If you’re an owner of a beagle, you know how hard it can be to get these medium-sized dogs to calm down. You can’t blame beagles for being hyper as they were originally bred to hunt over long distances. They have unlimited energy in their locker and if there’s no way to release the energy, beagles go ballistic.
Yes, providing enough physical and mental exercise is the easiest way to get your beagle to calm down. Give your beagle the right amount of sleep, rest, and relaxation and your pet will learn that there are times to be excited and times to calm down.
Also, beagles calm down as they get older and learn how to curb their overly active behaviors.
Beagles, especially puppies are difficult to get to calm down but they tone down their energy after the age of 1.5 to 2 years old. But don’t be surprised to find an adult beagle zooming inside the house, they too have their moments.
At one and a half to two years old, a beagle is old enough to be neutered and some people claim that this process helps to calm them down.
This has not been proven because neutering a dog only stops it from reproducing, not producing testosterone, the source of all the energy. Neutering is good for controlling aggressive and territorial behavior but it’s yet to be proven whether the process has any effect on a beagle’s energy levels.
Now that we’ve got the science out of the way, is there anything else that you can do to get your beagle to calm down? Here are a few tips to get your troublesome furry friend to calm down:
Give Your Beagle Enough Playtime and Exercise
When you notice that your beagle is starting to get too hyper to stay indoors, take it outside and let your dog run it out.
Since a beagle will stay energetic almost throughout the day, running, playing, jumping, and trotting, take them to the backyard as frequently as you can.
Taking your beagle for daily walks is a good way of keeping their energy levels in check. A beagle puppy under one year old should be taken for a 20-minute walk, two times a day. Grown-up beagles over 1.5 years old should have two daily walks of 30 minutes each at a brisk pace.
There are times when it’s going to be impossible to take your dog out for a walk or a play date in the backyard, like during the winter. The good thing is that there are plenty of games that you can play inside the house to keep your energetic dog entertained.
Because they are energetic and smart dogs, beagles like mentally stimulating games like scenting and tracking games for dogs like:
- Guess the hand—involves placing a treat in one hand, closing both fists and then making the beagle guess the hand with the treat. If the guess is right, the dog gets the treat; if not, he doesn’t get the treat.
- Find the treat—hide the treat in boxes or anywhere else that you can think of. Keep making it hard for the dog to find the treat to keep the game interesting.
- Toss the treat—while in a room that’s dedicated to playtime, show your dog a treat and toss it in a place with lots of items and have him find it.
- Hide and seek
- Hiding treats or toys inside the house
- Scent tracking games – the trail should lead to a treat.
- Puzzle toy games
- Puzzle feeder games
- Tug of war
Give Your Beagle Mental Stimulating Toys and Tasks
Beagles are always eager to make their human counterparts happy and thrive when given roles that make them feel responsible. Some mentally stimulating toys include:
- KONG Air Dog Squeakair
- Misty Tough Rope Bone Dog Toy
- Collar Puller Two Rings Active Toys
- ZippyPaws Squeakie Pup Plush
- KONG Dental Rope
That’s why beagles are used as effective guard dogs, hunting dogs, and even as police dogs. These are serious responsibilities that only a smart, alert, and keen dog can perform.
You have to start early when training your beagle puppy to be responsible. This involves tasks inside the house like fetching shoes, fetching a particular item, etc.
These tasks aren’t complicated for us, but they help dogs stay focused and fulfilled. In turn, your dog will be calm, as he now feels like he has a purpose and a role to play at home.
Teach Your Beagle Commands
Training a dog is the first thing that you should think of when you bring a new furry family member home. Training goes for all dogs, especially hyper puppies like beagles.
Beagles are loud dogs, and if they aren’t trained properly, this can turn into something bad. Barking is a dog’s way of communicating, so you have to balance the times when the dog should bark and when it shouldn’t.
Like most dogs, a beagle will bark to get your attention. You can ignore your dog if you feel like the attention isn’t warranted. This is negative reinforcement, and it lets the dog know that it won’t get the desired outcome, in this case, your attention.
Any other form of reaction, like scolding your dog, gives the dog exactly what it wants—again, your attention. The dog will, therefore, keep barking.
Teaching your dog commands is one of the best ways to communicate with your furry friend. If the previous example didn’t work, you should teach your beagle commands to stop them from barking or acting up.
Popular commands that you can use on your beagle to either stop barking or calm them down are:
- Stay
- Stop
- Quiet
- Sit
- Time out
As we stated earlier, barking is a dog’s way of communicating, so you don’t want to stop it entirely. The dog should know there are times when it’s allowed to bark and when it isn’t. You can use the “speak” command when it’s okay for your dog to bark.
Develop more complex commands and ways to train your beagle, and it will build up the mental strength it needs to follow these commands. Not only will your beagle obey you, but it will also grow up to be a calmer dog.
Could It Be a Bathroom Break?
Beagle puppies get loud and rowdy when they need a bathroom break. They will bark, run around, and not calm down until they get their potty break.
Check the situation to know why your beagle is barking; it might actually save you from cleaning that stinky dog poop.
Control Your Emotions and Behavior Around Your Beagle
Dogs love humans and, at times, look up to them and react to their emotions and behavior.
For example, when you come home from work or your child comes home from school, don’t get overly excited when you see your beagle’s reaction. This might encourage your dog to turn the excitement up a notch. If you keep getting overly excited every time you come home, your dog might develop separation anxiety or neediness.
Also, when your dog is about to get his or her beauty sleep, tone down your voice and your demeanor for a while. With time, this will make a world of difference because the dog will get undisturbed sleep and rest to stay calmer.
Give Your Beagle Enough Rest and Relaxation
Picking up from the last tip, creating the right balance between playtime and relaxation plays a big role in helping your beagle calm down.
You need to set a time when you or your little one will play with the beagle until he tires up. In turn, you should give your pooch enough time to rest and relax.
Set aside a play area inside the house; this can be an entire room or a part of the living room. Once you’re done playing, your beagle should head over to his or her sleeping area to get some much-needed rest.
Your beagle will grow up knowing that he’ll get enough playtime and relaxation time and, therefore, will not act out all the time.
Provide Gentle Massages and Belly Rubs to Your Beagle
A gentle massage and a belly rub will calm even the most hyper dog down. The trick here is to massage and rub the belly slowly because it will turn into a game if you do it fast.
If your beagle starts to act up, call him over and place him on your lap or next to you when sitting on the couch. Rub their belly slowly, and if you do it right, your dog will start closing its eyes. If the eyes remain shut for about 15 minutes, put the dog down or to the side, and he will get a good nap.
Other Tips to Get a Beagle to Calm Down
- Keep small children away from your beagle when sleeping—small children make certain movements and sounds that the beagle interprets as a cue to play. Keep small children under 6 years old away from the beagle when it’s sleeping.
- Keep small pets, cats, and other active dogs away—beagles are playful fidos and never seem to tire. Other active pets get beagles worked up and will even break from sleep to go play. Keep the beagle in a separate room when sleeping, and you won’t have any incidents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are beagles good pets for kids?
Beagles are adorable, have high energy, and obey commands, making them great pets for kids and for the entire family. But because of their hyper attitude, beagles are best suited for grown kids who know there’s a time to play and a time to relax.
When should I spay or neuter my beagle?
According to most vets, male beagles can be neutered as early as 6 months of age, but it's best before a year old. Females can be spayed between 4 and 6 months old, ideally before their first heat.
Final Thoughts
Beagle puppies are more hyper than adult beagles, but they also have their moments of going mental inside your house.
Train them from the earliest time possible and provide lots of mental stimulation toys and tasks to keep their mind and body occupied.
Normalize playtime and create a routine that allows the two of you to relax. Beagles are smart, and as long as they know they’ll get enough playtime, they’ll stay calm.
