Training a Beagle can be extremely difficult. Beagles aren’t 100% trustworthy, no matter how hard you may train them. Even with proper training, as powerful scent hounds, bred as hunting dogs, their natural, keen sense of scent, coupled with their curious, inquisitive personality, can get them into dangerous situations and ignore your commands. But Beagles are highly intelligent, energetic dogs who love attention and need it to keep them happy. Once you understand that, everything else in training Beagle dog training will fall into place.
The first step in Beagle dog training is teaching him where to sit, at what time, and under what conditions. When he stays near you on the dog house and under your instruction for any given period of time, give him a treat. Don’t give him a treat every time he does something right, or else he’ll think you’re bribery gone wrong and will have a problem with discipline. Beagles, like humans, have strong predatory instincts, so they can sense when they are being treated improperly. So by using training treats to entice him to sit on command, you are training him to respect and obey you, which strengthens your relationship with him and ensure his safety.
You should also use training treats to teach your dog how to stay calm while you’re training. Dogs tend to have trouble with changes in routine and can become confused while trying to learn new things. To teach your Beagle how to sit calmly, make sure you’ve got him on a leash and that you’re sitting next to a safe spot in the garden or in the house. Have a few treats handy and give one to your Beagle while he’s watching you give the treat to him. Praise him profusely while holding the treat over his nose and making sure he stays calm. After a few times of this, he will start to understand that it’s fine if you hold the treat over his nose so he doesn’t get confused.
These two tips will keep your Beagle off-leash more easily. Also, because he is a high-strung breed, Beagles love to pull and are very difficult to teach off-leash, even for experienced dog trainers. If he pulls, you have to stop him. This is why most experts recommend using a leash. However, if he pulls too hard, you’ll only hurt him, so always keep your distance and use the above tips at your side.
As a rule of thumb, you should only use treats or a leash when training your Beagle if he’s about to act out something bad. Otherwise, just use a collar and a praising sever. Beagles love praise, so they don’t have much of a problem with it. You can actually get him to lie down on your carpet by giving him the occasional treat.
There are lots of other things to remember when handling your Beagle off-lead, but in the interest of keeping him safe, you must introduce basic training first. One of the biggest problems I’ve seen with Beagles is the tendency to pull and run when given any sort of treat. So make sure you teach him to sit and stay down first, then the other basic commands. Beagles are smart, inquisitive dogs, but they’re also stubborn if you let them. It will take a bit of patience and persistence, but Beagles respond well to rewards and positive reinforcement.
Once you’ve established a basic training with the Beagle dog leash and collar, you can move on to some advanced Beagle training. However, I would recommend only doing Beagle jumping rope or basic training jumps with him on a short leash. When handling your Beagle off-lead, always be sure to keep the dog close by so that he knows that he’s being watched and that you’ll soon return. You can also use the dog leash as a way to quickly walk your Beagle, so be sure that your dog has an easy way to walk when he’s released off-lead.
If you’ve never been handling Beagles before, I highly suggest that you start out by introducing your Beagle to his dog crate first. Beagles love to be in a large enclosed area with their favorite toys and food. You should also start your Beagle’s dog off-lead with a few treats and let them sniff and play near the crate. Once you know how to handle your Beagle appropriately, you’ll soon find that you’ve a healthy, happy dog that will do whatever it takes to please you.
