Beagle Training – How to do it?

If there is one thing in common amongst beagle owners, it would probably be their perception that beagles can’t be trained. Beagle dogs and puppies are extremely active, and getting them just to pay attention would hardly be an easy feat. In fact, even dog trainers I know have remarked that Beagles would only hardly make it to Intermediate and Advanced level of trainings.

Well, my one-year old beagle dog Clifford seems to have the ability to pay attention. He now rolls over, begs, shakes my hand, sits, stays, comes, heals, jumps through hoops and fetches. Right now, I’m trying to teach him how to play dead.

So, what is the secret to successful beagle training?

1. Know what makes your beagle pay attention

Fortunately, my beagle dog loves to eat. And he would do ANYTHING for food. Simple, plain old Science Plan dog food is good enough to reward Clifford. He doesn’t need premium meat slices or over-the-counter treats to get him started.

The trick is to find out what your beagle CRAVES for. If your dog loves cheese, then use cheese as training rewards– in small amounts, of course. Most dogs love the smell of cooked sausages, so you can heat some up each time you want to train you beagle. Remember to feed your dog small pieces so as not to overfeed.

It’s best that your treats are soft and easy to swallow. This way, you won’t have to wait too long for your beagle dog to finish his food before you move on to the next trick.

2. Reward your beagle immediately

Always reward your beagle IMMEDIATELY after he or she does what you say. Dogs live for the moment and delayed rewards may mean that you are rewarding for something else. Let me illustrate.

You say the command “Sit” and your beagle responds immediately. But since you don’t have a treat in your hand, you fumble in your pocket for the reward. However, your dog gets up again within a few seconds. Giving the beagle the reward AFTER he or she has gotten up will mean that you are rewarding the dog for sitting up.

To avoid this, always have the reward in your hand and give your beagle the treat at once after your dog has responded correctly.

3. Be generous with your treats or rewards

Reward your beagle dog for everything he or she does right. Don’t be tightfisted with your treats. You’ll end up only disappointing your beagle.

4. Get your dog to look at YOU

A beagle that does not look at you in the eye will be distracted and will not respond. This does not mean that your dog is disobedient, or can’t be trained. Your beagle has to focus before it can be trained.

Call your beagle by his or her name and make sure you get attention. Show your dog the treats you have – make some noise with the bag holding the treats if you can. Use a special word like “Training” or “Play time” to signal the start of a training session.

5. Don’t disappoint your beagle

It usually takes several beagle training sessions spanning days or even weeks before your beagle can get one command right. Before that happens, your beagle may learn in parts, or can’t quite get it right completely.

Dogs DO get disappointed if they try hard at something, but don’t get rewarded for it. Therefore, to keep your beagle interested, alternate new tricks with old ones. This way, your beagle will still be encouraged to complete the entire training session.

6. Finally, have lots of patience!

We have to understand that beagles are not humans, do not have the IQ of humans, and therefore need more time to learn. Don’t expect your beagle dog to learn something new each lesson. Lessons need to be repeated before your beagle gets it right!