If you want to teach your Beagle to come when called, also known as recall, you have come to the right place! This guide includes three different methods so that you can teach the basics of this behavior, learn how to practice it with a fun game, and “proof” your recall so that it will be strong regardless of when or where you use it.
Beagles as a breed are at higher risk of running off to chase a scent than some other breeds. This means that no matter how good your Beagle’s recall is, she may still choose to chase down a fresh trail than to come to you no matter how much you have practiced this valuable skill. Her drive to chase a scent is a powerful one, so make sure she is always leashed around traffic or other dangerous conditions.
It is still worth spending time to teach your Beagle to come when called, even if he will never be 100% safe to let off leash. Being able to recall your dog in an emergency situation may save his life. The time you invest in teaching and practicing this valuable life skill may one day come in very handy.
Working on your Beagle’s recall is not just about having great training sessions, it is also about following some basic guidelines for success. Remember that the idea is to teach your Beagle that coming to you when you call him is a rewarding experience.
Here are some specific tips for success when teaching recall:
Before getting started with training your Beagle to come when called, you will need:
Rewards – Different dogs enjoy different rewards. Luckily, most Beagles are food motivated so you can use some treats cut into pea-sized pieces. You can also use other motivators like a squeaky ball or a tug with her favorite stuffed animal. Varying the motivators that you use during your recall training will help strengthen the behavior.
Long Line – Once you are ready to start working on recall outside, you will want a long 25’ or longer rope or leash so that you can safely put some distance between you and your Beagle to practice recall drills. This will also allow you to be able to “enforce” the recall by reeling her in if she fails to come when called.
Positive Attitude – Remember that dogs learn fastest when training is fun. Our methods will focus on the use of rewards, but it is up to you to bring patience to the table for your training sessions. You may have to ignore some failures along the way but stay focused on rewarding success and your Beagle will be coming when called in no time!
I'm trying to get his recall good, but a challenge for me is that he lunges and barks at strange dogs. How can I do this?
Hello Cadence, First, in addition to using rewards I also suggest teaching Come using a long leash to increase consistency even when he does not want to Come. Check out the Reel In method from the article linked below for steps to teach it this way. When you practice this also make sure he is in a collar or harness that he absolutely cannot slip out of. Ruffwear brand makes several good harnesses that are hard to slip out of, like the Webmaster. Collars like martingales are also less likely to slip over his head than buckle collars when fitted correctly. Be cautious and safe about what you choose. A padded harness is typically harder to escape than a collar if fitted correctly when you use something like Ruffwear. Front clip harnesses tend to work better for pullers than back clip ones. Reel In method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-whippet-to-recall I would need a bit more details about the aggression to advise about that. He needs the root issue - his problem with other dogs, to be addressed to be truly reliable with Come. It is always great to teach a Come but I would definitely not trust him off leash until he can focus on you around other dogs. If the lunging is due to excitement, then he needs to practice come in an open space on a long leash with other dogs off in the distance until he can stay focused on you and come consistently. Once he can come consistently, then overtime gradually practice with less and less distance between him and other dogs until other dogs are not a big deal. I also suggest evaluating how is currently interacting with other dogs. If he frequently visits places where there are other dogs off leash dogs rough housing, like dog parks, and plays in a way that gets him over-aroused, I suggest stopping those park visits right now. Instead look for an obedience class where he can practice being around other dogs in a calm, structured way, or a dog walking group that does things like city walks or hikes together, where he and you could practice a structured heel around them. Some dog clubs or meetup.com groups get together for such walks and activities in certain cities. If he is not simply overly excited but is aggressive toward the other dogs, the aggression needs to be dealt with. If fear aggressive, when he is calm you can work on pairing the presence of another dogs with a reward while the other dog is at a distance. If not fearful but wanting to instigate a fight or dominate, then he needs to go into doggie boot camp with you to work on building his respect for you, increasing his tolerance, and using both fair corrections and positive reinforcement to modify behavior. You can learn more about that type of aggression from the following trainers: The Good Dog training: https://thegooddog.net SolidK9Training: https://www.solidk9training.com/free-resources Both trainers above have free YouTube channels with educational videos. I also highly suggest finding a trainer who is very experienced with aggression and comes well recommended in that area, to help you in person if true aggression is what's going on, or if you feel at all uncertain about training on your own Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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