Our new puppy is here!!!

[SmileAndNod]

And we're all completely besotted. Had forgotten exactly how much hard work they are - and I say that as someone who had 3 children in 5 years!

Toilet training is not going well, we take him outside he sometimes does a little wee we make a big fuss of him then comes in and does another or three on the carpet. He has also pooed twice in the house in the same place. I'm washing with a bio powder and hot water solution. Is this wrong? Early days I suppose though. He's also not eating that well at the minute -and certainly not as much as the diet sheet says - but I suppose that's to be expected? He had a good night in his new crate and we didn't need to get up to him at all.

Any ideas as to toilet training? We have puppy pads around the place but ideally we want him to go outside, and when he does we make a big fuss of him. The neighbours must think I'm mad!

And finally, here he is:

What age is he, vis a vis the toileting training?

I expected too much of mine at too young of an age and that was causing a great deal of frustration. Especially as I was very fastidious about the cleanliness of my home. Finally a trainer sternly told me "you must calm down about this!" It was an eye-opener.

Mine still insist on using the pads indoors, sometimes, though at homes other than mine they will go to the door and give a pleading look to be let out. And of course I still offer them to go out frequently at home. That is really the key. I had envisioned that they would flawlessly go to the door and bark or something each time they needed relief but that apparently is quite uncommon. Especially in the puppy stages.

Good luck!

I'm just trying to read through the puppy handbook now actually as he's chewing it off me

He's on beta puppy lamb which he was sent home with. I'm trying a mix of a little soaked and a little dried, mixed in with either minced beef, or wet puppy food (they suggested butchers, he wasn't keen) tried wainwrights lamb over the weekend and barking heads today. Still not clearing his plate though.

And to top the crappy day, he's just started trying to do things to my leg

He will be 10 weeks tomorrow btw. Definitely not keen on going into the garden in the wet!

he's a boy, he will try it on!!

Don"t worry too much about his food, endless variety will just make him fussier. i know it's difficult, we want them to thrive, but only introduce new foods slowly, and believe that he will eat when he is hungry.

As for toilet training, 10 weeks is nothing (even though every day feels like a month). My mum was all, "Our dogs were house trained when they came to us at eight weeks". It's just like competitive parenting. Sweet dog, took until 13 weeks, but one day, just, got it.

But he's only 9 weeks I thought that came much later - and my previous dog NEVER did it! How do I deter him? It seems to happen when he's a bit excited. I've been turning away and saying 'no'

I think I've just forgotten how hard puppy days are, and like I say not had a great day today. He's currently asleep by my feet snoring quietly being so cute that I'm forgive him anything

Do you crate him?

If he humps, give him three warnings to stop, then crate him for a couple of seconds if he tries again, just so he knows it is a behaviour that doesn't get the attention he wants.

He's so young; I was expecting you to say he was six or seven months. He will get the hang of his toilet training eventually. He's just a little baby.

Yes I know he is just a baby, I think as you were saying, I'm just expecting too much too soon.

Good advice re the humping. He does use his crate quite well, when I have to do school run and when we're eating. Will try the 3 strikes and out rule. Gosh it's just like having toddlers though she ignores me too

Smileandnod it does get easier. We were exhausted by it all initially but just like a new baby things gradually get easier. My 5yo DS has really only just started to love our Beagle Herbie after 8months. Before that I think he just considered Herbie to be a total nuisance. We still have puppy gates in the house and Herb is not sufficiently good at recall yet so we keep him on a leash. Herbie gets very affectionate with a certain cushion.

I've never really liked dogs before but as things with Herb have got easier I'm surprisingly getting more smitten.

So glad there are a few beagle owners on here! Saying you have a beagle is usually met with a laugh, followed by you do know that they are bad at x,y,z...!

He's not even been here a week yet so I do need to relax a little into it. Think we need photos of herbie though