Rescue dog help!

[Shelly888]

We adopted a beagle/basett hound mix on Friday. The foster mom had him for about 1 week. We were told he was about 3-4 years old and house trained. I think he has only pooped outside one time...the rest in the house. He mostly pees outside, but has also peed a few times inside as well.

I guess I am wondering if this is a normal part of the transition. Whether it is or isn't, I also need some solid plans to help him go to the bathroom in the correct spot!

We had dogs growing up, but never had issues with the bathroom. I have successfully toilet trained 2 boys before they were 2 1/2, so I imagine the same can be done for this sweet boy. He is a wonderful dog in every way. He's excellent with the children, is pretty good on the leash after he has peed(before he pulls).

Any advice?

 

[Started By A Mouse]

One thing that always worked for us during the transition was making sure we took them out before they showed signs of having to go. It was annoying, but we would take our new rescues out every hour, and praise them and give them treats for going outside. Also make sure you are disciplining them with a firm NO! when they go inside. Some of it could be the transition, but if they are not punished for it, they will think it is ok.

I am no professional, but as the parent of 2 rescues, this is how we have done it!

 

[mjkacmom]

I'd treat the dog like a puppy - in a crate, unless someone is actually watching him, and take him out frequently.

I lucked out - my rescue came to me after being fostered for a week, and I was told she was housetrained. She never had a single accident, and she was never put on a potty schedule (just rings her bell when she wants to go out - I taught her that). She also still loves her crate, a year later.

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

My rescue dog did the same thing when we brought her home, and then she did it again when we moved into a new house. I agree with the poster who suggested crate training. This is great for beagles as well since they can be a bit stubborn and territorial about food. Our rescue dog rarely ever has an accident anymore, give yours a little time to adjust and I bet it will work out. Good luck!

 

[Shelly888]

Interesting, thanks for the replies. I have heard of crate training, but I don't know exactly how it works, so I'll have to read up a bit on that. Thanks!

 

[treehugnmama]

We rescued a dog in October and she acted so much like a puppy we used a crate to train her and all is well good luck

 

[gillep]

I rescued a young beagle (~1yr old) and he was having accidents in the house especially if it was raining outside (he wasn't used to the outdoors). I decided to reward the good behavior of going outside to potty hoping that he would continue it. He was very food motivated so every time he pottied outside I gave him a small piece of deli meat roast beef and after his first time with this treat he completely got it! and only went potty outside so that he could get his treat. He is the best little beagle two years later and we love him so much

 

[yoopermom]

The poor thing might have never been housetrained to start out with, so you really need to start from scratch, never let him out of your sight, and praise like crazy when business is done in the right place. We have hounds, and I do love them, but they can be slow to housetrain, so please be patient. We have one silly girl who I swear would know it one day and forget it the next! It might sound gross, but with her I had to scoop up the "accidents" from inside and put them outside where I wanted her to go, until she finally got the message!

Good luck!

Terri

 

[nskjerven]

Must be the time of year for rescuing Beagles

We rescued ours (1.5 year old male) mid March and he has had a few accidents as well both poop and pee. He is getting better and we are getting better about watching him too.

We love having a dog instead of a puppy. This has been a great dog experience for us & for him too

 

[Maryr1]

Most foster homes are homes with other dogs-who are trained and on a schedule. The foster dog just follows them out and does what they do.....like follow the leader.....while your new rescue probably is trained (because they told you he was and they tend to be pretty honest to increase the dogs chance of success) he may need to learn the correct cues-I would try to crate train him if you can. I have 3 dogs-2 I got as puppies and 1 is a rescue who was 2 years old when we got her. We were never able to crate train her. She was traumatized by the crate before we got her. I do feed her in her crate but I don't try to close the door.If you can crate train that is a wonderful tool. If not, treat him as if he was a puppy. Take him out every time he wakes up, after any serious play sessions, before and after meals and at bed time. Praise him whenever he goes potty outside and give him a treat. My rescue had no accidents in the house but did have an accident or two in the garage on the cement floor. We have a dog run and once she went out there a few times with the other two, it clicked and no more problems. I think maybe she was kept somewhere that had a cement floor and that was where she was trained to go?????? All of her teeth were filed down so we are not sure what her story was but I am sure it was not good. She is awesome and sweet and wonderful and we adore her. Rescue dogs are the best! Good luck and I am sure with a bit of work you will be home free.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Some dogs get the whole idea that they are supposed to go potty in the great outdoors. Other dogs just know "this place is where I go potty". Your dog may fall into that second category, so he really WAS housetrained - at the last house!

The good news is that if is foster family got him housebroken, you can too. Just take it like you would an un-housebroken dog, but it will likely go faster and not be as difficult as if he'd never been housebroken - he's already learned that humans like for dogs to go in one place, you just have to teach where you'd like him to go!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I don't know what his background was, but if he came from a pet store or was kept in an area where he was allowed to "go" on the floor, it's understandable why he may be confused. Not to mention the stress of being in at least three different places in a short time. Your job now will be to establish routine, housetraining being just one aspect of it. He'll learn but it may take some time.

Remember, whatever you do should be done with kindness and patience. He will want to please you, more and more as your relationship and trust grows.

One thing that always worked for us during the transition was making sure we took them out before they showed signs of having to go. It was annoying, but we would take our new rescues out every hour, and praise them and give them treats for going outside.

This. You can stretch it out as he has success and begins to understand. Also, don't let him have the run of the house right now. If you don't use a crate, at least confine to the kitchen until he is trained, so as to help him continue on the right path and to keep your frustration levels low. Be sure to offer lots of praise when he does what you want him to do.

 

[clutter]

I rescued a young beagle (~1yr old) and he was having accidents in the house especially if it was raining outside (he wasn't used to the outdoors). I decided to reward the good behavior of going outside to potty hoping that he would continue it. He was very food motivated so every time he pottied outside I gave him a small piece of deli meat roast beef and after his first time with this treat he completely got it! and only went potty outside so that he could get his treat. He is the best little beagle two years later and we love him so much

I'd just break up a milkbone and give a piece. (I don't give treats generally, so it was pretty special.) The one that was having trouble remembering started remembering real quick with a reward. Take him out on a schedule, give him a cue (I like "do business") then give a verbal reward with the treat ("Good business"). Doesn't take long at all. And beagles are very food motivated! Bassets are great. They say the easiest thing to teach a basset is to stay because nine times out of ten they weren't going to move anyway! (I've had three.)

 

[TacoBaco]

Aww, sounds like the poor guy has been thru a lot.

I have two rescues, not beagles, but dogs... lol... My only advice, is as others suggested, take him outside every hour, and wait, be patience with him. When he doesn't go, just come back inside. When he does go, tell him he's a good boy, and shower him with attention. I also give my doggies a biscuit every time they come in from going potty. Eventually you'll learn his routine, like how many times a day he needs to go outside, every 3 to 6 hours should be about normal.

I however disagree with the poster who said to scold them when they mess in the house. I watch a lot of animal planet, but I'm in no way an expert,, and I've always heard that scolding them can make them anxious and even more afraid to go potty. So I say, ignore the bad.... and praise, praise, praise the good! Eventually he'll catch on.

Patience's and consistency is key!

 

[CozumelDisneyFan]

And kudos to all who go to shelters and adopt dogs.

I have a great stray that I adopted, but dont remember my training technigues - sorry.... but congrsts on sdopting

 

[SandrA9810]

Well you can scold if you catch them in the action. Because they can relate that their immediate action is wrong. Just like barking or chewing.

I never had any potty issue with pound puppy, and she eventually learned to go potty when I told her to (she loved to do the dance around to find the perfect pee over spot).

 

[NaLisa]

We have a wonderful Beagle we adopted from a Beagle rescue four years ago. We had her in a crate for the first two weeks but she's had run of he house since. The woman who fostered her (and nursed her back to health from a case of heartworms after previous owners dumped her at a shelter) for six months let us know up front that she couldn't say for certain that our dog was house trained. But our girl went outside from the get-go, and I think the initial period in the crate really helped with that.

Good luck and thank you for adopting vs. buying!

 

[bballmom56]

We have rescued large dogs that strongly objected to crates/containment of any kind, probably because of their history. We found out that they didn't need it and were grateful to us not to demand it.

With each new dog we did as others have suggested - take them outside often and lavish praise when they do their thing. We were able to gradually reduce the number of times we took them out as the dog became accustomed to the new environment. We had very, very few mishaps. They have all been wonderful dogs.

 

[Shelly888]

Thanks ALL! He really is the sweetest dog ever! All 47 pounds just wants to love haha, and sit right on our lap, lol! I took him for a nice walk last night, and he pooped and then right before bed I walked him again to get all of his pees out.

We would never think of not getting a rescue. There are just SO many pets in need of homes already. I never realized the sheer number of cats in rescue too. It was really eyeopening for us.

Thanks so much for the excellent advice. We didn't think we'd need to read up on potty habits, but after a couple days we realized something needed to be done. His name was Peyton, but seeing as how my cousin just named her new baby girl that, she wouldn't appreciate a doggie in the family with that name I was *rooting* really hard for Gusteau NN Gus! He fits that name perfectly...but Benjamin named him Jack, and Jack he is! Benjamin calls him either awesome-Jack or Jack-E boy...I call him lo-Jack you know the low to the ground basett part

 

[Starshine]

I've always heard that scolding them can make them anxious and even more afraid to go potty. So I say, ignore the bad.... and praise, praise, praise the good! Eventually he'll catch on.

Patience's and consistency is key!

This. 20 minutes after he eats or drinks anything take him outside. If he pees or poops out there shower him with praise and treats. Repeat until he gets the idea.