Are Beagles easily trained?
There is no simple answer to this question because, like people and most other breeds of dogs, individuals vary. However, in general, hounds are challenging to train. Beagles are often said to “live on their own agenda.” This doesn’t make training impossible, it just means you need to find the training method that works for your dog.
Food is often the best motivator for Beagles. The use of food in training is not accepted by all dog trainers, so it is important to find an instructor who understands Beagles (or scent hounds in general) and is willing to use different methods, depending on what is effective for your Beagle.
Beagles are intelligent dogs and very good problem solvers. They can get bored very quickly with an exercise and find another way to have fun… which may mean teaching you to interrupt a training session for supper.
You should count on short training sessions *every day* for at least the first two years of your dog’s life if you want a perfectly obedient dog. There aren’t many Beagles out there with Obedience titles, but there are some, and it can be done.
Are Beagles easily housebroken?
Beagles can be challenging to train, which may (but doesn’t necessarily) carry over into house-training.
There are many methods of house-training. Your best bet is to read up on the subject and choose one with which you are comfortable. If your dog doesn’t respond to your favorite method, don’t despair – just try another way.
Many Beagle owners find crate-training sufficient, and it tends to solve other problems such as destructive chewing. Crate training is fairly easy for you and the dog, and allows you to establish a schedule that meets your needs. Consistency and vigilance will almost always result in a properly trained dog.
Be warned however, some Beagles take up to a year to be fully house-trained, and the odd few are never completely reliable.
What are Beagles like with children?
Beagles generally adore children and will play for hours with them. However, like any breed, Beagles need to be socialized properly, and should never be left alone with young children.
Socialization and supervision should be sufficient to make Beagles the perfect playmate, however, there are two things you should know:
First, Beagles play rambunctiously and can accidentally hurt young children. Second, Beagles tend to be “mouthy”, which means they like to play with their mouths, or chew things. This is not biting, but grabbing things with their mouth. It is not done in anger or fear- for Beagles, it is a way to play. This is one of the many reasons why you need to make sure that your Beagle is up to date with the anti-rabies vaccinations too.
Over-enthusiastic play and “mouthiness” may be trained out of most puppies, but it seems to be instinctive and is something that you should be aware of when considering a Beagle.
Do Beagles shed? Do they require regular grooming?
Yes, Beagles shed – don’t be fooled by the short coat. However, Beagle shedding is rarely intrusive because they shed short hairs. Their coat is actually classified as a medium length (as opposed to a short-coated breed like the Doberman) because they have double-coats, which include a coarse outer coat and a soft undercoat.
Beagles generally shed more in the Summer time (in a tropical environment), as their coats tend to thicken over the colder months. This isn’t necessarily due to climate. Hair growth depends on the amount of light, not on temperature. As the days get shorter, hair grows faster.
Beagles should be groomed with a medium-bristle brush or a hound glove at least once a week. This loosens and removes dead hair and allows for new hair growth. It’s also good for the skin. Beagles are fairly clean and, as long as they aren’t rolling in really-nice-dead-things, don’t require frequent baths. However, bathing helps if you are trying to control fleas.
Beagles’ hanging ears must be checked at least every two weeks for infection and waxy build-up. There are several great ear-wash products available, and this doesn’t need to take more than a minute. Odors from your dog’s ears may indicate a yeast build-up or infection, and may need stronger treatment. Other signs of ear infections include constant head-shaking and scratching at or just below the ears.
Do Beagles make a lot of noise?
Beagles do not tend to be ‘yappy’ dogs, however, as hounds they are trained to sound when they sight quarry. For some Beagles, “quarry” means a shadow, a bug, a plane, a leaf… but other Beagles are very quiet and rarely make a noise.
Most will bark or growl when strange dogs/people/things-you-can’t-see come into their territory. They may also bark when excited, although this varies from dog to dog.
Beagles can howl. This alerts hunters when the Beagle pack corners their prey. Again, not all Beagles will howl, but you should be prepared for the possibility.
A third noise Beagles can make is hard to describe, kind of like a half-howl, called baying. Beagles will often make this noise when they catch the scent of “quarry,” which was useful during the hunt.
If you want your dog to be quiet, you can patiently train them, but it may take weeks for your dog to understand the ‘quiet’ command. Some Beagles never do understand that you want quiet.
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