[Guest]

I don't know what to do anymore. Chase is just... Idk how to explain it.


He's spoiled rotten, the lady told us this when we brought him. But I didn't think like this. We have a hard time leaving him home because he cries so loud I can just see the neighbors calling in on us (Military Base Housing). He does this at night when he wakes up (12am, 2am, 4am, 6am). So yea his sleeping at night is gone down the drain which means no sleep for me or my hubby and he has to go to work real early. Today I left to the doctors for a couple of hours and he cried the entire time we were gone. When I got home he was a nasty mess. Full of feces and urine. I had to bathe him and clean up his mess and it was horrible. Then I left for a total of 45 minutes took him out before I left came back and again a nasty mess?!!!! I am so stressed out with him. He's the only pup I've ever had that hasn't caught on to much of anything. He doesn't even know his name /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif I feel so sorry for him because we're always correcting him and saying NO so much he's just stressed himself. He just doesn't seem to be understanding or getting anything. Is this normal?

 

[Marley's Mommy]

how old is he again, and how long has he been with you? Does he get a lot of exercise?

 

[Spencer's Mum]

It sounds like Separation Anxiety if you ask me. Is he crate trained? How much exercise does he get? What are your comings and goings like? I am dealing with some SEVERE SA right now so I know what you are going through.

 

[beagletails]

We have used something called the pocket tether method with some of our dogs. It is an 18" chain with a hook on both ends. You hook one end to an eye bolt in the wall and one on the collar of the pup. This allows enough room to get up and turn around etc... but not enough length to allow them an area to dirty and sleep separately if you know what I mean.

Put a nice comfy bed next to yours and let him sleep tethered at night on that bed. When he wakes lean over, pet him, re-assure him that all is well and go back to sleep. It may take a few nights, but I think you will find this to be a good method for night time any way.

As for the crate or times when you are gone, reward him every time he is behaving in his crate. Keep him there for very short periods to begin with and then start extending the time. Even keep him there when you go to another room where he can't see you and reward him if he behaves. It really sounds like separation anxiety to me also and it may take a little time to work through it.

Try taking him for a walk or having a lengthy play session before leaving him also. See if you can wear him out so that he can't think of anything but sleep while you are gone.

I hope these suggestions help you.

 

[Guest]

Thanks so much for understanding me and giving me your helpful advice it means a lot. I think you all are right about the SA. He's not use to me ever leaving him, I go everywhere with him and he goes everywhere with me.

I've been trying to walk him daily but he won't walk on a leash /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif he chewed almost through it and he doesn't move at all it's like we drag him and I don't want to drag him. But we play with him all day. My son is 5 yrs old and his friends would come over after school and play with him. Also I play with him a lot. He gets so much sleep because he's always so tired from me running him through the house or our yard.

Btw he's 8 weeks

 

[RhodaTse]

Oh my dear, He is so very young! He is just like a infant, just imagine taking care of an infant, it is exactly like it.
I would crate him, put him in a place where he might feel more secure. Then gradually train him on. It takes a while I'm afraid.
Try putting the crate in your bedroom while you sleep, even where ever you may be, kitchen, yard, garage etc. Reward him with a treat, snug a treat through the gate of the crate. Tell him what a goooood boy he is! Starts from the basic training. Better yet, sign up a puppy training class.
Patience you must have with a puppy, good luck. Keep us posted, like to hear the good news thereafter.

 

[Guest]

Well he sleeps in the room with us. His bed is right next to my side of the bed and he wakes up often to see if I'm there and I reassure him every two hours (haha) but yea I know it takes time and patience I was just so stressed earlier after having to bathe him twice because he had a poopy war with himself :doh:

 

[Quesoart]

I know exactly what you are going through, we just went through it all with Brie. She is going on 6 months old now and each day the behaviors that I was convinced would never improve are, in fact, improving. One thing though, positively, do not ever console Chase if he is acting anxious, or fearful or he will continue to act this way each time he wants your attention. A friend of mine introduced me to the Dog Whisperer on NGC and after having tried some of the things he suggests on his show, I have found that Brie seems much less fearful and glory of glories she actually is sleeping happily downstairs right now, while I am upstairs posting this!!! A month ago I thought that I would be spending the rest of my days with a beagle attached to my heels /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif
Re: the walking. Brie was the same way, so I started to take some treats with us outside and when she would follow me she would get one. It didn't improve overnight and she still acts stubborn at times, but she gets better each day. I also started to mark on our calendar each time she would learn something new(like today, her downstairs, while I'm upstairs). When we are having a bad day I read the calendar and it cheers me up and gives me the patience I need with a 6 month old puppy.

Hope that some of this helps and we will be thinking of you!

Lora&Tippi...and now Brie
"My little dog. A heartbeat at my feet."
Edith Wharton

 

[Genie]

Hi! I think we can all relate to the stressful period when our babes were puppies. It does sound like you have your hands full, and that you've gotten some good tips. At 8 weeks, Chase is still a baby. I don't know how long you've had him, but a majority of pups aren't even ready to leave their mamas till 8 weeks. Sounds like he's confused and missing his litter, and could have maybe used a little more time "in the nest". So maybe separation anxiety is a pretty accurate diagnosis. When Shiloh was a puppy, I got a book called Puppy Preschool by John Ross, that takes you through puppy's first year. Maybe something like that would be helpful. Good luck. Chase is an adorable boy, by the way, and his name is so cute! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

 

[Spencer's Mum]

Wow, he is really young. You can expect to be gettin gup ever few hours during the night to let him out for a pee, that is normal for that age.

As for the leash, hook one onto his collar and let him drag it around the house (when you are there). It will help to get him used to it.

I would also do a lot of research on SA and get that fixed way before it turns into anything big. Believe me, I let it slide when Spencer was a pup and I thought it was normal, now I am dealing with a HUGE problem.

 

[Guest]

Quote:Originally posted by Lora&Tippi:
I know exactly what you are going through, we just went through it all with Brie. She is going on 6 months old now and each day the behaviors that I was convinced would never improve are, in fact, improving. One thing though, positively, do not ever console Chase if he is acting anxious, or fearful or he will continue to act this way each time he wants your attention. A friend of mine introduced me to the Dog Whisperer on NGC and after having tried some of the things he suggests on his show, I have found that Brie seems much less fearful and glory of glories she actually is sleeping happily downstairs right now, while I am upstairs posting this!!! A month ago I thought that I would be spending the rest of my days with a beagle attached to my heels /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif
Re: the walking. Brie was the same way, so I started to take some treats with us outside and when she would follow me she would get one. It didn't improve overnight and she still acts stubborn at times, but she gets better each day. I also started to mark on our calendar each time she would learn something new(like today, her downstairs, while I'm upstairs). When we are having a bad day I read the calendar and it cheers me up and gives me the patience I need with a 6 month old puppy.

Hope that some of this helps and we will be thinking of you!

Lora&Tippi...and now Brie
"My little dog. A heartbeat at my feet."
Edith Wharton

Thanks Lora that sounds like a great idea. I'm going to start marking my calendar of Chase's good behaviors and what he has learned or gotten better at. your response meant a lot. Good luck with Bria she seems to be on her way!

Quote:Originally posted by Genie:
Hi! I think we can all relate to the stressful period when our babes were puppies. It does sound like you have your hands full, and that you've gotten some good tips. At 8 weeks, Chase is still a baby. I don't know how long you've had him, but a majority of pups aren't even ready to leave their mamas till 8 weeks. Sounds like he's confused and missing his litter, and could have maybe used a little more time "in the nest". So maybe separation anxiety is a pretty accurate diagnosis. When Shiloh was a puppy, I got a book called Puppy Preschool by John Ross, that takes you through puppy's first year. Maybe something like that would be helpful. Good luck. Chase is an adorable boy, by the way, and his name is so cute! /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

Yea, he is still a baby acts just like one lol. Well his mother stopped feeding him at 4 weeks plus we believe he was the runt of the liter. he's smaller than most beag pups his age. Thanks for the compliment and the advice means a lot.

Quote:Originally posted by Spencer's Mum:
Wow, he is really young. You can expect to be gettin gup ever few hours during the night to let him out for a pee, that is normal for that age.

As for the leash, hook one onto his collar and let him drag it around the house (when you are there). It will help to get him used to it.

I would also do a lot of research on SA and get that fixed way before it turns into anything big. Believe me, I let it slide when Spencer was a pup and I thought it was normal, now I am dealing with a HUGE problem.

Well last night surprisingly he splet the whole night through. His blnket had just gotten out of the drier and it was a great night for me, Chase and my hubby we got really good sleep. I know it's going to be some good nights and some bad nights we're prepare it just gets stressful sometimes. The leash thing sounds like a good idea but he already chewed through his first one ha

 

[jeffmeden]

When we got Cello at 8 weeks, he was absolutely terrified of being alone in a cage. He would cry nonstop when put in a car carrier, no matter how much we tried to console him. Eventually we found that he does a lot better in a bigger cage, even though he had more room to make a mess. What we did was start him in the big cage, then using a divider we gradually sized the cage down until it was too small for him to make a mess in, but he still felt comfortable. He would still cry sometimes when first caged up, but he would get comfortable after a few minutes and be asleep or chewing on a toy the whole rest of the time. There were plenty of messes along the way, but before too long he improved and now he actually shares his cage with his big sister, and they both sleep happily through the night. Wet beds are still common when we are away for more than an hour or two, but that just means laundering blankets, and we know he will improve as he grows up.

One thing we found was really helpful for bed time (if you have the time before hand): Use a nice fluffy blanket and make a bed outside but nearby to the cage. As bedtime approaches, encourage him to sleep on it. Once he is dozing comfortably, just move him into the cage and turn out the light. He will do what all comfortable dogs do, go right back to sleep! This helped us when we were trying to get our two kids to share a cage. If we herded them into the cage first thing, and shut the door, they would both panic pretty quick. But, with a bed to share voluntarily they got comfortable together and it was a simple step to move them into the cage after they were sleeping. They would wake up, but were still inclined to go right back to sleep. A week or two of doing this and they are the best cage-mates we could hope for!

 

[beagletails]

One thing I am doing right now with the one pup I have left of Maya's litter is that I have his pet play pen/enclosure set up in the middle of my living room. I have an open crate inside it. I had him start using it immediately (on his own) to sleep in because I have a very comfy blanket inside of it that he just curls up in. Now at night when I go to bed, I take him out for a potty break and then bring him back in, put him in the crate and shut the door. He doesn't seem to care and it is only his 3rd night of doing this.

 

[Guest]

Well today we went out and brought Chase a small crate well not reall smally but medium. He has room to walk around a bit and lay down and be comfortable. However on the way of going get it we decided to let him stay down in the basement because we figured he'll be more comfortable being able to walk around laydown in his bed or play with his toys. Well we were wrong.

We came back to a poopy mess him being full of it maybe worst than the last 2 times :grr: There's so much room I don't get why he plays in his potty. He was crying the entire time and when we got home he cried almost 30 minutes because he couldn't stop...

Now I tried what I was told. We played with him and took him for a walk and everything. But this wasn't good enough for CHASE! Maybe it'll help him sleep better tonight. I see now that this is going to take time I'm just hoping this isn't going to be a long term problem. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif

Thanks for everyone's advice and input i am taking it all in. Thanks a bunch!

 

[Marley's Mommy]

wow! He is sooooo young. I understand your frustraton but he is just at the age he would leave mommy, so your expectations seem really high right now. Again, I understand, but you have to consider the development of puppies and where your pup is right now. I wouldn't expect him to "like" the leash right now. Some do, some don't - especially at his age, keep at it. He will get used to it. Spray bitter apple on it, he'll stop. His crate may be too big, or maybe he is pooping because he cannot hold it. They cannot hold much of anything at this age. He has a lot to learn, but won't learn it at 8 weeks old. I am no expert but feel this is way too early for separation anxiety but could be wrong. I just think he is sooo young, and depending on how long you had him, may have been taken too soon. Time, patience, routine, you will see an improvement. You will be amazed at how quickly he learns /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif He needs time to train though.

 

[Guest]

Quote:Originally posted by Marley's Mommy:
wow! He is sooooo young. I understand your frustraton but he is just at the age he would leave mommy, so your expectations seem really high right now. Again, I understand, but you have to consider the development of puppies and where your pup is right now. I wouldn't expect him to "like" the leash right now. Some do, some don't - especially at his age, keep at it. He will get used to it. Spray bitter apple on it, he'll stop. His crate may be too big, or maybe he is pooping because he cannot hold it. They cannot hold much of anything at this age. He has a lot to learn, but won't learn it at 8 weeks old. I am no expert but feel this is way too early for separation anxiety but could be wrong. I just think he is sooo young, and depending on how long you had him, may have been taken too soon. Time, patience, routine, you will see an improvement. You will be amazed at how quickly he learns /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif He needs time to train though.

Right. I know about training pups and rountines and consistency and such it just seems different with Chase. I know that he's young but from my past pups they were easier to train younger. I'm not looking for him to just be trained with in a days time. I would never ask that of my pup seeing that he is only 8 weeks. I was simply upset and talking about the stresses of him not being trained. And maybe seeing what some people were doing with their pups differently than I was with mine. I'm sure he's on the right track and with time he'll be doing fine. My main concern is getting him to not get so upset when were leaving him. I appreciate your feedback, thanks. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

[Quesoart]

If I didn't know better, I would swear that Brie and Chase were related!! We,too, tried leaving the crate open in our downstairs utility room, thinking that a bit more freedom would do the trick...WRONG. What a mess awaited us when we got home, and we were only gone for 30 minutes. Anyway we put the crate back in the livingroom and left the TV on the next time we had to go out and although she had a small accident in the crate, it was minor compared to the the utility room disaster. Now the crying was a bit harder to conquer. We put her in her crate and would just step outside for a few minutes and then come back in. I would put her in her crate and go upstairs for a few minutes,etc. After a couple of weeks she gradually cried less and we are now to the point where I say to her "Brie, it's crate time" and she will go in her crate where she always finds a cookie waiting for her. I know that it seems that Chase will never learn, but trust me he will. I too have trained countless puppies in my life and I can honestly say that Brie has been the most challenging. She is also the smartest puppy I have ever had. You just have to let Chase know that you are the boss, not him and he will come around.

Lora&Tippi...and now Brie
"My little dog. A heartbeat at my feet."
Edith Wharton

 

[Guest]

Quote:Originally posted by Lora&Tippi:
If I didn't know better, I would swear that Brie and Chase were related!! We,too, tried leaving the crate open in our downstairs utility room, thinking that a bit more freedom would do the trick...WRONG. What a mess awaited us when we got home, and we were only gone for 30 minutes. Anyway we put the crate back in the livingroom and left the TV on the next time we had to go out and although she had a small accident in the crate, it was minor compared to the the utility room disaster. Now the crying was a bit harder to conquer. We put her in her crate and would just step outside for a few minutes and then come back in. I would put her in her crate and go upstairs for a few minutes,etc. After a couple of weeks she gradually cried less and we are now to the point where I say to her "Brie, it's crate time" and she will go in her crate where she always finds a cookie waiting for her. I know that it seems that Chase will never learn, but trust me he will. I too have trained countless puppies in my life and I can honestly say that Brie has been the most challenging. She is also the smartest puppy I have ever had. You just have to let Chase know that you are the boss, not him and he will come around.

Lora&Tippi...and now Brie
"My little dog. A heartbeat at my feet."
Edith Wharton

Thanks Lora. He sleeps in his crate open every night because if we close it he'll just cry. But he'll go in it when he knows he didn't something wrong or when he wants to nap. Closing the door is the problem. I tried it this morning to let him know he did bad on the floor and he started yelping/crying. See the problem with him crying is we leave on a military base and our neighbors can hear everything. So if they ever get frustrated with our Chase they can call in on us. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif He's doing better over night now no nightly incidents (well no poop). But during the day yeah right. And I see now he knows when he does wrong simply because he say me coming and he stopped pooping and ran away. Then he goes in the other room to finish while I focus on cleaning the other poop up. Once he saw that I saw that... He started running for the crate. I think he's really smart for 8 weeks

 

[HoundMusic]

[/QUOTE] Then I left for a total of 45 minutes took him out before I left came back and again a nasty mess?!!!! I am so stressed out with him. He's the only pup I've ever had that hasn't caught on to much of anything. He doesn't even know his name /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/frown.gif I feel so sorry for him because we're always correcting him and saying NO so much he's just stressed himself. He just doesn't seem to be understanding or getting anything. Is this normal?

What you're describing is not the behavior of a dog who is spoiled. It's a Beagle who is nervous, hyper, bored, and VERY understimulated - mentally AND physically. From your post he sounds to be unfocused, untrained and just plain wild.

Its harsh, yes, but if you want to keep the dog and do what's best for everyone involved, there are drastic changes that need to be made. Don't even attempt training with the state he's currently in, because he will NOT have the attention span required for success when he's just so plain BORED. All this poor dog hears is "NO NO NO", that he has learned to tune you out - now you've got the chore of winning back his interest.

You have to start by cutting out the "No, this" "No, that" and replacing it with other commands. "No" is one big blur of a word to him now. Instead of saying "No", why not catch his attention if he's caught in the act of doing something inappropriate with a sharp "AAH". Once he turns to look at you, you've got his attention for a SECOND. Use that time wisely. Call him over to you and PRAISE him for doing something correctly! Give him a toy or a bone for responding to his name. NEVER NEVER NEVER call him to you to punish him - you've just taught him to ignore you even more.

So, DISTRACT him in the act of bad behavior is step one. Second, you need to lessen the chances for bad behavior, and the only way to do that is to physically and mentally tire him out. A Beagle is not the type of dog that does well watching your life pass by. He wants to be a part of it. He needs AT LEAST 30 minutes of brisk walking at a time 1-2x daily. If you can get him in an off leash dog park where he can run several times a week, that's great! In the off season, I buy my hounds training scent for about $5. I squirt it on a stuffed toy, drag the toy off into a hiding spot, and let the Beagles search for it. This is a great idea for a bored Beagle. As he gets better at finding it, you can make the game more challenging. Take him to town with you, take him to Petco, take him to an obedience class!

Once he's recieving more exercise, it's time to start with the training. Purchase a clicker and some yummy liver treats. And a book on clicker training /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif Beagles respond so well to it, and learn to perform obedience commands willingly! It keeps theri mind sharp when dopne everyday (remember, short sessions) and tires them out mentally.

An exercised Beagle is an EXORCIZED Beagle /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

From your post, it sounds like life is going on around your dog and he has nothing at all to do while you're gone save for thinking of fun (i.e.) destructive things to do.

Also, you need to consider there could be dietary insufficiencies. Carbo loaded or low quality diets with fillers and poorly digestable vitamin mixes will lead to behavior problems, like clockwork. Seriously evaluate his diet, and also, while you are out he needs to be A.) crated B.) Given a chew toy - a raw bone is best, as they act as pacifiers C.) use a bark collar if necessary

This is not going to get any better without training, becuase as I mentioned previously, he's not spoiled at all. This is not the dog's fault.

 

[Ashley Hellen]

Dont be be hard on youself. An eight week old beagle is serious hardwork.

We had caleb (now four) at eight weeks and I spent most of the first six months tearing my hair out and crying (he was my first beagle for 15 years).

He had seperation anxiety big time, was so attached to me I could not move without him under my feet and making a fuss.

he did not eat and was fussy and would leave food untouched. He picked up every bug going and was always down the vet.

When well he was very naughty and chewed and ran off with everything.

He had a gob and a half on him and was very very vocal and barky...

We went to dog training from eight weeks old through to a year and were often the laughing stock of the class.

It was only cos he was so cute and has the most incredible soulful soft limpid eyes and cuddly loving personality we got through.

I think God made him especially cute to counteract the first six months allfulness of puppyhood.

Whe he hit six months he was like a different dog and became a wonderful doggy friend. I love him to bits and he is my boy and is very loyal and faithful.

You have to have endless patience and kindness, they do get better and learn and become a lovely dog.

-------------

Gwenni our current puppy was incredibly wriggly and you could not pick her up or get her to settle, she would be running round at midnight high as a kite but she hit six months and is a fantastically easy dog, no trouble.

Having an older bitch helped. Foxy is fantastic with puppies and taaught Gwenni so much. Gwenni is so well adjusted due to Foxy teaching her so well. I did not have to teach Gwenni toileting, she learned from watching Foxy and bite inhibition Foxy taught her too.

Give it time and your pup will come around. The first six months are hard work but worth it to get a wonderful beagle at the end