Beagles are widely loved and admired. They are cute, friendly, affectionate, and whatnot! But apart from having all these lovely qualities, the Beagles can also be quite stubborn. Now, it might get a little challenging to deal with Beagles when they display their stubbornness.
We will find out in this article what could be the reasons for Beagles being so stubborn. We will move forward to the possible reasons your Beagle does not listen to you and see what can be done about it. Read on to know more!
Why Are Beagles So Stubborn: Root Cause?
Beagles are originally scent hounds. They were bred for hunting purposes and would track small animals since they have a very strong sense of smell. Beagles are intelligent dogs, and they are quite independent and curious in nature. That makes them a little difficult to be trained and adds to their stubbornness.
Beagles, due to their high energy levels, require a daily outlet of energy either through exercise or other activities. They can otherwise get bored easily, and that will also lead them to become more stubborn. Beagles need stimulation regularly, be it mental or physical. In search of excitement, they are even prone to disobey their owners. The need for stimulation makes them stubborn.
A Beagle tends to get bored easily and will lose interest immediately if it is not getting to do something new and exciting. It will display stubbornness and ignore your commands.
Due to their history of hunting, they keep looking for exciting and new things. They will follow their noses and the scent and will not deem it necessary to pay attention to what you are saying.
Their intelligence level also makes it hard to train a Beagle. Having said that, let me tell you that Beagles are not untrainable, and it is not something that cannot be fixed. You will require patience and a good amount of training to make your Beagle learn to listen to you and follow your commands.
Some Reasons Your Beagle Does Not Listen To You
Let us look at a few things that are potentially keeping your Beagle from listening to your commands. We will also see what steps you can take to fix these issues.
1. Unsure What You Are Asking For
Many times, your Beagle will end up not obeying you simply because they do not understand what you are asking for. It is necessary for you to teach your Beagle the cues for various commands. This can be done through training your Beagle.
Give regular training to your Beagle and teach it the words for particular commands. Words like “Sit!”, “Run!” can make the basic cue words and it will be easier for them to follow once they get familiar with them. Always try to praise your Beagle’s efforts at the end of the training. Teach your Beagle the basic commands first, and gradually you can move to more difficult ones.
2. Your Beagle Does Not Recognize You As The Pack Leader
Another possible reason for your Beagle not listening to you can be that they do not recognize you as their leader. There is a chance that they want to dominate or that they see you at the bottom level of the hierarchy. Due to this reason, your Beagle might not deem it necessary to listen to you or to pay attention to your commands.
To address this particular problem, you will have to make sure that your Beagle recognizes you as the owner and the leader. For that to happen, you need to display the qualities of leadership to your dog. Remain gentle with your Beagle, but remind it that you are the real boss and must be listened to.
3. Lack Of Positive Reinforcement
If you intend to train a beagle, some sort of positive reinforcement is essential. Being harsh on your dog is not at all a good practice. Do not punish your Beagle for the mistakes it commits. Instead, appreciate your Beagle’s efforts and reward it for the excellent behavior it displays.
You can reward your Beagle by giving it small dog treats every now and then or by clapping for it, and patting your dog. Showing appreciation can be encouraging for your Beagle.
Be clear in communication with your Beagle and reward them for behaving well and for listening to you. Notice when they obey your commands and praise them for it.
This positive reinforcement will help with your Beagle’s improved behavior and make them listen to you more. Give your Beagle little treats when they listen to you and portray good behavior. Eventually, you can decrease the treats after each act of obedience till your Beagle internalizes obeying your commands.
How To Fix Beagle’s Stubbornness?
You can do a few things to reduce your Beagle’s stubborn behavior if not fix it completely. Take them for regular exercises and walks every morning. You can also teach them other activities. They are intelligent and energetic animals that need daily stimulation. Lack of it can lead to boredom in it and they tend to act in a very stubborn way. You can give them toys to play with, to chew on, and chase. Teaching them activities will help to keep them stimulated. These are a few ways in which they can spend their time without getting on your nerves.
Training, training, and training. It is important that your Beagle attentively attends the training sessions. They specifically need obedience training. It can help them reduce their stubbornness. Getting rid of your Beagle’s stubbornness is not only good for you but is important for their safety as well. The curiosity level of your Beagle might persuade them to try out dangerous things. If they learn to listen to you, it can keep them away from danger.
If you feel your Beagle continues to remain stubborn despite obedience training, you must seek the help of a qualified animal behaviorist. There is a possibility that you are not giving the training to your Beagle properly. Your methods might not be so effective. Seeing an animal behaviorist will help in this case by detecting the root cause behind your Beagle’s stubborn behavior. They can help you develop a proper training plan that will help you make your Beagle show more obedience towards you.
FAQs
1. Do Beagles Tend To Be Calmer When They Are Older?
A Beagle will tend to calm down a little when they reach one year of their life. There will still be hyper traces in your Beagle, but subsequently lesser than before. Mostly, they will be calmer after two years of age.
2. Can Beagles Get Destructive?
Beagles do tend to get destructive at times. The way to deal with it is to Beagle-proof your place. Keep your important stuff away from your Beagle’s reach. They are pretty used to chewing on whatever comes in their way. You can also stop this by giving them toys that they can chew on.
Conclusion
We agree Beagles can get stubborn. It can get a little overwhelming sometimes to deal with that. But it is not something that cannot be fixed. The proper training always comes in handy. We hope you are able to deal with your Beagle’s stubbornness. It will require you to accommodate too and build a good relationship with them. You will have to show some patience with your Beagle till it learns the proper ways and starts obeying you.
Remember to be kind to your Beagle and not subject them to harshness if they are not listening to you. It is in their nature to be stubborn, but they will gradually be fine. Also, we would love to hear about your experiences dealing with a stubborn Beagle.
Dr. Aram Baker has been with Santa Clarita Animal Hospital since 1995 and his special interests include behaviour medicine and dermatology. He graduated from the Cleveland Humanities Magnet Program in Reseda, CA and attended California State University at Northridge where he received a Bachelor’s degree in biology. He went on to pursue his Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine at the University of California at Davis. He also spent time in the zoological medicine department at U.C. Davis during his Junior and Senior years. He is dedicated to caring for all pets big or small, young or old with compassion, patience, kindness, and love.