Expert: Have4Paws - 8/15/2011

Question
We adopted a beagle ppuppy from the SPCA a week ago. She is the cutest and most loveable puppy you could ever meet.  We take her for several short walks a day and take her outside to do her business as she needs to go.  There is just one thing I can not figure out... I know Beagles are barkers but at nite we put her in an open pen with her bed and lots of toys to play with.  We take her out for the last time at about 9PM and then put her in her pen for the nite.  I have a nite lite on so she can see and she will wake up in the middle of the nite and start barking.  No matter how much you ignore her she will continue.  Any suggestions on what to do to make her stop so we can all get some sleep????

Answer
Hi thanks for writing to me. Sorry to hear you are having sleepless nights. Since your puppy is only 8 weeks old this is part of why this is happening. 8 weeks is the MINIMUM age recommended to take a puppy from its litter but 12 weeks is usually ideal. She is missing her littermates and mom and beagles are pack animals, they actually crave companionship. They will readily dapt to a human pack instead of canine but seldom enjoy any kind of solitude or aloneness. The unfortunate thing is that ignoring her is the only thing you can do, any time you respond in ANY way it reinforces for her that barking or crying gets her attention. You must be 100% on ignoring this behavior. In the meantime you can try having a radio softly playing but otherwise there is not much you can do until she gets used to it and realizes that she will survive it.

By the way just as an aside, if you need helpw ith potty training I can share that with you, just let me know and also at 8 weeks she needs to be eating three times a day.

Hoping it works out soon.....

Have4Paws