beagle puppy potty training

Question
My husband and I recently bought a 3 month old beagle puppy ! He is adorable but we have a problem ! He is a stubborn puppy on being potty trained we have tried EVERYTHING !!! rewarding him after using the bathroom outside. And spanking him in putting him in "timeout" and all he does is go outside for 30 min and smell then come back in and poop in the bathroom and pee on our BED !!! Please help us

Answer
Hello Chelsea!

First, you should keep in mind that potty training a puppy is not usually accomplished right away - it takes time.  Many puppies are not completely potty trained until they are 6 months old, some even a year old.  But don't get discouraged - it can be done.

I have found that positive reinforcement is much more effective than negative, so avoid punishing or spanking your puppy.  You should thoroughly clean any areas where puppy (or any animal) has pooped or urinated in the house - see this blog post:  http://blog.gizmo2wizmo.com/2009/05/12/5-essential-steps-to-cleaning-dog-pee.asp...

You didn't say if you were leading puppy outside, or just setting him free outside when you want him to go potty, so I will make some assumptions to answer.  Initially, you should probably take him outside on a leash and take him to a specific place where you want him to potty every time.  You can place poop you have picked up there and/or towels you have used to clean up his urine in that spot, so that he can sniff them and begin to understand what you expect him to do there.  Walk puppy for some exercise first, then take puppy to that spot (no wandering or playing) and keep him there until he goes potty.  Try keeping him there for up to 30 minutes if necessary.  If he doesn't go, I would take him inside and put him in a dog crate for 30 minutes, then try outside again.  If you don't already have a crate, I would highly recommend that you get one for several reasons, potty training being one of them.

Until puppy is potty trained, he should not be permitted to have the run of the house.  Start off with a small area (kitchen or laundry room)and once puppy no longer has accidents in that area, you can expand it little by little until eventually he has the run of the house.  Do not allow him on your bed or furniture until he is completely potty trained.

You should initially take puppy out to potty every hour or two, until you learn how long he can actually hold it (which will increase as he grows), to know how often your puppy needs to go out.  Consistently take him out on a schedule to the same place, and give lots of praise when he does potty - maybe even an occasional treat for good behavior.

Do all of these things consistently, and I believe you will have success.  You may also want to check out my dog potty bell - it is a great tool for potty training.  http://blog.gizmo2wizmo.com/2008/09/13/house-train-your-dog-the-easy-way.aspx

Good luck!