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Do Beagles Bark A Lot? – How To Stop Them

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Beagles are energetic affectionate dogs that are owned by many people in the world. Some owners complain that their Beagles are being too noisy though. So do Beagles bark a lot?

Beagles are known for their loud barking. Because they are a hound breed, they tend to be louder compared to other dog breeds. But there can be some reasons that cause the Beagle to bark louder and more often. And there are things you can do to prevent this.

Short Introduction To The Beagle

The Beagle breed has a long history linking it back to the St. Hubert Hound. It is a hound breed, meaning that it was used as a hunting dog. 

Beagles are relatively small dogs with two recurring sizes. One is 13-15 inches in height and 20-30 pounds in weight, while the other is smaller. They have a short, tri-colored coat, and cute floppy ears. Beagles have a specific smell, due to being hound dogs.

These dogs have a friendly temperament and they are very affectionate with their family. They are intelligent, but stubborn dogs and have a high prey drive to chase small animals. But they are also known for their loud recurring bark.

How Much Do Beagles Bark?

Your Beagle will bark differently depending on many factors. When the number of repetitive barks is high, the dog feels excited. When there is only one strong bark, it might be a sign of frustration or surprise.

When there is little space between the barks, the dog is either aggressive or excited, depending on the context. When there is more space, it means the dog feels lethargic or sad.

When Does The Barking Start?

On average, all puppies start vocalizing at the age of 2-3 weeks. This follows the period when the puppy opens its eyes and ears. The first sounds are grunts and whines, while the more recognizable yips and barks start at the age of 7-8 weeks. Some dogs take longer to develop their vocalization, even up to 16 weeks of age.

Reasons For Your Beagle Barking

If you have a Beagle you know how often it may bark. There are many reasons why you might hear Beagles barking.

Excitement

Beagles can get really excited about things, and this will result in a few exciting barks. If you’ve been off to work for the day and come home, expect the Beagle to welcome you with a few loving barks. If you are taking it on a walk or playing a fun game you will get some exciting barks as well. Getting a new toy or treat will also result in excited barking.

Boredom And Attention Seeking

If you are doing something at home without your Beagle, it might start barking at you because it wants attention. It just wants to be included in your activities so it doesn’t just roam around and sleep all day. If it feels really bored it might bark to entertain itself because it enjoys the sound of its voice. Try to give your pup enough attention throughout the day so it doesn’t feel left out.

Alerting You

You will hear the Beagle barking sounds when your Beagle wants to alert you that a stranger is approaching your home. This trait makes Beagles excellent watchdogs, even though they are not good guard dogs. Some Beagles will even bark when a phone is ringing, or when a squirrel is climbing up the tree in your yard. This repetitive alerting bark might become a problem when you want to have people over.

Fear

You will hear your Beagle barking a lot if it’s afraid. They can be afraid of different things. Thunderstorms and fireworks are loud and scary to the dogs. Beagles that were adopted from rescue centers might have a traumatic history. This will make them afraid of people and their intentions to they will bark as a protection mechanism. Some dogs are even afraid of large objects like umbrellas and stools.

Barking is commonly shown in dogs that are afraid, even in those not known for barking. For example, Bulldogs will bark a lot if scared.

Hunger

Beagles need around 1 cup of high-quality dog food every day. It should consist of enough protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to satiate a dog. This should be split into more meals during the day, usually two. If they don’t get enough food, they will become hungry and start barking. This is understandable because we as people also get frustrated if we haven’t had anything to eat for too long.

Stress And Anxiety

A barking Beagle might mean that it is stressed about something. Stress can happen for a lot of reasons, but the most common one in Beagles is separation anxiety. This happens because Beagles like to connect to their owners, and they can’t stay separated for a lot of time. Beagles with separation anxiety will show excessive barking, pacing, chewing, and destroying the furniture in the home.

Aggression

Beagles are rarely aggressive, but there are things that cause them to act aggressively. If it is mistreated or not trained properly, it will react with aggressive behavior. There are some symptoms of aggression that you will notice:

  • Stiff and rigid pose
  • A fixed stare 
  • Growling and showing teeth
  • Angry barking
  • Lunging, nipping, and biting

If you notice the dog getting angry at something, react carefully and promptly. If you know what triggers that aggression, get the trigger away.

Pain

You might have your Beagle puppy barking because of some health problems that cause pain. It is a way of expressing pain and asking for help. If your dog is dealing with arthritis it will bark at you if you touch its painful joints. If it has eczema, it will be itchy and uncomfortable and start barking out of frustration. If you think your Beagle is barking for no reason, look for other symptoms.

How Do I Get My Beagle To Stop Barking?

Beagles will bark for a variety of reasons. Your job is to detect the reason and act on it. Getting a chew toy will help steal its attention from barking. Proper exercise and training will help decrease the instances of barking. But there are other things you can try as well.

Socialize Early

Socializing your dog should be something you start early in their life. You can start socializing your Beagle at around 8 weeks of age. You should first introduce it to your closest family and friends. It will pick up their scents and befriend them for life. 

Then you need to socialize it with other animals you have in your house like dogs and cats. At last, you need to take it to the dog park and let it meet new people and dogs there. The puppy will be curious and want to learn from the older dogs. This will be very beneficial to you in the future.

Exercise Properly

If you want to know how to get your Beagle to stop barking, you need to know how much exercise it requires. Beagles need around 1 hour of exercise every day to keep calm. This can be split into two sessions in the morning and evening.

You can take the Beagle walking around the neighborhood or to the dog park. You should also do some more demanding exercise. Beagles are fast runners due to their hunting history so they are very keen on running. They will also like hiking and playing games like fetch and tug-of-war. Tiring the Beagle out will leave no more energy for barking.

Ignore And Don’t Reward Barking

Beagles often bark for attention and out of boredom. If you react to their barking by yelling or giving them treats, they will understand that the barking gets them attention. Next time they want attention they will repeat that behavior and so on.

Because of this, restrain yourself from reacting and ignore the dog if your think it only barks because it is bored. Wait for it to stop barking and ignore it for a while before giving it attention. That way you won’t give the wrong signs. Make sure you can distinguish the bored barks from the other barks because you might end up ignoring an important bark like danger.

Teach The “Quiet” Command

If you want a quiet home, you need to know how to train Beagles not to bark. You can do this by teaching them the “quiet” command. 

The first step of this training method is to make the Beagle bark. Find a trigger for its barking and let it bark. Then say “bark” and reward it for following your command. Repeat this training for a few days until the dog starts barking just by command without the trigger.

After this is taught, proceed to the “quiet” command. Make your Beagle bark first and then tell it to be “quiet” while it’s barking. Wait for the dog to stop barking and then give it a treat. In time, it will realize what “quiet” means.

Use Distractions And Create A Safe Space

If your Beagle starts barking at a squirrel or something else it senses outside, find a way to distract it. You can give it a toy that it likes or a puzzle toy that requires mental energy. Distractions work great if your dog gets scared of the vacuum or loud fireworks.

Another way to stop Beagle barking is to create a safe space for your pup. This is very important for Beagles that stay home alone during the day. Some Beagles don’t like to be alone in a larger place, so getting a dog crate for it to rest in is the best option to calm it down.

Try To Listen Or Ask For Help

We know that barking too much and too often can get annoying for you. But you need to have in mind that barking has a real purpose sometimes. Ignoring the bark might lead you to miss some important things. You might think that the Beagle is barking because of boredom, but it might just be experiencing a health issue. Because of this, you need to pay a little attention and investigate if there really is a problem.

If you can’t solve the barking problem yourself, or you think that there might be a more dangerous reason for it, ask for help. The best thing to do is to consult your vet. They will have answers to all your questions.

What Other Sounds Do Beagles Make?

Dogs can make many different sounds for many different reasons. For example, Rottweilers growl and show teeth when happy. Beagles are noisy dogs. They don’t only bark but they also produce other sounds that might annoy you. Most often, these include baying and howling.

Baying

Baying is a sound that is most often heard in hunting dogs. This is a sound dogs do when they have hunted and caught their prey. In a normal environment, your dog will make this noise if someone tries to harm them or its owners. They might also make this sound due to frustration caused by another dog in the family.

Beagle baying sounds like a mix between a bark and a howl. It is a long drawn-out sound but it has splits that make it sound like barking.

Howling

Howling is a sound that most Beagles make, yet there are some that don’t. It is meant to be a warning or a way of communication to the pack about any threats in the area. In a home environment, Beagles will use howling to communicate a need to their owner. They might need some attention, they are in pain, or they are asking for something else.

The Beagle howl sounds very specific and easy to notice. It is a long and drawn-out sound usually made by positioning the snout up to the sky.

A Beagle smiling

Final Thoughts – Do Beagles Bark A Lot?

The Beagle is a small and beautiful hound dog that has a rich history in hunting. Because of that, Beagles have a very iconic loud bark that some owners like but some hate.

There are many reasons why a Beagle might start barking. These include feelings like excitement, fear, boredom, stress, and hunger. Sometimes the barking may be caused by pain from a health problem.

To get your Beagle to stop barking you need to first train and socialize it early on in its life. Teaching the “quiet” command will help you a lot. You should ignore the barking if it’s coming out of boredom. If you suspect that there is a serious problem causing the barking, you will need to visit your vet to ask for help.

FAQ

Are Beagles suitable for apartments?

Beagles can fit great into any apartment. They are small dogs that don’t need a lot of grooming, so they are considered low-maintenance dogs. The only problem is the loud excessive barking which can be fixed with training.

How long can you leave Beagles alone?

You shouldn’t leave your Beagle alone for more than four or five hours. If left alone for too long, your Beagle can develop separation anxiety. This will lead to behavior issues like chewing and digging.

Do Beagles bark a lot at night?

Beagles will bark at night for the same reasons they bark during the day. Usually, it’s because they haven’t had enough exercise to spend their energy. It could also be due to boredom, fear, or hunger.

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