Beagles are quite expressive dogs. They communicate their feelings and thoughts via many ways such as barking, howling, being hyperactive and even aggressive. However, excessive barking can be such an irritation sometimes. So, in this post, I will explain to you why Beagles bark so much and how to manage those overwhelming woofs.
So, what causes beagles to bark?
Beagles bark as a way to react to their emotions such as loneliness, excitement and anxiety. However, these dogs also bark to simply get your attention or be territorial. Moreover, a Beagle’s barks can mean it is just calling out for other dogs to bond as Beagles are pack animals that want companionship.
Plus, do not forget that if a Beagle’s reason to bark gets serious, it might even start howling, hyperactivity, chewing things in the house and all kinds of other commotions all together.
Note: Your Beagle’s barking can mean the dog is hungry or hurting too. So make sure your Beagle is well-fed and not suffering from any sicknesses.
So now, let me explain further as to what causes Beagles to bark excessively and how to deal those barking tendencies.
Here are the causes that make your Beagle bark
01 – Reaction to certain emotions
A Beagle naturally reacts to every emotion quite differently but it has a limited number of ways to express its feelings and thoughts.
For example, barking, howling and other behavioral changes such as hyperactivity and aggression are ways a Beagle reacts or communicates.
Loneliness:
if you leave your Beagle at home for too long, the dog gets separation anxiety and therefore, starts barking, howling and behaving strangely and not like its usual self.
Eventually, this even can lead to depression which is definitely not a good mental state for the dog’s wellbeing.
Boredom:
This is kind of like the second stage of being lonely. Here, the Beagle runs out of things to do and now, wants to get your attention. So the doggo barks or howl excessively until you react to it.
Excitement:
A Beagle also barks when it gets excited. For example, seeing a treat in your hand that you are about to give it, finding the reward when you two play hide and seek with toys and treats or seeing you coming home after being gone for a while.
Anxiety:
This emotion is coming from the curious mind of a Beagle. When somebody comes to the door and knocks on it, the dog gets curious and anxious as to know who it is.
So the dog barks to the outsider and to you to see who it is.
Also, a Beagle can get anxious and bark when it is around other strangers and pets.
Not only that, it happens when the dog hears loud noises or goes somewhere new with you too.
These are the most common instances where a Beagle barks which is why I mention them one by one.
Fear:
This one is quite simple. Whenever the dog feels threated or scared by a person, a situation or a thing, barking is the first reaction the dog shows.
A predominant fear that a Beagle or any other dog has is the fear of being abandoned.
And also, phobias that the dog has developed overtime such as fears of loud noises, raining, thundering and the dark.
So as a way to cope with these fears, the dog behaves differently such as excessive barking.
02 – Seeking your attention
Sometimes, your Beagle just craves your attention especially when you are not giving enough. Not only Beagles but most other dog breeds also use barking, howling, hyperactivity and even eating-less as tactics to get a reaction out of their owner.
So, the more you react, the more attention your Beagle gets by barking. In other words, more barks basically mean more feedings to its craving of attention. Thus, the dog gets more motivated to use barking to have your attention.
03 – Being territorial and calling out to other dogs
Beagles are inherently protective of their humans and can be great watchdogs for children.
Once the dog marked its habitat, it does not want any strangers entering it which is why barking is used by a Beagle to warn other dogs or people to not enter their territory.
On the other hand, a Beagle also barks to let other dogs know that it’s time they should come to its domain to be friends with and bond. This is a direct instinct of being a pack animal.
But usually, random dogs do not come to your house to be friends with your Beagle. So the dog gets upset.
In fact, this leads to loneliness which makes the dog want to bark even more.
However, since there are not other dog pals, you become its pack and when you are not around, it affects them even more negatively than not having dog pals.
How to stop your Beagle from barking too much?
01 – Do not react to the dog’s barking
Remember I said that your Beagle barks to get your attention? Well, this is it. If you react to the dog’s barking, you are basically doing what the doggo wants which is getting reactions out of you.
So, try not to react at all. As difficult as it might be to do that. Just endure your Beagle’s loud woofs for a bit and soon, the doggo will get the hint that barking to get you to notice him/her does not work anymore.
So, it will stop.
But give a lot of attention and affection when the dog does not bark for no reason. This is the best way to tell the dog that you only give him/her attention when it behaves politely.
So unnecessary barking will stop and necessary ones will remain the same such as when an intruder tries to break in.
But if the dog still barks, then it is not about wanting attention. So try the next step.
02 – Train the dog to handle fearful and anxious situations well
First, check the time when your Beagle barks and what might make him/her bark.
For example, if the dog barks when a stranger comes to the door and knocks on it. Then it is likely a trigger for the dog to bark.
Therefore, teach the dog a command to be silent. You have to use Positive Reinforcement Training (A way to motivate the dog to obey your commands by giving a reward every time the dog listens to you and obeys you)
So, tell a friend of yours to knock on the door and while they do that, you go to your Beagle and get it to notice you and give a reward at the same time, your friend knocks on the door or presses the doorbell.
Do that a number of times and that knocking or doorbell sound will become normal to the dog quite spontaneously since it now knows a command to comply to, instead of barking uncontrollably.
So like that, train the dog with Positive Reinforcement Training to obey your commands and specifically teach the Silent command. However, before teaching that, make sure the dog knows the basic commands first such as Come, Sit, Up and heel.
Once you taught the Silent command, you also can teach the Speak command where the dog barks on your command.
That way, it will be easier to control the dog’s barking tendencies.
03 – Make sure your Beagle is active and does enough exercise
Beagles are quite active dogs that need plenty of exercise to stay happy and occupied.
One hour to one and half hours of exercise is optimal. Activities such as walking, running, going on hikes with you, playing in the yard and hide and seek with rewards are great ways for a Beagle to exercise.
Just make sure the dog does its exercise everyday. Otherwise, the built up energy in the dog will make it act all crazy such as by barking, howling, being hyperactive, chewing things and even wandering off.
You see, the more calories the dog burns, the less energetic the dog is to cause a ruckus. So, being bored or excited will not result in barking.
04 – Familiarize the dog with other people and dogs
Whenever a Beagle sees something they do not understand or is not familiar with, it often thinks of them as threats. So the dog barks as a reaction to the fear and anxiety the dog feels.
Take the dog out for walks more often. Let it see the outside world along with different kinds of people and dogs and how they interact with friendly behavior.
This way, the dog will understand how to identify a friend and an enemy.
05 – Make sure your Beagle has an environment that it likes
Keep a toy or two in every room. So whenever your Beagle is inside the house, it will not get bored. Instead, it will play with the toys every time it gets bored.
Do not put the dog in a cage. That’s the last thing you should do if you do not want to hear a lot of woofs.
Make sure whether the dog likes a leash or a harness or none at all.
Each dog prefers differently. Some like a harness since it does not put a lot of pressure on their necks and some like none at all.
Just do some experiments and try how the dog behaves when wearing each one.
06 – Look out for symptoms of a possible sickness
I already mentioned this above. Your Beagle might be in pain due to a minor or serious sickness. So the dog barks. You could say that it is some sort of a cry for help from you.
So, examine the dog for symptoms. The following indications are the most common symptoms of health issues.
- The skin and the coat appear abnormal
- There are lumps and bumps in the skin
- Terrible breath or drooling excessively
- Watery eyes
- Redness in the white area of eyes
- Difficulty in breathing
- Coughing
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Chewing the tongue
- No desire to jump, rise or climb stairs
- When moving, decreased range of motion
- Losing thigh muscles
- Cloudy eyes
- Overall lethargy
- Sheds too much
- Balding with thin and dry hair
- Stiffening
- Excessive drinking
- Constantly urinating
- Shaking
- Twitching muscles
- Swelling Abnormally
If you notice one or a combination of symptoms, surely, rush to the vet’s office and get the treatments for the dog.
You see, barking alone is not a concerning sign but barking along with a symptom/symptoms of a sickness is concerning for sure.
How to know what a Beagle’s barks mean?
A Beagle’s bark differs based on its moods and intentions which it barks for. The pitch of the bark, the number of barks and the space between each bark are ways the dog uses to show different meaning of its barks.
The pitch of the bark:
When the pitch of the bark is lower, it means the intention for the Beagle to bark is more serious.
Which means the dog will have a higher bark when it is happy and excited.
Just imagine how the dog barks when someone presses your doorbell compared to how the doggo barks when it sees you getting ready to take it out for a walk.
However, a high-pitched bark can also mean an alert for other dogs to come and bond. The reason why it is high-pitched is because it should sound happy and exciting in order to attract other dogs and make them want to come towards the woof.
So the dog makes the bark sound fun.
The number of barks:
The higher the numbers of barks your Beagle makes, the more excited and lively the dog is.
Whereas only one bark means the dog is irritated saying “Leave me alone or stop it man” and it also means the dog is surprised saying “Woah, really or Huh?”.
The space between barks:
When there is less space between your Beagle’s barks, it means the dog is being more aggressive and worked up or excited.
For example, when a Beagle is angry and tries to attack someone, its barks will have less space in between.
Whereas more space between a Beagle’s barks means the dog is sad, less energetic or feeling a negative emotion.
For example, when you are about to go somewhere and leave the dog at home, the dog will bark with more space between each woof to tell you “Please stay or bring me with you”.
Final thoughts
It is safe to say that the barks of a Beagle has different meanings. What makes a Beagle bark can be emotions such as fear, anxiety and exactment which the dog wants to react to.
However, it also can mean the dog is asking for your attention or just trying to be protective of you and your home.
Either way, with proper actions, you can stop the dog from barking unnecessarily. Such actions can be training the dog, making sure it does enough exercise, giving attention at the right times and ensuring the dog is not suffering from any sicknesses.
Nonetheless, with proper knowledge and enough experience, you can identify what each bark of your Beagle means. It can be for happiness, sadness, excitement or any other emotion.
As long as you provide a lot of love and care to the dog, just a little bit of barking surely does not mean the dog is sad or unhealthy but it is better to keep in check with the woofs to ensure the wellbeing of the dog.
