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Posted by Tamara on September 3, 2008, 2:53 pm
76.69.125.147
Hello!
We brought home a seven-week old male beagle puppy 6 days ago who, I admit, is driving my family a little bit mad. I've got to say, Dr. Dunbar made things sound pretty simple and straightforward in "Before and After Getting Your Puppy" but that hasn't been the case with this little guy.
I try to keep him on a schedule for housetraining, but something evidently is not quite right. Pup has his crate (with chewtoys) and his ex-pen (with chewtoys). Ideally, I would have pup on the recommended schedule of: wake up, go out, play, eat, go out, play, sleep. At least, this is what I've been led to believe is the "correct" model. Here are the issues I'm having:
- can't take pup out on leash or have him tethered to me in the house, he is INSANE about being on it and will chew it and tug at it. Now, I am working with him trailing it while playing and ignoring it, but at the moment, leashing him is useless
- this means that going out to pee means backyard party time complete with obsessive destruction of some tall grass planted along the border of the patio
- also means that pup can't be tethered to me in the house and therefore can only be in the crate or in the pen
There's more!
- pup currently does ZERO signalling indoors. I have watched him like a hawk in his pen these last few days, he just stands and pees. This makes me want to take away the freedom of the pen and stick with the crate but then doesn't the pup just learn what he already knows, not to go in the crate?
- since pup is not fully vaccinated yet, he can't go for walks or to the dog park. He can't run free in the house. I'm having a lot of trouble tiring him out and it shows when he barks incessantly in his crate. I've read that playing in the yard is inappropriate and should be done indoors, or you basically raise an outdoor dog. I'm extremely hesitant to try free play indoors because of the lack of signalling. Any playing we've done with him is in his pen (still having problems there) and it isn't enough.
What I'm saying is that I'm going out of my mind here! Today I was taking pup out almost every half hour out of desperation and still we had accident after accident and a pup that screamed in his crate until midnight. I am evidently doing something wrong here, and would love some feedback. I can clarify anything and can take a good scolding if I deserve one. Just throw me a bone!
Thank you,
Tamara
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