Can you train a Beagle to not bark
How to Train a Beagle Not to Bark
Beagles are an excellent breed that is very popular among dog owners for a good reason. A well-trained beagle can be a close companion and add a great deal of value to your life. Additionally, they have sweet faces and gorgeous coloring that dog lovers simply cant resist.
Though there are many positives associated with dog ownership, there are a few hurdles that many dog owners will have to face in order to train good behaviors in their dogs.
Different breeds of dogs have different behaviors that they tend toward, and depending on your preferences and lifestyle; you may have to work harder to train some behaviors out of your dog if it belongs to a certain breed.
One of the most common behaviors that dog owners will try to eradicate is excessive barking. A dog that barks constantly is a nuisance to its owners and any neighbors that live close by. Additionally, constant barking also means the dog is on high alert, which could create stress-related health issues.
Before you train a beagle not to bark, its important to remember that its unrealistic to expect even the most well-trained dog to never bark.
In fact, your dogs bark could be an important indicator of a disturbance, such as an intruder or a foreign animal on your property. However, if your beagles barking ranges into excess, there are many steps you can take to reduce their barking habits.
Unique Characteristics of Beagles
The beagle is a very popular and well-loved breed of dog that is known for being great with kids, very sociable with other friendly animals, and generally low maintenance in terms of both health needs and coat maintenance.
Additionally, beagles are on the smaller side of medium, with an average weight of around 25 pounds, making them easy to handle for owners with a variety of lifestyles.
Though there are many pros associated with beagles, its also important to note that, as dogs bred for hunting, they have a bad habit of digging. Stubbornness is a common personality trait of beagles, making it difficult to make training stick without lots of repetition and patience.
The most well-known downside to beagles is their love of barking. Their tendency toward excessive barking is related to their hunting breeding, and while they may simply be alerting you to something theyre sensing, you may end up with a lot of raucous barking in your household.
Why Do Beagles Bark?
Beagles have very heightened senses and are always aware of everything going on around them. Because of their breeding, they want everyone else in their household to be aware as well, leading them to bark loudly at the smallest stimuli.
This could include a strange noise or smell theyve never sensed before, the sight of a stranger or prey animal in the yard, or boredom. Many beagle owners even insist their beagle simply loves the sound of its own voice.
How to Train a Beagle Not to Bark
Though there are several steps you can take to train a beagle not to bark, its important to be patient, as vocalizing is in your beagles DNA. You can teach a quiet command by heavily rewarding your pup each time they stop barking at a trigger or simply remove them from situations that are likely to make them bark.
However, using abeagleno-shock bark collar is one of the best long-term solutions for excessive barking in beagles.
No-Shock Bark Collars: How Do They Work?
Bark collars are a 100% safe and humane training method that can train a beagle not to bark through sensation. Unlike shock collars of the past, the bark collar doesnt train your dog through pain but rather gently encourages a change in behavior with a slight vibration that is only mildly irritating to your dog.
Modern bark collars come in automatic and manual versions depending on your preference. Each time your dog barks excessively, theyll hear a beep followed by a slight vibration if they dont stop barking.
These stimuli will teach your dog that quieting down is the preferable option when triggered. We recommend pairing this training with treats so that its even easier for your dog to make the right behavioral choice.
How To Stop A Beagle Barking The Quick & Easy Way
Lets get real for a sec. Learning how to stop a Beagle barking can be challenging.
Theyre pumped full of energy, theyre testing boundaries, and theyre determined little critters who love to exercises their vocal cords.
And while this can be innocent enough, the downside is its not always easy to work with.
But does that mean you should give up hope and invest in a pair of earplugs?
In a word No.
Try as you might, youll never stop a Beagle barking completely. And neither should you try. After all, how else will you know what your dogs feeling unless they tell you?
But theres a world of difference between acceptable, normal barking and excessive, unacceptable barking. The first kind is something we can all learn to put up with.
The second kind isnt and shouldnt be.
If you want to restore some sanity to your life, youll need to find a way to curb and minimize the behavior.
Some of the solutions are going to take time and energy before you begin to notice a difference. Some of them will start delivering the goods straight away.
If youre looking for the latter, then the Dog Calming Codefrom Dan Abdelnoor over at the Online Dog Trainer should set you off on the right foot. (see video below)
Designed to help any dog become the master of their emotions, the techniques Dan reveals will calm your Beagle, focus their attention, and improve their behavior.
So before you do anything else, watch the video, implement the techniques, and enjoy the results I promise you theyre going to be impressive.
Heres the link to take a look: Click Here To Check Out The Dog Calming Code And Discover How To Finally Stop Your Beagle Barking Even If Youve Tried & Failed Before!
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Why Do Beagles Bark?
If youre the lucky owner of a Beagle, you dont need me to tell you youve been blessed with a great dog. Friendly, affectionate, loyal, loveable when all the best canine qualities were being handed out, Beagles were at the front of the line.
Unfortunately, they were also upfront when big voices were being dished out. Some call the Beagles bark sonorous. Others call it a darned nuisance.
But why exactly do they choose to use it so often?
Theyre Bored
Beagles were born to hunt. They like chasing, tracking, running, and scampering down rabbit holes.
What they dont like, not even one little bit, is being stuck in the house with nothing to do.
Your idea of heaven might be lying on the sofa watching Netflix and chugging sodas. But take it from me (or actually, take it from your dogs constant barking). Its hell for your Beagle.
If they arent provided with the exercise, the mental stimulation, and the interactions they need, Beagles get bored, frustrated, and very, very loud.
Theyre Alerting You
Back when the breed was first developed, Beagles werent the cute n cuddly little creatures they are today (or rather, they were, but no one really cared). They were hunters.
When the terrain got rough and the game got quick, humans held back and sent their trusty little hounds on in front. And once these trusty little hounds found their quarry, theyd use their impressive vocals to let their master know.
These days, most Beagles wouldnt know a hare from a whale. But that doesnt mean theyve lost their instinct to sound the alert whenever they come across something interesting.
Whether its a UPS driver at the door, a cat up a tree, or a leaf blowing sideways, if its something they think you should know about, you can bet theyre going to tell you.
Related Post:Why Is My Dog Barking At Nothing? How To Stop Obsessive Barking
They Want Attention
Beagles love being the center of attention. If theres a spotlight, it wont take them long to start gravitating towards it.
If they dont feel youre giving them the attention they deserve, they wont wait patiently by in the hope you eventually do. Theyll demand it loudly.
Theyre Lonely
Beagles are pack animals. They were born and bred to work in teams. What they werent born to do is spend vast amounts of time alone.
Unless theyve received proper socialization and training, most Beagles simply arent equipped to deal with spending time by themselves. They thrive on companionship: without it, they can become lonely, miserable, and even show signs of separation anxiety.
If separation anxiety doesnt sound like a lot of fun, its because its not. Its also not the kind of experience a Beagle will suffer in silence.
So if your dog barks from the moment you leave the house until the moment you return, and if the barking is accompanied by destructiveness, pacing, and frantic attempts to escape. Then its likely the frustration of being left alone has escalated into full-blown anxiety.
Theyre Territorial
Beagles might be lovable, loving, and keen to get along with anyone and everything they come across, but theyre still dogs. And like all dogs, some of their instincts leave a lot to be desired.
If your Beagle thinks the yard, the house, and everything in them is theirs, theyre liable to get mighty defensive (not to mention vocal) if an intruder threatens their pitch.
The problem is, dogs arent discriminating: to them, the mailman, your mother, a neighbor, or even a passing cat is just as much of a threat as an actual burglar.
Territorial behavior might be natural, but unless youre living in some remote backwater where youre the only human in miles, it can quickly become problematic.
Theyre Scared
Beagles might be hardy, courageous dogs by nature, but they can still develop anxieties and fears.
Regardless of whether its a fleeting fear (a loud noise, a threatening-looking dog) or an ingrained one, most dogs have the same reaction to a scary situation. They try to get away from it.
If they cant, theyll try to make it go away instead.
Obviously, being dogs, they cant politely ask the scary thing to step aside. So what do they do? Yep, bark as loudly and incessantly as they can.
They Know It Works
Beagles arent dumb. If B usually follows A, it wont take them long to start doing A whenever they want a bit of B.
B could be anything. It could be a walk, a snack, a pat on the head. A is obviously barking.
If youve caved in to their demand barking enough times for them to connect the dots, its going to take some serious training (both on your end and theirs) to break the habit.
Related Post:Help! Why Is My Dog Barking At Night All Of A Sudden?
How to Stop a Beagle Barking The Quick & Easy Way
Beagles are proud of their voices. If theres an opportunity to use them, they wont hesitate.
If you want to end the noise completely, youll need to invest in some good-quality earplugs. Because no one and nothing will ever stop a Beagle from occasionally exercising its voice.
But ultimately, the occasional display of vocal gymnastics isnt the problem. The problem is the constant, inappropriate barking thats putting you in the entire neighborhoods black books.
So, can you stop it?
The good news? You can.
The bad news? It might take some effort.
Is it worth it? For the sake of your sanity if nothing else, absolutely.
The first step is probably the easiest. It involves watching and implementing techniques from the dog calming codeI mentioned earlier.
In the interests of complete transparency, I should point out that these techniques arent going to stop your dog from ever barking again.
What they will do is make them calmer, more controlled, and more receptive to the training youll be doing as you work on solving the problem for good.
Once youve got the exercises down, you can start working through some of these tried and tested strategies.
Train Yourself
Before you can train your dog, youll need to spend a bit of time training yourself.
If youve spent the past however many months caving in to your dogs barking, its time to apply the brakes.
Rewarding inappropriate behavior with attention simply encourages it. Even if youve responded with harsh words and scoldings, it still counts.
To your attention-seeking Beagle, all attention whether positive or negative is the ultimate goal.
So next time your Beagle starts demanding something by barking, ignore it. If you need to, go into another room and wait it out. Only once they stop barking should you give them what they want.
It might take some time, but providing youre consistent, your Beagle will eventually learn their old tricks have lost their power.
Entertain Them
If your Beagle is barking because theyre under-exercised and bored, then its down to you to fix it. No dog can entertain themselves for hours at an end without the right resources, and neither should they be expected to.
At a minimum, an adult Beagle will need two brisk walks of around 20 to 30 minutes a day. Along with the walks, theyll also benefit from a few games of frisbee, tug of war, fetch, or something similar.
While were on the subject of exercise, dont forget that mental stimulation is just as important as physical activity, especially for a smart pooch like the Beagle.
A few interactive games or food dispensing toys can go a long way to keeping them happy and distracted. Or better still, teaching them some of the games taught in theBrain Training For Dogs Program.
If youve ever been curious about just how smart your Beagle can become, this is the program that will put it to the test.
Remove Their Triggers
If youre dealing with an alert or territorial barker, theres a quick, easy way to shut them up remove their triggers.
A dog that feels obliged to spend their day at the window so they can alert you to any trouble will feel hugely relieved if you simply shut the curtains and let them stand down from duty.
Blocking their view of the world might sound cruel, but its actually the opposite. Being on constant alert can leave a dog anxious and miserable.
Relieving them of their responsibilities wont just mean a quieter household. Itll mean a happier dog.
Teach Them The Meaning of Quiet
Beagles are quick to train. Why not use their smarts to your advantage by teaching them the Quiet command?
The process is simple
First of all, arm yourself with a bag of your dogs favorite treats. Then, get ready for them to start barking if theyre anything like most Beagles, you wont have long to wait.
Wait for them to stop, even if its only to draw breath. The second they do, say Quiet and give them a treat. Repeat the process and keep repeating it until they understand what Quiet means and the value (at least for the bellies) of obeying.
Pump Up The Volume
Next time youre heading out without your Beagle, turn on the TV, the radio, or anything else you usually have on in the background.
Adding more noise to the existing noise might sound counterintuitive, but youd be surprised at how effective it can be.
Although your Beagle is smart enough to know the voices coming from the TV arent real. The familiar sounds can be comforting enough to distract them from feeling alone.
And Relax..
If your dog struggles to keep their emotions in check, anything that makes them overexcited or anxious is likely to leave you reaching for the aspirin.
Fortunately, there are ways and means to introduce some calm into their life. Remember the Dog Calming Code I mentioned earlier? This is where it really shows its value.
Once you make the training a regular part of your routine, youll notice a dramatic difference in your dogs maturity and self-control.
To maximize the calming potential of the exercises, you might want to consider introducing your pooch to some restful, soothing music, calming pheromones, or even a little bit of doggy massage.
Wrapping Things Up
Living with a Beagle that doesnt know the meaning of hush can be tiring. And not just for you. If you live in close proximity to your neighbors, theres probably not a lot of good vibes coming your way right now.
Fortunately, this isnt something you just have to learn to live with.
With the right techniques, plenty of positive reinforcement, and consistency, even the loudest Beagle can be taught to dial down the noise.