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Beagle Obedience Training: How To Train Your Beagle

 

For some people, training the beagle can be a challenge. In fact, training the beagles is relatively easy, as long as you select the timing and the strategies properly. Experts of beagle obedience training say that the younger the beagles are trained, the better. Therefore, the best time to start training your beagles is when they are still very young. 


Why should you train the beagles at their early age? You will notice few differences when training an older beagle vs training a poppy. Firstly, it takes longer for older beagles to follow your instruction in beagle obedience training and leash training. Secondly, you the trainer needs to be more patient in training older beagles. People said that beagles are creatures of habit. As they have old habits, which might have been there for years, you are training them not only to adopt new habits but also to abandon their old habits. That is why patience is crucial here.

How to Train Your Beagle from the Early Age

If you want to know how to train your beagle in a hassle-free way, start the training sessions from its early age. Beagle obedience training consists of a number of aspects, namely, crate training, potty training, leash training, table manner, and barking control.

How to do beagle crate training

The first step in crate training is selecting the crate itself. You might think that choosing a large crate is a great idea, since it is still useful until the beagle reach its adult size. However, this idea is not necessary true. Think of this: what happens when the beagle treat to the other side of the crate when you are training it?
Therefore, make sure to choose a crate of the right size, namely, one this enough for the puppy to stand up and turn around. However, it should not bee too large. If you choose one that is large enough for an adult beagle, make sure to block off extra space, so that the beagle cannot eliminate to the extra space. The following are ways on how to do beagle crate training:

  1. Introduction. Put the crate at a place, where the beagle can spend a lot of time. You can put a blanket or towel inside the crate to make sure it is comfortable. Leave the door open. This way, the beagle can find its way to get into the crate.

  2. Feeding. At first, you may not need to put the feeding inside the crate. Instead, put it somewhere near to the crate. Then, when the beagle is comfortable with the crate, put the feeding inside. You may close the door while the beagle is eating and then open in when the beagle is done eating.

  3. Familiarizing. If the beagle does not show any signs of fear inside the crate, you can increase the duration it spends inside the crate. Give it some treat when it is in the create.

  4. Leaving the beagle inside the crate. Identify the maximum amount of time he stays inside the beagle. For instance, if he can stay inside for half an hour, you can try leaving him in the crate while you are not at home. If you want to go out longer, leave him with some toys he is familiar with. Increase the duration with time.

If you are successful doing this part of Beagle Obedience Training, going out with the beagle inside the crate should not be a problem. Then, the next step is moving the crate slowly to the place where you want it to be permanently. Do this step by step to avoid the beagle from being alarmed or anxious.

How to Do Potty Training for a Beagle

Potty training for a beagle is suggested when he is between 12 to 16 weeks old. At this age, the beagle is old enough to control his bladder and learn how to hold his bowel. When you begin the steps on how to do potty training for a beagle when he is older, the training may takes longer. Remember that choosing the right time is crucial for any steps of beagle obedience training.


Make sure that the beagles have gotten the necessary vaccination before you take them outside. Determine a designated area, where the beagles can eliminate themselves. Do not let them eliminate where they want to. This is not a part of training. Then, train the beagle to eliminate in that area. The following are some tips for elimination training:

  1. Use some ‘cue’ words to tell the beagles where they can eliminate;

  2. Make sure that the designated area is easy to access, regardless of the weather of the day.

  3. Avoid areas, which are often used by your families, such as, near to the playing area or barbeque area in the backyard.

  4. Stick to the same area. When he smells his own scent, the beagle will feel prompted to go;

  5. Stay with the beagle when he is outside. Allocate about 10 minutes for them to finish up. Be patient to wait for them. If the first trial does not work, bring them back to the crate and watch for the potty signs. Then, note the time and you can follow the same pattern on the next days.

  6. Praise him anytime he eliminates outside. The treat may include a short walk to the surrounding neighborhood.

  7. Stick to same schedule when to take the beagles outside. For instance, you can teach the beagles to eliminate outside as soon as they wake up in the morning or after naps during the day.

  8. Bring them to the same potty area before you go to bed. 


Leash Training


Making sure that the beagles can walk correctly on a leash is essential. In fact, many people do not realize this. Leash training is important due to the following reasons:

  1. You will feel frustrated when the beagles pull on their leashes while walking, right? If this problem is let untreated, you may lose your temper and lose your way to the good beagle obedience training.
  2. The beagles will also get frustrated after pulling their leashes repeated. This may lead to stress and increased aggression. When both the owner and the beagle get frustrated, everything will go out of control.
  3. Constant pulling may result in physical problems, like injuries of the trachea and larynx.
  4. Properly trained beagles can signal you many things through leash pulling. For instance, they may show you that they are distressed by pulling on the leash. This is only possible when the beagles are properly trained.
  5. On the other hand, you can also tell something to the beagles by means of leash training. For instance, you can tell the dog to stop walking by tightening the leash. 


In conclusion, proper leash training can be a good way to communicate between the owner and the beagles. The following tips of leash training may help you:

  1. Make sure you always lead the way. Show the dog that you are in charge of him. On the other hand, if you let the beagle walk in front of you, it signals him that he is in charge. So, always walk in front of the beagle.
  2. Use a short leash. You can control the way the beagle walks by using a shorter leash. It also enables better communication between you and the dog.
  3. Allocate enough time for leash training. Make sure you at least have half an hour to an hour to train the beagle. The time it takes the beagles to learn the leash may vary widely. So, make sure you have plenty of time for this training.
  4. Follow up the leash training at home. Make sure that the beagles do not forgot the good habits they just learned. This is an important part of beagle obedience training. For instance, tell him to wait patiently while you open the fence or you put off your shoes.
  5. Reward the beagles for any success. For instance, when the beagles can patiently walk behind you, reward the behavior by treating them. Add the reward for any further successes in the training. 


Table Manner Training


The way the beagles behave while eating is also a part of important thing to train. When they grow, they will learn how to demand something or even asserting themselves. Letting them do this is a mistake.  Never let the beagles to demand something and show them that you will not respond to any kind of demand. That is why table manner is an important part of beagle obedience training.
 

The following are some tips of table manner training for your beagle:

  1. Set a regular feeding schedule.
  2. Remove the foods between meal times.
  3. Deliver feeding in an unpredictable way. 

This aims at avoiding the beagle to demand on you. For instance, you can drop the treat immediately when the beagle is busy playing. Do the same as a treat when he behaves calmly.


It is important to note that you just reward any positive behavior, but avoid punishing bad one. If you can do this, the beagle will eventually realize that good behavior is favorable. 

 

Managing Barking and Whining


Every beagle barks. Barking is a part of its natural behavior. Controlling the beagle’s barking is essential, particularly if you have neighbors in proximity. They will be happier when the beagle’s barking is under control. It is important to note that the beagles do not realize whether their barking is good or bad. With proper training, you can have their barking under control. 


Detailed steps on how to train the dogs not to bark to other people or other dogs are discussed in a different post. The following are some general steps on how to train the beagle when to bark and when not to bark:

  1. Let them bark 2 or 3 times;
  2. Say “stop barking.” When it works, praise the beagles.
  3. When it does not work at the first time, try using body gesture, like your fingers on lips. Do it slowly. Again, treat the beagles when they can do it.
  4. If the beagles do not stop barking even though you use finger gesture, take the treat closer. If they stop when smelling the treat, give it to them.
  5. Do this repeatedly. The beagles will eventually understand when to bark and when to stop barking, whether you use verbal instruction or body gesture. Use the same instructions consistently.


General Tips of Beagle Obedience Training


As mentioned above, choosing the right timing and strategies for beagle obedience training is essential to ensure success. All steps of the training also need consistency and patience. Reward only good behavior but do not punish bad behavior. Avoid any things that may lead to negative consequences.  If trained properly, the beagles may consider your family as their pack. The following tips of beagle training may use helpful for you:

  1. Create a conducive indoor environment. Before the beagles are 8 weeks old, they will spend most of the time inside the crate. Therefore, the very first step is house training. Get started as soon as possible and create a comfortable environment for the beagle. 
  2. Start teaching the beagle some simple verbal and gestural commands. For instance, the command ‘keep silent’ is represented by placing your index finger in your mouth.
  3. Even though the beagles make some mistakes when learning, never shout at them. Shouting is not a way to train your dogs. The beagles learn via association. When they make good things and you praise them, they will eventually associate the treat with the good behaviors. 


Finally, it must be noted that beagles learn in different ways. Do not expect that your beagles are always able to learn very quickly. Such an expectation will lead to frustration on behalf of you and the beagles. How to train your beagle determines the result. You have to teach them what they can do and what they can’t, but the time they take to learn will vary widely, depending upon the beagles. So, be patient.
 

Learn more complete guide how to train your dog here

 

Why Do Your Dogs Bark And How To Train Them Not To Bark

how to train your dog not to bark

One thing is for sure: all dogs bark. But in many cases, some dogs make more noise than others do. Some dogs even bark in a way that disturbs the environment. Why do your dogs bark? In some situations, you might identify why they bark. For instance, you can heard them barking when they perceive something threatening. But in some situations, you might not be able to identify why they keep barking all the night. They might want to communicate something, but could possibly fail to understand them.

There are many reasons for the dogs to bark. However, one thing to note is: the dogs bark to communicate what they are feeling. For instance, if they bark at a stranger, they may want to alert you that a stranger is coming to your house. If they bark when you are coming home, they may just want to greet you. 

Why do your dogs bark? 3 Common Reasons

However, there might be situations in which the dogs bark excessively. The barking may be annoying when it continues for a long time, particularly in the middle of the night. If you want to know how to train your dog not to bark, the first thing you need to do is identifying the causes. The following are three common types of barking and their possible causes:

Responses To Environment

Keep in mind that dogs always respond to something in their environment. Healthy dogs bark to show their response, but the barking should not last long. For instance, the dogs bark in response to a noisy car, thunder, fireworks, strange animals, and even to the weather. Take threats as an example. When the threat is getting closer, the barking becomes louder.

If the barking is short-lived, there is nothing to worry about it, as it is normal. However, when barking seems to be like a habit and last until the middle of the night, talk to a vet to find out how to stop a dog from barking at night. If you can identify the causes of the barking, you can take the necessary steps to support them. The following are some options:

  • If you identify the unusual barking and the dogs get aggressive, make sure to identify if there is something wrong around your environment.  
  • Provide them with a safe place, during the situations, which lead them to bark. For instance, create a safe place that gives them enough protection during the cold nights. Instead of using chain fencing, use solid wood or cover them with an opaque film. 
  • Consider installing calming aids, such as Adaptil. They can help keep the dogs calm in fearful situations. Adaptil works like the pheromone emitted by the mother dogs to their puppies after birth. Adaptil offers calming effect, as the dogs feel as if they were protected by the mother dogs. 

Emotions

As explained above, the dogs may also bark because of emotional responses, such as excitement, boredom, or fear. If the dogs are bored, they may bark to attract your attention. Therefore, rather than responding negatively, you had better given them plenty of stimulation. Perhaps, they want to play with you and the barking is the way to show you that they are bored.


On the other hand, when the dogs bark due to happiness, you can usually identify the signs, like tail wags. Sometimes, they just run and jump to you when you arrive at home. Those are commons signs or happiness. What about signs of compulsion or anxiety? The dogs may also feel depressed or anxious in certain situations like separation. In such situations, the dogs can bark just to hear their own voices. Sometimes, they make repetitive movement like running in circles or running along a fence, repetitively.

Physical Responses

The dogs may express physical needs such as thirst or hunger by barking. If you come and bring some foods or drinks and the dogs waits for you enthusiastically, it means they really need it. Therefore, the way on how to train your dog not to bark also includes providing them with everything they need. Make sure the dogs have enough supplies of foods and drinks. Interestingly, the dogs also bark when they need to go out and spend the excess energy. Dogs also need adequate exercise to keep them healthy.  

Those are among the most common types of dogs’ barking and what causes them. Again, unless the barking is excessive, there is nothing to worry about it. By identifying the signs in their emotions, moods, and physical needs, it is easier for you to find out how to stop your dog from barking at people or at other dogs. After all, barking is the way dogs communicate with you and your turn is to understand them.

How To Train Your Dog Not To Bark: Common Tips

It takes time, practice, and consistency to get the dogs bark less. However, proper techniques and time will bring you to the desired results. The following are few tips on how to train your dog not to bark:

Speak calmly, don’t shout

Imagine that if shouts at the dogs when the bark. They think that you join them. As a results, the dogs will keep barking. Therefore, if you want to train the dogs not to bark, the first rule is: don’t yell and shout at them. The dogs do not understand even though you shout at them to shut up. What you need to do is telling them about the word “quiet” by using a different method. Instead, speak calmly to the dogs. Try to do the following tips to calm the dog :

  • Use a calm, firm voice to say “quiet” to the dogs when they are barking.
  • Use body gesture, like holding your fingers to your lips, to teach them to calm down.
  • Even thought it takes some time, wait until the dogs stop barking. 
  • If they calm after some time, praise them by giving them some treats. 
  • Do not give anything, such as foods, while the dogs are still barking.

At first, the dogs may not realize that you treat them because they shut up after you teach them to do so. But when you do this repeatedly, the dogs will learn to stop barking despite a calm command. In the end, they can calm down under your instruction even though they are barking at something.

Keep them active during the day

It may be annoying to hear the dorks barking all the night. Therefore, one of the simplest ways on how to stop a dog from barking at night is by keeping the dogs active during the day. Tired dogs are quiet. If they bark during the night, tire them out during the day. Similarly, if they keep barking while you are away, train them before you go out. There are many ways to tire the dogs out, including: 

  • Long walk or run.
  • Taking a trip to a park.
  • Playing ball or their favorite toys.
  • Asking them to run along the fence, repeatedly.

If you want to go out and the dogs frequently bark when being lonely, then leave them out with a couple of food-dispensing toys. They will make the dogs busy for several hours. It is more likely for them to take a nap after busy hours.


Solve the problems as early as possible

When a problem is left unsolved for a long time, it will be more difficult to solve. Similarly, when the problems with your dogs are not solved properly and quickly, barking may become a habit for them. Consequently, it will be more difficult on how to train your dog not to bark at other dogs or other people. Do not let the problems unsolved, thus making the barking a pleasant thing for them. 

For instance, when the dogs get aggressive every time a car gets into your environment and you let the situation go for a long time, other problems may follow. What if a dog gets out of the fence when a car arrives at your house? Therefore, if you identify that the dogs always bark anytime a car gets in, then try to solve the problems as soon as possible.

Take another case as instance. If your dogs bark anytime the door opens, make sure to teach them to keep quiet. If you one to know how to train your dog not to bark at strangers, try the following steps:

  1. Anytime the door opens, train the dogs to go to a different spot. At first, you can pick them to the right spot.
  2. If the dogs bark, as them to be quiet by using hand gestures.
  3. Let them to see the doors opening, but not too close.
  4. Treat and praise them when they can do it right.
  5. Train them to do so repeatedly.


Have the dogs checked by a vet

Health problems may lead to excessive barking. The problems may vary from bee stings to brain disease. Medical problems are more common in older dogs. Having the pets checked regularly by a vet allows you to identify any medical problems earlier.

How to Stop Your Dog From Barking at Other Dogs

The above part focuses on discussing the answer to the question, “Why do your dogs bark?” The discussion focuses on environmental, emotional, and physical stimulus, which may lead to barking. However, it can be problematic and annoying if the dog barks to another dog. Imagine that anytime you take the dog out for walk and it gets aggressive anytime it sees another dog. 

A dog may bark to another dog when it rarely sees other dogs. Some dogs are prone to barrier frustration, namely, frustration that comes when the dogs are constrained by barrier, like wooden fencing. You need some practices on how to stop your dog from barking at other dogs and to ease frustration. The following are some strategies to try:

  1. Train the dogs by putting them to a place where they can see other dogs, but make sure they are far enough and the dogs does not react;
  2. Use a leash to make sure that the dogs do not run away, in case that they get aggressive;
  3. Take them to a place where they can see other dogs under normal setting, like a pet store or a dog park;
  4. Choose a safe place (neither too close nor too far away), for instance, standing at one corner of the park.
  5. Give them treats anytime they can keep calm when other dogs pass by. Reduce size of the treats with time. 
  6. If the dogs show promising progresses, you can replace the food treats with verbal praises and petting. You may choose certain phrase that tells the dogs that they should not bark. Make sure that all of the members in your family use the similar phrases or gestures.
  7. Distract their attention. With time, you will be able to identify the signs that lead to barking, for instance, staring, raising hackles, or growling. Anytime you see one of these signs, distract their attention. Attention-distraction methods may include giving food treats or favorite toys.
  8. Move them closer. If you are successful to distract their attention, then create a situation in which seeing other dogs is just a normal thing. Move the dogs closer to the other dogs, but not too close. If you see the signs taht it is going to bark, move back. Do this repeatedly. Then, move them one or two steps closer. See how the dog reacts. Do this again and again until the dog is familiar with the existence of other dogs.

As discussed above, it may take time, energy, and commitment on how to train your dog not to bark to other people, other dogs, or at night. Try a strategy and see how it works for your dogs. If one strategy does not seem to work, try another. If you find one that works, do it consistently and make sure that all the family members do the same.

Learn more complete guide how to train your dog not to bark here               

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