How to Train a Beagle Pup

Establish a training routine beginning on the day that your beagle puppy comes home. Establishing good behaviors on day one can prevent a number of undesirable behaviors. The training environment for your beagle puppy should be positive and rewarding from the first day.

Choose one training goal at a time. Do not overwhelm your puppy with meaningless tricks when basic obedience is at stake. Focus on the essential basics like "sit," "stay," "heel," "off" and "come". There will be time to teach "roll over" and "shake" later on.

Implement a "praise and reward' system to positively reinforce the training principles as you teach them. When your puppy cooperates, respond with positive praise and a treat to indicate a job well done. The beagle pup will learn to associate your commands with the desired response and the receipt of praise as a result. This conditioning is what will lead to a positive training experience for all involved parties.

Give your puppy a command and gently show it how to react. For example, crouch down when you tell your puppy to "sit." Push lightly on the dog's behind to get it to sit down, then praise it and offer a treat. The puppy will learn to associate the "sit" command with the act of sitting, and will associate cooperating with the receipt of a treat.

Avoid punishments and scolding during the training process. This will prevent the puppy from associating training and commands with undesirable results. Exercise patience and refrain from turning the training process into a negative experience. One negative experience can seriously set back the training process for your puppy.