question about beagles

[razorback]

Looks like a beagles puppy is in our future. Anyone got good sources for training beagles, specifically. I know there are general training techniques and also breed specific techniques. We want to get this right from the beginning.

[V I Archer]

We did clicker training with ours.  Beagles are good driven like no other.  Short training sessions to avoid frustration for both parties and lots of venison liver for reward.

[smokin joe]

I have been training dogs for years, and I will share a few insights.
1. Give a new pup lots of socializing. Hold it, love on it, handle it. You want it to associate you with security and love. You also want it to be willing to have you touch and mess with any part of its body - that comes in handy later for thorn removal etc.
2. Take the pup everywhere. Get it used to unfamiliar people, children, noises, sidewalks, etc. You want the pup to feel safe and confident wherever you are.
3. Noise condition your dog slowly. Dogs have an instinctive fear of loud noises and a thunder shy or gun shy dog is something that you can prevent.
4. Get a bell collar for the dog and put it on the dog whenever you hunt train or hunt. The dog will associate the bell with going hunting and you will know where the dog us when the cover is thick.
5. Get a pinch collar or choke collar and use it to teach leash manners. Learn to use it properly.
6. Start early to teach: here, sit, stay, etc. Basic commands are the foundation of all training.
7. Make sure that the dog gets to have lots of fun.
8. Anything positive (treats, petting, etc) can and should be used as a training reward.
9. A simple harsh tone of voice of vocal sound is usually all the punishment a dog needs if you introduce that doting puppy time.
10. Be consistent in training. A dog will try to figure out what you want, but. Dog is fairly easy to confuse.
Good luck. Beagles are great dogs. Feel free to PM me for more training tips as you go. I am happy to be of help.

[razorback]

Thanks Joe, I appreciate the input and will definitely take you up on the offer for help.

[Hopewell Tom]

Basically what everyone else said, but I have to tell you about our "Tucker". Second beagle for us after we had to put "Jake" down at 14 human years.
Two different dogs you'd never meet. Jake was pretty quiet and laid back. Tucker is quite aggressive and vociferous (don't get to say THAT much!).
Tucker is a great mouser, way better than the cat. We live in a 125+ year old farm house which must have a hole or two in it... so sometimes I find the cat with a mouse cornered and waiting on it. This is usually first thing in the morning so I want that cleaned up before the girls get up. Get Tucker, show him the cat, he barges right in, slight flurry and here he comes with the tail sticking out of his mouth. Right out the door, problem solved!
Squirrels cause him no end of pain, but occasionally I see him coming with one, don't know how he does that.
Beagles are great to have around.

[Keith Zimmerman]

I disagree with smokin joe about the choker collar.  I think the pinch collar works much better.  My dogs Ive had loved the pinch collar.  The problem with chokers is they will choke them.  Pinch collars do not and are more effective.

[smokin joe]

Let me clarify:
A "choke chain" collar - when properly used - does not choke the dog, in spite of its unfortunate name. When used properly, always on the end of a leash with a responsible human holding the leash, it startles the dog with momentary pressure and noise applied by the trainer. Choke chain collars also must be properly put on the dog so that they automatically and instantly release pressure.

Never use a choke collar as an everyday collar. Never leave a dog unattended with a choke chain collar on. It should only be used with a leash and a human holding the leash. The leash should be slack and only momentarily "popped" to startle the dog into paying attention. Constant pressure on the collar is not productive for training or healthy for the dog.

Repeat: In spite of the name, you don't "choke" the dog with one. You "pop" it to startle the dog with pressure and sound.

A pinch collar does pretty much the same thing, and is easier to learn how to use. But again, only "pop" the dog, never use constant pressure.

[cmh]

Have never owned them but love the breed and would like to have a pair to hunt with someday. One day years back I was hunting with my bird dogs and a trio of beagles was running a rabbit.... I called my dogs to me and healed em and before I knew it the trio of beagles came running to me and would not leave me alone lol...... My labs weren't real happy nor was their owner either. He lined em and walked them out and about fifteen minutes later here they came again..... I guess they figured out how much I like dogs  

[cmh]

Read the 2015 bunny bash post makes one want to acquire a couple of good beagles  

[smokin joe]

Rabbits with beagles can be a ton of fun. They sure are hard to hit with an arrow. But the music of the beagles howling makes up for all of the lost arrows.

[cmh]

Never hunted rabbits with dogs but having hunted upland birds with dogs my biggest enjoyment is watching the dogs work doing what they love and we're born to do.

[Slimpikins]

I wouldn't trade a beagle for the world. I lost Copper this past summer and although I used him to blood trail, the sucker would run the pee out of a rabbit when I gave him the go ahead. It was his true passion. We actually killed a few in front of him last year.

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[T Sunstone]

My current beagle I got from the dog pound and has one of the best noses of any beagle I have ever had.  He is also the most hard headed one too.  I had to get a tracker, shocker collar for him.  When he hears me pick up his collar he knows he's going hunting and can hardly contain himself.  
 

All my females listen better then the males and stayed close to home unless I made the mistake of letting 2 out at the same time then they would go hunting on their own.  I almost always have 2 in the house.  Right now I have Mickey and a 14 year old Frannie.  Frannie will still go hunting but can't keep up with Mickey, plus she's almost deaf and can't hear me or Mickey.

 

 

Poor Mickey was bit by a copperhead but had a 100% recovery.  I sucked the Venom out as best I could.  He was bit on the snout just above the nose.

[T Sunstone]

[ScottV_7]

They can be a bit ridiculous.
 

[2nocks]

Here's my female. She is the alpha in out of the two and would flip me off while she runs away if she could. But a good dog otherwise with strong prey drive, doesn't want to please as much as the male.

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[Archer Dave]

We had a beagle when I was 5-6. On several occasions it saved the life of my brother and I from rattle snakes when we lived out in the middle no where. It took a few bites and laid around a few days but did fine with it.

It ended up getting eaten by coyotes. It would go out and scrap with them and did it one time to many. That is the country life though.

One thing though is they bark and bellow a lot. Keep that in mind if you live in a city.

[T Sunstone]

I have had 8 beagles over the years and none would bark at the door.  You just teach them what you want and don't want.  My male now will go out the doggie door and bark during the night lately.  One night real soon his going to bed wearing his collar.    

[Keith Zimmerman]

You are 100% correct joe.  Thats put in a way I was thinking.  Exactly.  Great explanation.

[razorback]

Any opinions on the difference between the 13" and 15" varieties.