling her.. I don't know how much one can expect from a 12 week old puppy. I'd say - follow the advice and training suggestions you will get here, but also be patient, it may be way too early to expect any real obedience.

[Sarah83]

Is rubbing her nose it and saying 'bad dog' really the best way?

God no! It's cruel and teaches them nothing except to fear you.

Take her out ever 30 minutes, huge rewards when she gets it right. If she as an accident say nothing, just clean it up. Take her out BEFORE you do things like go for a shower, sit down for a meal etc. Even if she does know she's to go outside she won't have much control over her bladder and bowels yet. And from what I've heard most dogs will eat cat poo, it's considered a delicacy apparently Easiest solution is to put the litter tray where the cat can get to it and the dog can't.

Why did you hit her? And why do you want to train without food when it's probably going to be such a powerful tool with a Beagle? If food works as a reward then use it, there's nothing at all wrong with it. Once she knows a command you don't have to reward with food every time but in the training stages food is probably the easiest reward to use and with most dogs it's a powerful one. She's 12 weeks old, she's just a baby yet. It sounds like you may be expecting a hell of a lot from her to be honest.

I'm not quite sure what you mean when you say she doesn't come to her lead. Do you mean she doesn't come when you pick it up? Or does she actively try to avoid having it put on?

[Labsrule]

Hello, you absolutely must not hit your puppy, he is still a tiny baby and has zero control over his bowels and baldder. You wouldn't smack a baby for wetting/soiling its nappy would you? It is the same with your pup, you need to take him outside about every hour, as soon as he wakes up, after each of his four meals a day, after playtime; it is a lot of work and a huge commitment. Puppies are hard work, how long is he left on his own? if it is for long periods of time getting him house trained will take longer as you won't be around to take him outside often enough. When he wees/poos outside, give him a huge praise both verbal and physical. If he has accidents inside, and he will, ignore it, say nothing just calmly clean it up, absolutely no nose rubbing in the mess, you will only teach him to fear you.

At 12 weeks you are his world, you are the provider of his food, warmth, love and security, the environment he has come into in your home it all new to him, he has left his mother, brothers and sisters, he cannot speak English, you cannot speak dog, you have to have a huge amount of patience. Teach him to come to you, get on the floor and really make it worthwhile for him to come, soft voice, much praise and treats so that he always associates coming to you as a great thing to do; if you smack him for not coming, which he will not understand anyway, you will always have a dog who is reluctant to come. Would you run eagerly to someone who you knew was going to bash you, I wouldn't?

Regarding exercise on a lead, the rule is 5 minutes for every month of life, so at 12 weeks ideally 15 minutes walking interspersed with some playtime would be enough. Good luck.

[KitKyle]

Sarah83 :
"Why did you hit her?"
It was when she was going for the 'Kitty Tootsie Rolls'. She had one and I took it from her and my fault here I 'threw' it back in and she went for it so I smacked her butt. She has 'tried' but here after I've just said "No leave it" or called her name and she comes enough to let me know she's not in it but not actually "Coming". ): She's bad about coming. I realize she's young and isn't going to be all OMG Come! And do everything I say I just want to get her trained now before she becomes an adult and is 'harder' to train.

Food Training | Potty
Yea but I don't know I'm torn on food training. Because I don't want to feel like I have to always carry food around to make her listen but I guess if it works. Food or Toys. She has a rabbit the 'no stuffing' type with two squeakers on either side. She seems to 'come' or at least come towards me when I squeak it so I'm thinking a clicker perhaps could work. Not so much the 'click to reward' but click it to get her attention then the actually 'reward' being the treat or affection when she 'trusts' after the whole 'Kitty Tootsie Roll' thing.

As for the coming. She flat out won't come to me period. Like she will but she only comes a few feet but never enough to actually get her and if I try to reach out for her she backs away. I did train her to go to her bed. And from that point I can get her to chill enough to get the lead on her. But I can't carry the bed around so she's going to have to come outside. It's just not going to work otherwise. Though I don't ever plan to let her off lead except for in my backyard I want to be prepared for any 'possible' accidents where she gets out.

I think I'm scared of giving her 'too much' freedom because I've read so much about Beagles being such stubborn hard to train dogs. But I've wanted one since I was twelve years old so I kinda just don't care that she 'might' be I just wanted her after reading Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, in fifth grade. So this wasn't just some kid going out and seeing 101 Dalmations and going OMG I want a Dalmation puppy then get bored because it's too much work and she ends up in a shelter.. It's a fourteen year dream I paied $300 for this girl she's not shelter material. I already love her too dang much to ever do that even she's problem dog. Maybe I'll just call Victoria up and beg her to come help me. ;p


Labsrule :
Very good point.
However, now I'm confused you said one hour and Sarah and 30mins.

She wasn't really coming before I smacked her for the 'Kitty Tootsie Rolls' so it hopefully it's not just that but she is young so hopefully she'll come later. On the floor with food and or both?

As for how long she's 'alone' right now not very long an hour or so tops. I got her on Nov. 22nd so I've been out of class since. But I go back Monday. I only have one class at 3pm so I'd leave at 2.30 or so sometimes ealier but she is crated during times when I can't be here at all.

....

So from this point on. Coming. Or if she's bad getting into something she shouldn't be doing what should I do other than obviously raising a hand to her? Because She is sweet and affectionate, but just coming is her biggest issue. I'm thinking 'locking' her in the laundry room with me in the door way to my room so she can't go anywhere much but to me. And food motivate her to come? Or too another thing she does. If I give her a treat she runs off and eats it. But I can if she doesn't 'run' stick my hand in her food bowl so it's not agression but she runs. I think the running thing with the whole treat bit after I smacked her for the 'Kitty Tootsie Rolls'.

I know I need to work to regain that trust I think. I try to coddle her. To show her I'm not going to hurt her. I've never had a dog before ever. I've walked a neighbor's dog but she was trained my someone else. So I'm on my own with this cutie. I want to as soon as I can go some classes with her but I honestly can't afford it right now so hopefully I can over come her 'issue' or whatever it maybe with her coming to me. Maybe it's she's just a hyper active pup and I need accept that and leave her but I am always calling to her because I don't want her getting into anything that could hurt her. I've had her all of five days and she's already wormed her wait into my heart and I just want to be a good mom. How often should I feed her? She has water available all the time but I don't want to leave food down all the time like I do for my cat.And she's not 'terrifed' of me as I type this she's laying in my lap happily sleeping. <3

[Jindo]

If your pup is food motivated I'd say it's best to use food.
If you're worried about overfeeding you can take some portions out of your pups daily meal.
Calling your pup by her name then giving her a trip will help her learn her name and will make her realize that you want her attention when her name is called.
Call her name and soon as she reaches you say come and give her a treat and praise her.

To let your dog know you don't like a certain behavior you can make a loud noise when she gets too close to the litter box. Another solution is to make it not accessible to your pup.
Giving her a small smack and saying, "No, bad dog, bad dog." Isn't going to make her understand. Stopping her before she actually does it will help her realize she shouldn't be getting into the little box will help her realize 'oh I shouldn't do this.'

I'd say feed your pup twice a day, but be aware of when she has to use the restroom depending on the times you feed her.
I'm assuming you did research on the breed right? I hope so. O:

>_< I just want to say taking care of a puppy is A LOT of hard work... It will cause frustration and you will need endless patience, especially as a first time dog owner.
You want your dog to be well behaved, you want her to be everything you dreamed up and fantasize but remember, she's her own dog with her own personality and quirks.
Don't worry about turning her into the 'perfect' dog, show her the dos and donts that will fit into her new life.
I'm glad you want to give her the best, just commit to this and I wish the two of you the best of luck.

[KitKyle]

Thanks so much all of you. <3 Shiloh and I appreciate it. ^^ I may throw any other questions I have about her on this thread if any come up.

And Jindo 14yrs worth. ;p But all the research and looking into any breed is a little different when it actually come down to having the dog. <3 I'll keep you all posted. Again thank you! Best of luck with your own furry little ones, ~Kit

[Ather]

Just a few minor things to add in here! This worked very well for my pup when he was young. Whenever I took him out, as we got to the door or as I was hooking the leash up I would say "Outside". That was his cue from me that we would being going out to do his potty thing. He learned it very well. He could be laying on the floor in another room, I would call "Akira, outside!" and he would come over knowing I was taking him out to go potty. He now knows the difference between "outside", "walk", and "ride".

As for the kitty poo thing. I would suggest try getting a door for your cat box. It may help deter your pup from trying to get inside for a "goodie". Also have to make sure your cat is ok with it as well. Not all cats are comfortable with cat doors on their boxes. If he isn't ok with it, I would suggest elevating his box somewhere that is out of reach of the pup. I've had a few friends who have custom built cat stands to have a platform just for their boxes, but something simple is just as easy.

[emmabeth]

If you use anything as a distraction without really training her, ie using the click of a clicker to get her attention - it will eventually fail. After all, your voice has stopped working..

Stick to using a clicker to mark that shes about to earn a reward and do NOT use it as a distraction as it will rapidly become meaningless.

Certain things you need to prevent, so put the cat litter tray out of her reach, it is far too rewarding to her to have it within reach.

As for what you use as a reward - you use the thing the dog will work for best. If thats food, then its food. Tough luck. Part of being a great dog owner is ALWAYS being mega rewarding to your dog, just as you will never go to work each day for no pay, your dog is never going to work for no reward.

That said, you should not have to show her a reward or give her one after every single tiny little thing, but whilst you are TEACHING her new things, yes you do. Since she is only 3 months old you will be carrying food rewards around much of the time.