Any advice, please?

Hello, newbie here!

I just have a few of concerns about a dog we just got at the SPCA two weeks ago and I was hoping for some advice :)

She is the sweetest thing (beagle, about 6 or 7 years old), very lovable. The people at the SPCA have no idea how long she was a stray, but in some of her behavior it's obvious it was for quite a while before they found her. We also have two other dogs- a fm shephard mix,Wrinkles (11 years old) and a m collie mix, Bailey (6 years old)- and at first they hated eachother, it scared us we were going to have to take Josie back, but given time she has been fine with them, even plays with Bailey. (Our only concern with her and Bailey is niether are fixed :eek: ) Anyway, that will be taken care of soon... now that you have a little background here's just a few of our biggest problems, and a little heads up, one is a bit odd:

1. odd one - Whenever I am making dinner, she runs from me, will not come near me.
2. Like I said, she was a stray, so has no idea about house rules : anything in her way, she either goes over or under. I don't mind under, but it bothers me her walking across my coffee table and end tables. (Oh, and for a while she was using my kitchen table as a bed when we go out!! That has been curbed with the use of a crate.)
3. big one - How do you train an adult dog with no clue about going outside? I have delt with puppies (my shephard mix and her "sister" -who recently passed away- were both 8 weeks when I got them and I trained them on my own), but I have NO clue about training an adult dog! (something I should have thought of I know, but the only thing going threw my mind at the time I got her was "OMG she's an exact replica of my Lollipop!" I even cried threw the whole adoption thing. :p )

Anyway, any advice would be most appreciated!!

Little problem: I would use postive training. Does she know her basic command such as come? If so first teach her come and then whenever you catch her climbing on the coffee table and such call her to you and when she comes give her a treat. Your giving her a treat for coming to you of course. Not for bad behavior.
As for the big problem, I don't know. Sorry. I hope I helped you out though!

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Originally Posted by Key

1. odd one - Whenever I am making dinner, she runs from me, will not come near me.
2. Like I said, she was a stray, so has no idea about house rules : anything in her way, she either goes over or under. I don't mind under, but it bothers me her walking across my coffee table and end tables. (Oh, and for a while she was using my kitchen table as a bed when we go out!! That has been curbed with the use of a crate.)
3. big one - How do you train an adult dog with no clue about going outside? I have delt with puppies (my shephard mix and her "sister" -who recently passed away- were both 8 weeks when I got them and I trained them on my own), but I have NO clue about training an adult dog! (something I should have thought of I know, but the only thing going threw my mind at the time I got her was "OMG she's an exact replica of my Lollipop!" I even cried threw the whole adoption thing. :p )

Anyway, any advice would be most appreciated!!

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First of all Welcome!!

1. Is this your dinner or her dinner? If it is your dinner she might have had to stay out of the area that her previous home used for dinner time.

2. Use a spray bottle filled with water when you see her on something you don't want her on.

3. Treat her the same as you would a puppy. Taker her out after she eats, after sleeping, after playtime, etc. After she has been in her crate for a time taker her outside. Give her 5 minutes to pee and poop and if she doesn't put her back in her crate for 5 min then take her back outside. Keep repeating this until you get the result you want. While you are out there to do business do not play with her or acknowledge her until she pees or poops (whichever you are waiting for her todo) when she does do it praise her and treat her when her butT pops up from the ground i.e. when she is done peeing or pooping. Then let her play outside some to reward her for going to the bathroom outside.

Hopefully this helps and good luck, it's always a challenge training a new puppy/dog.

I agree with Misty Pearl... you really will not have any problem eventually breaking her of these habits. Most likely she was "never" a house dog. Being a Beagle, she may have been a pure hunting dog and an outside one. Positive reinforcement will be your key. It may take longer than usual, but Beagles are the most devoted dogs I know and will want to please in short order. Crate training will be imperative and use it to you advantage in keeping her from having unecessary accidents. You may also wish to consider a tether leash in house and one outside so you can let her out and she can only go so far and you will not have to be out with her constantly. Inside, tether to you so that she can follow you around and get used to being in the places that you allow her - like the kitchen when making dinner. Post a picture... I love Beagles. Good luck!

It's when I'm making our dinner. She'd be in the living room and would perk up when the smell hits her and she'd run. I just wonder if who ever had her before was nasty to her when trying to keep her out of the kitchen :(

And you're probably right, she may have been a hunting dog, if not then an outside dog. She found some rabbits behind our shed and went nuts! We have to keep her tethered to keep her from going back there, and from digging into our neighbors yard (she loves their puppy!).

I had a Beagle before, but raiser her from a puppy. She just passed away in December. She was very loyal to not only me, but her "sister" as well. ^_^

And just a warning, I did get a ton of pictures over the last two weeks, so there's plenty once I get them off the camera :D

Thank you all so much for the advice!

Cant wait for the photos :D Have you tried asking the rescue where you got her from for advice? maybe they had a routine that she was used to?

Your dog has no idea of what is ok and what is not, it appears that the previous owner has made a lasting impression on the dog.
Your dog instinctively knows that dinner time is off limits and out she runs!
Use the old method of good behavoir receives a reward, be it a scooby snack or milkbone. Friendship and love cures all wounds and the hurt a dog feels to be a stray. Praise is another good incentive for your dog to be good.
After some time has passed you'll find that your dog has over came the problems that bug you as well.
Don't give up you can do it!
Without you, the dog is unwanted once more..