I just got a new puppy 3 days ago.(5 months old) when we first brought her home she was very shy and ski-dish, also she did not eat drink pee or poop. In the last day or so she has started eating. I worry that we aren't feeding here enough because she is a beagle and they do have the tendency to over eat and I don't want to be a bad parent. Even though she is now eating and going to the bathroom she is scared of everything.

She is a runt of the litter and was one of only three puppies that survived. The other two puppies were adopted and she was left alone for the majority of time in a pen out side. So needless to say she did not have proper socialization with her brothers and sisters or humans. She also was eating adult dog food when we received her and it caused her stomach to be quite up set, even pooping herself when she was picked up. Needless to say we had to change her food and she now eats the new food like a champ. But my main question is will she ever stop hiding from everyone and being scared of everyone?
I've tried not making eye contact with her and even letting her lay in the bed/couch with me. But she still tries to hide her face from me, or watches my every move.

Is there something else I can do to help her in this stage? Am I doing something wrong? I really just want her to be happy and healthy. Any advice would help.

Thanks for rescuing this baby!

He may be watching you to see if you raise your arm to hit him, since he may have been swatted in the past. Everything is new, and that's scary all by itself! Three days isn't very long for him to get comfortable in a safe home, so give him more time to come around.

I'm a cat person, so I don't have suggestions for you to help this pup. The dog experts will be along this evening, so please come back to see if any of them have posted on this thread. I know they watch the Dog forum quite religiously. I'll keep track of this thread and PM them if no one posts to you.

She's still very young, so take things slow and she should adjust.

Right now it's important to develop a routine. Don't baby her (allowing her on the couch and bed) because you'll just add on more behavioral issues later on.

Start slow, build trust, give her time to understand that she's now in a safe home, and that you're her new family.

Because she was penned up she's likely never been in a house, or has only been in a house for a short time. It will take her some time to get used to.

At this stage lots of praise, treats, tons of positive reinforcement will go a long way. If she allows you to pet her, praise her, give her a treat. If she comes to you give her praise. Do not baby her at all. Don't coddle her, or act like she's such a poor little thing, that will only reinforce her behavior, make her believe that there's something to be scared of, otherwise why would she get all this attention for being shy and skittish?

One great thing about dogs, they can usually overcome any past experiences, especially when they're still young. If you play your cards right, be positive, then you can turn this around.

Beagles are great. They can be a lot of work, but they're so worth it in the end. The first year is the hardest, after that it's smooth sailing. Make sure to take her for walks, allow her to sniff, allow her to become familiar with you and her surroundings. Watch her when she's in your yard, beagles are notorious diggers and very adept escape artists. Never take her off leash, even if she's completely trained. She's a scent hound, and if she smells something she finds interesting she'll take off and never look back.

Beagles are very smart, but very stubborn. Training can take some time and patience, but once they learn something they don't forget. It's getting past that stubborn exterior that's the hard part. Beagles are best trained with treats as they're scent and food driven. Of course, you already know that they do have a tendency to overeat, and can get fat if they don't get enough exercise.

I have a beagle myself. He's such a joy. He was also the runt of the litter, but had a very good upbringing. Also, I have two other dogs that took him under their paws and showed him the ropes when he came to live with us.

I see nothing but a bright future for you and this baby, it's all up to you and of course her. :)

We love pictures. Hint, hint, hint. ;)

Thank you for the advice.

I know that once she gets over her fears she will be amazing, she already knows to go potty out side and how to untangle the leash.

I have (or at lest I hope)attached some photos of her. :D

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Aw, she's beautiful!! (Don't tell my cats I said that about a dog.)

She's gorgeous! What a sweet face. She does look very shy, but I bet that in a few months that little face will be full of confidence. She's so lucky to have found you. :)

I have a rescue pup. He was 4 months old when we brought him home. Before that he had lived in a filthy barn with his sisters, was beaten, abused, undernourished, and generally treated very badly.

When we saw him in the shelter I couldn't leave him. We were sitting in the visitor section (a room allotted to meet the pet you're interested in adopting) with a handful of other people also looking at some of the puppies and dogs available. All the other people had squirming happy puppies in their laps, dogs eager to be held and petted. Our little bundle was on a leash, otherwise he'd run away. The leash was pulled as taut as it could be, so he could be as far away from us as possible. When I went to touch him, he peed out of fear, cowered, tail tucked.

My husband didn't want to take him, he was so afraid that he'd never come out of his shell. We had another dog at home, a 3 year old son and a baby on the way. My husband was so afraid that this pup would never adapt to our family.

I insisted that we take him. I knew he wouldn't be adopted by anyone else, and he and his sisters (which I sadly couldn't take with me) were already on the chopping block, deemed unadoptable.

Well, I won. We took the little guy home, and we gave him some space. Our other dog, already 6 years old, took little Jasper under his paw, showed him the ropes, shared his food dish, his water dish, his bed and his toys. Indy (the older dog) adopted Jasper, and they became instant friends, but befriending us was much harder for Jasper. We would walk into a room, and he'd run out of it. We'd try to pet him and he'd hide. If anyone spoke loudly he'd pee and cower.

We gave him his space. Thankfully Indy was a huge help, without him it still would have been possible to rehabilitate Jasper, but it would have taken much longer, and been a much more difficult process without our gentle kind Indy.

Around 4 weeks after we brought Jasper home he let me pet him for the first time. Shortly after that he barked for the first time, and when I grabbed a toy, he played, tail wagging, not tucked under him in fear.

Jasper is now 9 years old, and he's been a delightful addition to our family. It only took a few months for him to fully adapt to his humans, and after that there was no turning back.

I just know you're going to have success with your baby. The first few weeks will be the hardest. She has to get used to her new surroundings, to the smells, the sites, the way you do things. Before you know it she'll come out of her shell and you won't even remember that she used to be so scared.

What a cute puppy! She sure does look sweet, but I see a little devilish beagle in her eyes :)

I bet after you guys have had the opportunity to bond, she will warm right up to you and her surroundings. Alty gave you pretty good advice, there isn't much more I can offer except, to watch for separation anxiety. DO you plan on crating while you are away? If you aren't already, it would be a great investment. Also, Beagles love to be worked, so if you enrolled her in agility or some other obedience classes. It would really be a great way to bond with your girl.