The Basics of Training a Beagle

• Beagle waiting for a command
  
  The number one rule when training your Beagle is to be patient. Beagles like to play, explore and solve problems. They become distracted easily, especially during adolescence (which begins at about seven months and lasts until about two years). With this in mind, start by conducting training sessions indoors then in a fenced yard before expecting your dog to follow commands in public areas. Training sessions are best kept short, even shorter than with other breeds. This means that sessions should last between 3 and 5 minutes for a puppy, no more than 8 or 10 minutes for an adult.
  
  

Establishing Dominance

• Dogs are pack animals. Bred to be hunting dogs, this pack mentality is even more dominant in Beagles. Hunting dogs are used to working together to achieve a goal, but they are also used to hierarchy. When a Beagle believes itself to be pack leader, it will not respond to your commands, as you must be ranked lower than it in the pack. Training cannot be effective if the dog does not understand it is your subordinate. You must begin to establish yourself as dominant pack leader the day you bring home your new Beagle. Many people see their clumsy, adorable puppy and are tempted to allow it to get away with things that would not be tolerated during adulthood. This sends the message that the dog is in charge, which immediately undermines your authority. If you want a well-trained adult Beagle, you need to set boundaries from the start and never stop enforcing those boundaries.
  
  

Making Your Beagle Feel Secure

• Not only does establishing yourself as pack leader help you teach skills to your Beagle, but it also makes the dog feel secure. Beagles, like people, want to accomplish things but, also like people, at the end of a long day (whether was spent hunting or playing) they want a warm, safe place to come back to. Routine will prevent your Beagle from becoming confused or stressed, thus keeping it able to focus on learning skills and solving problems. Putting its bed, food and water in specific locations, for instance, makes Beagles feel at ease.
  
  

Conditioning Good Behavior

• Like most dog breeds, Beagles respond best to steady training that utilizes, above all, positive reinforcement to condition good behavior. This means that you should reward desired behaviors when they occur. Because Beagles are particularly interested in food, edible treats often make the best rewards. It is unlikely, however, that your dog will connect the action to its reward without a marker. This means that as the dog performs the desired behavior you should say a specific word like, "Yes." Then reward your dog. Soon, your Beagle will understand this word means a reward is coming, thus connecting the behavior to the treat.
  
  

Teaching New Skills

• Beagles like to have a task to figure out. When they complete said task, they feel accomplished, having proven to both their masters and themselves they are worthy companions. Learning a new skill can provide this feeling of accomplishment for a Beagle, but if you expect too much from the outset, your dog may become frustrated (and, in turn, distracted) during the learning process. Instead, you should teach new skills in small increments. Take "Come," for instance. To start, call out the command. When your dog looks at you, mark and reward the behavior. The next time, though, just a quick glance is not enough for a treat. When you call your dog's name, it should make some move, such as going from a lying to seated position. Mark that move. The important thing here is that you are not just marking the completed action. You are marking and rewarding closer and closer approximations to the desired behavior, until you reach a point when only the completed behavior elicits a reward.
  
  

Getting Rid of Bad Behavior

• It is a common misconception that punishment is the fastest and most effective way to stop undesirable behaviors. However, like setting your Beagle up to fail by only rewarding perfection, punishment can discourage a Beagle, dulling its verve. While it is sometimes useful to respond to bad behavior with a stern "No," the most effective way to phase out undesirable behaviors is to simply ignore the dog when it does something bad, like jump up to get attention.
  
  

Things to Watch Out For

• Training can be easier if you have another Beagle because they will learn from each other. Similarly, Beagles respond well to the stimulation provided by a big family. If you aren't the Beagle's only "master," though, make sure your whole family is on the same page when it comes to training. If you don't do this, your impatient and clever Beagle will respond as a child might: by quickly learning that approaching a different "parent" will allow them to ignore the training you've worked hard to implant.