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Beagles/indoor beagle doesn't want to be inside

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Expert: - 9/22/2009


Question
QUESTION: Our 6 month old beagle has decided she'd rather stay outside all the time. She has been an indoor dog since we got her at 7 weeks old and has been successfully crate trained. She plays outside all day and comes in to sleep, but now doesn't even want to do that. How can we get back out indoor dog?

ANSWER: Thanks for writing to me, I find this situation very curious as beagles are pack animals, they will want to be with their pack as much as possible which are you the humans now. they don't do well as loners. I am wondering if something happened to her in the house that makes her fearful, do you have young children that could have hurt or scared her? This is pretty unusual.


AMENDMENT: I am awaiting further details from you so I can try to help you with this....

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

QUESTION: No, she hasn't been hurt. We do have 3 children(10,6,4). The dog loves to play outside with them. Now that they are in school, she wants to stay outside, but she's alone now. She's asking to go out more at night too. She's still very loving to the family, but seems to prefer being outside.

Answer
I am really stumped by this one, the only thing I could think of was what I said, that maybe something happened in the house to scare her..... I am especially confused now that she is alone and prefersgive in to her and let her out whenever she asks and make her get used to being in the house that way. I'm sorry I just cant figure this one out.

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Have4Paws

Expertise

I am happy to answer BEAGLE BREED SPECIFIC behavioral questions. Please DO NOT ask CRATE TRAINING OR MEDICAL questions! I am not a vet nor an expert in the use of crates.

Experience

I currently have one beagle, a male age 5, an 12 month old Pit Bull, and a 8 year old min. poodle. I have had to let go of three of my dogs, 2 beagles and 1 whippet/rat terrier mix in the past 5 years, most recently my whippet mix. The two beagles lived to 15 and the whippet mix to 13.5, it has been hard to say goodbye to them. I have done rescue work on and off for years as well as fund-raising for the local animal shelter. I worked for a dog magazine in the past (Southern California Dog Magazine). Being a psychotherapist has encouraged me to do in depth studying of animal behavior as well. I have worked with many people to help curb undesirable behaviors in their dogs (or them!) or to form good behaviors. My life is devoted to and surrounded by my dogs........The picture you see here is Zeppelin but we also call him the "miracle dog". He was hit by a car April 2010 while out with the dog walker and had very serious injuries... 4 surgeries and $17,000 later my boy is whole again and back to loving life. He is so special to me and he weathered a lot of pain and trauma yet is still the sweet boy he always was! I also work to stop Breed Specific Legislation and help to get pit bulls adopted.

Organizations
HSUS, PETA, SPCA DONT SHOP...ADOPT!!

Publications
Dog Fancy

Education/Credentials
I am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in the state of CA and am also credentialed as a Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist

Awards and Honors
Honored by the Agoura Animal Shelter for my volunteer work.

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