Welcome to the world of Beagle puppy training, where the boundless energy and playful spirit of these adorable companions meet the art of fostering good behavior. If you’ve recently welcomed a Beagle into your home or are considering doing so, you’re in for a rewarding journey filled with joy and companionship. In this guide, we will explore the best home dog training practices tailored specifically for Beagles, ensuring a harmonious coexistence between you and your furry friend.
Training beagle puppies can be daunting sometimes but it is not that hard. And eventually, your pup will train according to your command. However, some tips are there to train a beagle. Researchers have found out that training a beagle needs a lot of patience. Also, there are some tricks. One of them is food. Via food training, you can instruct a beagle.
Beagles are stubborn little canines at times which can make training Beagle puppies quite challenging.
Plus, being hounds, which are often a little harder to train, plenty of patience is needed, so you should be willing to try various training methods to find the right one for your puppy’s particular temperament.
For example, food is often an excellent training tool for Beagles, but then again there are some that respond better to lots of loving, enthusiastic praise.
Beagles are very loyal to family members however you need to make sure that you establish your dominance over your puppy early on in its training.
Your Beagle puppy could become a hand full otherwise, especially if you get one that is full of confidence. This is not a bad thing. Your puppy should be confident, outgoing and energetic.
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Dog Training at Home for Beagles
Table of Contents
When you pick out your Beagle puppy, if you haven’t already, you need to be mindful of the special nature of the breed. Find out as much as you can about Beagles beforehand.
It’s best to find a good, registered breeder to help ensure you get a puppy whose parents have been health and temperament checked, before breeding. Puppies should be at least eight weeks old before leaving their mother and littermates, friends, and not showing any signs of shyness or aggression.
If you already have your puppy and he is a little shy or has other temperament issues then all is not lost. You just have more of a challenge on your hands. With the right training, he too can grow into a loving, confident member of the family…it will just take more patience and probably a lot more time.
1. Socializing Your Beagle Puppy
Take socializing very slowly. Do not take your puppy anywhere where he will be surrounded by mobs of people. People love puppies! They will want to pat him and fuss over him, especially children, and this can frighten a puppy.
Take him to a quiet park or for a walk down your street in the early hours when not too many people are about. Over several weeks slowly build up the number of people and animals he comes in contact with.
2. Puppy Training Basics
Once your puppy is old enough, focus on house training. I highly recommend crate training, but make sure you are available to supervise this in the early stages.
Start creating an atmosphere where you are clearly the leader of the pack. If you train your Beagle puppy to respect your authority early on, you can forestall many bad or unwanted behavioural issues later on.
Train your puppy not to bite by a clear noise that indicates that biting hurts.
Do not allow them to sleep on your bed or jump on the furniture.
Between three and six months old, you should move on to obedience training. After your puppy has learned how to walk confidently on a leash you should teach him basic obedience commands like, sit, stay, come and drop/lie down.
How Training Will Keep Your Beagle Safe
Your Beagle puppy is a hound and will want to explore every scent he comes across. He will pick up scents and be totally focused on them which could lead to him running into traffic or getting lost.
It’s lovely to be able to let a dog run free, in places where you are permitted to do this of course, but it might be many months training your Beagle on a leash before you can do so confidently.
Don’t be in a rush. If he is mostly focused on you during walks on a leash, obeys commands quickly and enthusiastically, and immediately looks at you whenever you speak to him then you might consider letting him off the leash in public, but not beforehand.
Training Beagle puppies may seem hard in the beginning but Beagles are loyal and intelligent dogs. You just have to lay down the law early on, thoroughly teach them the basic obedience commands, and of course, let them know that you are the leader of the pack.
Beagle Crate Training – It’s Critical!
Are you tired of mopping up pools of pee on the floor, or worse still, stepping in smelly, steamy little piles of puppy poop? If so, understanding Beagle crate training should be of great interest to you!
The purpose of crate training is to teach your dog to hold his bladder for a certain period of time.
When you see that he is capable of ‘holding on’ in his crate you can be confident he will be able to do so when he is out of the crate as well.
The size of the crate helps. If it’s too large they will be able to go potty and still have room to lie down elsewhere. They just need enough room for a water bowl and to be able to stand up, lie down and turn around comfortably.
Crate training should be started early. When I say early, I mean as soon as you bring your Beagle puppy home – usually, around 11 weeks old. Don’t let him roam freely around your house, or you’ll have accidents to clean up.
Besides, Beagles are nosy and tend to get into all kinds of mischief. Your puppy will be much safer confined to a crate while you are sleeping or at times during the day when you are not able to properly supervise him.
Create a Schedule To Successfully Crate Train Your Beagle. Dogs like to relieve themselves soon after eating so by creating a feeding schedule and sticking to it, you will get much better results, much faster.
It needs to be a schedule that is going to be reasonable and consistent for your dog, but just as importantly, it needs to be one that you can live with as well. Just remember that puppies need to be fed three times a day.
When Will Your Puppy Need To Go Potty
Puppies need to go potty:
- When they first wake up
- After playing
- 5-10 minutes after a meal
- After a nap
- Before they go to bed
- In the middle of the night
Be Prepared To Tend To Your Puppy in the Middle of the Night
Waking up during the night for a while is something you will need to be prepared for. Your Beagle puppy, like any baby, just isn’t capable of ‘holding on’ all night.
Be sure to keep the crate near your bed so that you can hear him cry when he needs to go potty! You’ll probably only have to get up once, maybe twice.
Do be patient. It won’t be long before your puppy and his bladder mature. You will both be sleeping through the night before you know it, so rest assured, Beagle crate training is worth it! Just don’t get too relaxed though and forget to take your Beagle baby outside to potty every morning as soon as you wake up.
How to Stop Beagle Chewing!
Chewing on bones and toys is good for your Beagle’s teeth and gums, but you have to do something to stop Beagle chewing behaviour when it becomes excessive and destructive – as soon as possible!
It’s bad for your wallet, your peace of mind, and your dog’s welfare. Sadly, many dog owners, unable to find a solution for their dog’s chewing, end up re-homing their pets.
Fortunately for you, this article will give you a better alternative and help you to put a stop to your beagle’s chewing for good. Understanding why your Beagle has a chewing problem is the first step towards finding a solution. Common reasons for excessive chewing are teething, boredom and anxiety.
If your Beagle is a puppy, the reason he’s chewing is that he’s teething. Your Beagle is looking for relief by chewing on anything hard to relieve his gums. His adult teeth are trying to pierce through. By chewing on solid objects, like the heel of your shoe or the leg of your table, it allows his baby teeth to fall out so that the new teeth can grow in.
Unfortunately, this does not help you. In fact, it probably annoys the heck out of you. Don’t despair. Buy your Beagle puppy a frozen dog chew. They are inexpensive and reusable.
All you have to do is visit your local pet supply store and purchase a chewable toy that’s made to be frozen. Wet the toy, freeze it, then give it to your puppy. He’ll be so happy to have the relief of the cold on his gums and the hardness of the ice to relieve the pressure of the new teeth trying to grow in. Another alternative is to give your puppy ice cubes.
– Boredom
Another reason for Beagle chewing is boredom. Dogs, especially Beagles, are social animals. They need to be around other dogs. Just like no man is an island unto himself, dogs need to be on the island with their pack. Socialize your dog. Take him out to the dog run.
Another alternative is to enrol him in cageless doggy daycare where he can romp around freely with other dogs. If you leave your dog alone for too long, he will chew everything in sight and possibly poop on the floor for good measure.
– Stress, Separation Anxiety, Co-Dependence
Another reason for Beagle chewing is dog separation anxiety. Some dogs are just plain co-dependent! My dog Lily was that way. Whenever I would leave her for even 2 minutes, she barked and barked with her high pitched voice until I came back to get her.
If your Beagle is co-dependent, he will long to be with you every moment. He will watch your every move and be terrified of abandonment, just like human co-dependents do! Your beagle will chew through the door to get to you!
So here’s what you do to prevent Beagle chewing. You slowly prepare him for your departure. Leave him in his cage and walk out the door and stay out until he starts whining. As soon as he starts whining, come back into the room. Then go out again and stay out longer. Do this over and over until he sees that, eventually, you will come back to him.
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Beagle Biting: How To Stop It
Although Beagle biting isn’t a common behavioural problem as the breed tends to be very forgiving, friendly and sweet-natured, given the right circumstances any dog can become snappy and aggressive.
Knowing and understanding why your Beagle started biting will help towards resolving the problem.
Following are some of the reasons why your Beagle might be biting.
1. Socializing Your Beagle
If you don’t want your Beagle biting people, you need to socialize him. Socialization should begin at 11 weeks of age – when puppies are weaned from their mother. Take him to your local dog park (if he’s had his shots).
Exposing him to other dogs and puppies at a young age will teach him to interact with his peers properly. Introduce him to other people and let them pet him so he knows that people aren’t to be feared. Don’t allow this though if your dog already has a history of biting people.
2. Assert Your Status As The Alpha Dog
Right from the beginning, you need to assert yourself as the alpha dog. Why? Because your Beagle may be trying to dominate you, and that’s not on!
Dogs nip and bite when they want to take charge and become the leader of the pack. Assert yourself as the authority right from the beginning and he will respect you.
3. The Fear Factor
A Beagle may bite if it’s frightening. Some dogs are terrified of loud noises, like thunder for example. If you find your Beagle cowering under the bed because he’s scared of thunder, leave him alone.
Fussing over or feeling anxious for a dog that’s frightened of storms only makes them more nervous. Don’t try to coax him out. He’ll come out on his own – after the storm.
4. He’s Been Hurt in an Accident
Lastly, your Beagle will bite you if he is in extreme pain. Even though you want to reach out and help your dog, he won’t see it that way. He will be afraid that you’re going to hurt him more so to protect himself, he’ll lunge and bite you. In this instance, you need to call an animal rescue or your vet, as they are experts in handling wounded dogs.
5. He’s Teething
All puppies go through a biting stage, but it’s just their adult teeth trying to push through the gums, and it’s painful! So puppies bite and chew on everything and anything to relieve the pain.
I find that giving my puppy ice cubes to chew on helps cool off his inflamed gums while at the same time giving him something hard to crunch on. Ice cubes are a mega-hit with puppies!
How to Stop Beagle Barking
If you need to know how to stop Beagle barking then help is at hand! A Beagle’s barking, howling and baying, if it becomes excessive, can drive the most loving dog owner crazy, not to mention the neighbours. It helps to understand why Beagles make such a racket before attempting to put a stop to it.
- Beagles Were Bred To Be Noisy
Beagles are hunting dogs. When they took off after their prey they could end up being far ahead of their hunter masters, so their loud barking and howling helped hunters keep track of them.
However, the Beagle has become a very popular pet for many people living in suburbia and these days the howling and baying traits that stayed with them can be a nuisance to you, and create huge problems with your neighbours.
- You Can’t Undo Nature
It’s difficult to teach a dog to ignore instinct. Stopping a Beagle from barking would be the same as trying to get a Jack Russell to stop jumping so high! It’s nearly impossible. But you can tame the behaviour.
- Exercise – A Necessity For Barking Beagles
Exercise is one of the best ways to put a stop to most unwanted dog behaviours. Plenty of exercises at least once a day, preferably twice, will drain your Beagle of his excess energy, the energy he puts into all that barking!
“Hello Out There (bark, bark, bark)….Im Bored!”
Hard plastic toys with holes in them that are specially made for dogs can be bought online or from your local pet store. Peanut butter or small treats are placed inside and the dog has to work at getting the food out. Beagles love their food so this is sure to keep his mind off barking, for a while at least.
Try to think of other things you could do to stop your Beagle from getting bored.
- Positive Reinforcement
When your Beagle starts barking or howling, sternly say, “NO!” Make sure your voice is loud and clear. As soon as he quiets down, praises him and give him a treat.
Your Beagle will soon come to associate not barking and howling with something positive. Again, you won’t get him to totally stop barking, which is not what you want anyway. You just want to teach him not to bark incessantly. Repeat these sessions with him over and over.
Beagles are very smart dogs, so they’ll learn quickly the distinction between excessive barking and barking when necessary.
Online Help And Guidance To Stop Your Beagle’s Barking
Look for the best dog training guides online for your Beagle’s barking problems. How do you decide which dog training guide to picking? The guide should have sections on how to deal with all the basics in thorough detail including:
- House Training
- Crate Training
- Stop Barking
- Stop Jumping
- Stop Chewing
- Stop Whining
- Dog Aggression
- Leash Walking
Aggressive Beagle: How to Handle One
Beagles have a reputation for being sweet-natured dogs so you may be a little surprised to find you have an aggressive Beagle on your hands.
Dogs that are aggressive, and Beagles are no exception, have learned over time that they can get away with anything.
They know that if they don’t want to do something, they just have to stand their ground or growl. If that doesn’t work many dogs will resort to biting.
This is when most owners seek help if they haven’t noticed, or taken seriously, other signs of aggressive behaviour.
The solution is to establish yourself as the alpha dog. You must stop your Beagle dominating you and show it that you are now the leader of the “pack”.
In the dog pack, there’s a hierarchy. The alpha dog is the leader of the pack. Every dog in the pack knows his place. No dog would ever challenge another dog who is higher on the rung than he, otherwise, he’d get a correction or a nip to keep him in his place.
- Signs To Look For In A Dominating Dog
Snarling, barking, growling and posing or glaring are all signs of a dog being dominant. A few others are, refusing to get off the couch when you “ask” them to, jumping upon you, and barking incessantly at you while you’re getting his dinner ready.
- Dealing With A Dominating, Aggressive Beagle
The first thing you need to do is show your aggressive Beagle that you are the alpha dog. Other family members need to do this as well so that he learns he is the lowest on the pecking order. Your Beagle has to learn that all humans are to be treated with respect, not just you.
When your Beagle behaves aggressively, i.e., snarls at you, in a firm voice say, “No!” then immediately give him a time out. He should be able to associate his time out with his bad behaviour.
For instance, my dog loves to go in his crate as long as it’s his idea. However, when he misbehaves, I say, “Go crate” he immediately knows that I’m going to lock him in his crate, which he does not like.
So your correction in response to your Beagle’s behaviour must have meaning. It must be motivational.
- Be A Confident Pack Leader
Before you begin any training, you must be in the right frame of mind. You will need to show your dog that you are a confident leader, one that he will want to trust and respect. If you feel nervous your dog will pick up on this and react negatively.
Be consistent! Don’t correct your dog one day for growling, then let him get away with it the next. Also, you might see great results at first and think all is well, only to have him trying to dominate you again several weeks later. This won’t happen if you are consistent in your training, and of course, make sure family members are not “slipping up”.
Be patient! Never hit your dog. Hitting a dog, especially one with issues of aggression, could make it more aggressive in the long run. You also risk it retaliating by biting you.
Your Beagle may be helped by the information given in this article. I hope so, but dog aggression is a serious issue. If you need more help, get it now, before your dog hurts someone.
Health Problems With Beagles – What to Look For
Health problems with Beagles can be prevented. Ear infections and obesity are most common. Although ear infections are not necessarily bred specific Beagles are prone to ear ailments due to the long, floppy nature of their ears.
They are also prone to obesity because of their notorious need to eat everything in sight!
The first step in preventing obesity is to regulate your Beagle’s diet. Also, as human beings, we have a tendency to show love and give comfort by offering food.
We do the same things with our pets. Your dog will put on a lot of weight very quickly if given snacks between meal times. Keep this in mind next time you’re tempted to give your Beagle a treat.
- Dog Treadmills
Okay, I know this sounds ridiculous, but there are dog treadmills being sold at some pet stores. Obviously, someone thought there was a niche market for it! Dog treadmills can be costly, so try going for long walks, at least once a day, or take your Beagle for a run at the local dog run.
My Dog Jack Burns Calories Like It’s Nobody’s Business
Just an aside here. I have a Jack Russell Terrier. His name is Jack. I often refer to him when I write articles because he is such a funny dog, and I can tell you a million and one stories about his quirks.
When I got Jack neutered, the vet told me to make sure I cut his food down by 30% because his metabolism would slow down once neutered and he’d become sedentary and fat. Ha! No pun intended, but fat chance!
My Dog Could Run in a Marathon
It’s been 7 months since Jack’s been neutered, and he runs around like a jackrabbit! He darts around the house pretending to be chasing some imaginary prey. When we go to the dog run, he leaps high into the air, springs from the bushes, and does all sorts of summersaults.
Although I did cut back on his food, I really don’t need to worry about him getting fat. Jack is quite capable and willing to run in the NYC Marathon! Okay, back to health problems with Beagles, since that is what this article is about.
The point is that Beagles, like all dogs, need exercise and lots of it, if you want to avoid them putting on excessive weight, especially after neutering.
- Beagle Ear Infections
Because the Beagle’s ears are long and floppy, they are prone to ear infections. Mites, bacteria, yeast and moisture gets trapped in their ears because there’s simply not enough airflow.
- Regular Check-Ups
Checking your Beagle’s ears once a week and cleaning them if necessary will help, especially if your Beagle is prone to ear infections. Make sure to dry his ears after he’s been for a swim or had a bath.
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