How Do I Get My Beagle to Stop Barking?
A beagle is an intelligent and excitable dog breed that can often let their instincts get the better of them. While Beagles don’t often bark all day, they do tend to vocalize when they want their owner’s attention for basic needs during the day. Their noise level may be too much for some, but it shouldn’t be the reason to avoid adopting a Beagle. There are many ways to teach a Beagle to stop barking unnecessarily without taking away their key form of communication.
Beagles can be trained to follow specific commands like “Quiet” that help to curb barking immediate urges. Distracting a beagle from the barking cue with exhaustive playing can also help to cure their boredom and keep them happy. If a beagle is stressed or reacting territorially, they may need to undergo exposure therapy to acclimate them to different stressors, people and circumstances and lessen their initial emotional reaction.
Beagles bark for many reasons and often they may bark immediately once a cue occurs before they even think why or remember that their own doesn’t like barking. It’s instinctual and any effective training or distraction tactics should focus on the instinct that’s being triggered and how it can be addressed.
How do I train my beagle to stop barking?
The first step in the training process is to determine the best practice for the beagle at hand. The dog may be barking because of small inconveniences during the day or because of boredom. They may also be experiencing stress or fear when new people are around or when near children or other animals.
Beagles adopted from shelters may have had previous experiences with loss or anxious situations that cause them to react to new and unknown stimuli with fear. Once the root of the beagle’s barking has been determined, an effective plan can be developed that addresses that issue.
If a beagle is showing signs that they’re bored during the day, it can be helpful to tire them out with more playing and encourage quieter ways to get attention. More play can distract the dog from the stimulus that caught their attention and use up their energy supply.
They can be taught the command “Quiet” as well, which can be used situationally to help with specific cues that might occur outside the home. This will also require the owner to teach “Bark” so the beagle knows the command for the action itself and when not to do it. High-value treats can be used to encourage learning just as with any other command.
It’s important to make sure any underlying behavioral issues, stressors or fears are addressed rather than unintentionally ignored by using a command. Beagles that are afraid of other people or animals may need to undergo a form of exposure therapy that lets them safely interact with the object of fear so they can become used to it in increments.
A beagle can have many personality traits and deserve the same love, attention and care as any other pet companion. If a beagle shows signs of aggression when exposing them to a fear object, they may need to see a dog trainer or behaviorist to help them adjust to new stimuli in a healthy, safe way for all parties involved.
Beagles may enjoy vocalizing their needs and desires, but this instinct can be managed with the proper training and care. Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the unique companionship a beagle can provide no matter if they live in an apartment complex with close neighbors or in a rural area with plenty of space between the homes.
How do I distinguish why my beagle is barking?
There are several reasons why a Beagle may be barking. A dog may be showing territorial barking if there’s a person or animal in the yard outside they don’t recognize. They might be trying to chase the intruder off and show that this is their property and they don’t want strangers here.
A beagle may bark out of frustration or boredom. If they’re unable to enter a room or are locked out with a gate from another dog they want to play with or even just a toy they can’t reach, they may bark to let out some of that frustration of not getting what they want.
Barking can be a sign a beagle is bored. This often accounts for why beagles are barking at night, to signal they’re lonely, bored and want to entertain themselves in some way. If a beagle is sitting at the end of the bed or out in the hall barking or howling, they may be telling their owner that they’ve got too much energy and no way to let it out.
Some beagles will bark because they don’t feel well or because of an emotional or behavioral issue. A sick beagle will usually make a sound like a yelp or squeal rather than an average bark. Stressful or obsessive barking is unhealthy and can occur when the barking is excessive, never seems to stop or seems to concern very small inconveniences or stimuli in their environment.
Many owners allow their beagle to fulfill their alarm barking needs. This type of barking often has notes of danger in it that aren’t present with bored or frustrated barking. A beagle will often use a deeper bark with growling if they feel danger is near or that the situation is dangerous to their owner or family.
When beginning a training plan with a beagle, it’s important to have realistic goals. Barking and other vocalizations are essential to how beagles communicate their needs to their owners. They will most likely continue to bark in some circumstances but can be effectively trained as long as they still have an outlet.
Related Questions
Are beagles hard to train?
Every dog can be trained with enough patience and effort. A beagle is an incredibly inquisitive dog who wants to sniff around everything with its limitless energy. They want to play and run around and having to learn new words and obey them can be boring compared to other fun play activities.
They can still be trained, it just may take a little longer than with other dogs. Beagles are very independent and love deeply, more than making up for their selective hearing and feistiness.
How can I tell if my beagle has anxiety?
Separation anxiety can cause a beagle to bark more than normal. Beagles can often develop separation anxiety if left alone for too long at home. This can manifest itself in destruction when they’re left alone, trying to escape by clawing through the door or windows, soiling the room or home they’re locked in, pacing and howling.
Separation anxiety is heartbreaking to deal with as it can change a happy, healthy companion into a distressed and anxious dog that’s unsure of when and even if its owner will return. This type of anxiety in dogs can be treated with the appropriate empathy and care and veterinarian or trainer guidance in severe cases.
Why does my beagle howl?
Howling is a common form of communication that beagles use for a variety of reasons. Beagles were original hunting dogs, and they still instinctually howl today if they smell prey or the scent of a wounded animal. There are more common reasons for those living in suburbs far away from hunting areas.
Beagles can howl because they’re lonely if they hear other dogs howling and even to notify other animals in the area that this is their property. They may also be in pain and use howling as a way to notify their owner that something is wrong. Just like barking, howling can be trained to be used less frequently.
