BEAGLES ARE HIGHLY TRAINABLE
Beagles are easy to teach tricks to - they like treats so much they will learn anything for a cookie! This photo shows Billie Jo's pup Morgan "sitting up" for his young master, Catie, who was able to teach Morgan over ten tricks before he was even a year old! Beagles have a reputation for being stubborn; but it is not true; they are "persistent" more than stubborn. For example, they will persist at a rabbit track without giving up, or work at a task endlessly until finsihed. Another example - once Billie Jo, home alone, decided she would "feed herself", opened two cases of can dog food, and attempted to open the cans with her teeth - both cases! - all 96 cans bore toothmarks!!!!! However, this persistence can be used to an advantage when training the dog, and it also comes into play witrh the beagle's other qualities - such as undying loyalty to its master/ family. Thanks to Catie, her mom and dad, and Morgan for the photo.
Beagles are certainly just as capable of nuisance barking as any other dog; HOWEVER, they have no more of propensity for nuisance barking than a lot of other breeds. Beagles trained for chasing game have good reason to bark when they are in pursuit of a rabbit, but beagles who are pets have no cause to bark unless a stranger, a dog or other animal is in their territory. Unfortunately, over the years, beagles have gotten a bad reputation for barking - not through any fault of their own, but due to the fact that they are frequnetly kept in large numbers, exclusively in cages, by their owners, and let out only for hunting season. Beagles who are treated as "hunting equipment" , and not as pets, who are caged in groups for 2/3 of the year without exercise or meaningful socialization opportunities, will bark out of sheer boredom and frustration. Usually, owners of this sort have no more consideration for their neighbors than for their dogs, and they will let the dogs bark incessantly without reprimand or intrevention to curb this behavior. A few beagle owners like this can absolutely ruin the peace of an entire neighborhood, and it is from situations like this that beagles have gotten a bad reputation for being nuisance barkers. Unless you plan to keep a a beagle in this type of situation, nuisance barking isn't usually a problem.
WHAT ABOUT CRATE TRAINING????
Crate training is the first step in house training your pup AND it is also a safe haven for the puppy. You cannot watch a pup 24 hours a day - we put our babies in play pens for the same reason! People have bedrooms; puppies and dogs have crates. Some pups love their crates and won't give up their "bedrooms" even after they have the full run of the house. If you utilize a crate properly, you can house train a pup easily. Crate training takes advantage of a puppy's instinctual desire to refrain from "soiling" its den. Once a pup is successful at keeping its crate clean, it can apply this principal to a designated area in the house and then later, to the entire house. This photo shows Samo, a pup out of Kelly and Bullet, snoozing in his crate, Many thanks to Kate for letting us use Samo's picture!
SAFETY ID COLLARS FOR DOGS
Many pets are lost each year because they lack proper ID information. Beagles especially love to snoop around and wander, and are either lost or stolen because they have no personal contact information available. We recommend Fountain Head Supply Co, for reasonably priced SAFE collars for beagles and other dogs. While the popular hang type ID tags are prone to being lost by catching in weeds or branches, these collars have riveted on metal ID tags right on the collar to make sure your pet is returned if lost or wandering. Also, hang type ID tags pose a strangulation danger, since they are easily caught in the chain link fencing commonly used in kennels and for yard enclosures and can actually hang the dog to death.. The Safety ID collars also feature the "O ring" spilt design, which helps prevent choking accidents, should your dog get its collar caught on a branch, fence or other impediment - the O ring helps to prevent the collar from twisting into a garotte and strangling the dog as it struggles to get free. These collars are very, very reasonably priced, and are washable and long wearing. Matching leads and couplers are available. They're what our beagles wear! For information on purchasing these items or various kennel supplies contact:
Larry Shaw, 36 Fountain Avenue, Warwick, RI 02886, (401) 737 - 0376
NOT AFFILIATED IN ANY WAY WITH HOCKOMOCK SWAMP BEAGLES - BUT A GOOD PLACE TO GET YOUR DOG COLLARS AND SUPPLIES!!!
Dogs & Puppies - Next Day Pets - Provides a venue for a dog rescue and dog shelters to find quality homes for adult dogs and puppies with information for 150+ dog breeds. Shop our pet supply store for dog collars, dog clothes, dog crates, pet meds, dog jewelry and more. Browse our dog & pet website directory, pet friendly hotels and dog names.
WE LOVE OUR BEAGLES - YOU WILL, TOO!!!!!