Beagles are a very popular breed in India today, and not without reason. Due to their short coat and size, they are a preferred breed for many pet parents living in flats and looking for a medium-sized dog. However, the appeal of the beagle truly lies in its personality! While each dog is unique and all pups are energetic, there is a certain charm in a beagle that grabs the attention of everyone around it.
Like any other dog, a beagle must be trained to build a constructive relationship, impart life skills, increase amiability, circumvent problematic behaviors, and improve loyalty and camaraderie. Training your beagle is essential to a happy, healthy life.
We need to be aware that the beagle was bred to be a good hunting dog, brainy, active, and strong-minded, and to have an irrepressible desire to be part of a pack. These great qualities can sometimes transform into problem behaviors if they are not attended to in time.
In this article, I will address some common behavior problems beagle parents face.
Howling / Making a noise / Barking incessantly
When a beagle barks very often, it turns into a howl. For a relatively small breed, a beagle’s bark can be loud and disconcerting; that is how the breed is. The problem to be solved here is not the howling per se but rather the Stress causing the dog to vocalize his anguish.
There are many reasons why your beagle would get into a fit of barking and howling. The most common is separation anxiety, attention-seeking vocalization, and Stress caused by environmental factors- it could be new people, sounds, elevator sounds, doorbells, knocking, or anything that your dog develops a phobia against.
Separation anxiety is something we don’t even realize our dog has, as he shows it in our absence. In my experience, the root of many behavioral problems lies in separation anxiety. Barking/howling is just one of them. The solution is to gradually teach your dog to stay alone. Initially, you could start with a cage/ crate or pen and then graduate to a room and, finally, the whole house. Similarly, the duration should be a minute initially – when you leave the dog and return and calmly reward him. It is important not to reward with a game/toy or any excitement on your return, as anticipation of the excitement will only make it much more difficult to remain calm in your absence.
While you are away, you want your dog to be calm and relaxed, so you must spend time teaching him to be calm. This can be achieved by rewarding calm behavior whenever you see it during the day. Just quietly and gently place a reward in front of the dog and encourage calmness. In your presence, that can also be extended to calmness in your absence. This calmness training will also help solve any potential attention-seeking barking in your dog.
Stress caused by environmental factors can be drastically reduced by gradually acclimating the dog to the stressors. Habituation is a gradual process, but if you are consistent, you can teach your dog to be comfortable in previously stressful situations. This will help reduce his barking and howling when stressed.
Destructive Chewing / Easily Bored/ Poorly housebreaking
Similarly, separation anxiety manifests itself in destructive behavior. This is often interpreted as the dog being easily bored. Sometimes, the problem lies in not teaching house rules to the dog.
I have already explained how to deal with separation anxiety above. To teach house rules, we need to tell the dog not only what NOT to do but also what he may do. The earlier we start, the easier it is for everyone concerned.
If a dog indulges in undesired behavior in our presence, we would use the opportunity to teach him what is acceptable and what is not. Immediately interrupt the behavior using a distracting noise like clicking the tongue or air kissing noise. You could also stop the unwanted behavior by using previously trained behaviors like recall, drop it, and leave it. These behaviors should have been taught using positive reinforcement. Do not reward the dog immediately after interrupting; he may connect the undesired behavior to the reward. Give treats for alternate behaviors throughout the day; don’t wait just for the moment he shows undesired behavior.
Remember, even if you use punishment, it will not be effective if you don’t show the dog what TO DO instead of the undesired behavior. So, reward the desired behavior whenever he exhibits it.
Digging
Beagles are hunting dogs, and digging is part of their genetic code! Digging up your yard is usually a sign that the dog’s mental and physical needs are not being met. Physical exercise and mental stimulation are great for building bonds, keeping the dog healthy, and expelling its pent-up energy.
I would suggest you create a dig area! Loosen up the soil in an area and hide some treats and toys there for him to dig and find his treats. In other areas, you could do some environmental control like creating physical barriers or adding some pet repellant like lemon peel to the soil (as dogs find it unpleasant)
Stubbornness
This is usually an interpretation by the owner when the dog doesn’t do what the owner expects him to. In most cases, it is a case of poor communication and training plans by the owner. Also, check your rewards. Are they worthwhile for the dog? I strongly advise using a lot of attractive food rewards as the best tool to train your dog. During the training phase, keep small pouches of treats available at different places in your house. If the dog shows desirable behavior, immediately give him a treat. No harm in him thinking he is in Candyland!
Over time, you could start replacing food rewards with social rewards (petting, praise) and toy rewards. By using food in training, you will NOT create a dog that always needs food to obey you! Soon, these become second nature for the dog; food is a wonderfully stress-free way to teach your dog.
It is important to start early with all dogs, especially beagles. It is never too late, but the earlier you start, the better. Many behavioral problems are just self-reinforcing behaviors that dogs enjoy doing, like chewing and barking. Ignoring them does not help, as they will gather a reinforcement history that will be difficult to eliminate the longer the dog rehearses.
Philip Butt is CEO of Commando College for Dogs and Trainers. Based out of Hyderabad, they regularly conduct internationally certified training courses for dog trainers in conjunction with the Obedience & Agility Club and The Hyderabad Canine Club. He can be reached at philip@commandokennels.net.in
