Accepted Answer

A- HA!!

Ok, that further information has been very helpful.

It sounds like your girl is just confused. She probably did not have appropriate training at the appropriate time in her life.

So... let me start by saying that this is going to be a bit of a challenge.

There is a critical age for house-training, and if a dog is urinate and defecate in the area she lives (such as a small pen) during that critical period, it is really tough to get the idea through to her that she can't do it anymore.

Also, if your girl needs to urinate, and then does it on the floor, this behaviour is rewarded because now she doesn't have the discomfort of a full bladderanymore. So, it is really important to try to stop that accident from happening!

More below about that...


In terms of training, if you *catch her in the act* of voiding inside, then you can tell her NO and take her outside immediately. But, even if you are 1/2second after he finished, there is no point in telling her she is bad. If you take her over to a puddle and tell her she is bad, she pretty quickly learns that it is bad to go near a puddle of urine, and looks guilty and repentant.

But she does *not* learn that she mustn't MAKE a puddle of urine. There is just too much else going on in her world, and she almost certainly won't connect the discipline with MAKING the puddle.


In your girl's world, it is ok to urinate inside.

So, you have to teach her that this is NOT ok by re-training her as if she were a little puppy.

What I would suggest you do is set aside a weekend to work on this really really intensely. Try the following:

1. - Buy some chicken hot dogs. Freeze them. Once frozen, use a sharp knife to cut dime-thin slices of the hot dog. Now, any time your girl urinates/defecates outside, then CELEBRATE! Go crazy with praise and give her one of these treats and telling her how happy you are.

2. - Hang some bells from the door handle to the back yard (or whatever door the dog goes out to the yard). Every time the door is opened or closed the bells will ring. Now, if she goes and nudges the bells with her nose, TAKE HER OUT right away! Dogs quickly learn that when they go out the bells go, and if they want out they can make the bells ring. Obviously the bells have to hang low enough for a her to reach them! Thus, she has a way to ask to go out.

3. - I would suggest using the "umbilical cord" method of training for at least one whole weekend. It may take longer with your Beagle because she is an adult dog. Basically, you put her on her leash while she is in the house with you, and attach the leash to your belt. Now, she is on an "umbilical cord" and can't get more than 3 or 4 feet away from you. Thus if she urinates in the house you will be able to catch her in the act every time!

When she starts to posture, tell her NO! and scoop her up and take her outside. Wait there with her until she does her business. CELEBRATE!

4. Any time you cannot have her on her umbilical cord, or when you are not home, I would definitely recommend leaving your Beagle in her crate. A crate is supposed to be a dog's den, NOT a prison. They have a very strong instinct not to foul their own den, and will hold it as long at they can. A crate needs to be the right size - so she can stand up, turn around, and lie down. If it is too big, she will choose to sleep in one end and urinate and defecate in the other. It sounds as though she is already crate trained, and has the idea not to void in there, so that is encouraging.

Here are some links about how to crate train so it is a positive experience:
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/our_pets_for_life_program/dog_behavior_tip_sheets/crate_training.html
http://www.perfectpaws.com/crt.html
http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/cratetraining.htm
http://leerburg.com/housebrk.htm
http://www.cal.net/~pamgreen/adult_housebreak.html


With time and patience I feel that there is a good chance that your girl will become reliably housebroken. I managed to do it with a Beagle who had been raised in a research lab and had never set foot outside at 1.5 years of age! It was a challenge, and it took a few months, but I did succeed eventually. With my Beagle, I did use crate training to get the job done. But since he was crate trained when he came to me, that part was easy.

Good luck with this! If you feel my answer has been helpful, please hit the "accept" button. And if you have more questions about this, I'm happy to help, just click on reply.

The above is given for information only. Although I am a licensed veterinarian, I cannot legally prescribe medicines or diagnose your pet's condition without performing a physical exam. If you have concerns about your pet I would strongly advise contacting your regular veterinarian.

Best wishes to you and to your dog!
Fiona

Expert:	Dr.Fiona
Pos. Feedback:	99.9 %
Accepts:
Answered:	12/11/2008

Dog Veterinarian

15 years experience as a companion animal veterinarian in British Columbia, California and Ontario