Ask Me Help Desk - 6 month old beagle pup question!

I just brought home a 6 month old male beagle that's been an outside dog his whole life and now I'm trying to bring him inside? All he does is sleep and won't eat I also tried to take him out and he completely hated to leash and wouldn't use the bathroom! It's been about 10 hours since he's been home now and he still hasn't used the bathroom.

He's likely very nervous. He's had a lot of major changes today, the first being that he's inside (thank you so much for bringing him inside) the second is that he's in a new home with new people. It's going to be an adjustment for all of you.

Baby steps. He may have a few accidents in the house, in fact I guarantee it. He's been an outside dog all his life, he pees where he lives, that's what he's been taught. He won't know that peeing inside is not okay, you're going to have to teach him, and that won't be instant. Patience, praise, calm, that's the way to do it. I can give you potty training tips if you'd like.

You're going to have to have a lot of patience with him. Is he drinking? Eating is important, but considering all the stress he's been through today, I'm not too surprised that he's not hungry. Are you feeding the same food he had in his old home, or at the shelter? It's important to switch foods slowly.

I would highly recommend a complete vet check to make sure there aren't any issues, and of course I'd suggest going to the vet immediately if he continues not to go potty. But something tells me he has, and you just haven't noticed it yet. That's just a guess though, and that's really all we can do online.

The vet is always your best bet if you're concerned.

Congrats on your rescue. I have a beagle as well, a 5 year old, also male. They're great dogs. The first year is a bit tough, they can be stubborn, they love to dig (so keep an eye out when he's in your yard, they can dig under a fence in seconds) and the howling, oh the howling, but after the first year they're wonderful family members.

My gut would say he's simply adjusting, and to give him time, but again, that's just a guess which is all I can do online. When in doubt, see your vet.

I'd love pictures of the little guy. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alty

He's likely very nervous. He's had a lot of major changes today, the first being that he's inside (thank you so much for bringing him inside) the second is that he's in a new home with new people. It's going to be an adjustment for all of you.

Baby steps. He may have a few accidents in the house, in fact I guarantee it. He's been an outside dog all his life, he pees where he lives, that's what he's been taught. He won't know that peeing inside is not okay, you're going to have to teach him, and that won't be instant. Patience, praise, calm, that's the way to do it. I can give you potty training tips if you'd like.

You're going to have to have a lot of patience with him. Is he drinking? Eating is important, but considering all the stress he's been through today, I'm not too surprised that he's not hungry. Are you feeding the same food he had in his old home, or at the shelter? It's important to switch foods slowly.

I would highly recommend a complete vet check to make sure there aren't any issues, and of course I'd suggest going to the vet immediately if he continues not to go potty. But something tells me he has, and you just haven't noticed it yet. That's just a guess though, and that's really all we can do online.

The vet is always your best bet if you're concerned.

Congrats on your rescue. I have a beagle as well, a 5 year old, also male. They're great dogs. The first year is a bit tough, they can be stubborn, they love to dig (so keep an eye out when he's in your yard, they can dig under a fence in seconds) and the howling, oh the howling, but after the first year they're wonderful family members.

My gut would say he's simply adjusting, and to give him time, but again, that's just a guess which is all I can do online. When in doubt, see your vet.

I'd love pictures of the little guy. :)

I would really appreciate the potty training tips! And he's also sleeping in my bed... He hopped up here and went right to sleep and since he's calm I don't want to shake him up any worse.. Is that okay?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Softballonelove

I would really appreciate the potty training tips! And he's also sleeping in my bed... He hopped up here and went right to sleep and since he's calm I don't wanna shake him up any worse.. Is that okay?

I'd let him sleep, but he really does need to potty too. Ten hours without a potty, is a bit alarming, especially for a 6 month old pup.

Can I ask where you got him from? Did you get him from a shelter, or directly from the previous owner? Is he up to date on his shots?

Is he drinking? Eating is not a huge concern, he's had a lot to contend with today, so not eating today isn't something I'd be worried about, but not drinking would be a concern, and not pottying for 10 hours concerns me as well. Not overly, 10 hours isn't at the point where I'd panic, but if this keeps up, I'd get him to the vet just to make sure it's not a medical issue.

Beagles are food driven. The best way to train a beagle is with treats. When you take him outside choose a potty word, I use "potty time", that will be your code for potty, never change it once you pick your word.

So you'll take him outside, and say your potty word over and over and over and over (you get the point ;)) until he potties. The first few times will be an accident, he'll potty simply because he has to. When he does, you're going to act like he just won an Emmy. Lots of praise " good boy, such a good boy" in a high pitched excited voice. Pets, and most importantly, a treat. Beagles will do anything for a treat.

Every time he goes potty outside, you're going to react like he won an Emmy. He needs to know that what he's just done is very good, it's what you want, it will get him attention and a treat. Dogs live to please, they just can't understand human behavior, and they can't understand English, or any human language. It's up to us to show them what behaviors we like, and what behaviors we don't. Remember, they're dogs, they don't know how to live in a human world, until we teach them what's okay.

If he potties inside (not today, if he does it today I'd simply clean it up and let it go) a firm no (no punishment, no pushing his nose in it, no slap) and only a firm "no!" and then take him directly outside, use the potty word, and take the steps I posted above. If you catch him mid pee or mid poo, don't wait for him to finish, stop him mid stream, "No!" and take him directly outside. That's actually the best scenario you can have, it makes him understand "okay, they don't want me peeing and pooing inside, they want me to do it on the grass outside. I get it!".

One thing I've learned about beagles, at least mine, is that they don't enjoy pottying while on leash. They're scent hounds, they want to sniff every single inch of the area they're in. Being on a leash hinders them. Not to say he shouldn't be on a leash when you walk him, in fact, you should never ever ever ever ever take a beagle off the leash in an open area. Beagles will catch a scent, and even a beagle that's well trained will go after the scent, you running behind screaming for him to come back, and they won't budge, they'll continue running. If you have a fenced yard, let him explore it, let him sniff around, I bet he'll go potty.

Beagles are really wonderful dogs, they have very few health defects, that sadly makes them the breed of choice for animal testing. They're great with kids, very even tempered, not too big, not too small. I can't say enough wonderful things about this breed. The only problem is that they're very stubborn, and they're not easy to train. If you put in the time and effort, and most importantly use food as a reward and training tool, he'll be trained in no time (okay, a few months, but that's not really that bad). :)

Don't give up on him, he's at the half way mark of the difficult beagle age. Most beagles are given up before they're 1, because, like I said, the first year is really hard with beagles. If you can make it to their first birthday, you'll see a whole new dog, and a great family pet.

Sorry for the rambling. I tend to write a lot when it's an animal I'm really passionate about. You should ask me about bunnies, I'd write you a book. ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alty

I'd let him sleep, but he really does need to potty too. Ten hours without a potty, is a bit alarming, especially for a 6 month old pup.

Can I ask where you got him from? Did you get him from a shelter, or directly from the previous owner? Is he up to date on his shots?

Is he drinking? Eating is not a huge concern, he's had a lot to contend with today, so not eating today isn't something I'd be worried about, but not drinking would be a concern, and not pottying for 10 hours concerns me as well. Not overly, 10 hours isn't at the point where I'd panic, but if this keeps up, I'd get him to the vet just to make sure it's not a medical issue.

Beagles are food driven. The best way to train a beagle is with treats. When you take him outside choose a potty word, I use "potty time", that will be your code for potty, never change it once you pick your word.

So you'll take him outside, and say your potty word over and over and over and over (you get the point ;)) until he potties. The first few times will be an accident, he'll potty simply because he has to. When he does, you're going to act like he just won an Emmy. Lots of praise " good boy, such a good boy" in a high pitched excited voice. Pets, and most importantly, a treat. Beagles will do anything for a treat.

Every time he goes potty outside, you're going to react like he won an Emmy. He needs to know that what he's just done is very good, it's what you want, it will get him attention and a treat. Dogs live to please, they just can't understand human behavior, and they can't understand English, or any human language. It's up to us to show them what behaviors we like, and what behaviors we don't. Remember, they're dogs, they don't know how to live in a human world, until we teach them what's okay.

If he potties inside (not today, if he does it today I'd simply clean it up and let it go) a firm no (no punishment, no pushing his nose in it, no slap) and only a firm "no!" and then take him directly outside, use the potty word, and take the steps I posted above. If you catch him mid pee or mid poo, don't wait for him to finish, stop him mid stream, "No!" and take him directly outside. That's actually the best scenario you can have, it makes him understand "okay, they don't want me peeing and pooing inside, they want me to do it on the grass outside. I get it!".

One thing I've learned about beagles, at least mine, is that they don't enjoy pottying while on leash. They're scent hounds, they want to sniff every single inch of the area they're in. Being on a leash hinders them. Not to say he shouldn't be on a leash when you walk him, in fact, you should never ever ever ever ever take a beagle off the leash in an open area. Beagles will catch a scent, and even a beagle that's well trained will go after the scent, you running behind screaming for him to come back, and they won't budge, they'll continue running. If you have a fenced yard, let him explore it, let him sniff around, I bet he'll go potty.

Beagles are really wonderful dogs, they have very few health defects, that sadly makes them the breed of choice for animal testing. They're great with kids, very even tempered, not too big, not too small. I can't say enough wonderful things about this breed. The only problem is that they're very stubborn, and they're not easy to train. If you put in the time and effort, and most importantly use food as a reward and training tool, he'll be trained in no time (okay, a few months, but that's not really that bad). :)

Don't give up on him, he's at the half way mark of the difficult beagle age. Most beagles are given up before they're 1, because, like I said, the first year is really hard with beagles. If you can make it to their first birthday, you'll see a whole new dog, and a great family pet.

Sorry for the rambling. I tend to write a lot when it's an animal I'm really passionate about. You should ask me about bunnies, I'd write you a book. ;)

Thanks so much! And one last question, he's panting a lot and licking everything at the moment! We changed his dog food pretty quickly so I feel as of that's it... But I don't have the food that the previous owner had! What should I do? And also I don't have a fenced in back yard so I have to keep him on a leash!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Softballonelove

Thanks so much! And one last question, he's panting alot and licking everything at the moment! We changed his dog food pretty quickly so I feel as of that's it... But I don't have the food that the previous owner had! What should I do?! And also i don't have a fenced in back yard so I have to keep him on a leash!!!

Is he drinking anything? The panting, to me (keep in mind I'm not a vet) would indicate that he's thirsty. I would try bringing the water bowl to him, or even trying to give him some water with a syringe (turkey baster works too).

Switching foods quickly can cause tummy upset, which is why pet experts and vets recommend that you switch slowly, but it's not always possible. You can feed him rice and cooked skinless chicken, he should go for it like gangbusters, and it's perfectly okay for him to have. No seasoning, just plain rice and plain cooked skinless chicken. When you do choose a dog food, and he's feeling a bit better, mix the rice and chicken in with his dog food, then slowly add less and less until he's eating only dog food. Chicken and rice is great for a dog with an upset tummy.

If he has to be on leash when he's outside to potty, start him on a longer leash. If you don't have one, a secure rope is fine too. The more he's able to explore, the better. You can shorten the leash as he gets used to it. My guess would be that he's never ever been on a leash, and dogs don't naturally adjust to being on leash, it's something they have to adapt to over time. For now try the longest leash you can, a harness instead of a collar would be good too, for now, not long term. Right now the most important thing is getting him to eat, drink and potty, you can introduce the rules of the house, and leash and collar, when he's a bit more adjusted to living with you. Remember, all of this is very new to him, he's adjusting, he's scared, everything he's used to has been totally changed. It takes some getting used to.

Above all, and I can't stress this enough, if you feel that he's ill, if you feel that something is wrong, the vet is always your first go to guy/girl. I can give you info on how to train him, and what to feed him, but diagnosing online, even if I were a vet, is impossible to do. I can't stress enough that if you feel something is wrong, you really should take him to the vet. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alty

Is he drinking anything? The panting, to me (keep in mind I'm not a vet) would indicate that he's thirsty. I would try bringing the water bowl to him, or even trying to give him some water with a syringe (turkey baster works too).

Switching foods quickly can cause tummy upset, which is why pet experts and vets recommend that you switch slowly, but it's not always possible. You can feed him rice and cooked skinless chicken, he should go for it like gangbusters, and it's perfectly okay for him to have. No seasoning, just plain rice and plain cooked skinless chicken. When you do choose a dog food, and he's feeling a bit better, mix the rice and chicken in with his dog food, then slowly add less and less until he's eating only dog food. Chicken and rice is great for a dog with an upset tummy.

If he has to be on leash when he's outside to potty, start him on a longer leash. If you don't have one, a secure rope is fine too. The more he's able to explore, the better. You can shorten the leash as he gets used to it. My guess would be that he's never ever been on a leash, and dogs don't naturally adjust to being on leash, it's something they have to adapt to over time. For now try the longest leash you can, a harness instead of a collar would be good too, for now, not long term. Right now the most important thing is getting him to eat, drink and potty, you can introduce the rules of the house, and leash and collar, when he's a bit more adjusted to living with you. Remember, all of this is very new to him, he's adjusting, he's scared, everything he's used to has been totally changed. It takes some getting used to.

Above all, and I can't stress this enough, if you feel that he's ill, if you feel that something is wrong, the vet is always your first go to guy/girl. I can give you info on how to train him, and what to feed him, but diagnosing online, even if I were a vet, is impossible to do. I can't stress enough that if you feel something is wrong, you really should take him to the vet. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

Thank you sosososo much!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Softballonelove

Thank you sosososo much!!!!

You're very welcome.

I post on this site for free because animals are my passion, and I just happen to know quite a bit about them. When I do post in the dog forum, especially when someone has one of my favorite breeds, I do charge. The cost is a picture of the puppy. :)

No hurry, wait until he's more settled, but I'd really love to see your new fur baby.

You can see my fur, feather and fin babies all over this site, I post them any time someone even hints that they want to see them. I'd love to see your new little beagle. I'd also love to know what you named him. My beagle is called Chewy, and he's very well named. I also have a border collie cross (1 year old) named Rascal (I pretty much bring it on myself with names like that ;)), Chewy and Rascal share the home with 4 bunnies (3 are rescues), 3 gerbils, 2 birds (both rescues) and 2 fish. I have a zoo, and I love it.

I'm a rescue advocate, and I've dealt with many rescue animals. Any question you have, I'm more than happy to answer, and if I can't, I'll find someone that can, or recommend something else (like the vet).

Can't wait for my payment. Bring on the beagle pictures! :)