How to Train Your Beagle Dog to Sleep at Night
How to Train Your Beagle Dog to Sleep at Night
Easy difficulty iconEasy
Time icon1-6 Weeks
General training category iconGeneral
Introduction

Since you welcomed that cute little ball of Beagle fluff into your home, life has flown by. Beagles are known to be even-tempered, gentle, and intelligent. Your Beagle certainly lives up to all of those expectations. However, he doesn’t half seem to have a strange sleeping pattern. You put him to bed at night but you can hear him roaming and playing around from upstairs. Then he’ll spend half the day sleeping. So, when you do want to give him attention, he’s tired, and when he wants attention you’re getting your much-needed shut-eye.

You want him awake and lively when the kids are around and you want him on the same body clock as everyone else in the house. Training him to sleep at night will also be good for his health. Dogs, like humans, need a long and undisrupted sleep.

arrow-up-icon
Top
Defining Tasks

Training a Beagle to sleep at night is definitely achievable. They are smart dogs so they should respond to training swiftly. The first thing you’ll need to do is look at his routine. You need to ensure he has a consistent routine with plenty of exercise and attention. You’ll then need to take a number of steps to encourage him to sleep in the evening.

If he’s a puppy, he should need lots of sleep for growing. You could see results in just a week or two. If he’s older and had strange sleeping habits throughout his life then you may need up to 6 weeks to get him into a consistent routine. Succeed with this training and you won’t have to worry about coming downstairs to see he’s been up all night causing havoc on your furniture.

arrow-up-icon
Top
Getting Started

Before training can begin you will need to gather a few things. You may need to get him a comfy new bed. If he’s a puppy he will need a crate to sleep in to start with.

You’ll also need to set aside some time each day for playing and exercising. You’ll also need some treats and his favorite food to motivate him throughout. Some food puzzles will also be needed for one of the methods.

Apart from that you just need patience and a positive attitude. Once you have all that, you’re ready to go!

arrow-up-icon
Top

The Puppy Bed Time Method

Most Recommended

1 Vote

Ribbon icon

Most Recommended

1 Vote

Ribbon icon
1

A toy to chew on

Some young Beagle dogs are up at night because they are teething. This can cause serious discomfort. So, give him a chewable toy to sink his teeth into in the evenings. Leave one in his bed and he’ll have something to help him drift off and keep the pain at bay.

2

Crate close by

Keep the crate relatively close to you to start with. Those first few weeks can be the hardest as Beagle puppies develop a close connection with their owners. So, let him sleep in just the next room or two to start with until he’s settled.

3

Increase the distance

As the weeks go by, you can sleep further and further away from him. His confidence will quickly grow and any separation anxiety that’s keeping him up will quickly subside.

4

Food puzzles

Beagle puppies have lots of energy. Energy that may be keeping them up at night. Leaving a food puzzle for him in the evening is a good way to tire him out. It will take time and effort to get to the food in the middle. By the time he has gotten there he’ll be in serious need of a sleep.

5

Praise

Give him encouragement and praise whenever you see him in his bed in the evening. Also, make sure you give him lots of praise when you catch him in his bed in the morning. If he associates being in bed at night with attention from his owner then he’ll be more likely to stay put.

The Routine Method

Effective

2 Votes

Ribbon icon

Effective

2 Votes

Ribbon icon
1

Exercise

Make sure you take him out for a decent walk each day. Beagles have lots of energy so they need a good run around. You can make his current walk longer or you can throw a ball for him as you walk around. With enough exercise his body will force him into sleeping at the end of a long day.

2

Meals

It’s important he gets his meals at the same time each day. If you can set a consistent routine then he will be able to relax in-between meals. It’s all about bringing his body clock in line with yours.

3

Toilet time

Make sure you take him out to the toilet first thing in the morning and before he goes to bed. Some dogs don’t sleep because they need the toilet. If he knows he’ll get to go outside first thing in the morning he’ll be more able to relax and sleep in between.

4

Attention

Make sure you spend a few minutes each day giving him attention. This play time will not only help tire him out but it will also satisfy any attention-seeking behavior. Simply playing tug of war for 10 minutes should do the trick.

5

Good morning & good night

Make sure you say "hello" to him each morning and before you go to bed. If he can’t sleep because he has separation anxiety then this should remedy the problem. If he knows you’ll be there to greet him in the morning he’ll be able to relax. Some dogs simply need reassurance.

The Environment Method

Effective

0 Votes

Ribbon icon

Effective

0 Votes

Ribbon icon
1

Location

Make sure his bed is in a secluded spot. Dogs need privacy so try and position his bed in a spot where he has some walls around him. Three walls would be ideal. If the space feels like it’s truly his he’ll find it easier to relax and sleep.

2

New bed

He may not be sleeping because he doesn’t like his bed. Go out and get him a new one. Make sure it’s big and comfy. The more blankets the better.

3

Leave a treat out

When it’s approaching bed time, place a treat on his bed. This is the ideal way to lure him into bed in the first place. Beagles, like most dogs, have a weak spot for anything tasty. If a treat is always there he’ll start to look forward to going to bed in the evening.

4

Down time

Spend a couple of minutes before you go to sleep calmly stroking him in his bed. This will help relax and settle him. You don’t want to get him animated so keep it calm and controlled.

5

Never punish him

If you shout at him when you catch him up at night you’ll only scare him. If he’s terrified he’ll find it even harder to sleep. You must remain calm at all times through out training.

Written by James Barra

Veterinary reviewed by:

Published: 12/20/2017, edited: 01/08/2021

Training Questions and Answers

Dog nametag icon
Austin
Dog breed icon
Beagle
Dog age icon
Fifteen Weeks
Question icon
Question
Thumbs up icon
0 found this helpful
Thumbs up icon
0 found this helpful

it's his first day and he is shouting and not listening properly?

Aug. 7, 2023

Austin's Owner

Expert avatar

Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer

Recommendation ribbon

1128 Dog owners recommended

Hello, Since you just brought puppy home and they are new to this, know that what you are experiencing is most likely completely normal. The older the puppy when you first start crate training, the louder and longer they tend to protest at first. Pup is getting used to sleeping alone and that's an adjustment. Usually the first five days are the worst. It typically takes about two weeks for most pups to adjust completely; however, you can help that adjustment be as smooth as possible by doing the following. 1. When pup cries but doesn't have to go potty (like after you return them to the crate when they just went potty outside) be consistent about ignoring the crying until they go back to sleep. The more consistent you are the quicker the overall process tends to take even if it's hard to do for the first couple weeks. 2. When pup does truly need to go potty (when it's been at least 2 hours since pup last peed), take pup to go potty outside on a leash to keep pup focused and things calmer. Don't give treats, food, play, or much attention during these trips - boring and sleepy is the goal, then right back to bed after. This helps pup learn to only wake when they truly need to go potty and be able to put themselves back to sleep - helping them start sleeping longer stretches sooner and not ask to go out unless they actually need to potty. Pup will generally need 1-2 potty trips at night even after trained for a couple months though due to a small bladder. 3. Wait until pup asks to go potty by crying in the crate at night before you take them - opposed to setting an alarm clock, unless pup is having accidents in the crate and not asking to go out. This gives pup the chance to learn to start falling back to sleep when they wake in light sleep if they don't really need to go potty, instead of being woken up all the way when they could have held it a bit longer. 4. Practice the Surprise method from the article I have linked below to help pup get used to crate time during the day too - so that there is less crying at night due to pup adjusting to being alone. This step is very important. You don't want to give treats at night so you need to proactively practice during the day, even if that means doing it for an hour after dinner before bed, so pup has some time to be out of the crate after you get home, and time out after practicing after dinner before bedtime...On the weekends practice multiple times throughout the day, giving at least an hour break between sessions. If you are home during the day during weekdays practice throughout the day then too. Surprise method - only give treats during daytime practice, not at night though: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Aug. 25, 2023

Dog nametag icon
Beaux
Dog breed icon
Beagle
Dog age icon
Twenty Two Months
Question icon
Question
Thumbs up icon
0 found this helpful
Thumbs up icon
0 found this helpful

After 22 months Beaux now will not sleep at night. Literally wants to spend all night in the garden looking for Foxes as recently saw one in there No routine change No change in diet No change to daily routine Sleeps in crate near to us but not in our room Only had one bleed/season Also NEVER settles

Sept. 28, 2022

Beaux's Owner

Expert avatar

Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer

Recommendation ribbon

1128 Dog owners recommended

Hello, While awake in the crate is he barking or scratching to get out, or lying in there quietly. If lying quietly, I would give it some time, for the fixation it decrease and work on ensuring its harder for foxes to get into the garden if you can - so it doesn't smell like one the next morning when he goes outside. If he is keeping you awake barking or scratching, I would teach Quiet, then correct when he makes noise in the crate. First, work on teaching the Quiet command during the day using the Quiet method from the article linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Second, during the day practice the Surprise method from the article linked below. Whenever pup stays quiet in the crate for 5 minutes, sprinkle some treats into the crate without opening it, then leave the room again. As he improves, only give the treats every 10 minutes, then 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 1 hour, 1.5 hour, 2, hour, 3 hour. Practice crating him during the day for 1-3 hours each day that you can. If you are home during the day, have lots of 30 minute - 1 hour long sessions with breaks between to practice this, to help pup learn sooner. Whenever he cries in the crate, tell him "Quiet". If he gets quiet - Great! Sprinkle treats in after five minutes if he stays quiet. If he continues barking or stops and starts again, spray a quick puff of air from a pet convincer at his side through the crate while calmly saying "Ah Ah", then leave again. Only use unscented air canisters, DON'T use citronella! And avoid spraying in the face. Surprise method: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Repeat the rewards when quiet and the corrections whenever he cries. When he cries at night before it has been 8 hours (so you know it's not a potty issue), tell him Quiet, and correct with the pet convincer if he doesn't become quiet and stay quiet. If he is completely quiet when crated during the day, skip to just correcting at night. Ideally you would be able to practice Quiet and rewards for quietness during the day too, so that he understands that you want quietness INSTEAD of the barking or scratching, but you don't want to practice with treats at night because the treats may keep him awake, so only do treats during daytime practice, and just correct at night. A little bit of this will also be time - for the memory of the fox to be less fresh and no new fox smells to be in the garden every morning if the fox is still coming around, but you can address him keeping you awake while he learns to settle again. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Oct. 3, 2022

Dog nametag icon
Leroy
Dog breed icon
Beagle
Dog age icon
8 Months
Question icon
Question
Thumbs up icon
0 found this helpful
Thumbs up icon
0 found this helpful
User generated photo

He is always hungry and is hard to leave him alone when I go to work

Jan. 13, 2022

Leroy's Owner

Expert avatar

Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer

Recommendation ribbon

1128 Dog owners recommended

Hello Ivette, I would check with your vet to make sure pup is being fed the right amount of food or right type of food. I would also check with your vet to rule out something like a tape worm (which many parasite medications don't prevent and increased hunger is a symptom). I am not a vet though so refer to your vet for any health concerns. Outside of a medical issue, many dogs absolutely love food regardless of health and weight and would eat all the time if you allowed it. For these dogs, being consistent with not giving into begging, having pup work more for food, and using toys that require pup to work for the food can hold their interest better. You can place pup's meal kibble into a baggie, then use that kibble throughout the day to stuff puzzle toys, kongs, kong wobbles, automatic treat dispensing devices. You can play treat hiding games, hide and seek come, or use the kibble to train pup daily. This can help keep pup entertained better, and looking for the food on their own instead of just constantly asking you, if you are firm about not giving in and redirecting to their own dog food stuffed items instead of begging from you. How is pup reacting when you leave him alone? There are a couple of routes you can take with the separation anxiety, depending on how pup responds and the severity of it. There is also something called separation boredom, which is not really anxiety but rather boredom based. Giving pup things to do, like dog food stuffed kongs, can help with boredom based issues. For anxiety, the first step is to work on building his independence and his confidence by adding a lot of structure and predictability into his routine. Things such as making him work for rewards like meals, walks, and pets. Working on "Stay" and "Place," commands while you move away or leave the room, and teaching him to remain inside a crate when the door is open. Change your routine surrounding leaving so that he does not anticipate alone time and build up his anxiety before you leave - which is hard for him to deescalate from, and be sure to continue to give him something to do in the crate during the day (such as a dog food stuffed Kong to chew on). Also, practice the Surprise method from the article I have linked below. If pup does fine out of the crate and the case is mild, you can do this in a dog proofed room instead of crate, but if pup is destructive when left alone or has potty accidents, pup is probably being given freedom out of the crate too soon, and needs to be crated while you are away until he is past that destructive phase around 18 months; this is the general protocol for separation anxiety. It is gentle but can take a very long time on its own for some dogs with more severe cases. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omg5DVPWIWo Down-Stay: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/train-your-labrador-to-lie-down-and-stay/ Surprise method: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Another protocol involves teaching the dog to cope with their own anxiety by making their current anxious go-to behaviors unpleasant, giving them an opportunity to stop those behaviors long enough to learn something new, then rewarding the correct, calmer behavior instead. This protocol can feel harsh because it involves careful correction, but it tends to work much quicker for many dogs. If you go this route, I suggest hiring a trainer who is very experienced using both positive reinforcement and fair correction. Who is extremely knowledgeable about e-collar training, and can follow the protocol listed below, to help you implement the training. Building his independence and structure in his life will still be an important part of this protocol too. First, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3j882MAYDU Second, you will need an interrupter, such as an electronic collar, e-collar, with a wide range of levels. I recommend purchasing only high quality brands though. For example, E-Collar Technologies Mini Educator or Garmin Delta Sport or Dogtra for this. If you are not comfortable with an e-collar then you can use a vibration collar (the Mini Educator and Garmin should also have a vibration mode) or unscented air remote controlled air spray collar. DO NOT use a citronella collar, buy the additional unscented air canister if the collar comes with the citronella and make sure that you use the unscented air. (Citronella collars are actually very harsh and the smell - punisher lingers a long time so the dog continues to be corrected even after they stop the behavior). The vibration or spray collars are less likely to work than stimulation e-collars though, so you may end up spending more money by not purchasing an e-collar first. The Mini Educator has very low levels of stimulation, that can be tailored specifically to your dog. It also has vibration and beep tones that you can try using first, without having to buy additional tools. Next, set up a camera to spy on him. If you have two smart devices, like tablets or smartphones, you can Skype or Facetime them to one another with your pup’s end on mute, so that you can see and hear him but he will not hear you. Video baby monitors, video security monitors with portable ways to view the video, GoPros with the phone Live App, or any other camera that will record and transmit the video to something portable that you can watch outside live will work. Next, put the e-collar on him while he is outside of the crate, standing, and relaxed. Turn it to it's lowest level and push the stimulation button twice. See if he responds to the collar at all. Look for subtle signs such as turning his head, moving his ears, biting his fur, moving away from where he was, or changing his expression. If he does not respond at all, then go up one level on the collar and when he is standing and relaxed, push the stimulation button again twice. Look for a reaction again. Repeat going up one level at a time and then testing his reaction at that level until he indicates a little bit that he can feel the collar. Here is a video showing how to do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cl3V8vYobM A modern, high quality collar will have so many levels that each level should be really subtle and he will likely respond to a low level stimulation. It's uncomfortable but not the harsh shock many people associate with such collars if done right. Once you have found the right stimulation level for him and have it correctly fitted on him, have him wear the collar around with it turned off or not being stimulated for several hours or days if you can (take it off at night to sleep though). Next, set up your camera to spy on him while he is in the crate. Put him into the crate while he is wearing the collar and leave. Spy on him from outside. Leave however you normally would. As soon as you hear him barking or see him start to try to escape or destroy the crate from the camera, push the stimulation button once. Every time he barks or tries to get out of the crate, stimulate him again. If he does not decrease his barking or escape attempts at least a little bit after being stimulated seven times in a row, then increase the stimulation level by one level. He may not feel the stimulation while excited so might need it just slightly higher. Do not go higher than three more levels on the mini-educator or two more levels on another collar with less levels right now though because he has not learned what he is supposed to be doing yet. For example, if his level is 13 out of 100 levels on the Mini Educator, don't go past level 16 right now. The level you end up using on him on the mini educator collar will probably be low to medium, within the first forty levels of the one-hundred to one-hundred-and-twenty-five levels, depending on the model you purchase. If it is not, then have a professional evaluate whether you have the correct "working level" for him. If he continues to ignore the collar, then go up one more stimulation level and if that does not work, make sure that the collar is turned on, fitted correctly, and working. After five minutes to ten minutes, as soon as your dog stays quiet and is not trying to escape for five seconds straight, go back inside to the dog, sprinkle several treats into the crate without saying anything, then leave again. Practice correcting him from outside when he barks or tries to escape, going back inside and sprinkling treats when he stays quiet, for up to 30 minutes at first. After 30 minutes -1 hour of practicing this, when he is quiet, go back inside and sprinkle more treats. This time stay inside. Do not speak to him or pay attention to him for ten minutes while you walk around and get stuff done inside. When he is being calm, then you can let him out of the crate. When you let him out, do it the way Jeff does is in this video below. Opening and closing the door until your dog is not rushing out. You want him to be calm when he comes out of the crate and to stay calm when you get home. That is why you need to ignore him when you get home right away. Also, keep your good byes extremely boring and calm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5GqzeLzysk Put a food stuffed Kong into the crate with him also. He may not want it right now, but once he is less anxious after training he will likely enjoy it and that will help him to enjoy the crate more, especially since he is so food motivated. First, he may need his anxious state of mind interrupted so that he is open to learning other ways to behave. Once it's interrupted, give him a food stuffed Kong in the crate for him to relieve his boredom instead of barking, since he will need something other than barking to do at that point. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Jan. 14, 2022


Wag! Specialist
Chat with a trainer

Learn more in the Wag! app

Five starsFive starsFive starsFive starsFive stars

43k+ reviews

Install


© 2025 Wag Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.


© 2025 Wag Labs, Inc. All rights reserved.