Tips for Training a Beagle

Beagles are smart, strong-willed dogs that require consistency and patience to train. Training your beagle should start when he is a puppy and remain consistent throughout his life. It is easy for a beagle's strong personality to take over a household, but with basic obedience training they make wonderful companions to live with.

  1. House Training

    • House training takes plenty of time and patience. Start on the very first day that you bring your beagle home. Take him outside every hour during your awake hours, before and after meals, before and after exercise, right before you go to bed and immediately after you wake up. If he relieves himself outside praise him excitedly--as excitedly as possible! The more your beagle sees how happy you are that he eliminated outside, the more he will want to do it. Don't scold your dog for accidents or rub his face on the soiled floor; these are not effective training methods as your dog's memory isn't long enough to connect him eliminating inside of the house with your punishment that's now happening 5, 10 or 30 minutes later.

    Praise and Discipline

    • Praise is the most effective way to get your beagle wanting to please you by obeying commands. Squeal "Good dog!" and pet him enthusiastically any time he listens to your command. Alternatively, if you catch your dog in the act of an undesirable behavior, a firm loud "No!" is an effective amount of discipline to break his attention and getting him listening to you. Be sure to look him directly in the eye when you say "No!" After you stop the bad behavior, immediately show him the correct way, and praise him heartily when he does it right. Never hit your beagle; this is not an effective discipline and will only result in a dog that is fearful of you.

    Obedience and Commands

    • Obedience classes should begin as soon as your beagle meets the age and vaccine requirements for the course. Formal classes taught by an experienced trainer are very beneficial for giving you the knowledge and confidence to work with your dog. "Sit," "stay," "down" and "come" are all very useful basic commands to teach your dog. Only use the command words when your dog is in a situation to succeed with the desired action. Don't ask your dog to come to get groomed or medicated as he will have a negative association with the word. When he successfully obeys a command, praise him enthusiastically. While consistency is important, also understand that a puppy has a short attention span. Watch your dog and make sure he is still excited and interested in learning and take breaks when he needs them.