Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Needing a little advice, please...

I recently got a two year old male dog from my local Humane Society. He's a beagle mix, pretty calm for the most part. My daughter and I adore him! The records I received show that he was neutered just last month and checked out by a vet. We've had him about three weeks now.

Most of the housetraining seems to be going really well, except he doesn't want to poop when we take him outside on a lead. (He will pee fine, though.) I caught the connection to being on-lead, because when I take him places with a full fence and give him a run, he poops almost immediately. The one accident he's had in the house was pooping, not peeing. And of course he wasn't on his lead.

We don't have a fenced in yard, so I'm concerned. Since the weather was bad here this weekend, we didn't go out to any fenced in places, so he hasn't pooped in a couple days now.

I'm home all day, and he's well-supervised in the house. Either my daughter or I take him out every couple hours during the day. We try hard to make sure he gets good exercise, sometimes with a walk around home, other times with a good run in a safe place. He is crated when we have to leave him home (not very often at all) and at bedtime, and he does OK with it. We're feeding him twice a day on a set schedule, and I've continued to feed him the same brand of food he was getting at the shelter. Under the circumstances, I hesitate to mess with that until his pottying is OK.

Is there anything I can do to encourage him to poop on a lead? Or anything else I should know?

It sounds like you are doing a wonderful job with your Beagle. Congrats on adopting him! I don't know if this would work and you didn't say what kind of lead you have but you might want to try a retractable leash. I am not a fan of them but by giving your dog a little extra room to poop might work and then everyso often you could shorten the length you give him until you are at normal leash length. The other thought that comes to mind is the length of your time outside on lead with him. It could be he just needs a little extra time to go. Good luck and please post back with any results.
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Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.
PHMax
HMax@pethobbyist.com" target="_blank">Email PHMax

I agree with Max--a retractable leash can help give dogs space (I actually really like retractable leashes for people who don't have fenced yards; it gives the dog extra room to sniff and lag or run ahead a little--extra exercise!). Plus, extra time can help too. Beagles in particular love to sniff (which can be frustrating if you're in a hurry), so your dog just might need some extra time. My dog can be a little shy about pooping too, so I very quietly say, "Good poops" each time she does it on leash. Sometimes, I have to remind her to go, too. I say her name, and then "go poop" and she'll usually do it within a couple minutes. (The neighbors probably think I'm crazy, but especially that first year with dogs, it's all about the poops.) Good luck!

Congrats on the rescue! It sounds like you have a wonderful companion.

You know, my dogs are a bit "shy" when it comes to pooping in front of me as well. I've never reprimanded them or anything for accidents, but they just prefer not to. Not really sure why, but that's the way they are.

There are a few things you may consider doing: I know many do not like tie outs, but when used properly, they are a very nice tool. I would use a 20' long line with a clip on the end. My dog could go out on the long line and do his business and I could watch from inside to know what he did. This doesn't subsitutite walks and they should be on the tie out for extended periods of time, but for potty breaks, it's a nice tool.

For some dogs praising and treating them after they go in front of you is a good idea. You can start at the long distance when he's going after running in the fenced in area. He'll gradually start understanding that it's a good idea to be near you when going potty because you give treats for it.

Good luck with your rescue! It takes a bit of time for dogs to adjust fully to new homes. This actually may be something that resolves itself as well. Just NEVER reprimand for accidents in the house. The previous owner may have and that could be what started this chain of events.
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PHReign
Email me: HReign@pethobbyist.com" target="_blank">PHReign@pethobbyist.com
Dear dog,
I can not buy anything larger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think that I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort. Look at videos of dogs sleeping, they can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to your fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straigt out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing more than doggy sarcasm.