My beagle puppy is aggressive and waits to come in to eliminate.

Question
QUESTION: Hello,

i have an almost 5 month old female beagle,who hasn't been
spayed yet. She is very good when she is in her gated area.
We keep her in the kitchen where the most activity goes on,
so she doesn't feel alone. Normally when it's just my mom
and my dad who is there she will bark for a bit, and then
she is quiet. When i go down the stairs or she knows i am in
the are or hears my voice, she goes NUTS! i am her puppy
parent, but she will not stop barking even after i greet her  
and everything. When i remove her from the gated are to let
her roam free, she will go after our older cocker spaniel
dog who is blind, and nips at his feet and his ears, and
sometimes neck. Also when i try to play with her he lunges
at my hands sometimes. I tell her no, but she continues to
do it. My boyfriend on the other hand who only comes three
times a week once he tells her no, she licks his hand. How
can i get her to listen to me?

The other thing is when i take her for walks sometimes we
are outside for an hour and i try to get her to walk next to
me, and i train her and give her time to eliminate.But even
after that hour she still hasn't done her business but right
when we go back inside, she eliminates on her pad. I don't
understand how to correct this. Should I spend more time
with her outside?

Thank You and sorry about the long note!



ANSWER: Talk to your vet.  May as well go ahead and spay her now.  The trend is earlier than the traditional 6 months.  It is no cure all. but should make training more effective.  

Your boy friend must be sending signals that he outranks her.  Even things like making eye contact with her and letting your teeth show can make a big difference.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts. Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog. Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones. You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat.

Walking nicely on lead is a big part of obedience.  Are you using a training collar?  As dog training moves away from the harsh methods of the past, you might try a Martingale style.  They have a fabric loop that goes around the dog's neck with a metal ring on each end.  A second fabric or chain loop goes through the rings and has a third ring for the leash.  

If she pulls, try pulling her backwards.  For other problems,  just stand there until she is in position and the leash is slack.  You never move forward unless she is in position and the leash is slack.  In order to get anywhere, she must do it your way.  

I don't like using pads or papers to housebreak just because of the problem you are having.  Yes the key to stay outside longer.  Make sure she has a chance to have a drink before going out.  Perhaps start with a vigorous game of fetch again giving her a chance for a drink.  Then walk around.  Go in areas other dogs have eliminated.  Give her a chance to sniff around.  Males mark trees etc.  Females will leave their mark near by.  While you don't want to expose young puppies to where strange dogs eliminate, she is old enough to be OK.  They can only walk and hold it so long.  When it finally has to go, lavish praise on it.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: My puppy is doing so much better in such a short period of
time, i allow her to walk around the house and she's only
had one accident!

So my new problem is that, when i play with her outside for
some exercise i try to get her to bring me back the toy,
i've heard some where that when you want her to bring the
toy back run the opposite direction and yell her name and
come and then stop, then once she has reached you tell her
to give, or drop. What she does when she sees me run the
opposite direction and yell her name and come, she will drop
her toy and run after me but when i stop she tries to bite
my pants and shirt, i give a firm no and she end up
stopping. But i can't keep running the opposite direction
when she's just going to hunt me, is there another method to
get her to come to me without running the other direction?
It's still a problem to get her to stop biting while we are
sitting down, but when im running, it's totally different,
she doesn't just nip it's a full out bite. I know that when
we're inside sometimes when she bites she's still trying to
dominate me, since now im being much more firmer with her,
but when im outside her hunting mindset is on lock, and
breed instincts, she doesn't just hunt me she stalks and
preys on my older dog as well.  

Answer
The running the other way is often an effective technique.  Since it isn't working for you, try the conventional come techniques.  With the dog at the end of the leash, call its name and "Come" in a firm voice. If it comes, praise it lavishly and pet it, and give it a treat. If it doesn't come, repeat the command and give the leash a light snap. Keep it up with firmer leash snaps until the dog does come. Do not forget the praise. Then switch to a longer leash or rope, about 25'. When it comes well on the longer leash, you should be able to go to off leash in a fenced area, etc.

If she comes, but drops the toy, act like you really value the toy.  Make a big fuss over it.  

As for the biting, you must deny her your attention when she bites.  Young Labs, which I know best, and other puppies tend to very bad about biting. You see a litter of them, and all the ones that are awake are biting another one or themselves. I am not even sure they realize that when they are alone, if they quit biting, they would quit being bitten. At 3 to 4 months they are getting their adult teeth, and it seems they spend every waking moment biting or chewing. One thing you can do at that stage is to knot and wet a piece of cloth. Then freeze it. The cooling will soothe the gums. Only let the puppy have it when you are there to watch it. I maintain a Lab's favorite chew toy is another Lab. Otherwise they settle for any person they can. They keep hoping to find one that won't yelp, jerk their hand away, and leave.

You just have to keep on correcting them, hundreds of times, not dozens. Provide sturdy, safe toys such as Kongs and Nylabones. Avoid things they can chew pieces off and choke on them. Keep them away from electrical cords. Crates are essential for most young Labs and other dogs.