Should Beagle training be any different than training any other breed? The first image that comes to mind when I think about a Beagle is ‘Snoopy’, the world's most famous beagle. As you may know, the Beagle is fun loving, energetic and always gets up to mischief if you allow him to. Does the specific nature of the Beagle mean that one needs to take them to specialized Beagle dog training classes, or are any of the normal dog training schools sufficient? To answer this question, one must look in detail at the specific characteristics of the breed.
The Beagle breed size is small to medium. It is classified as a member of the Hound Group. Although it looks nearly the same as the Foxhound, Beagles are smaller and have shorter legs but also longer, softer ears. Beagles were developed originally for tracking hare, rabbit, and other game as they have a keen sense of smell and a strong tracking instinct. As a result of this, they are employed around the world as detection dogs. Sniffing out Foodstuffs in quarantine or prohibited agricultural imports are major areas in which the Beagle is used. Beagles are intelligent, and are popular as pets because of their size, even temper, and lack of inherited health problems.
From the description above there is nothing to indicate that the ‘normal’ dog training won’t work for a beagle, whether it is potty training a puppy, house training a puppy or dog obedience training. With their high level of energy and tendency to get up to mischief you will however have your hands full and will have to make sure that discipline is applied consistently all the time. If you don’t, your beagle will pretty soon be the master (or alpha) of the household instead of you.
Their keen sense of smell makes the beagle one of the breeds of choice for detection dogs. If you want to go this route with your beagle training, a specialised detection dog training school will have to be used. Guard dog training or guide dog training is not recommended for beagles, due to their friendly and energetic nature.
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