How To Discipline A Beagle?

It’s hard to be mad at a dog that only wants to play and have fun, but it still needs to stay in line and behave.

If you’re at your wit’s end wondering how to discipline a beagle, don’t worry! Beagles can be trained to listen to all of your commands. Training your beloved pet is only a matter of persistence and a whole lot of patience.

By following the guide below, your beagle will behave in no time.

How Do I Get A Beagle To Behave?

Beagles are famous for their intelligence, hunting skills, and, of course, their great looks. But they are also notorious for being a bit naughty.

Are beagles difficult to train? In his influential book, “The Intelligence of Dogs”, Stanley Coren ranked beagles rather low on obedience intelligence. These compact hounds have excellent senses of smell, but they don’t really come across as very attentive.

“Beagles aren’t as interested in listening or pleasing anybody, as much as they’re just interested in tracking with their noses,” says Dr. Nicholas Dodman, a reputed veterinary behaviorist.

But do not be deterred. This does not mean you cannot teach your beagle to listen to you. With a bit of perseverance and a lot of positive reinforcement, you can train your dog to follow your commands.

Let’s take a look at ways to keep your beagle in line.

Food Training

Beagles tend to have voracious appetites. While this may not seem like a good thing, you can use it to your advantage.

Since beagles enjoy eating, you can use food as the perfect tool to train them.

If you’re wondering how to teach a beagle to stay, using food is a great way to do it. Before you fill your dog’s food bowl, leash your beagle. Have someone hold your dog in place as you place the bowl a few feet away from it. Your beagle may be raring to dive into its food, but do not relent.

Give it a firm command to stay. Do not say anything else, as any other command may lead to confusion. Once your beagle stops trying to get at the food, unleash it and let it eat. Repeat this exercise until your beagle begins to associate the word “stay” with being still.

You can also use treats to reward your dog for good behavior. This will make it associate certain actions with a good outcome. However, do not go overboard with the treats as you go through your training.

Another way to instill discipline is by developing a fixed feeding schedule. Be strict about this routine, and do not let your beagle eat whenever it can beg scraps off you or your other household members.

You will find that feeding your dog at a fixed time every day will teach it patience. It may also boost its health in the long run

Crate Training

Do Beagles have bad behavior? It’s impossible to paint all beagles with one brush, but many owners can agree that their beagles often exhibit what may come across as “bad” behavior.

According to the Animal Health Clinic, beagles tend to experience separation anxiety, which may result in unwanted barking and chewing. Such behavior could be stopped by crate training your beagle.

The Humane Society of America recommends crate training to create a safe space for your beagle to feel secure. They emphasize that it should not be used as a punishment. Your dog is supposed to have a positive association with its crate—a sense of comfort and stability when you are not at home.

You must buy a crate that is neither too big nor too small for your beagle. Place your dog’s favorite toys and blankets in the crate. Begin training by leaving your dog in the crate for fifteen-minute periods. Slowly increase the time it spends in the crate until it becomes comfortable.

Be warned that your beagle may howl and rattle the crate initially. It will take some time for your beagle to learn to feel secure in this new environment. Over time, crate training may help eliminate behaviors such as chewing or swallowing things they are not supposed to, and may calm your beagle down in general.

Also Read: How to Crate Train a Dog?

Potty Training

No lesson on how to discipline a beagle would be complete without learning how to potty train it.

Take your beagle for walks regularly. Encourage it to relieve itself only when it is outside. If your beagle urinates inside the house, be sure to take it out right after, so it can create the association.

Clean up all “accidents” as thoroughly as possible so your home will not retain any smells that will encourage your beagle to keep relieving itself indoors.

Teaching Basic Commands

“My beagle is out of control!” If you’ve ever uttered this statement aloud, you are not alone. Beagles are intelligent, and they are known for having minds of their own.

This doesn’t mean your beagle will never listen to you. According to the American Kennel Club, “The foundation of training should be based on positive reinforcement.” You could use treats or praises such as “good boy!” as rewards.

“Sit” is one of the most basic commands that should be easy enough to teach. Hold your dog’s favorite treat in one hand. When your dog sits down, give it a treat. Do not reward it when it stands up for another one.

When your beagle sits down again, give them another treat. Keep doing this a few times until your dog learns that it will get a treat when it sits.

You could repeat this method for other basic commands such as “come” (reward your dog when it comes to you) or “drop it” (give it a treat when it drops what is in its mouth).

Over time, these basic commands will make your beagle more attentive, well-behaved, and obedient. And soon, your beagle behaving badly can be easily stopped with a command.

Teaching The “No” Command

How do you control an aggressive beagle? Teaching a simple yet firm “no!” can help.

Dog trainer Brandon McMillan recommends using the “no” command to put an end to bad behavior. Begin by standing a bit away from your dog with a treat in your hand. When your beagle tries to lunge for the treat, move your hand further away and keep saying “no” in a firm tone.

Keep doing this till your beagle stops trying to reach for the treat. Once it stops for at least ten seconds, give it the treat and lavish praise. Doing this every day will slowly teach your beagle the meaning of the word “no.” This could put an end to any misbehavior.

Beagles are feisty little creatures, and we love them for it. But, at the end of the day (especially a long one), they have to know who’s boss.

We hope this article has taught you how to discipline a beagle and that it improves your bond with your hound.