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My DD convinced me we needed to adopt a little beagle from the shelter. He is a sweetheart but my cats do not feel the same way. We are trying to introduce them slowly. Anyone have some suggetions on what might make the transition so smoother. Also we are unsure if he is house trained. We literally just got home with him. How is the best way to house train? I'm used to cats with litter boxes not dogs. I will also add that the dogs is absolutely terrified of the cats.

Beagles are notoriously difficult to housebreak. Just keep after him. Take him out consistantly--early morning, after eating, as soon as you get home from work, after eating again (if you feed 2x a day) and before bed. Also consistently keep an eye on him; if he's sniffing the ground, pacing, going to the door or staring at you, take him out.

As for the cat, I have no clue; sorry.

I've had beagle and beagle mixes my entire life. I second what Sad said about house training. My best suggestion is crate training him. I'm sure they told you not to allow him off leash. Beagles are ruled by their nose, no matter how much you call him.

As for the cats, in my past experience, they will adjust. They are just being cats.

Good luck!

We have a little liver and white beagle, and she is scared of our cat. and her shadow. And leaves on the ground. And mushrooms growing in the yard....sheesh. She has also been hard to train, and we use potty pads when we arent home that she is very good about using. Maybe that is a compromise for right now? Other than that, we have to be very regimented with her schedule for feeding and walking and then she is very good. Good luck! They are such sweet little doggies....

Thanks for all the help. We've had him home about 2 hours and he's run to the door several times indicating he wanted out. So far, no indoor accidents. He's still terrified of the cats and they still HATE him but no blood shed so far!

Your cats are probably going to hate him for several weeks, as they are very territorial about their space. Hopefully they will eventually accept the poor little beagle as a member of the family. Perhaps you could let the cats sleep on a blanket or throw that the dog has used to let them get used to his scent? Good luck with your new "addition" in any case!

Cats and dogs will generally avoid each other and may come to tolerate each other but likely will not be buddies. That is fine.

Give Kitty lots of places to escape. I bought a pet gate with a cat sized opening so that Kitty's food and box were dog proof. I have a dog that believes cat boxes contain truffles.

I am a big believer in crate training. A crate is like a playpen for a child--a safe place where you know they are contained. My boy is loose when I am home, sleeps in my room and all, but is crated while I am gone. He will eat anything and everything. I took a USB thumb drive away from him today.

Cat

I have always had cats and dogs. That being said thenlevel of acceptance differs as much as the personality of the animal. Cats that are adults and have never been around dogs are probably going to bea bit more of a challenge. Make sure your kitties have plenty of space to escape from the dog.

Also know that dogs love kitty poop. M a ke sure their litter boxes are in places the dog cant get to. It can make some dogs sick and gives them nasty breath.

As far as potty training, sounds like she has a clue. So make sure you are consistent. If she starts sneaking off and having accidents its much harder to correct the behavior. Just like little kids make sure you pick up the water a couple hours before bedtime. Consider using a kennel for time that you aren't gonna be able to watch her. At night, at work, home alone. Give her a blanket something to chew on some soothing noise.

We are actually making better progress than I expected. My older female cat is fascinated by the dog but will hiss if the dog approaches her. The dog is rightfully terrified of her. My boy cat was completely freaked out by the dog but we finally figured out it was the jingle of the tags on the dogs collar that upset him. We take the collar off inside and the two actually napped on the couch together. He's a very smart beagle and is excellent at letting us know when he needs to go outside. I would prefer it not be 4am but better than the floor.