Beagle Puppy Training Tips To Track
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Want a little more challenge when training your Beagle? If your puppy is easily mastering the basic obedience commands, you may be interested in training your Beagle to track. Beagles are one of the best breeds for tracking, along with Bloodhounds, Basset Hounds, and German Shepherds.
Since these dogs were bred for tracking, even if you don’t have a practical use for training your Beagle to track, it will be very fun and satisfying for him. If your Beagle is hyperactive and tearing up your house, teaching him to track may be the solution to releasing all that pent-up energy in a constructive way. Refer below some basic Beagle puppy training tips to track.
Your first step is to pick up some basic tracking training supplies. The first step is to buy a harness that is comfortable for your Beagle. If your Beagle is still a puppy, look for one that will adjust to fit him as he grows larger. You will need a long leash, preferably 30 feet or longer and made of a flat fabric or leather.
To lay the track, you’ll want some old leather items like gloves or beat-up wallets. You’ll need some wooden stakes with ribbons attached to use as trail markers. As with all training, keep some of your Beagle puppy’s favorite treats in your pocket.
The final item for your tracking training supplies is a pair of leather-soled shoes. Why all this leather? The smell given off by the soles of non-leather shoes can confuse your Beagle and make it harder for him to track, especially in the beginning.
It’s best to train your Beagle puppy to track in the morning or just after sunset. This is when the scent is strongest. Humid days are also great for trapping scents low to the ground where your Beagle can track them. Try to avoid windy days until your Beagle is better trained. Also avoid areas that have strong scents like near a gas station or a farm.
Put the harness on your Beagle and tie him in a place that is out of sight. Setting the trail for your Beagle puppy to track involves scraping the dirt with your heel, putting in a stake, walking about 100 feet in a straight line and leaving one of your leather items. Space out the leather items a few feet from one another. When you’re done, walk back to your puppy, retracing your steps as closely as possible.
Don’t wait too long! The trail is fresh and your Beagle will be eager to try out his nose! Put the long leash on him and bring him to the stake where you started your trail. Give him the command “Down” so he can be as close to the ground as possible to pick up the scent where you dug up the ground with your heel. Gently point his nose into the dirt and keep it there for a second or two so he gets the scent in there. When you let him go, say “Find it!” and point into the grass. Keep repeating “Find it!” and praise your Beagle puppy as he sniffs the ground.
The key of tracking training is to get more excited the closer your Beagle puppy gets to an item. When he finally gets the first glove or wallet, have him pick it up in his mouth and make it into a big, big deal. He should think that finding this item is the best thing he’s ever done. As your Beagle puppy gets better at tracking, you can start making things more difficult, but for now, have fun!
