Bedwetting and poop eating

Question
QUESTION: We have a 12 week old beagle cross who has been with us since he was 7 weeks and has recently started peeing in his bed. This has only been happening in the last week or 2. I noticed than after a period of active playing he would run to his bed and pee so have been discouraging over active playing in the house, but a few times i have checked his bedding and found it wet without knowing when he did it. The few times I have caught him in the act I scolded him and took him to his pee box on the balcony and left him there a few minutes. (We live in an apartment which is making the housebreaking more of a challenge) I am not sure why he is suddenly doing this, as he would never wet the bed when we first got him, not even in the night, which would have been more normal, in my mind.

He has also developed a nasty and embarrassing habit of eating poop when we go for walks. Not dog poop though, he seems to specialize in the human variety. We had a Labrador retriever when I was a child who had a lifelong obsession for human poop too, and I would really like to avoid the same experience with our puppy. How can I permanently discourage him from making this a habit?

Please help!!

ANSWER: A 7 week old puppy has to urinate every two hours.  If you had him in the crate longer than that you have taught him to go in his bed because he couldn't hold it longer than that when he had to go.   So now he thinks that is what you want him to do.   The best thing to do is to get an
ex-pen (go to petedge.com)  and put his newly washed bed in there and put puppy pads (the ones with a scent to them) in the pen about 6 inches from his bed, cover the rest of the area in the there.  Give him a bath and when you wash the bed, make sure you put a tiny bit of bleach in the water to completely remove the smell.  This is not going to be easy, he as to UNLEARN a command.  Have a small spare bed handy so if he does pee on it you can switch it right out.  Feed him and remove the bed and put him in there untill he goes to the bathroom.  Pick up the paper and replace it and also put his bed back in there.   Hopefully he will now sleep a little in his bed. The minute he gets up take his bed out and wait untill he pees on the pads.   You see what we are trying to do?  We are forcing him to make the right decision..  Also make sure you praise him a lot when he does this....  Let him play and watch for signs of him sniffing to go pee.  Then put him in the pen (remove the bed) until he goes again.    Eventually this should work.  Pups would prefer to keep their beds clean so we just have to convince him this is what you really want him to do.
Most of the dogs I know will eat human poop.  It is the food in the poop they like.  Put him on Eukanuba puppy food until he is about 7 months old.  When you are walking with him, be watchful and give him a sharp tug on his lead when he goes to eat poop and say "leave it".   At home teach him the leave it command in baby steps.  Have a treat in each hand.  Put one treat on the floor and tell him to leave it, when he goes for it, stop him and pick up the treat.  If he leaves it for even 3 SECONDS, say good leave it and give him the treat from the other hand.  Eventually you will be able to say "leave it" and he will do it on command

nancy  

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


  QUESTION: Thanks for your prompt response, the poop eating advice is helpful, I have been feeding him Hill science diet puppy food, but will switch to the eukanuba. But on the bed wetting subject: he doesnt sleep in a crate, we have just a regular little doggy bed for him which he is free to hop into and out of as he likes. the first month he was home he would hop out and pee on the kitchen floor, which he still does during the night. It is only recently that i have started to find a wet patch in the bed, and it seems to usually happen during the daytime. It has been 2 days now since I saw a damp patch, so im crossing fingers that by not getting too boisterous in playing indoors he  doesnt get over excited and not able to control his bladder.

Answer
Hi,
I am sorry I misunderstood.   Puppies and adult dogs will periodically do this...when they become more aware of their territory, when a new dog or pup comes into the house,  it is a form of claiming their territory.  You are doing a wonderful job of correcting him when he does and bringing him to where he is supposed to be doing it.    Make sure you are the "boss" with him.  Make him sit before you feed him, and make sure he knows YOU own the bed, not him.  This way he doesn't feel he has to protect it.   The less activity in the house is good.  See when you do that YOU are the one in charge, so he doesn't feel he has to protect or claim anything.  So keep being in charge and this will take care of itself.  Beagles are very hard headed due to breeding and instinct (which is why they are great hunters) and they have a decided pecking order.  You are doing a great job in a challenging situation (apartment).  So make sure you keep it up and give him training, sit, down, come, walk on leash, etc.  The more you connect with him and you are in charge the better.  Even if you treat train, to him you are in charge.    Hope this helps and it sounds like you have good instincts
nancy