Welcome to TheOhioOutdoors
Wanting to join the rest of our members? Login or sign up today!
Login / Join

House training beagle

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Any advice? This beagle is a great dog, but she will not house train. We have dog doors so she can go in and out as she pleases, but for some reason refuses. She will go out the doors to play or bark at someone or whatever, but she pisses wherever she want.
I've tried the nice approach. I've tried the nose rubbing approach. It's not working. I have an older beagle that broke easy. I have another mutt that broke easy, but not the new beags.
Any tips?
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Any advice? This beagle is a great dog, but she will not house train. We have dog doors so she can go in and out as she pleases, but for some reason refuses. She will go out the doors to play or bark at someone or whatever, but she pisses wherever she want.
I've tried the nice approach. I've tried the nose rubbing approach. It's not working. I have an older beagle that broke easy. I have another mutt that broke easy, but not the new beags.
Any tips?

Does she "know" that pissing in the house is bad? I'm guessing she does considering all you have done already... So here is the kicker.... Watch her... When she sneaks off, sneak and watch her... As soon as she squats. Run up there screaming like a madman. Grab her by the nape of the neck hard and roll her over on her back. straddle her to keep her on her back.. Keep screaming.. Take your two fingers like a snake fangs and poke her in the throat shake it a little.. Basically what you are doing is acting like another pissed off dog... The point is to absolutely make that pup think you're gonna kill it... But don't actually hurt it. Yeah she may yelp and scream. Good.... Sounds harsh.. But you ever wonder how mom teaches a whole litter of pups not to piss or crap out in the den.. She goes for their throat growling and shaking.... They learn quick... My basset was housebroke at 4 months. I only had to get ahold of her once like this.... The BIGGEST thing to all of this is you have to know she ABSOLUTELY knows pissing in the house is bad. If she doesn't she will not understand... You have to know, that she knows. Don't do this if you can't tell she knows.


PS... Many of the same tactics seem to turn some women on... I haven't made that correlation yet... Who knew.. lmao
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
Grab her by the nape of the neck hard and roll her over on her back. straddle her to keep her on her back.. Keep screaming.. Take your two fingers like a snake fangs and poke her in the throat shake it a little..

I think that this is the trick to (house) training a dog - you gotta show it that you are the alpha male. I remember when our lab was a pup whether it was training, housetraining, or just after wrestling, Dad always took her, flipped her over, stuck his fingers in her mouth and held her jaws open (the tongue just flops and they look at you) and said "Daddy always win".
 

cotty16

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
Interesting... Never heard of this. I'll for sure give it a try.
The traditional nose rubbing and butt beating sure isn't working.
I've done the screaming part though. I about alerted the whole neighborhood earlier with my yelling. I had my kids scared, that's for sure. They stayed as far from me as possible for a couple hours. Lol
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Yup, flip 'em over, grab the jowls, and yell. They get the message pretty quick.

I prefer the back of the neck, then kind of keep poking them in the side of the neck... like you have them pinned. Once you think you've made your point.. Just kind of hold them there and let the situation calm down for a minute.. She should lay there not moving a muscle. It's all psychological. The point that needs to be understood is "you piss in this house and you could get mauled" That's why it's so important and i can't stress this enough, before you do this you have to see some sign that she knows better.. Like she goes out of the room others are in to do it.. Or she hides. etc.. If she just does it right in front of you like nothing is wrong. Don't use this method yet.. She will not get it because she will never put 2+2 together.. She'll just think you jumped her ass while she was taking a leak (because that's vulnerable and opportunistic) like a Jake flogging a tom that just got shot.. He would never do that if the tom was ok. But as soon as the tom showed weakness the Jake got bold.. That will only teach her to not let her guard down around you.. NOT to not piss in the house.. The KEY.. is seeing that she knows better... AND catching her in the act.. You can't do this if you just find a puddle of pee a half hour later.. You have to catch her sneaking off to hide because she knows it's wrong. then snatch her ass when she squats.. Or right after she finishes.. If you come in the room and she jumps up from a squat and gets out of there. you know she knew better and you can grab her... My bone head basset will come find me, dance in circles, howl, bark, and lead me to the door before she will piss in my house.. But if you do this wrong. and don't make the association, it could very well teach her other things. none of them good.


If she pisses all over the place in the process. You know you did it right... lol
 

CJD3

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
14,630
201
NE Ohio
I have had several dogs over the years and tried several popular "basic training" books. By far, the best I ever embraced was a book written by "Monks of New Skete " They gave me unprecedented incite into the "pack mentality" which made my interaction and training worth every penny. They had a puppy aptitude test for choosing a puppy from a litter that I can say now,7 years later was spot on. We all understand the pack mentality to some degree but they are , in my opinion hands down for basic and advanced obedience. I used their book "The Art of Raising A Puppy" for my Rottie. The in site alone was enlightening.
Some monks make wine, some transpose old text but these guys raise German Sheppard's. The books work on all breeds. Their other book, "How to make your dog your best friend" was great too. Worth every penny. You should see these dogs. They also had a TV show on for a while where people would bring their problem dogs.
Give it a serous look.
Best of luck!



http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/books/bk.html
http://www.newskete.org/newsketedogs.html
 

Schu72

Well-Known Member
3,864
113
Streetsboro
While I don't disagree that you need to establish yourself as the master or alpha, but I've never heard of that being used in house training. When we were training our lab, he was always crated if we were unable to be monitoring him. We took him out at regular intervals and provided over the top positive feedback when he "relieved himself" in the designated area of the yard. Once he had the idea we no longer crated him, but used baby gates to keep him in the kitchen when we were not home. After passing that stage he had unlimited access to the entire house. We were not only able to housebreak him quickly, but trained him to only use one area of the yard as his restroom.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I beat it out of Remi as I did just about every bad habit he has. Right or wrong, it worked with him. If I catch him in the act of doing something and whip his ass, that's the last time it happens. (For the most part.) I had a hell of a time crate training him because I never caught him in the act, but he was house broke at 4 months. There's been some bumps in the road since then, but for the most part he can be trusted to not piss in the house. I'm big on the whole alpha male thing, as well as establishing a little fear in them. If they know you are not to be fucked with, it makes laying down the law pretty easy. Remi is almost 4 now and I rarely have to do more than raise my voice a little and give him a pissed off look and I have his full attention. He knows not to mess with me or he'll get the heavy hand of dad. It's a fine line to walk because you don't want them to be fearful all the time and shy away, but there needs to be that fear that we all had of pissing off our dads when we were younger...
 

Jackalope

Dignitary Member
Staff member
38,841
260
Positive reinforcement is great for a dog that doesn't "get it" yet. Or that is still in the trainable stage. Like I said about this tactic though the dog has to show that it "gets it" just refuses to follow it. Positive reinforcement is very popular. Mainly because 99.9% of the cesar milans believe you should never even raise your voice to a precious dog much less put a hand on them. And some parents believe you should never spank your kid or raise your voice to them either.

Intelligence levels play a role also. Its not in a dogs instinct to understand PR. But rather their intelligence. However they all understand negative repercussions. Like my coon hound. Never would they understand a coon equals treats. But they do understand treeing empty, staying in holes, or running deer equals me swinging a dog leash.
 

DJK Frank 16

Senior Member
Supporting Member
9,358
133
Hardin County
Good luck Mike, we had a few beagles when we were younger that were just flat out hard headed. Whipped, shocked, you name it wouldn't break 'em.

I like Joe's methodology though regarding the positive reinforcement.

If the dog is old enough to "know better" and is still doing it, then whip it's ass. If it's just a pup and is still unaware that what she is doing is wrong, then whipping her might not work out because she doesn't understand what she is being whipped for. Be just like spanking a kid and not telling them what it's for.