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Originally Posted by ihy  Thanks for all the feedback. I'll respond one-by-one.
Attention/Love: Grandma (his owner) talks to him all day, sleeps with him, takes him for drives. She's with him constantly. I pet him all the time and play fetch with him a lot. (btw, I only taught him to lay)
Exercise: He gets tons of exercise...even now that we have him on a run line, he runs back-n-forth....barking....a lot. And my daughter takes him for walks on the lead.
Come: I and everyone else have tried teaching him to come. He only comes when there is something in it for him. We all use either treats or petting. When he doesn't want to come, he'll start to come, and then run away....it's all a game. Like I've said, he has even stopped coming for the van when Grandma starts.
Defiance: Whenever anyone corrects him (with standard one-syllable commands such as "no"), he will poop somewhere strategic. My brother-in-law (in Oregon) once wouldn't let him out (they live in a suburban neighborhood), and Finn poop on his pillow (on his bed) 5 minutes later!
Barking: He doesn't bark much inside at all oddly enough, even when there are strange occurrences or sounds outside. It's when he is outside that he goes nuts.
The dog is smart, figures things out....and knows that he's got us licked! |
Yes, you must teach a dog to come to you. You do this with food. Some dogs are not food motivated, so you use praise and/or toys. However, most dogs respond to food, and from what you've said, this one does too. You teach them this command inside the house, with minimal distractions. You gradually move to the outside, and teach them greater self control until they come to you in all circumstances. You never call a dog to you for correction - returning to you should always be a positive experience. This was the first command I taught my dog, and several years later, I still treat him when he comes.
Dogs enjoy being chased, so you should not chase after him. Instead, turn around and run in the other direction so he will chase YOU.
Some dogs can never be trusted off leash, but it doesn't sound like this dog has had proper training, so you can't make that determination at this point.
As for pooping - maybe the dog wanted to go out so he could poop.
A professional trainer will tell you, it is NEVER the animal's fault. You are smarter, you are bigger, and you have opposable thumbs. It is the HUMAN's job to teach and manage the dog.
It really sounds like your family needs to read up on basic positive training for dogs. You are describing barking, potty training, and running around as if these are extraordinary behaviors never before seen in the canine world, when these are basic challenges dog owners work on every day. I'm surprised you said you have a beagle, as they are famously difficult to train to Come - they are slaves to their noses.
From what you've said, it sounds like this dog maybe does not get regular structure and discipline from his owner, and then there are a bunch of relatives who don't like him, and are not training him consistently either. Poor doggie.