# Training a Scared Puppy



## GreenShenna (Jan 26, 2012)

Our family decided to get a new puppy. She a 7 month old beagle. We have another dog, mixed, and she's 6 years old. My kids are 2 and 4 and they play great with the puppy. 

My biggest concerns are potty training and getting along with my other dog. We've had her for a week. I know, very short time period. But I have kids that are stepping in her puddles and she does the submissive pee all the time. On top of that, her previous owners (yes, 2 of them) say that she's potty trained. I wonder if they gave up training her. She's really stubborn and snaps at me when I try to smack her butt for a pee puddle (not anxiety related). I had my other dog since she was a puppy and I didn't have too much difficulty getting her to go potty outside.

So, now I have these pee pads, mostly to help clean up the puddles. I never used them before. And I'm trying to get her to do simple stuff like "here", "sit", and "go to bed". She has even peed on my bed while looking at me. I took that a little personal. She seems really sensitive yet she's doing better with my other dog during rough play.

The puppy will get my dog mad and growling to get a chase going. She hasn't submissive peed with her. I don't get it. I tend to go with the tough love approach when it comes to training. I will admit that I have a short temper and ADD. Bad combo for a new puppy, I realize that, but here we are and my older dog is great. I will not hand her off to a 4th owner. I need to find solutions and obviously some patience.

/rant


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

You smack the dog and practice tough love, but you're not sure why the dog pees when she sees you? Really?

The dog is TERRIFIED. She's been in 2 houses before yours, in a mere 7 months of life, and now you're hitting her and being mean to her and she's only known you a week. When she pees like that, she's begging you "Please don't hurt me! Please!" in the only language she has.

If you really want to stop her from peeing, stop hitting her. Stop all corrections. It's been a week. Don't even try training yet. You need to build her trust in you and let her calm down. I would recommend throwing treats to her every time you are near her. When she pees inside, take her outside. Don't let her out of your sight. If she's getting away from you to pee, smack yourself. That's your fault for not properly supervising her.


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

She's scared she's going to get smacked. So she pees. And you smack her. Keep doing it and it's only going to make her much, much worse!

I would quit with the training too, just let her be. Get a crate or an xpen to put her in, with her bed and some toys, and give her that space. Read up on crate training and housebreaking on this site and start from scratch like she's a baby puppy. Don't worry about training, let her settle in for a month and adjust to the basics. Take her out OFTEN for a potty break, if she goes, she gets time in the house, if not, not a big deal, into the crate if you're not watching. Take her out often to the same spot, and praise her and give her a treat if she goes. Don't be shocked if she doesn't want to pee around you since she thinks you're going to hit her for doing so. Have a rolled up newspaper on hand and if you feel the need, smack yourself in the head ten times. Not the dog. Not your kids. Your head. Ten times. Take the dog out for a potty and praise her again.

If she comes to you, give her a treat and praise her. You need to go back to building that bond of trust with her before you go all 'tough love' with her. Think of it as a learning lesson in doing things differently. You can look into clicker training and work on that with her, do some simple tricks with her and work on behaviors starting in a few weeks, but for now back off. Get the newspaper and hit yourself in the head if you're frustrated, after you take the dog out to potty. You might find yourself going outside to potty A LOT but that's going to help her get it right. Make sure the pee spots have been properly cleaned so there's no scent to remind her.

I wouldn't worry about the relationship with the other dog, if your dog isn't correcting her, it's likely all good play. Many times I've had to call my three in because it sounds like they're killing each other playing out there - slamming into the fence, growling and raaarrrring at each other (not sure how to describe the sound other than it's a roaring/growling/constant/LOUD noise). My four month old puppy does have a few scratches on her, nothing major and honestly about time the adult dogs started to correct her for being a brat, but if your pup is not peeing for the adult dog, I would say it's fine. 

Oh and take the puppy out again. You get the idea. If it gets frustrating, grab the rolled up newspaper and ..... just make sure you wash your face so there's not ink marks. Think of it as pet therapy.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I totally agree. The biggest concern I have is this puppy is on her third home. Being moved from home to home is frightening and traumatic to dogs. She's been moved around a lot during her formative months. She may very well have been potty trained by now IF she had stayed in one home. But, when you get moved around, your routine changes, rules change, and puppies get scared and confused.

Smacking, rubbing noses in messes, that's outdated and old school. It may have worked back in the day, but, did it work for the RIGHT reasons? Puppies don't gain full physical control of their bladders til they're 6 months old. Before that, it's a matter of trying to understand what the humans want you to do, and sometimes just not being able to because your body isn't caught up to your brain yet.

So, your pup is 7 months old. Control can STILL sometimes be an issue, because the bladder control she has isn't TOTALLY consistent; she's like a human toddler. PLUS, puppies have to be trained that outside is where they potty. Puppies don't understand human ideas, they pee/poop where and when they have to. *So, it's your job to make sure she's in the right place when she has to go, at least until she learns it, and has practice at it.*

Potty training is more about what YOU do than what the puppy does. Two rules in my book are: supervision and schedules. If you like having the puppy out and about the house with you, she has to be watched 100% of the time, so that you can see her signals and rush her out, and so that she can't sneak away and pee. It's hard with kids, yes, but, you can use a leash and tether her to you, it's called the umbilical cord method. If you are busy and can't keep your eyes on her as closely as you should, that's when you crate her.

Schedules is the other part: in the beginning, until she starts understanding what you want, you may have to take her outside more often. Maybe every 1-2 hours. Yes, it's a lot, but do you want to get her successfully potty trained? Take her out on a leash, say the SAME potty words every time. As soon as she STARTS to pee/poop say "good potty!" and as soon as she FINISHES give her a treat.
If you catch her going inside, interrupt her with a clap or an "uh uh" and rush her out.

If you smack or scold, it just may cause potty hangups like her trying to hide her messes and eat her poop, or being afraid to pee/poop in front of you.

She may have been partially potty trained in her other homes (but I doubt it), but dogs don't generalize well, plus your routines will be different, so, you basically have to start over anyway, because your rules and procedures aren't the same as in the other homes. 
But, I suspect that they SAID she was potty trained to make it easier to find her a home.

She snaps at you because she doesn't understand why you're hitting her and she feels like she may need to protect herself.

Puppies play rough. Other dogs will usually correct them if they get too irritating. Also, puppies have a "puppy license" where older dogs let them get away with more, as they realize the puppy hasn't learned their manners yet.


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## GreenShenna (Jan 26, 2012)

This is the internet and I don't take your harsh comments personally at all. I will start off by saying that my original post was mostly out of frustration. I do not beat the dog into submission. My tough love comment was more about putting her in "time out" for peeing/pooping indoors and stealing food from the kids' table. Stuff like that. I will repeat, I do not beat my dog. Smack on the butt is what it is. A smack on the butt. It is not me kicking her, or punching her, or even making her yelp. Just letting her know I don't like it. I hate leaving her in a kennel all day or out in the cold. Germany is a very cold place. I was simply looking for advice from more seasoned puppy owners.

Other puppies I've had in the past were about a year old when I got them. And training was not this difficult. I am frustrated and was hoping for some encouragement and insight.

On a positive note, I think we might be getting a rhythm with keeping doors closed to keep her in the same room (kids are starting to get it). I didn't know the nose rubbing thing was "outdated". That's what I read, and so what I have been doing. No need to get condescending for doing something that has worked for me before. I take her out as often as I can. She usually sniffs the freezing air and comes back in without peeing. Do I tie her out there until she does something? I can't leave my kids alone for more than 5 mins. Toddlers are also pros at making their own messes without supervision. I have a front deck that I let them out to play on. But I rent my home and I don't like her peeing/pooping on it. 

Oh, and is there a way to keep her from scratching the doors? Once in a while it's helpful, but constantly is really messing them up. Is using a training spray effective or damaging to the door?


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

There's a trick I use, sometimes young pups/dogs in new environment have problems cause when they are taken out they may be concentrating on owners or new area etc. Thoughts of doing duty flies out the window. 

A stake out program, but very important it must be setup so that when you come back in home you can see/watch your dog. The watching of dog is important so the pup does not get in trouble, tangled etc and also so you can see if he dumps/pees etc.


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## Bumble (Oct 21, 2011)

You want to know why she pee's when you raise your hand? She is absolutely terrified.
Do you know anything about her previous owners? Maybe they hit her also.

I would take things slow with her. Reward her every single time she does something correct. And I mean every single time. Treat her like she is, a baby.
Speak to her in a nice, friendly voice. Like you would a baby. 'Hello baby, hello'. 
NEVER raise your hand at her again. As this is something she will most likely never get over. And definitly won't if you continue hitting her.

If she does something wrong. Just say NO in a stern but gentle voice. You are the dominant one. Soon she will realise that you are the dominant one and she will become submissive and will try her best for you. Just give her a chance. And be gentle!!

By the way, wait longer than a week before you judge her.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I personally did not ever imply you beat, punched or kicked your dog. I completely understood that you smacked her. BUT, I still agree it shouldn't be done. You should not smack your dog. Puppies don't understand when you smack them. Dogs don't have the same thought processes as humans. You may think that when you smack her, she understands that you don't like that current behavior. BUT, in reality, a puppy may not make the same connection that you or I would make, because she's not human. In that situation, a puppy may very well think "hey, this is a dangerous and unpredictable person" and develop a fear of peeing or pooping anywhere near you, which isn't good for potty training.

I also was not condescending, I just stated my opinion of your situation. When people come here and ask advice, we often don't have a complete history of what they know and don't know, so I usually just give a whole bunch of information. If you view that as condescending, that wasn't my intention.

I don't think you'll find many here that condone smacking for discipline and/or management, which is why you got the reactions you did.

Keeping the doors shut is actually good progress. The more often the puppy is in your sight, the better.
As for tying her outside until she does something, that's tricky. People usually say to go out with the puppy, because then you can actually see if she pees/poops. That way, when you let her back in, you know that she is "empty" and probably won't need to pee/poop for a bit. That way, you don't have to work as hard watching her. 
If you just tie her outside, you can't really know if she's done her business. Try putting a sweater or jacket on her, so that she is more willing to go out and pee/poop. 

How old are your children? You said they were toddlers. That's a handful, a puppy and toddlers. Yikes!
I know, it's hard to think about leaving your kids in alone just to take the puppy out. Are they old enough to "help" you take the puppy out to potty?


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

> As for tying her outside until she does something, that's tricky. People usually say to go out with the puppy, because then you can actually see if she pees/poops. That way, when you let her back in, you know that she is "empty" and probably won't need to pee/poop for a bit. That way, you don't have to work as hard watching her.
> If you just tie her outside, you can't really know if she's done her business. Try putting a sweater or jacket on her, so that she is more willing to go out and pee/poop.


I do agree it's not the best way but every once in a while you get a pup that is so distracted by the owner being out there that pottying just does not happen until they come back in home. The whole idea is watching and getting out to pup as quickly as you can without breaking an ankle etc, it's not the best but it is something that has worked. If pup does start pee/potty thing in an area then the stakeout stuff can be eliminated cause there is scent of duty stuff that pup can home in on.


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## 3doglady (Jul 31, 2011)

Just want to provide some suggested reading materials in the hopes of helping you understand your dog and his behaviors better, as well as how your behaviors affect him.

Training Your Beagle (Training Your Dog Series) Kristine Kraeuter

The Puppy Primer Patricia B. McConnell

The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs Patricia B. McConnell

On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals Turid Rugaas


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## GreenShenna (Jan 26, 2012)

The temperatures out here have been well below freezing all day. Boo. And I did bundle up my 2 yo to walk the dogs with me and she ended up with wind burn from a 15 min walk. My other one is 4 and goes to preschool twice a week, so I get a little break, kinda. My oldest tries to keep the doors closed and my baby likes to eat dog food. I have dog food penned up so only the dog gets to it. But the baby gets into the puppy food when I'm not looking. Gross!

Funny story, the other day, I smelled dog poop. I looked everywhere for it. *click* Checked the baby's diaper. 

Literally just now, she chewed up her leash that was tethering her. Ok, plan B. Pee/poop on deck. >.> She does scratch on the door when she's had enough of being outside/cold/alone. I don't go far, so I can listen for her.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

> Literally just now, she chewed up her leash that was tethering her. Ok, plan B. Pee/poop on deck. >.> She does scratch on the door when she's had enough of being outside/cold/alone. I don't go far, so I can listen for her.


You can purchase cable tie outs at Wal Mart or other places, but the act of being able to chew through tether means you weren't watching and this defeats the purpose of program. You tether, you watch through window, dog dumps, you out the door and reward. Of course it has to be environmentally feasible so you can do/see all that is necessary.


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## lisaj1354 (Feb 23, 2008)

> snaps at me when I try to smack her butt for a pee puddle (not anxiety related).





> I do not beat my dog. Smack on the butt is what it is. A smack on the butt.


Call it whatever you like - You're scaring the dog to death.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

GreenShenna said:


> This is the internet and I don't take your harsh comments personally at all. I will start off by saying that my original post was mostly out of frustration. I do not beat the dog into submission. My tough love comment was more about putting her in "time out" for peeing/pooping indoors and stealing food from the kids' table. Stuff like that. I will repeat, I do not beat my dog. Smack on the butt is what it is. A smack on the butt. It is not me kicking her, or punching her, or even making her yelp. Just letting her know I don't like it. I hate leaving her in a kennel all day or out in the cold. Germany is a very cold place. I was simply looking for advice from more seasoned puppy owners.
> 
> ?


No one accused you of beating her. They all said (and I agree) Stop smacking her on the butt...at all. No smacking, period. No grabbing the collar roughly to take her out, or any physical force/punishment. It doesn't work and will make her submissive peeing worse, and may make her start biting.

Do as was suggested, with dropping good treats when you go near her, and giving her a treat for coming to you.
Is she scratching the door to go out? If so, take her out. If she is doing it because you locked her in a time out, but a toddler gate and put that in the doorway instead.
Walk her twice a day briskly for about 45 min. Getting the excess energy out will help reduce anxiety which will help reduce the submissive peeing, and it will also help you bond.


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