We present below some dog behavior issues that all dog owners are bound to encounter. As you help your dog to learn that it can do better, it is inevitable that you yourself learn a thing or two. Have fun learning with your dog through beagle training!
Chewing
Never give a puppy a shoe to chew on; the worse that you could end up teaching the dog is all shows are meant for chewing, and there is no such thing as expensive shoes or cheap shoes. If you will have a puppy at home, expect that it will chew, since it will be teething. Chew toys will need to be available, and the puppy will keep up the nibbling until the puppy reaches one year of age.
Using Beagle training, if you see your dog chewing something it is not allowed to try out, say “give” and take it from the dog gently but firmly. Once the dog relinquishes the “bad” toy, be ready to give the “good” toy, and be quick to praise it with a hearty “good boy” the moment it has the right toy in its mouth. But if the dog resists giving up the bad toy, put your hand behind the dog’s head, and use your thumb and forefinger to gently apply some pressure on the back of the jaw where the upper and lower teeth meet. Eventually the dog will give up the toy. Again, pronounce the “give” command clearly, and compliment and praise the dog if it takes the intended chew toy.
Running Away
Puppies love playing chase, but for them it is even more fun if they are the ones being chased, preferably by their human. So there’s no practical time than puppyhood to teach a dog that if it runs, you do not chase. In case the puppy runs on ahead and refuses to come back, turn and walk a few paces away, then squat or sit down, ignoring the puppy. Soon the puppy will be back, asking for play and attention. If the puppy touches you, respond by patting the dog, cuddling or scratching it. As the puppy matures, teach it the “come” command by showing it a treat, then telling it to “Come!”
Biting
While it is alright for puppies to bite and nip one another, it is not alright for them to do it to their human playmates. A puppy mouthing your hand is fine, but no so in the case of biting.
A Beagle training solution to a biting puppy problem can be learned by observing a puppy playmate’s reaction. If your puppy nips at you, do not wait for it to exert more pressure; make the high-pitched, abrupt yelp-noise that a hurt puppy also gives. Then, do an about-face and ignore the puppy. In a few minutes, go back and play with it again, praising its good behavior.
Teach these technique to your kids, and also remind them never to play rough or–even much less– hit puppies, otherwise the dog will go for their hand. Other things you could do to dissuade puppy-biting is to encourage your puppy to occasionally take food from your mouth, starting from the moment it enters your home.
A caveat to the “yipping-noise” method: this works only if the puppy has been left long enough with its littermates to learn this lesson; a trusted and responsible breeder will, for example, refuse selling or separating puppies before 8 weeks of age.
Digging
There are specific and real reasons why a dog wants to burrow into your property. Some common reasons are to make a bed of cool earth to lie on, to chase a noisy bug (even a simple mole-cricket is enough reason to dig), to hide a toy, or to work away boredom. Also, some dogs dig near the fence in order to get out and roam, which is part of their instinct.
Some breeds like terriers cannot resist the urge to dig. This emphasizes the importance of considering first what instincts are dominant for a certain breed, before seriously selecting which to own.
To end, you can be sure that the tone of your voice already helps communicate a lot, so be confident and calm in teaching the dog its manners. Not only are praise and common sense important to communicating with a dog, but teaching it what “No” means is also valuable. This can be done by combining a good stern “No” and a squirt of water to catch a stubborn dog’s attention. The advantage of this is that it does not hurt the dog, nor you.
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