It is hard to resist that pleading look of a beagle. Beagles are caring and outgoing dogs that love nothing but to spend time with you.
But with their amiable personality also comes some stubbornness to the point where they can become destructive.
Beagles are playful and likable dogs. Despite their small size they have a huge personality and make perfect companions. But are beagles destructive? Beagles appear adorable and amiable little dogs
They enjoy being around humans and are always ready for some outdoor play. Beagles are intelligent, active, and gentle, making them ideal pets.
One thing you have to know about beagles is they have a mischievous nature that can test your patience. This trait can sometimes still be manageable but more often than not it will irritate you.
Beagles are well-known to be rowdy, destructive, and even stubborn canines.
Beagles were originally bred to be scent hounds. As scent hounds, they rely on their noses for almost everything, especially to track small prey like rabbits. They will gladly follow their noses as soon as they pick up an interesting scent.
Regardless of how often or how loud you call out to them, beagles won’t always listen to you.
Instead, they will always follow scents out of curiosity and rely on their noses to guide them.
This inborn disobedience makes beagles excellent hunting dogs. With their persistence and stamina, you can be confident that beagles will bring home their prey.
Although it’s an advantage if you’re taking your beagle out hunting, this single-minded resolve also makes them extremely challenging to control.
Once your beagle picks up a scent, ignoring that scent is almost impossible.
Beagles are full of energy. The only way to burn their energy is to keep them physically active and busy.
If a beagle doesn’t get enough exercise or doesn’t partake in adequate physical activities, it tends to remedy its boredom by chewing all things within its reach, running around, and being a nuisance.
One of the most apparent destructive behaviors of beagles is chewing on anything and everything.
You may feel like your beagle is just being naughty but here are some of the factors that result in destructive chewing.
If your beagle is about 4-months old, its destructive chewing is mainly due to teething. This is the time when your pup’s milk teeth start to fall off to make room for adult teeth.
During this time, your puppy can experience a lot of discomfort. You shouldn’t allow your beagle to react to the discomfort by chewing. Permitting this behavior can lead to carrying this destructive chewing into adulthood. By then, it will be much harder to correct.
The ideal way to soothe your puppy’s gums and teeth is to provide chew toys and cold treats like carrots and strawberries.
Adult beagles chew on pillows, throw rugs, table legs, and all other off-limit things as a way to ease their boredom.
It is your beagle’s way of telling you that they are frustrated and most likely dealing with separation anxiety from you. If that’s the case, it’s advisable to reassess how you manage your time with your beagle. To prevent any destructive chewing, you have to make time for your dog and provide it with enough stimulation.
Another reason why adult dogs would chew on everything is they are feeling anxious or nervous.
This might be due to some changes in your family dynamics, like the arrival of another pet, a new baby, or moving to a new home.
Beagles chew on off-limit things as a coping mechanism to reduce their fears and apprehensions.
With effort, time, and patience, you can stop your beagle from being a destructive pup.
Beagles destroy toys and other off-limit household items because of a wide range of reasons. But this doesn’t mean that you should let them.
It is up to you to control and improve your dog’s behavior.
Check out How Long Do Beagles Live In Human Years?
A digital marketing expert by profession, Andrews is a gifted writer and animal lover at heart. A self-confessed "pawrent", Andrews is well-versed in all things dogs. He uses his years of experience of raising puppies into show-quality dogs to help guide first-time pet parents. He believes in spreading the joy that comes with being a dog dad and advocates more families to adopt pets.
