Training Your Beagle: What You Should Know

When you have a beagle in your family, whether they are new to the clan or an established part of your household, you know that they are wonderful and energetic dogs. If you are looking to train your beagle, though, there are some things you should know before you get started.

Learn some of these facts and tips about training beagles. Then, you can get started training your beagle knowing what to expect from the process.

One of the main things you need to know when you are trying to train your beagle is that they are strong-willed and independent by nature. This can mean that training your beagle might be a challenge. They are not the natural people-pleaser types of dogs. They think for themselves and do what they think is going to most benefit them.

Another factor to keep in mind when it comes to training a beagle is that a beagle can be easily distracted. You may have their complete and total attention for a moment, and then they might be off on a tangent, doing their own thing.

Keep in mind that beagles were originally bred to be hunting dogs. This means they were bred to follow their noses to track and find whatever they were helping their masters hunt. As such, if your beagle catches a whiff of something interesting, they may head off to check it out, even if they were in the middle of another task.

Energy is another issue to consider when you have a beagle. This breed is naturally high in energy and likes exercise. If you do not get your beagle the right amount of exercise and movement on a daily basis, they will be a nightmare for you to deal with or to try to train.

When a beagle has not gotten enough exercise, their tendency for distraction can increase exponentially. You will have trouble getting your dog to focus on training or much of anything when they are in a hyper state. It is a good idea to take them for a walk or otherwise get them exercise before any intensive training session or class to cut down on these problems.

Training your beagle will likely need to be heavily dependent on providing them with rewards in the process. Because your beagle is not necessarily motivated by praise or your happiness like some other dog breeds, you will need to provide them with extrinsic motivation in training.

One thing that does motivate a beagle is treats. They love food and will work for food.

If you keep a good supply of treats on you during a training session and reward them with treats when they follow commands and otherwise do a good job during the training process, your beagle will associate listening to you with positive reinforcement.

Some dog breeds are able to go through much of their training and life without having to be on a leash. They are obedient enough at all times that they will stick by their owners regardless of distractions. However, beagles are not one of those breeds. Remember, beagles are easily distracted by just about anything.

Keep your beagle on the leash during training. And when you take them out for walks, they need to always stay on a leash as well if you want to be able to keep track of them.

You may have a great training session and think that you can let your beagle go free for some exercises, but their easy distraction could lead them to take off on you, leaving you yelling and chasing after a misbehaving dog. The leash allows you to make corrections and deter their distractibility.