How to Leash Train a Beagle: 10 Awesome Tips and Tricks

While Beagles are great dogs, they can be notoriously difficult to leash train. But that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t, and if you follow these 10 tips, you can make it a much easier process.

Try to follow as many of these tricks as possible for maximum success. If you stick with it, you’ll have your Beagle leash trained in no time!

Top 10 Tips on How to Leash Train a Beagle

1. Start Young

While this isn’t something that you can go back in time and fix, you want to start as early as possible with leash training. While we don’t believe in the mantra that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks, trying to break an older dog of a bad habit is much more challenging than with a younger dog.

The sooner you start with leash training, the more effective and easier it will be for you. Get what you need and start as soon as possible.

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2. Stay Patient

The great thing about Beagles is that they want to learn. But that doesn’t mean they’ll figure it out right away. These things take time and Beagles like to run free.

You can still leash-train them and they’ll enjoy it, but it’s going to take time for them to adjust. Don’t expect them to figure it all out the first day; it’s a work in progress.

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3. Stay Positive

When your Beagle isn’t doing what they’re supposed to do, it can be frustrating. But don’t take out those frustrations on your Beagle. It’s not fair because they don’t realize what they’re doing wrong, and they’ll also start dreading time on the leash.

You want this to be a positive experience that they look forward to. The only way this can happen, though, is if you stay upbeat every time they’re on the leash. If you find yourself getting frustrated, head home for a break.

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4. Use a Harness

This is probably the simplest thing that you can do to help your leash training. While you shouldn’t believe the claim that harnesses will “stop leash pulling immediately,” they do help. Even better for your Beagle, harnesses pull across their shoulders, not around their neck.

It’s also less likely for a Beagle to slip out of a harness. Overall, a harness is a small investment that can make a big difference when you’re leash training your Beagle.

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5. Use Treats

You want your Beagle to enjoy time on their leash, and you want to positively reward them when they’re acting the way that you want. Give them treats every time you put them on the leash and whenever they’re acting appropriately.

However, you should only give them treats to reward positive behavior. While a treat can be a quick and easy way to get them to stop doing something that you don’t want them to do, it’s also teaching them that if they do something that they shouldn’t, they will get a treat.

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6. Keep It Short

This refers to the overall area that you cover during the walk. You can take them on long walks, but until they learn to do better on a leash, keep the walks over a shorter course.

You might have to cover the same area repeatedly, which can be boring, but that’s the point. It’s a bit boring for your dog too, and the fewer distractions there are, the easier it will be for them to remember what they should do. As they get better, you can take them on longer walks through more diverse terrain.

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7. Eliminate Distractions

Beagles tend to jump from thing to thing, going after whatever attracts their attention. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it can be a bit challenging to keep them on task. To help them along, find a route with as few distractions as possible. This includes rabbits, squirrels, other people, dogs, and just about anything else that you can think of. The more everything stays the same, the easier it will be to keep your Beagle doing what they should.

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8. Stay Consistent

The key to any kind of dog training is consistency and leash training is a Beagle is no exception. Schedule a daily and weekly routine to take them out for walks. This will give you and your Beagle plenty of time to practice, and it’ll help your Beagle learn what to expect.

Keep practicing each day, and give them plenty of time for walks. If you stay consistent, you’ll have your Beagle fully leash trained in no time.

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9. Let Them Sniff

Beagles are traditionally hunting dogs and they hunt through scent. Every instinct in their bodies tells them to sniff things; it’s how they explore the world. While you don’t necessarily want to stop at every pole and leaf, it’s important to give them a bit of time to sniff things.

This will make a walk a more enjoyable experience for them, and it’ll exercise them both physically and mentally.

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10. Use the Right Leash

While the retractable leash can be a great tool, it’s not a good option for leash training. It provides an inconsistent distance for your Beagle to adjust to, which can make it harder for them to figure out what to do.

It also trains your Beagle that it’s acceptable to go farther distances from you. You want your Beagle to adjust to walking by your side, not zipping from place to place as you try to control them. Use a short leash without much slack when you’re starting to leash train them.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know how to leash train your Beagle, all that’s left is for you to pick up the necessary supplies and get started! Take your Beagle out for a few walks, and remember that they’re not going to get it right their first time.

But before long, your Beagle will be following your lead each time you head out for a walk, and it’ll be an enjoyable experience for both of you.

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Featured Image Credit: Maria Sbytova, Shutterstock