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Puppy Training

Beagle Puppy Training

3 Types of Beagle Puppy Training

In regard to training your puppy to be a well-rounded, well-trained dog, you will want to focus on 3 elements:

1) House training
2) Command training
3) Training to stop negative behavior, the biggest issue being biting & nipping

To begin, one must remember that a Beagle puppy is taking in the world, which grows bigger every day. They are curious by nature and have no idea that they are to follow any rules at all, other than canine instinct. It is the owner's job to firmly and lovingly guide a dog through the training process...Offering encouragement along the way. 

House Training

This can begin as soon as you bring your puppy home. 
little Beagle puppy 8 weeks old
little Beagle puppy 8 weeks old
If raised by a small home breeder, the pup may have been using pee pads....This often does NOT mean that they are trained to use them....More likely than not, the pup was living in a contained area that was lined with newspaper or pads and simply had no choice to urinate or eliminate there....Therefore if a breeder tells you that the pup is trained at the age of 8 weeks old, it is, at best, an over exaggeration. 
You can expect training your Beagle puppy to take a good 2 months. Sometimes it may be less and in some cases it may take up to 3 months. During any times that you may feel frustrated remember 2 things:
  • It is temporary
  • Your puppy does not know what to do, is trying and with your help WILL learn
Here are some important tips that will lead to success: 
  • Choose ONE area for your Beagle puppy to use for bathroom needs....Nothing else should be done there....No playing, no talking....Nothing. This will show him or her that housebreaking is a serious thing.
  • Once you choose an area, stand in the middle of it and allow your Beagle puppy to pick out just the right spot to do his or her business. Try your best to not talk to them....again, this is a serious time and talking and play can be done later.
  • Some owners expect their pup to be done in 2 minutes. This is not often the case. Bring a chair if you want....You may need to patiently wait for up to 15 minutes until your pup is trained. If not, you may find that you are one of those people who write in to say, "As soon as I come back inside with my Beagle, then they pee!"
  • Bring him or her outside: 1st thing in the morning, every 2 hours (can be extended to 3 hours at 3 months old, 4 hours at 4 months old, etc), 15-20 minutes after each meal, any time that they make a motion to pee or poo and right before bedtime.
  • For Beagle puppy training to work, he or she needs to WANT to go outside. Talk eagerly and with a happy tone (or simply carry him if he is not listening or is too small to make it in time).
  • Importantly, if it is cold outside, protect your pup so that snow, wind and cold temperatures will not deter him.  Once he is older, winter weather won't bother him as much.  But as a young pup that has yet to learn about the world, freezing temps and piled up snow can be a deterrent. This means that a path should be well shoveled out for him as well as the entire designated bathroom area and doggie clothes such as a sweater and boots should be put on the puppy if he balks at the cold.
Tip: While you should clear a path through the snow for your puppy to reach an area outside to do their business, be careful of using "ice melt" chemicals. It can cause damage to the pup's paws with both burns and by causing dry cracks. If you must lead him over this chemical, do protect his paws by putting doggie shoes or booties onto your dog or using paw wax.
 Command Training

When you take the time to include command training, you will be working towards having a dog that not only listens to you, but is well behaved in any situation.

One of the first commands that should be taught is: Sit. This is because from this position, other commands can then be taught. For example, a pup should first be commanded to sit and then lay. Or sit while a leash is attached and then heel. This will help them learn other commands and words.

Positive reinforcement is the best way to have success in the shortest amount of time. A dog will not understand any frustration that an owner has....However he or she will certainly understand praise, pats and treats when they do something that is asked of them.

Tip: One of the best treats to use when teaching commands is very crisp cooked fresh bacon (oil well dabbed out with paper towels) that is crumbled into small pieces. 
Beagle showing his teeth
Biting & Nipping

One of the biggest issues that faces the owners of a Beagle puppy is the issue of that pup nipping and biting. It is often done during play and often to the owners hands. However, if a pup is out of control they may be jumping up and nipping at the face and other areas.

Some may think that this is unavoidable and is a part of teething. This is not true. It is unacceptable behavior and training should be done to stop this as soon as possible. If not, that puppy will grow into bigger dog who feels free to nip.....and it will be with bigger teeth!

When a pup is a newborn and their whole world is the dam and their siblings of the litter, one of their few forms of entertainment and socialization is to nip and bite during play. When 1 of them does this too hard and causes any pain at all, the other will yelp very loudly. The injured pup then walks off, basically saying, "I'm taking a break from you, because you bit me too hard!".
This is all a new puppy knows. Therefore, Beagle puppy training for biting needs to be similar to this. 

Whenever they bite or nip, an owner (whether it hurts or not) should LOUDLY say "OUCH!"....and then leave the room. The puppy should be ignored for 5 minutes.

This will only work if it is done EACH AND EVERY time. Doing it only once in a while will only confuse your pet. Doing it every time that they nip will quickly put an end to the behavior.

Tip: For this type of Beagle puppy training, all people in the household must follow the same guidelines. The pup must see consistency no matter where they are and no matter who they are with.
You may also like:

Beagle Hound Dogs - Why this terminology is used and what this really means in regard to how a Beagle behaves and acts in a family setting. 
Beagle Gas Problems - In it not uncommon for this breed to suffer with flatulence and bloating due to gastrointestinal distress. Learn steps you can take at home to ease these issues. 
My Beagle swallowed something - How to react, depending on what a Beagle accidentally ingests. 
Beagle is acting strange - The most typical causes of odd and usual behavior and how to resolve them.
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