When it comes to beagle training, experience is among the finest, if not the only one, teacher in the world. By actually implementing (more than just reading), dog and owner learn. Both of you are sure to mature a lot, even if it is obvious learning will most of the time come the hard way.

Chewing

A shoe or any sort of footwear is never for chewing, so a puppy must never be given a shoe to chew on. Besides, think that it may reach the point where the dog prefers expensive leather to vinyl ones! If there is a puppy at home, anticipate that all puppies will chew; the urge to teeth pushes them to do so. So, you need to have chew toys ready and available until the dogs are about 1 year of age in order to keep off destructive chewing.

With Beagle training in mind, what’s to be done if you see your puppy chewing on something that is a no-no? Say to it “give”, then take it away gently. Then, always give your puppy the correct chew toy as a sort of trade, telling it “Take”, with a cheerful and affectionate “good boy” once the dog has the right toy in its mouth. In case the dog refuses to give up the bad toy, put your hand behind the dog’s head, and use your thumb and forefinger to gently apply some pressure on the back of the jaw where the upper and lower teeth meet. The dog then sees that if it continues biting down, it hurts itself. Always pronounce clearly the “give” command, and praise the dog if it takes the “good” trade toy.

Running Away

Puppies love playing chase, but for them it is even more fun if they are the ones being chased, preferably by their human. So there’s no practical time than puppyhood to teach a dog that if it runs, you do not chase. In case the puppy runs on ahead and refuses to come back, turn and walk a few paces away, then squat or sit down, ignoring the puppy. Soon the puppy will be back, asking for play and attention. If the puppy touches you, respond by patting the dog, cuddling or scratching it. As the puppy matures, teach it the “come” command by showing it a treat, then telling it to “Come!”

Biting

The sight of puppies chasing, biting and nipping each other is no cause for much concern, but it is otherwise if a puppy turns to nipping you!

A Beagle training solution to a biting puppy problem can be learned by observing a puppy playmate’s reaction. If your puppy nips at you, do not wait for it to exert more pressure; make the high-pitched, abrupt yelp-noise that a hurt puppy also gives. Then, do an about-face and ignore the puppy. In a few minutes, go back and play with it again, praising its good behavior.

In the case of a puppy that runs after you while nipping, do not avoid it. Instead, stop (a target that stops is not fun anymore for the puppy), say “No” to it, then ignore it. Other things you could do to dissuade puppy-biting is to encourage your puppy to occasionally take food from your mouth, starting from the moment it enters your home.

A caveat to the “yipping-noise” method: this works only if the puppy has been left long enough with its littermates to learn this lesson; a trusted and responsible breeder will, for example, refuse selling or separating puppies before 8 weeks of age.

Digging

There are specific and real reasons why a dog wants to burrow into your property. Some common reasons are to make a bed of cool earth to lie on, to chase a noisy bug (even a simple mole-cricket is enough reason to dig), to hide a toy, or to work away boredom. Also, some dogs dig near the fence in order to get out and roam, which is part of their instinct.

Some breeds like terriers cannot resist the urge to dig. This emphasizes the importance of considering first what instincts are dominant for a certain breed, before seriously selecting which to own.

To end, you can be sure that the tone of your voice already helps communicate a lot, so be confident and calm in teaching the dog its manners. Not only are praise and common sense important to communicating with a dog, but teaching it what “No” means is also valuable. This can be done by combining a good stern “No” and a squirt of water to catch a stubborn dog’s attention. The advantage of this is that it does not hurt the dog, nor you.