The Beagle is a curious, bright, and happy dog but tends to be stubborn if left untrained. The following tips will help you ensure that your cheeky little rascal does not do too much nonsense and understands what you want from him.
Originally bred as pack dogs for hunting, Beagles are still very social animals that don’t like being alone. In addition, they have a sure hunting instinct, which they particularly want to pick up and follow tracks. They tend to be obstinate, which should be kept in check by consistent training.
Peculiarities in Beagle education
Consistency and clarity in training are essential for all dogs. Otherwise, they will not understand the rules they are supposed to follow. This is especially true for Beagles, as they were, and still are, bred as hunting dogs to be independent and single-minded. Therefore, unless you tell him what to do and what not to do, a Beagle will make his own decisions. Teach your sniffing nose the commands “no,” “off,” or “ugh,” “sit,” and “down” right from the start. Little Beagle puppies are adorably cute with their chubby paws and big floppy ears, so it’s tempting to find their rebelliousness cute and endearing and forget about parenting. Don’t let yourself be wrapped around your paw, but make it clear to your dog from the start what he is allowed to do and what not. Also, be patient; sometimes, it takes a little time and requires frequent repetition for dogs to internalize a rule.
Beagles have a sweet tooth: training with treats.
Beagles are a slight sweet tooth, another unique feature of cuddly dogs. On the one hand, they like to steal food and tend to be overweight. On the other hand, you can bribe the sweet tooth with treats and use this for education. However, make sure that you subtract the calories for the goodies from the daily ration of dog food so that your four-legged gourmet does not overeat and become overweight in the long term. Your vet will be able to advise you on how much food your Beagle needs and which treats are the most healthy ones. If your furry friend has done something well, reward it with a bit of joy – over time, it will learn through positive reinforcement that it is worthwhile to show this desired behavior.
Dog school and dog sport: employ cheeky badgers in a manner appropriate to their species
Do your best to train the Beagle, and the rascal will still do what he wants if you take him to dog training school. You can get help there to teach him basic commands and obedience. In addition, your four-legged friend is busy, which is essential for his utilization. A bored Beagle will find something to do for himself. This may involve the dog developing a “destructive frenzy” and destroying everything in front of him, prone to excessive barking or neglecting to housebreak. Beagles usually have a lot of fun with dog sports, for example, tracking, agility, or dog dancing. The human-dog friendship is also strengthened playfully.
