Beagles are known for being barkers as they love to communicate, but there does come a time when the barking becomes a nuisance. In this article we explore more about why they do it and how you can manage it better in your home.
Beagle puppies can be very noisy, often howling and barking to the point where you may be pulling out your hair.
Beagles are well known for their ability to control their voice by barking, baying and howling.
As pack hunting dogs, their natural instinct is to bark to their fellow hunters to alert them to where the pray is hiding. And to them you are part of the pack. This is often the reason why your Beagle is barking; to alert you to something they’ve seen so you can go hunting together.
But there are other reasons why your Beagle is barking.
Why Does My Beagle Puppy Bark So Much?
Beagle puppies bark to alert you to possible threats or prey. As hunting dogs, it is a natural trait of their breed to bark. Other reasons why a Beagle puppy barks include: hunger, playfulness, fear, boredom, displaying dominance.
The truth is you will never eradicate your Beagle puppy from barking altogether, and it wouldn’t be fair if you tried. It’s important for them to communicate as it’s part of their nature.
However, sometimes they can do with some help to restrain their barking, so it doesn’t become a nuisance to you, your family, and your neighbors.
How Do You Stop Your Beagle Puppy Barking?
How you go about reacting to your Beagle’s barking is going to determine how successful you are at controlling them.
There are some definite right ways and some wrong ways to go about doing this. The most important thing is to ensure you remain consistent in your training.
There are two main ways to control your Beagle puppy’s bark. They are Controlling the Cause and Positive Training Methods.
Are you interested in our comprehensive article: Calm Down Your Crazy Puppy: A Complete Guide
Controlling the Cause
If you can adequately address their reason for barking, you can drastically reduce their need to be so vocal.
When you work with their natural instincts, not against them, you will go a long way in suppressing their constant urge to bark.
It’s important to give them adequate stimulation that supports their desire to track and hunt down prey. Not only will this suppress some of their need to constantly tell you what they’re seeing, but the solution will also reduce boredom barking.
What is the best method for doing this?
Games. Specifically hunting games. A hunt to a beagle is nothing more than a game, tracking down the smell of an animal and bringing their master along for the ride.
There is help out there for owners with unstoppable barking dogs. We recommend Thrive Dogs, who have created a highly effective method that you might want to check out.
The Best Game for Beagle Puppies
The best game for a Beagle puppy is a version of Hide-and-Go-Seek. Get your puppy treat bag out and spend some time going around the house hiding treats.
Be sure to make it difficult, your Beagle has some serious smelling powers and will track down any treat you hide!
Make it a fun activity by training them to stay while you hide them around the house. If this is difficult for them and they’re not quite ready for such restraint, put them in a pen where they can see you start hiding the treats, and do so throughout the house.
You can also use your yard for this game. Once all the treats are ready, then let your puppy loose! They will love hunting down all the treats.
If you do this game daily, it can help make your Beagle pup feel they have gone on their hunt and have successfully tracked down their reward.
It’s a fun game that can be part of your overall strategy to reduce their puppy barking.
This isn’t the only game your puppy should be playing though. Be sure to give your Beagle at least 2 to 3 hours of play time throughout the day.
Tire Them Out
Your puppy will sleep a lot in their first year, but when they’re awake they will be a bundle of energy. If this energy has no where to go it can present itself through bored barking.
Other than giving them a plentiful supply of toys, you can exercise them on daily walks. However, depending on their age, they may not be able to go for a long walk.
Use this chart to determine how much you can walk your Beagle puppy:
| Puppy Age (months) | Exercise Time (minutes) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 10 |
| 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 20 |
| 5 | 25 |
| 6 | 30 |
| 7 | 30+ |
When They’re Hungry
If your puppy is hungry then they might want to tell you about it through barking. Do not feed them when they’re barking. This is a huge mistake and will make it difficult for you to undo.
Only feed them when their barking has stopped. Avoid eye contact and any response from you to their barking. When it has finished, or there is a break in their barking, then they can eat.
How to Leave Your Beagle Puppy Home Alone
Beagles love to spend time with their owners. They’re very social and rely on companionship for their happiness.
If you spend long periods of the day away from your pup then it can cause anxiety, which in turn will heighten their desire to bark. This can also cause your puppy to whine and if your Beagle puppy whines excessively, you can read our post on How to Stop Beagle Puppy Whining.
Without companionship, you are guaranteed to have a Beagle puppy who is desperate for attention, and the only way they know how to get it is through barking, howling, and all the other wondrous noises of the beautiful Beagle!
The problem here is that sometimes it’s just unavoidable. If you have work, or other family members have school, you can’t just take your Beagle pup with you.
Which is why it’s vital that when your pup is alone that they have adequate stimuli to ensure they aren’t thinking only of you and how they can get someone’s attention.
Being left alone doesn’t only cause excess barking but can also cause your puppy to become destructive.
The first thing you need to do is to make sure they have enough of everything. This includes ensuring they aren’t hungry, have enough water, and there are plenty of toys for them to play with.
Puzzle toys are a good idea as they can offer rewards and can also extend play. You want a range of good toys that offer different methods of play, from tugging toys, to chewing toys, to soft and squeaky toys.
If you let your puppy get bored, they will turn to barking.
The best thing you can do before leaving your Beagle home alone is to ensure you have adequately taught them to be able to do it. If you suddenly leave your Beagle for hours at a time, they won’t understand why you have left for so long and this can lead to separation anxiety.
It’s important that you work up to your puppy being alone for long periods of time by using this process:
- Leave your puppy in a room with toys and water and close the door.
- Return immediately.
- Do not return if they are barking.
- Reward them when you return with a treat and praise.
- Do this process again but extend the time by a few minutes.
- Again, repeat the process but extend the time for longer and longer periods.
- The number 1 rule here is to never return when they are barking. This will only reward their barking and once they have it in their mind that a bark will lead to a reward then it’s difficult to remedy.
Avoiding the Barking Triggers
One thing that can go a long way in reducing your puppy’s barking is to block off any windows where they setup as lookout.
Beagles love to setup and watch for possible prey that might be out and about. If they see anything that’s a target, then you’ll be the first to know!
You might need to move some furniture around or use some tin foil on the low windows.
Another trigger can be noise. Any unfamiliar noise or barking from other dogs in the neighborhood may set off your puppy .
One way to reduce this is to have the radio on throughout the day. Otherwise the TV is another option.
Positive Training
Your Beagle puppy will quickly determine that it’s their role to guard their house and family. It’s important that you train them early to show them that you are the leader of the household.
When it comes to training your puppy not to bark, the golden rule is to never bark back.
Your puppy will only see you barking back as confirmation that you react to their barking. When you’re not giving them attention in future, they will use their number one weapon against you.
As a puppy owner it’s a good idea to always have a few treats in your pocket at all times. You must consistently reward any behavior you want them to display. This is the key to having a well-behaved dog, no matter the breed.
This can be tricky as when they’re being quiet and well-behaved you might not even realize they’re around. Which means you need to be vigilant in realizing when they’re doing what you want them to do.
If your puppy is sitting quietly be sure to treat and praise them.
When they’re barking, ignore them until they stop, and as soon as they do, reward them.
The Coffee Tin
If your puppy is relentless in their barking, then you may wish to try the tin can technique. Fill an old coffee tin with pennies. Give it a solid shake and interrupt the bark. When they stop, give them a treat and praise them.
This is best done if you can avoid your puppy seeing you shake the tin. You want to avoid your puppy seeing you reacting to their bark.
Socialize Your Beagle Puppy
From an early age you should be taking your Beagle to puppy school. Socializing them is vital in getting them used to other dogs, so as they don’t see them as threats.
Giving this important time and training will give them a better understanding of what is correct behavior, and if you have any concerns, it’s also a great place to talk to an expert.
Do Bark Collars Work on Beagles?
Electric Collars
We are opposed to the use of these collars as they’re negative training. Which means they give a painful response to an unwanted behavior. Positive reinforcement training is much more effective and less distressing.
The main problem with these collars is there are many reasons why a dog will bark. The collar can’t determine the difference and will shock them either way, whether the dog is responding to what they consider a threat, or to say I’m hungry.
If your Beagle puppy is anxious then an electric shock collar will only exacerbate the anxiety and create more problems for you.
Citronella Collars
Though less distressing for the dog, these collars are still negative training tools. It’s also thought that the unpleasantness of the citronella will be less effective as time goes on, until the collar becomes redundant.
If you are thinking of using either of the above collars, we highly recommend that you explore all other avenues beforehand, including speaking with a dog behaviorist.
Final Word
It can be a trying time addressing your puppy’s barking issues. It’s important to remember that losing your patience and reacting to their bark will only prolong the problem.
If you consistently reward their good behavior and remove the causes, then you will see a dramatic reduction in barking.
Does your Beagle puppy whine too much, then you should read this.
