Expert: Have4Paws - 4/19/2009

Question
We got our beagle / shepherd mix about 2 weeks ago. He is 4 months old. Just about to turn 5 months. We were told by the previous owner to keep him in his crate all day and let him out to play and outside to do his business. I have been reading a lot about it and realize keeping him in the crate isn't good. Every time I let him out of the crate, he is like a mad dog, running like crazy around the house and tearing up everything in his path. I have started taking him on walks, 2 45 min walks a day and this seems to be getting worse instead of better. And walking on the leash is like he is having a tug of war with the dog on the other end. My husband wants to get rid of him but even though we've only had him for 2 weeks i am already attached to him. How can I correct his behavior. Also when I leave the room he cries, barks, and howls. I don't' want to get rid of him as I know that won't be in his best interest, but I need to figure out how to live with him and get him to behave properly.

Answer
Hi Krista, sorry to hear you are having so many problems with your pup. I personally don't believe in crating, there are people who swear by it though. I feel it is kind of cruel and a dog should learn boundaries in the home instead of being caged. But as I said there are others who will disagree with me.

I think the reaSon he acts so crazy though is because he spends a lot of time in the crate and then doesnt know how to behave outside of it plus is probably full of excitement and anxiety being free. A 4-5 month old puppy is just coming out of the baby stage, I don't know how much of him is beagle but beagles are pack animals and don't do well alone. They will adapt to a human pack easily if there is no canine one though which is why he cries when you leave the room, he wants to be with you.

Glad to hear you walk him twice a day, he really needs this. Do you have any other dogs of friends or relatives he can play with, he needs to be socialized to other dogs and people. Is there a dog park anywhere nearby? The key to him being well behaved is not just to train him but to find ways to expend energy so he is not frustrated and bored which leads to destructiveness.
Approaching 5 months your dog is just coming into the age of being able to learn things more cfomplex than sit and down and retain it. I would not expect a dog of 4-5 months to heel well on the leash. In reality most dogs dont even start going out on a leash until like 4 motnhs because they are supposed to be sequestered until they get all of their shots done. There are of course the exceptions..... people who have the luxury and desire to spend all their time and energy devoted to training their dog can get a puppy to do things most cannot, but most of us do not have that kind of time.

It has only been two weeks since you have had him and I can tell you that whether you were bringing home a tiny puppy or adopting a dog who was elsewhere before you it takes about 4-6 weeks for the transition and for them to really be settled in. By then you will be able to see his true personality and his anxiety will have calmed down a bit as he will be more comfortable and trusting of you..... right now after only two weeks he is still adjusting to a new environment and new people and who knows what the other people did or didnt do with him, sounds like they left him in the crate alot and didnt do much bonding.

I am going to attach some recommended books to read that might be helpful. Don't give up on him, it sounds like you are really caring and want to do well with him.

HAVE 4 PAWS
RECOMMENDED READING RE; DOG TRAINING

The Culture Clash (James & Kenneth Publishers, 1997)
By Jean Donaldson *********

When Good Dogs Do Bad Things (Little Brown & Co., 1993)
By Mordecai Seigel & Matthew Margolis

So Your Dog’s Not Lassie (Harper Collins 1998) by Betty Fisher & Suzanne Delzio

How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks (James & Kenneth Publishers, 1991) by Dr. Ian Dunbar

Doctor Dunbar’s Good Little Dog Book (James & Kenneth Publishers, 1996 by Dr. Ian Dunbar

The Perfect Puppy (Reader’s Digest, 1996) by Gwen Bailey

Good Owners, Great Dogs (Warner Books, 19950 by Brian Kilcommons, Sarah Wilson, & Paul Kunkel





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