house training not working- Baffled

[mattsasso]

I have a 1 1/2 year old beagle that I got several months ago.I got him from a girl in Brooklyn who never abused him but I think may have over indulged him. He was overweight and also quite happy to just pee and poo anywhere. I think they had him inside going on paper most of the time.

I have owned many dogs over the years and have experience house training them but Max has me baffled. Just when I think he has it he starts all over again by sneaking off and peeing or pooping and he knows its wrong. On the other hand I am impressed with how smart he is and how quickly he picks up on other commands and tricks. he is wonderful but this is killing me.

One thing to note is that he doesn't seem to have any kind of alert to tell us he has to go. I was thinking of a bell on the door or somethimng but right now he doesn't even scratch to get out. Instead he sneaks off and lets fly. I feel like he is really confused because for a whole year he was going inside and i am asking him to go outside now. I am definately an alpha personality and he knows who is boss. But like I said. I am baffled. Please offer some good suggestions. I need to try something new.

we have tried keeping him on a leash , in a crate and he just reverts back to his old ways

 

[Sweet72947]

I would just keep him leashed to you at all times, and when you can't be home, he should be crated. That way he has no way to sneak off and do his business out of sight of you. Sometimes, when dogs are punished for going inside, they learn to just sneak away to do it. They don't really know its "wrong", they just know we don't like it!

When he does go outside, lots of praise and yummy treats! My terrier mix was hard to housetrain too, it took about three months, and even to this day he'll still go mark or poop in certain rooms, but that's easily solved by keeping those doors closed.

 

[Maura]

As Sweet wrote, he does not know he's doing anything wrong. He is not trying to be alpha. He does not want to **** you off.

Put some papers down, both newspaper and puppy pads, on a washable floor. If he chooses to go on the papers, then you will know he has been paper trained and not reliably yard trained. In this case, Place papers/pad outside where you want him to go. Go with him so you can praise him to glory when he goes in the right spot. Over the next few weeks, put smaller and smaller pieces of paper for him to go on. He'll be trained to the area and will learn to go on the grass.

If he doesn't go on the paper, then that is not the issue. Either way, you have to really clean the spots he has used. I would also divide his food up and feed him on these spots, plate optional.

Every morning take him for a jog. By now you know how much he needs to empty in the morning, this is how long you need to keep him out and moving, until he is really empty. This method has worked well with a couple of fosters I've had. Besides that, follow Sweet's advice about crate and leash.

 

[milos_mommy]

If he's "sneaking off" he's probably been punished for going potty inside by someone (possibly you). He doesn't understand it's wrong to go in the house, he just thinks it's wrong to go when someone is watching, so he tries to find a place away from you to do it.

Make sure you're praising him and giving him a treat when he does go outside (you need to go outside with him and watch him go, for now). And don't give him the opportunity to go in the house.

Is he comfortable going inside a crate?

 

[Paul Bright]

You are not doing anything wrong, just keep at training him and be consistent. 1 year of being trained to go inside the house will be a bit hard to take out from his routine but he'll get there. Like you said, he is a smart dog. It is just confusing now but it will get better. Training him to ring a bell is a wonderful idea and I think you should push through with it.