Need Help with an older dog!!

[newfiek9]

hello everyone. i'm a new member to this site. i wanted to get some first hand opinions and information about training an older beagle. my girlfriend has an 8 year old beagle. unfortunately, the dog was her brothers hunting dog and spent most of its life in a kennel in the back yard. the dog hasn't been used to hunt in a couple years, so i suggested we house train her and make her a real part of the family. we just had her spayed, and small fatty lump removed at the vet a week ago. she's great. just needs some training.

so, first of all, im wondering what the best way to house train her is. ive trained lots of puppies, with very little problem. but this being a much older dog, and a caged dog, im a little lost. she doesnt seem to respond to good girl or bad girl. it doesnt even seem like she knows when im praising her or not. the only thing i have going for me is that she likes beggin strips. so im trying to give her a treat whenever she pees outside. but what do i do when she pees inside??

also, she's very timid. she is afraid of loud noises. but not ppl or quick movements, so i dont think she has ever been hit or anything. she interacts and plays well with my 16 month old siberian husky. i guess she's been caged for so long that she's kinda overwhelmed by alot of stuff. she does seem a little anxious. so we are also crate training her. i figure the crate feels a little more like home to her than a big open house. plus i like the security of a crate for both my dogs and us.

thanks alot for any help u can give us. love the site. thanks again.

[serenamlambe]

Welcome to the board, newfiek9! Nice to see another Newfoundlander around here

Good for you for taking in this dog and giving her a loving home. I don't have a lot of experience in training an older dog, but it seems as though what you're doing is right on track. If she pees in the house and you notice it later, you can't correct her because she won't understand the problem. If you catch her in the act, I would give a sharp "no" and put her straight outdoors. The crate is also a useful tool and you're right that it will make her feel more secure. Every time you take her out of the crate, put her outdoors and tell her to go pee or whatever. My mother-in-law prefers "do your dirt." Hahaha. Give her a treat when she does it. She'll quickly catch on, I'm sure.

Someone with a bit more experience will come along shortly, I'm sure, to give you some more concrete tips!

Good luck & keep us updated

Also.... we love pics of pets around here!! Feel free to post as many as you would like!

[hazelrunpack]

We've had older rescue dogs that needed housebreaking, too. We approached it about the same way we did with puppies. Take her out when she first gets up, before and after meals, after naps. Make sure to take her out whenever your husky has to go--she'll learn that that's the appropriate place to be faster if she's got a good example. And if you miss the signals and find an accident in the house, just clean up--scolding or correcting after the fact will only confuse her. If you catch her in the act, though, make a vocal correction (a low, throaty uh-uh, or "no", or something on that order), interrupt her and take her outside to finish. When she finishes up outside or has gone outside on her own and eliminates there, praise her up calmly and proudly. If she likes belly rubs, slip a hand under her belly and rub it softly as she stands there. Our rescue girls all liked that a lot before they understood about praise or toys as reward.

If you can't follow her and watch her all day, tether her to your belt to keep her with you. Tethering is useful for a number of reasons--it will help educate you on what her signals are that mean she has to go (and in rescue dogs that aren't used to indoor living, those signals can be very subtle); it will help the two of you bond just by the fact that you're living hip-to-hip for a while; she'll get used to the sound of your voice and learn to listen for it; and it will enable you to immediately interrupt any inappropriate elimination and redirect her to the outdoors. You probably won't have to tether for long--just long enough to learn her signals. She'll get the idea--just be very patient and consistent.

So nice of you to take in this dog and give her such a good home! Your other dog will help, too. Our older rescues learned a lot by watching and interacting with our other dogs.

Please keep us posted on how she's doing and when you get a chance, we'd love to see some pics of both your furbabies!

[newfiek9]

thanks for the info. really appreciate it. she dedfinetly responds to the treats and the positive reinforcement. it just seems like she doesnt really understand verbal commands. not even tone. like even puppies seem to understand a quick sharp NO! is a bad thing....lol she doesnt cjange her expression or body language at all. i'll try and get a few pics asap. thanks again

[newfiek9]

heres some pics. one of loki as a pup and now. and one just taken of misty, the beagle....lol