New Beagle Puppy - I Need Help?

Question

I just received my new beagle pup yesterday, he is 9 weeks old. He cries a lot (and it seems for no reason) and it's a really piercing yelpy-howl. How long is he going to do this before he calms down a little? Esp at night, but I refuse to let him sleep in the bed or on the couch, he has his little crate. He is an indoor dog (he has to be or else the coyotes will eat him) and I was also wondering if anyone can suggest the best potty training method for a male beagle, I heard they are very difficult to train. He seems to be really confused by the concept of where to poop and so am I (hahaha not for myself, you know what I mean). Yes, I know I am retarded but I have never had a puppy before that I had full responsibility for and I am overwhelmed by this new little, very bratty creature! He was raised outdoors for the most part so far, so whenever I take him out after he eats or drinks water he just wants to play outside and then he comes inside and poops on my carpet.
Any advice?

Answer 1

First, Brother Otter responded to swat your dog with Newspaper. NEVER NEVER NEVER do this. You are only going to create a fearful dog.

We have a beagle pup. Actually she is almost 1 now. We got her when she was 5 months old. She was not house trained at all. Yours is a bit younger.
The crying is b/c they are lonely. With consistnant training your pup will get over this.
I highly recomend crate training.
Purchase a medium sized crate (30lb size) (so he can grow into it)

Fill up the back of the crate with boxes until there is a small area in the front of the crate, only big enough for the puppy to sit up, and lay down. Dogs have a natrual "den" instinct and they will not go to the bathroom where they sleep.
Put some towles in there (because you can wash towles when there are accidents, and buy extra towles just for the dog)

Only give him this small space. If you give him more, there will be room for him to have an accident, cover it up, and lay in another part of the crate.

You need to associate good things with the crate. When you feed him. Put his food bowl in there and let him stand outside, but stick his head in his crate to eat his food. Sit there while he eats and pet him and say good boy.

Everytime he goes in the crate, give him a small treat. But don't get overly excited when you put him in, or take him out. It will associate anxiety with going into the crate.

He is a really young puppy so she should be going out every 3 hours. When he goes to the bathroom outside praise him and give him a treat. Then come inside and sit with him for a bit to socialize him. As long as you can....then one quick potty run, then back in the crate.

Again, he should only be in the crate for 3 hours before she goes out again since he is so small. You may need to hire a dog walker for work days. Typically dogs under 6 months can't go for more than 5 hours but yours is REALLY young.
Also, put the crate where there you are in your house the most. That way he can see you walking around while he is in there and not associate the crate with you being gone.

The bigger he gets, the older he gets, the more time he has in the house with you. Instead of sitting with him for an hour, make it an hour and a half...and for the 1st half hour, walk around the house with him while watching him. Then back in the crate. But if you notice he starts sniffing a lot get him outside! By watching him, you will learn to look for signs that he has to go (sniffing the ground a lot, his bottom hole swelling as if he is going to poo) When you see the signs...GET HIM OUTSIDE.

When you feel comfortable with that, make his time out of the crate, 2 hours then back in. With each longer period that you feel comfortable, keep testing a longer period of time. But remember....everytime you get him out of the crate...go right outside to let him go. Then before you put him back in the crate, outside again to let him go. And let him have water while he is out. He should always be taken out an hour after eating!!

If he has an accident and you catch him in the act yell "NO NO NO"
DO NOT HIT HIM!
Pick him up IMMEDIATLY and take him outside. (hopefully you have someone who can clean up while you are outside...if not...pick him up and while holding him...throw a paper towl on the accident to try to sop it up if its pee...but really focus on getting him outside ASAP) WHen you are outside......if he goes again. Prais him.

You should have your eyes on him at all times in the house until he is doing really well for longer periods of time...but if you happen to find an accident AFTER he has already done it, and you DIDN'T see it happen...DO NOT SCOLD HIM.

Dogs do not associate things from 2 min ago, with a scolding...they live in the moment, so he is going to have no clue what you are yelling about.

When you see the accident, simply pick him up, take him outside to let him go again, then put him back in his crate for a while, and clean up.
Also, whenever you clean up an accident, regardless of if he did it infront of you, or you found it after the fact...don't let him see you clean it up. He should be in his crate from having the accident....and if the crate is out of sight...perfect. If the accident is near his crate...put a towl over the crate while you clean it up. Then take the towl off when you are done.
NEVER yell at him when he is IN his crate. You want him to associate it with good things and feel safe in it.

It is important to really clean up the mess. If its on the carpet, I suggest using Natures Miracle you can get it a Petsmart. Read instructions on back. If the accident is on hardwood, wipe it up, then use Distilled White Vinegar to clean the area. If the accident is in the crate...wash the blankets, clean the bottom of the crate, and put fresh blankets in. The dog may have to see you clean these ones up since you obviously can't put him in there.

You are going to have to keep an eye on him....beagles get into lots of stuff, so make sure you have all hazards up and away from his reach (into adulthood even, they are hunters!), and keep him in eye site to watch for any accidents.

Our beagle is a big chewer, so we have to watch her for that reason...she pooped out my pieces of my sock the other day!
You really want her to get used to the crate so keep her in there as much as you need to, and you need to have some relaxation from watching her constantly.

Sadly, you are going to have to get up in the middle of the night to take her out. We took our pup out at 10pm (we stopped water and food at 7pm) then I had the alarm set for 3am to take her out. But the older he gets, the longer he will go for.

As far as the howling...its known and the "beagle bugle" Its an odd and embarassing noise (if you have people over) We had a plumber over and our pup was in her crate crying upstairs. He said "what the hell kind of animal is that?"
He may be telling you she needs to go out. So take him outside for a putty break. But when you put him back in, and you know its not b/c he has to go to the bathroom, LEAVE HIM IN THERE. Do not go to him...you will only teach him that if he cries, he gets out.
It will be hard. When we first got our pup and we took her out at 10p so we could to go bed, she would cry for an hour. I cried some nights b/c I felt so bad. But slowly she started crying for shorter and shorter periods of time..and now she doesn't cry at all! One thing that helped, is every night we would give her a KONG toy, and stuff a treat down inside and give it to her when we put her to bed. It gave her something to work on, associated a treat with bed time and now she loves bedtime!
For a while (once we got past the 3am walking) our pup was crying at 6am on the dot. That was fine for work days, but weekends we wanted to sleep in. So I would get out of bed, take her out, let her pee and poo, and put her back in the crate with a piece of a treat... so I could sleep in a few hours. The first few weekends she cried....but I knew she was ok, so I just put my pillow over my head and went back to sleep.
Now, she goes right back to sleep and we get to sleep in until 8am.
Finally (sorry this is so long) your beagle will have lots of energy the older he gets. Beagles have a natural hunting instinct....and they WILL run away from you and not come if you are calling. Its called the "Beagle Bolt" It is imperative that you always have your beagle LEASHED if you are not in a fenced area...and if you are in a fenced area, keep an eye on him...beagles will do anything to get to a goal and that means digging under the fence.

You should try to find a local doggy park. They are GREAT. The only way our pup slept through the night was if we let her run for an hour or so with other dogs at the dog park.
Hang in there.....puppies are lots of work, but the older they get, the better they get. Beagles are harder to housebreak, but 100% able to learn. No matter what...stick with it, even when you are frusterated....and know...even when you think he is housebroken...he may have an accident here or there..but just stick with it.

We stuck with it, and in 1 weeks (given our pup was 5 months old) she was crate trained (wouldn't go in her crate) and by 9 months she was fully housebroken. She did have one weird accident at 8 months...after not going in the house for weeks, she looked at me and peed on our bedroom rug. The vet said, sometimes they get stupid and forget ...but since then, we have been accident free, and she cries at the back door when she has to go. It took 4 months to get here there....but we did it...and so can you! Just know you are going to be going outside a lot with your beagle for a while, until he realizes that outside is the only place he can go. The more he goes outside, the more he won't want to go inside!

Answer 2

First, cut the little guy some slack. He just left his littermates and his mother. His whining is most likely associated with that. And beagles tend to be very vocal anyway. They were bred to be vocal.
Second, it's good that you are using the crate. Be sure it is big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lay down comfortably. It should not be big enough for him to potty in without stepping in it. Pups don't want to soil their "den." If it is too big, you can buy or make a divider and just remove the divider as the pup grows. you can also cover it at night, to make it more den-like. Or during the day, too. He will come to like his crate and consider it his private place.
Do not use the crate as punishment.

Also keep in mind that pups cannot "hold it" for very long at that age. They need to go out often.

Our training routine is very strict but it results in a well trained house dog... pup is in the crate unless he attached to me by a leash (I sometimes just hook it to my belt loop). That ensures he cannot have any accidents. If I notice he needs to go, he goes outside immediately, and is then praised andgiven a treat when he "goes." Dogs can even learn a command for it, if you use the same word every time.
In the morning, the pup is taken outside until he goes, and then he gets a treat and playtime in the house. He gets his meals, and then immediately gets taken outside (pups usually have to go right after eating, I don't know why, they just do). Then he's back in his crate or attached to me.
He is NEVER allowed to roam free in the house. NEVER. Until he is older, can control his needs, and understands that he is to go outdside.
Some dogs take longer than others, and you have to have all members of the household on the same page. It can be frustrating, but you have to be consistent and firm (not mean. The pup will not understand why you are screaming and throwing a shoe, he'll just think his family is nuts).
Beagles tend to take more time simply because of their sense of smell.

Also, if you're outside with him for a while and he doesn't go, you can take him back inside but put him back in his crate, wait awhile and try again outside.

So be patient, be consistent, and everything should be fine! Good luck with your beegs!

Answer 3

Welcome to being a Beagle owner. I am a proud owner of a 2yr old Beagle. First the crate crying: well for starters he is not near his litter or mom and that is hard on a little guy at that age. I got my Beagle at age 8 weeks and he did the same thing. They do stop crying eventually. One DON'T GIVE IN when they cry. What I did was wrapped a hot water bottle up tight in a blanket and layed it at the back of the crate to keep the little guy warm. This worked wonders once I started it. My Beagle would snuggle up to the hot water bottle & fall asleep and I did this till he was 4 months old and started to ween him off it. If that doesn't work try placing a ticking clock near the crate so the pup can hear it....it acts like the heart beat of its mother and soothes them....this also worked with my Beagle when I weened him off the hot water bottle. My Beagle out grew the clock after a few weeks and now has no problem sleeping in the kennel. I do however have to make sure he has his wool blanket and polar fleece blanket in there or he won't go. Beagles LOVE to cuddle and sleep under blankets. So provide you little guy with some blankets that will be his forever.

Ah! now the potty training part: Beagles are stubborn BUT WILLING to learn of you are patient with them and teach them. I took my Beagle pup out every 1-2 hrs when awake and at night I had the crate near my bed to I could hear the little guy cry when he needed to go out. Also to make life easier place a puppy pee pad in front of the kennel. Sometimes they just can't hold it and pee right there. Don't get mad. Once the pup has done so if it had to go fast, is take it outside and let it walk around for about 10 mins. Guarantee they will either pee again or poop. Always take you pup out before bed and once upon waking as well after they eat and playing. Over time his bladder will get stronger. If he wants to play out there, IGNORE HIS playing and keep him there till he does his job. He has to learn that its not play time but he needs to do his job. AS WELL MAKE SURE you are there so you can forsure know he did his job. When my Beagle did his thing I always told him good boy and petted him on his head as a reward. He LOVED this and soon caught on to toileting really fast. Just be patient and persistent and your little guy will do well.

GOOD LUCK!! and enjoy your new Beagle friend. I love my little guy and have NEVER regreted adopting him even though we have had our battle of wits.

Answer 4

I sincerely believe you and this poor puppy need a lot more help than you can get here. You're obviously not going to get the help people get if they buy from a reputable breeder. (You said he was raised outdoors, and no good breeder does that).

There's an excellent book for novice dog owners by Tamar Geller called "The Loved Dog". You'll get a ton of excellent advice, including detailed house and crate training instructions in there. It would be an really worthwhile investment for you.

And no, beagles, male or otherwise, are not hard to housetrain if done correctly. My son's male beagle puppy was housetrained within 2 weeks.

Answer 5

My beagle is 9 months old nd was the same when we got her. The crying slowing decreased and was soon sleeping through the night in her crate. Best just stay strong and not give in. They can be difficult to train if you don't lay down the rules from the start.

Answer 6

There is *nothing* cuter than a beagle puppy.
I was just in love with mine.

Crate training is probably your best bet for housebreaking. It's been recommended to me several times by professional dog trainers.
Shovel all the little piles off your carpet and dump them in one spot in the yard.
Feed him and then take him out for a walk. Walk him around all the little piles and let him sniff. Praise him profusely when he relieves himself outdoors.
When you take him indoors, immediately put him in the crate with LOTS of toys and leave him there. Dogs will not soil their own bed unless they just can't hold it anymore.
Beagles are very social so keep the crate in a central room so he still gets to be with you. When he whines and cries take him out and walk him around the poop piles.
If he dumps on the carpet, swat him with a rolled newspaper and drag him outside...

One thing - my boy developed a bladder infection as a pup that we didn't catch soon enough. He never did completely learn to pee outdoors, so he ended up an outside dog (which I get is not an option for you).

Here's another thing to understand about beagles. They're hounds; hunting dogs. They are very single minded. When I had my boy in obedience class, the trainer explained that beagles are the second hardest dogs to train (G.Danes are harder because most of them aren't very bright). The cricket crossing the floor is much more important than *anything* you have to say. So it takes a lot of patience and persistence to train a beagle to do much more than hunt; which he will do naturally if he is so inclined.

Answer 7

Love, love , love. If he is just 9 weeks old, he is crying for his mummy and his sister/s brothers. He is young. I am not sure if you got him too young. +I would for a while make him sleep with you. They also freeze easily. He might needs blankets and body temperature. Remember they are scared too of the new environment. Give him your body temperature, and mostly your smell on a blanket. That you than wrap arround him, so that he smells you and feels alright. That's the only advice I could give you. Also potti traning? I have a 5 month old Chihuahua. I put her out every three hours, and in the middle of the night. On the green grass where I want her to be. She has no problem with it. Give them adequatley time to relieve them selves. As they are young and need to learn what potty is going is all about. It's the same with walking them in the park. Mine has finally cauthg on, cause of his older brother my poodle , who showed him that sh e needs to do her business. Now it's not a problem any more. On those days when we can't walk she is out side in my back yard. Good luck.

Answer 8

All new puppies cry at first, hard being away from Mom and rest of the litter. Beagles have more of a howl than a bark

Answer 9

Let him sleep with you for a while... and right after he gets done eating and drinking about five minutes after take him outside on a leash and walk around with him and after a while he will go to the bathroom and wait for him to go poop and pee... after a while of letting him sleep with you git him some kind of pillow or sum shid... a big pillow then he'll git used to going to the bathroom outside after about a month and he'll get used to sleeping wherever you put him.