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We adopted a shelter pup and now need more advice!
We adopted a 2 year old beagle mix over the weekend. He is so sweet. He is great with my kids and other adults when given a bit of time to warm up. We are starting obedience classes in a few weeks, but having two major issues. First, he is a runner. He is getting a lot of exercise and walks, but when someone comes in or leaves, he attempts to sneak out. He got out once and ran faster than anything I have seen. I was petrified we lost him, but he luck was on our side and we managed to snag him. We have been working on sit and stay with him at walk times, I will have him sit and stay, then open the door and only allow him to pass through when I tell him. This is working, but it goes out the window if someone comes in the house. Until we figure out how to manage, we have been placing him in his crate while people enter or exit (not sure if this is the best approach).
The second issue is he is very skiddish of other dogs. He is improving on walks with pulling on the leash with a lot of consistent reinforcement. But, when he passes other dogs he pulls away and wants to run. The one or two he has met, he has not been very happy about, despite the shelter telling us he was good with other dogs. The larger problem is there is a dog who is never leashed on our street and he follows him and charges at him constantly. Tonight, my dog almost pulled out of his collar trying to run away from him. I reported it to the police, but this is an ongoing problem with no resolution soon. There are no other alternate routes in our area to walk, so I am unsure how to get my dog to calm down when he sees this neighborhood wanderer.
I am anxious to start obedience school, but hoping you ladies have some insight for me? Thanks in advance and thank you for taking the time to read through this! This guy has wormed his way into our hearts in such a short time, we do not want to lose him!
Re: We adopted a shelter pup and now need more advice!
I think obedience school will make a huge difference. The two suggestions I have are to google nothing in life is free and start using it. It helped our shy beagle mix settle in and build confidence. The second would be to buy a harness, that way he can't pull out of his collar. My second beagle mix has a tendency to pull free and bolt, she's also kind of shy because she's new to our family, the harness has made a huge difference for her. I would teach him to walk on your right side, when another dog is walking past, take him off to the side and have him sit while the other dog passes. That way he doesn't have to interact but he will get used to seeing them.
We use hot dog bits to encourage training at first and reward for all good behavior and following commands.
Hi , I am a lurker here and only have posted a few on this board. My new rescue (we have had her 13 wks) is a 2 year old lab. She was listed as great with dogs and kids from the rescue but high energy. She is adjusting nicely but exhibited (and to some extent still does with leash pulling/dogs) some of the things you describe. We have done private training and now are doing group training at a show dog training place.I would say:
1.make sure your dog is microchipped (especially if she backs out of collar) Most rescues/shelters do this but be sure to change info over to your name.
2. a martingale collar works well for dogs who try to back out and are also good
to correct pulling behaviors(this is what my dog is working on now) My dog loves to back out of her collar
3. Give your dog a treat by putting it low with both hands near your mid thigh in the middle (near your crotch area but lower, lol) and walk/run backwards calling your dog's name and saying come. Then tell your dog to sit, put your hand in the collar and feed them the treat with the other hand. This teaches them to return to you and by putting your hand in the collar, it also teaches them it is normal to grab the collar area. Just in case you need to hold them or walk them back by the collar.
4. Never chase after the dog because they think it is a game and run faster. Instead let them chase you so run/walk the other way and call come (make sure it is safe to have them come to you). Sometimes if they like to ride in the car, open your car door. They most love to go in the car and will run and jump in so will return for the ride.
5. Do doorbell training when no guests are there and your dog is secured with a leash. have someone ring doorbell and command/say stay. Open the door and give them a treat for staying. You can also do this for quiet if you have a barker. Mine isn't a constant barker so if she barks, it is because she is trying to warn.
It has only been 13wks today that I have had my dog and she is adjusting well. She is high energy but has great house manners/yard manners. She is great with kids and neighbors but gets hyper when she sees other dogs. She is a puller so right now we are only doing walk training. I think training has been incredible for her and it is amazing how fast she picked up the commands. She knows them all now and when we get the leash better, we will be great. It takes time and practice with each dog. I have had dogs for 42 years and each one is different and trains differently. I have never really had a leash puller until now
But now I have the queen of pulling 
. Good luck with your rescue.
I?ve lurked here for a while and thought I?d throw my hat in on this one. As others have said, give your pup time to adjust to his new surroundings. Be patient while he learns to be confident around you and your family. Dogs don?t always adjust to change as quickly or as well as humans.
Beagles are runners. That is their nature, and they are very stubborn about it. While no dog is ?untrainable?, some breeds are harder to train than others because of the personality of the dog and the propensity of the breed?s disposition. It is quite possible that your pup will never be able to be trusted off-leash outside of a fenced yard because of his desire to run. There is nothing wrong with this. However, allow time and training to dictate to what degree he will be allowed that freedom. As pp?s said, basic doorbell and door-greeting training can start right away so he learns there are boundaries on his behavior and what proper behavior is expected of him in his new pack (family).
Also, training should not wait until obedience class. Now is the best time to establish pack order and earn your dog?s respect (-- I said respect, not love. Dogs don?t love. They respect and it is critical you EARN it from them). Given your dog is slightly older, he may already know some basic commands ? sit, stay, down, stop/wait, etc. Get some treats and see what he knows. Then use these commands paired with doorbell behavior and general behavior with the family. As cute as new dogs are, don?t spoil him or be inconsistent or soft with your training. Like kids, dogs love to know their limits so they can push them.
As far as walks and fear of other dogs, the number one thing to remember is DO NOT FORCE YOUR DOG TO GREET ANOTHER ANIMAL HE IS AFRAID OF. I can?t stress this enough. Animals are not humans ? they do not have the same social coping or reasoning skills. Forced greetings will inevitably result in fights and violence, which will have far more long-reaching and deeper issues on your dog than lack of the occasional doggie friend. (It is also helpful to learn how to break up a dogfight, just in case you ever have to. Rule 1 - do not pull them apart by their collars or heads.) As pack leader, it is your job to keep your dog safe and he needs to know this. Because he?s so new to your family, he doesn?t know this yet. When walking and he shows fear of an object or another non-canine animal, make sure YOU remain calm and cool. Praise him abundantly for continuing his walk even though he?s scared. It helps to physically place yourself between the dog and the object of fear as well ? this shows you will protect him and he doesn?t need to be afraid. Treats used judiciously at this time can also be positive reinforcement and help him begin associating walks with good things, not things to fear.
If another dog is threatening or bothering you, it helps to have a friend along on the walk. When the dog threatens, you or your partner pick up your dog (or just ignore the other dog and keep moving) and CALMLY continue to walk away. The other stops and provides a barrier, signaling through loud ?NO!? and firm stance that the other dog is not welcome.(Edit: Do not try to approach the dog or "run him off". Simply stand your ground but don't follow him or try to chase him away.) DO NOT PHYSICALLY ENGAGE a stray dog that you do not know. Dogs speak in body language, and a tall, confident stance with a strong, negative voice tells the dog he is not allowed to be near you. 9 times out of 10, this will deter him at least to not get so close, if not leave you alone altogether. If you fear the dog will actually attack you, call your local animal control immediately and report him and try to get him picked up. In the meantime, do not walk your dog alone.
I?d recommend three very good resources, especially for fear training ? 1) the book ?Inside of a Dog? by Alexandra Horowitz which really breaks down exactly how dogs think, comprehend, and communicate, 2) the Animal Planet tv show ?It?s Me or the Dog? which features expert trainer Victoria Stilwell (I believe she has a book or two on training as well, but the TV show is great b/c it actually shows the techniques and corrections so you do them properly), and 3) the website leerburg.com. Leerburg is a world-reknowned Schnutzhund trainer and his technique of combined positive & negative reinforcement training has been used by home dog owners all the way up to the military and drug enforcement dogs. The DVD?s are a little pricey, but they are worth the money. There is also a wealth of information on the site in the form of articles and forums. ?Basic Dog Obedience? and ?Establishing Pack Structure With the Family Pet? are two of the best training DVD?s I?ve ever seen. I highly recommend a combination of all three of these resources to get YOU trained so you can properly train your dog and provide him with a safe and happy home. Good luck!
My sister got a dachshund-chihuahua mix and he was a shelter. He was also stray before. He used to try and bolt everyday and when he did you had to run your legs off to catch him. What they did was pick him up before the people came in and then opened the door. You, instead of picking up a beagle, could put him on a leash (if you have one) and then let them in. This way if he tries to bolt he can only go so far.
As for the skittishness, try introducing him slowly to a friend's or family member's dog. Maybe start with a meeting at the park or on a planned walk. Then when he gets better at the park or on a walk, have them meet you somewhere closer to your house and so on. I'm sorry about the unleashed dog, I don't have much for that one.
Obedience school might be hard at first because of his 'issue' with other dogs. Just get him used to one dog and stay by that dog the most you can, so he can have regularity.