Train me... to train me Beagle
Discussion
Hi, hopefully picking up our Beagle this weekend 
Bit short notice, and probably should of researched this weeks ago, but better late than never!.... Any top tips for training the Beagle?
Also, any recommendations for dog training classes around the East Midlands (South Nottingham NG13) area?
Cheers
Bit short notice, and probably should of researched this weeks ago, but better late than never!.... Any top tips for training the Beagle?
Also, any recommendations for dog training classes around the East Midlands (South Nottingham NG13) area?
Cheers
To be honest I don't think many puppy training classes are much cop apart from socialising. I do that at the pub much more enjoyable and after 14 wks they don't pick up much anyway.
I know its not a gundog but the gundog club training manuals are very easy to understand and are very modern ie positive reward etc. Order them and then do your own training, most puppy classes rely on you doing this anyway so just cut to the chase. I'm ng23 and have them if you'd like to borrow some.
I know its not a gundog but the gundog club training manuals are very easy to understand and are very modern ie positive reward etc. Order them and then do your own training, most puppy classes rely on you doing this anyway so just cut to the chase. I'm ng23 and have them if you'd like to borrow some.
Phooey your welcome, this is what you need which you can't get from amazon. I'd say get the puppy one first tells you all you need to know about teaching basic recall and I know this works well.
http://www.thegundogclub.co.uk/?page_id=315
http://www.thegundogclub.co.uk/?page_id=315
boy said: Phooey your welcome, this is what you need which you can't get from amazon. I'd say get the puppy one first tells you all you need to know about teaching basic recall and I know this works well.
http://www.thegundogclub.co.uk/?page_id=315
Thanks mateyhttp://www.thegundogclub.co.uk/?page_id=315
It seems they can be stubborn little b
ds to train, so we certainly have our work cut out! We had narrowed it down to either a Beagle or a Hungarian Vizsla. Chose the Beagle thinking it would be easier to train / stimulate. Me thinks me gonna be busy 
Might be a bit far for you but we took our Staffy here for puppy classes: http://www.zoolittles.co.uk/
The socialisation is the main thing but as we'd never had dogs before we learnt all sorts of things so well worth it.
There was a Beagle in our class actually but it was incredibly timid so spent most of the time hiding under a chair. I don't envy you - they seem to be determined and single-minded little buggers once they've decided they're after something.
The socialisation is the main thing but as we'd never had dogs before we learnt all sorts of things so well worth it.
There was a Beagle in our class actually but it was incredibly timid so spent most of the time hiding under a chair. I don't envy you - they seem to be determined and single-minded little buggers once they've decided they're after something.
Firstly, get yourself some walking shoes. Our's is a nightmare unless she gets around 1.5 hours a day.
People tried to dissuade us from getting a beagle as they're difficult to train. We didn't find it too difficult as long as you have a ready supply of food. However, once out on a walk it's challenging to get her attention as the scent of rabbits etc are far more important!
As others have said, they are very vocal so hopefully you have understanding neighbours. They are also very good natured dogs and wouldn't swap her for any other.
People tried to dissuade us from getting a beagle as they're difficult to train. We didn't find it too difficult as long as you have a ready supply of food. However, once out on a walk it's challenging to get her attention as the scent of rabbits etc are far more important!
As others have said, they are very vocal so hopefully you have understanding neighbours. They are also very good natured dogs and wouldn't swap her for any other.
Consistency, consistency and consistency.
I'm by no means an expert (Mrs Grumpy and a few others on here are far better qualified to give advice), but from my own experience:
Our dogs are trained to sit on a spoken command, and then the physical gesture of a raised hand is introduced. They will then stop and sit at distance (when they see you). Then a whistle is added and even if out of sight, a pip on the whistle will cause them to stop and sit and wait for instructions.
Teach then to sit and wait. Gradually increase the time they have to wait, and also move further away from them, moving on to leaving their sight.
Have a different whistle pip for 'come' and reward them when they come back. Puppy impulse will take time to master, but if they associate the whistle with treats when they come back, then that will make your life easier.
You will then have a dog who will stay where it is put, stop what it is doing, and also come back - It is now far better trained than most dogs in my vicinity.
For us puppy classes would be a waste of time as our dogs are socialised amongst themselves, and we didn't want the pup picking up bad habits from other dogs as we are a lot more regimented with our dogs than most people. That said, we are putting the pup through her working gundog tests - but it is much more a case of training the trainer as we have learnt far more than the pup. Obviously gundog training isn't for all dogs, but its been really interesting in terms of understanding how to break down the actions into simple tasks for the dog to process, and then string them together - I'm sure the techniques are applicable to all breeds.
We've used long leads - often letting the dog drag it round rather than holding the other end. It just makes an errant dog easier to catch if you can stamp on a longer lead!
Above all, enjoy the new addition to your family!
I'm by no means an expert (Mrs Grumpy and a few others on here are far better qualified to give advice), but from my own experience:
- If more than one person is involved with the dog, then make sure that everyone knows what command means what.
- If you tell the dog to do something, then you have to follow through. If you tell it to sit and it decides not to, then it has to learn that is unacceptable. Too many people will tell their dog to do something and then give up when it doesn't do it. The dog has learnt that if it ignores them for long enough then they will give up.
- Short commands are better. When you talk to your dog it can't understand you and everything becomes white noise. It makes it hard for the dog to understand which bit contained the command.
- The carrot is more effective than the stick - carry treats with you at all times. (My bugbear are the people who shout at and get angry with their dog when it doesn't come back, and when it finally does, they tell it off. The dog learns not to go back to them whilst they are angry.)
- Distraction is important. If you don't want your dog to approach children/dogs/cats/etc then make yourself more interesting. A handful of treats will often work.
- If you wind the dog up (play fighting etc) then it can make it harder for the dog to understand what is and isn't acceptable. The dog can get confused if it can play sometimes and get over-excited, but isn't allowed to do so at other times. If you are going to do it, then it needs to be clear to the dog that playtime is on your terms only, and only when you want it to be.
- Keep training short and sweet so that it remains fun for both of you. Regular training obviously works better than only working on it once a week.
Our dogs are trained to sit on a spoken command, and then the physical gesture of a raised hand is introduced. They will then stop and sit at distance (when they see you). Then a whistle is added and even if out of sight, a pip on the whistle will cause them to stop and sit and wait for instructions.
Teach then to sit and wait. Gradually increase the time they have to wait, and also move further away from them, moving on to leaving their sight.
Have a different whistle pip for 'come' and reward them when they come back. Puppy impulse will take time to master, but if they associate the whistle with treats when they come back, then that will make your life easier.
You will then have a dog who will stay where it is put, stop what it is doing, and also come back - It is now far better trained than most dogs in my vicinity.
For us puppy classes would be a waste of time as our dogs are socialised amongst themselves, and we didn't want the pup picking up bad habits from other dogs as we are a lot more regimented with our dogs than most people. That said, we are putting the pup through her working gundog tests - but it is much more a case of training the trainer as we have learnt far more than the pup. Obviously gundog training isn't for all dogs, but its been really interesting in terms of understanding how to break down the actions into simple tasks for the dog to process, and then string them together - I'm sure the techniques are applicable to all breeds.
We've used long leads - often letting the dog drag it round rather than holding the other end. It just makes an errant dog easier to catch if you can stamp on a longer lead!
Above all, enjoy the new addition to your family!
Wow, thanks for the advice Phil! It all makes sense when you think about it, and it's down to me/us to train the pup, and not the fault of the dog if we fail. I have ordered a couple of 'Beagle Training' books from Amazon today, so will get my head stuck into these!
Oh, and treats, treats, treats
Cheers again all for the advice, please keep it coming!
Oh, and treats, treats, treats
Cheers again all for the advice, please keep it coming!
Echoing others - treats, treats, treats, treats, and leave your frustration/anger at the door.
Consistency with the commands.
Re-inforce commands with a simple hand gesture if you can - you'll find it's a far stronger command than just a vocal one as they're better at understanding visual things than spoken English...
Sit and recall are a must, IMO. Start from an early age. As others have said, beagles are bred for scenting (I think?!), so recall must be very, very strong to overcome the instinct when off-lead.
'Sit' 'stay' 'leave' and 'off'. Get used to saying them!
To train sit with our stubborn pup, I did actually use the "sit" <tuck her back legs under her> <treat> "good girl!" to begin with, as she's a little..... special when there's food around... But be sure you know what you're doing/how to do it if you use this method, otherwise you risk damaging their ickle puppy limbs. A better way is to hold the treat just above their nose and move it backwards (at the same height) along the line of their back, so they naturally sit as they follow the treat with their nose, then say 'sit' as their haunches hit the floor. Rinse and repeat.
Don't over-do the training when pup is super-small - 10 minutes a time is more than enough.
Consider crate training...
Inadvisable to take them for walks outside until 2-3 days (possibly) after their second lot of jabs, in case they pick up nasties from unvaccinated dogs that have travelled that way before them. -although, taking them outside tucked under your arm is quite a good way of getting them used to sights and sounds outside, so they're not quaking in their little puppy boots the first time they go out...
Put collar on for a few minutes at a time whilst still house-bound, so it's not alien to them.
Once used to the collar, do the same with collar and lead - walk round the room a few times a day with them on lead, so they understand about it.
Do everything with lots of treats!
Accustom them to as many different sights and sounds as you can whilst still small - helps them when they're older.
Don't be concerned with puppy mouthing - it's how pups explore their world when really young. Nip it in the bud quite early, though - if they nip too hard when playing, either yelp then disengage with them, or simply disengage (stop playing, turn your back, walk away). Ignoring them is the worst thing in the world to a small pup - they'll soon get the message!
To stop inappropriate chewing, simply replace "chew item" (shoe, rug, ankle, wrist, cable, table leg, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc!) with an actual chew toy. Rotate toys often, though, to keep them fresh and stimulating, rather than the same tired old thing.
This one is a little bit "IMO", but try not to use the word/command "no" - if you start, you'll find that you never stop saying it, and it loses any meaning it might once have had. Try specific commands instead - "stop" "leave" "off" etc.
I didn't find puppy classes any use whatsoever with our english bull terrier, other than for socialisation... they rely on you doing training at home anyway, so it's up to you whether you chose to attend some or not.
Puppy socialisation in a pub is a cracking idea! <goes off to get another puppy so she can sit in the pub all day>
Stopping typing now... Mrs Grumpy and Bexvn on here are cracking with dog advice though.
If you need any help, though, always here... not that I'm qualified in any way, other than owning an incredibly stubborn dog myself!
And good luck!
Consistency with the commands.
Re-inforce commands with a simple hand gesture if you can - you'll find it's a far stronger command than just a vocal one as they're better at understanding visual things than spoken English...
Sit and recall are a must, IMO. Start from an early age. As others have said, beagles are bred for scenting (I think?!), so recall must be very, very strong to overcome the instinct when off-lead.
'Sit' 'stay' 'leave' and 'off'. Get used to saying them!
To train sit with our stubborn pup, I did actually use the "sit" <tuck her back legs under her> <treat> "good girl!" to begin with, as she's a little..... special when there's food around... But be sure you know what you're doing/how to do it if you use this method, otherwise you risk damaging their ickle puppy limbs. A better way is to hold the treat just above their nose and move it backwards (at the same height) along the line of their back, so they naturally sit as they follow the treat with their nose, then say 'sit' as their haunches hit the floor. Rinse and repeat.
Don't over-do the training when pup is super-small - 10 minutes a time is more than enough.
Consider crate training...
Inadvisable to take them for walks outside until 2-3 days (possibly) after their second lot of jabs, in case they pick up nasties from unvaccinated dogs that have travelled that way before them. -although, taking them outside tucked under your arm is quite a good way of getting them used to sights and sounds outside, so they're not quaking in their little puppy boots the first time they go out...
Put collar on for a few minutes at a time whilst still house-bound, so it's not alien to them.
Once used to the collar, do the same with collar and lead - walk round the room a few times a day with them on lead, so they understand about it.
Do everything with lots of treats!
Accustom them to as many different sights and sounds as you can whilst still small - helps them when they're older.
Don't be concerned with puppy mouthing - it's how pups explore their world when really young. Nip it in the bud quite early, though - if they nip too hard when playing, either yelp then disengage with them, or simply disengage (stop playing, turn your back, walk away). Ignoring them is the worst thing in the world to a small pup - they'll soon get the message!
To stop inappropriate chewing, simply replace "chew item" (shoe, rug, ankle, wrist, cable, table leg, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc!) with an actual chew toy. Rotate toys often, though, to keep them fresh and stimulating, rather than the same tired old thing.
This one is a little bit "IMO", but try not to use the word/command "no" - if you start, you'll find that you never stop saying it, and it loses any meaning it might once have had. Try specific commands instead - "stop" "leave" "off" etc.
I didn't find puppy classes any use whatsoever with our english bull terrier, other than for socialisation... they rely on you doing training at home anyway, so it's up to you whether you chose to attend some or not.
Puppy socialisation in a pub is a cracking idea! <goes off to get another puppy so she can sit in the pub all day>
Stopping typing now... Mrs Grumpy and Bexvn on here are cracking with dog advice though.
If you need any help, though, always here... not that I'm qualified in any way, other than owning an incredibly stubborn dog myself!
And good luck!
Edited by Karyn on Tuesday 15th May 20:00
Karyn said:
Puppy socialisation in a pub is a cracking idea! <goes off to get another puppy so she can sit in the pub all day
Best advice on the thread. We try to do as much pub training as possible and it has paid off - they curl up under the table and go to sleep and most people don't know they are there. Needs to be maintained though! ;-)Edited by Karyn on Tuesday 15th May 20:00
Karyn, thank you soooo much for taking the time to post all this useful information and advice. I'm not going to rush into dog classes yet, i'll try the books and advice i receive off you guys first. Certainly makes sense - the over-use of the word "NO". I must try and refrain from that one!
Pub training - i realllly likey likey
Pub training - i realllly likey likey
Cracking advice for anyone above. Being new to dog ownership we didn't have a clue but gradually found that all the stuff mentioned actually works.
I just wanted to emphasise the point above about combining the voice commands with hand signals as it is very useful and we found it very effective early on. I guess a visual signal is much easier for the dog to recognise than voice alone.
You do definitely have to make sure you work out exactly what all the terms and signals mean, and stick with it. For example, the difference between "down" and "off", as it's so tempting to say "off" when they jump on the bed, but with our dog that means it should let go of something it's holding in its mouth, so a bit confusing when it's stood on the bed with her tongue hanging out
I just wanted to emphasise the point above about combining the voice commands with hand signals as it is very useful and we found it very effective early on. I guess a visual signal is much easier for the dog to recognise than voice alone.
You do definitely have to make sure you work out exactly what all the terms and signals mean, and stick with it. For example, the difference between "down" and "off", as it's so tempting to say "off" when they jump on the bed, but with our dog that means it should let go of something it's holding in its mouth, so a bit confusing when it's stood on the bed with her tongue hanging out
Lots of sound advice. Only things I'd add are...
When you first take him into a large outside area it'll be scarry for him. Thats the time to get him off the lead; While he's unsure and will naturally want to stay close. Reward him every time he comes to you. Don't wait untill he gets older and bolder and not so inclined to hide behind you.
Socialisation isn't just about meeting other dogs. Introduce him to everything you can think of; Dogs cats, horses, cows, cars, trains, bridges (over and under), high-viz jackets, beards, umberelas, road work signs... everything you can think of.
Most bad habits he'll have, will be things you've (inadvertantly) taught him. If he starts doing something different from what you want, take a step back and think about what YOU'VE been doing, and put that right. And yes, mine's got loads of bad habits.
When you first take him into a large outside area it'll be scarry for him. Thats the time to get him off the lead; While he's unsure and will naturally want to stay close. Reward him every time he comes to you. Don't wait untill he gets older and bolder and not so inclined to hide behind you.
Socialisation isn't just about meeting other dogs. Introduce him to everything you can think of; Dogs cats, horses, cows, cars, trains, bridges (over and under), high-viz jackets, beards, umberelas, road work signs... everything you can think of.
Most bad habits he'll have, will be things you've (inadvertantly) taught him. If he starts doing something different from what you want, take a step back and think about what YOU'VE been doing, and put that right. And yes, mine's got loads of bad habits.
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