Training collars for beagles?

Rocko811 · 02-18-2013, 11:06 AM

I am new here. I just adopted a beagle from a rescue. He was part of a hoarding situation. He is a 3 year old male beagle, very very sweet and calm. Surprisingy he doesn't bark alot. I have a feeling he may have been abused/hit when he did bark. Beause on the rare occasions he does bark, he startles and looks at us then runs and hides under a table or on his bed.

anyway...very good boy! we have been very happy with him.
Here is my issue with my boy though. We have another dog we also got from a rescue (we are VERY into rescues). he is a redbone coonhound, and he is 2 years old. We have spent a ton of time and money into training him. As many hound owners know, when a hound is on a scent NOTHING overpowers that scent. My redbone when he gets on a scent he looses everything that we have ever taught him. He doesn't listen worth a darn. We have had 3 different trainers who just can't get him to "snap out of it" when he is on a scent and listen. But he DOES listen to everything when he isn't on a scent. Anyway my point of all this is...all three trainers agreed that a shock collar might help and only suggest it as a last resort. If used properly they can help with this.

It was important to us because we have a large amount of land we inherited from my fiances grandparents with miles of hiking trails. We go out there twice a day with our dogs to let them run. Our redbone would always disappear for 20 minutes at a time nearly sending me in a heart attack. So getting him to come back was an absolute must!! We got him a shock collar, got trained in properly using it. i'd say 75% of the time he will come with just the BEEP. The other 25% of the time i do have to give him about a 9 or 10 (our shock collar goes from 0-15) to get him to respond. So it has worked for us.

Now...my point with talking about my other dog is because now we have this new dog (my rescue beagle). He is even more into scents than my redbone. I have not let him run loose yet except in our yard which is fenced in. We have tried everything we have with my other dog but NOTHING will break this dog from scents. I know it is their breed and they are born to be like this. But would a shock collar also help a beagle? We are going to meet with a new trainer with our beagle and i'll try to discusse it. But we really really love letting our dogs run loose on our own land, but want to play it safe with them.
What are E-Collars for training? Do they work? Will they snap a beagle out of a scent?

trust me when i say i do not abuse the use of our shock collar. I was not to keen on them at first but it made me feel better when we were properly trained in using them and ONLY use it when necessary. Just wanting to here suggestions on training tools for beagles. I am new to the beagle and "hound dog" world. I never saw myself getting hounds, i've been a lab person my whole life. But i fell head over heals for both of them and rescue shelter dogs.

wizardeyes · 02-18-2013, 12:45 PM

I wouldn't use the shock collar. Not only is it painful for the dog, but it's counter productive. Once they start associating the collar with the shocks, they'll end up trying to expend all their energy when the collar is off. A shock collar on a rescue dog can be especially detrimental in building trust in the relationship. Your rescue dog's life with you is a healing process, shocking it any time it does something you don't like won't help that process, it'll hinder it. I recommend getting a harness for walks, one that clips on the side. It turns the dog around if it pulls, forcing it to walk well without causing pain. Also, I've found that a doggy backpack keeps my beagle's nose off the ground. I put the backpack on and put a soup can in each side. The shift in weight when she puts her nose down causes her to put it back up and look straight ahead.

Just don't forget that these dogs are scent hounds and scent hounds sniff. It's good for their mental health to sniff, so why stop it? Maybe try getting a drop leash for when you're on the trails. It's just a very long, braided lead (most are about 50 ft) that you just drop and allow your dog to explore and allows you to pick up the lead and get hold of them when you need to.

Because I'm no expert, I recommend reading this PDF.

My6beagles · 02-18-2013, 04:32 PM

Rocko,
I want to first state I am not a dog trainer nor do I profess to be one nor aspire to be one. I am just a person that has currently six beagles and a Black and Tan coonhound as members of my pack(10 total). I have used the Innotek Beaglemaster series for over a decade. Absolutely love it !!! It has a half of a mile range and is waterproof. I'm sure by now it's been upgraded but I've never had any issues with the collars or the controllers. I have used these while hiking with seven dogs off leash while I was alone for years. Personally I would never ever use a long leash dragging behind a beagle while hiking. I won't use a harness either. Beagles LOVE thickets,brush,brambles and high weeds. This is all stuff they can and WILL get caught on if dragging a long leash. If the dog happens to be out of sight you might not know they are stuck. I have had a beagle get caught in a harness. Luckily she backed out of it after a bit and was able to free herself. Where we live we have "hunting grounds and dog training areas" and these can be large areas(50+ or more acres). Not to mention the isolated parks that we take them. It is these places that allow my beagles to be beagles. They romp,roll and chase everything. Rarely is anything other than a beep(like you) needed to get them to come back from the chase. I guarantee their lives will never be the same. I would rather use a e collar than never give them the opportunity to bring out the "beagle" in themselves. Or get hit on some road because they got a little away from me and wouldn't listen. My beagles almost become hysterical when I bring out the box with their collars in it. They know what it means and can't wait.

Talk to your trainer and get their recommendation on the method to train your beagle. They know your specific dog and its needs. You clearly know what your dealing with since you already own a scent hound. Your beagle won't be much different to train. PM if you have any questions.

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wizardeyes · 02-18-2013, 06:30 PM

About the harness, I didn't mean use the harness with the drop leash, but for walks on a regular lead. The drop leash I have works perfectly and never gets tangled anywhere Jayne goes. The leash was designed for going through brush without getting tangled and doesn't pick up burrs. If it gets tangled around a tree, it just keeps sliding until it becomes untangled. (Here's what it looks like.)

The main problem with the shock collar is that you said the dog seems to have been abused in the past. He didn't grow up with the shock collar, he's not used to it and doesn't know that you're trying to use it to make him happy(even if it was used, it obviously wasn't used in the right manner if he's so skittish). Coming from an abusive past, how do you think he'll react to a shock?

My6beagles · 02-18-2013, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizardeyes

About the harness, I didn't mean use the harness with the drop leash, but for walks on a regular lead. The drop leash I have works perfectly and never gets tangled anywhere Jayne goes. The leash was designed for going through brush without getting tangled and doesn't pick up burrs. If it gets tangled around a tree, it just keeps sliding until it becomes untangled. (Here's what it looks like.)

The main problem with the shock collar is that you said the dog seems to have been abused in the past. He didn't grow up with the shock collar, he's not used to it and doesn't know that you're trying to use it to make him happy(even if it was used, it obviously wasn't used in the right manner if he's so skittish). Coming from an abusive past, how do you think he'll react to a shock?

Sorry I still would never drag even the above lead. Where my pack goes it would tangle. Belle doesn't go in a straight line through the brambles.

I have had only one beagle grow up with a shock collar. The rest have been trained for the use of one. Some are well over ten years of age at the time I adopted them and then trained them. Most of them had all sorts of horrible backgrounds. I have also trained one who is severely gun shy. It is like any other type of training in so that it takes time,patience and strong rewards for the dog to be trained. Where so many people go wrong with e collars and invisible fence is that they expect it to be a quick fix. Nothing broken can be fixed overnight. Why do people expect their dog to be any different.

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wizardeyes · 02-18-2013, 07:28 PM

The way I see it is if it would hurt me, it would hurt my dog. I don't want to cause any unnecessary pain to her.

My6beagles · 02-18-2013, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizardeyes

The way I see it is if it would hurt me, it would hurt my dog. I don't want to cause any unnecessary pain to her.

So would you never use a choke chain? Pinch collar? Personally I won't use either.
I guess I look at it as its better than my dog getting hit by a truck. Because of course we all know beagles however well trained in obedience listen all the time.

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wizardeyes · 02-18-2013, 08:07 PM

No, I don't use chokes or prongs because they hurt my dog. Even the most obedient dog runs the risk of turning off their listening ears, so why set them up for peril? If I want to prevent my dog from getting hurt, why would I do so with pain? It just doesn't seem logical to me.

My6beagles · 02-18-2013, 08:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wizardeyes

No, I don't use chokes or prongs because they hurt my dog. Even the most obedient dog runs the risk of turning off their listening ears, so why set them up for peril? If I want to prevent my dog from getting hurt, why would I do so with pain? It just doesn't seem logical to me.

I can't shelter my dogs from every little thing that may happen. I would rather have a little risk in their lives than they live a horribly sheltered life never knowing what it's like being part of a pack. It would be a far worse existence especially for Izzy if I never let her out to run.

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My6beagles · 02-18-2013, 08:45 PM

This is why I use them......

Training collars for beagles?-imageuploadedbypg-free1361238339.935154.jpg

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02-18-2013, 11:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
Rocko811 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 4	Training collars for beagles? I am new here. I just adopted a beagle from a rescue. He was part of a hoarding situation. He is a 3 year old male beagle, very very sweet and calm. Surprisingy he doesn't bark alot. I have a feeling he may have been abused/hit when he did bark. Beause on the rare occasions he does bark, he startles and looks at us then runs and hides under a table or on his bed. anyway...very good boy! we have been very happy with him. Here is my issue with my boy though. We have another dog we also got from a rescue (we are VERY into rescues). he is a redbone coonhound, and he is 2 years old. We have spent a ton of time and money into training him. As many hound owners know, when a hound is on a scent NOTHING overpowers that scent. My redbone when he gets on a scent he looses everything that we have ever taught him. He doesn't listen worth a darn. We have had 3 different trainers who just can't get him to "snap out of it" when he is on a scent and listen. But he DOES listen to everything when he isn't on a scent. Anyway my point of all this is...all three trainers agreed that a shock collar might help and only suggest it as a last resort. If used properly they can help with this. It was important to us because we have a large amount of land we inherited from my fiances grandparents with miles of hiking trails. We go out there twice a day with our dogs to let them run. Our redbone would always disappear for 20 minutes at a time nearly sending me in a heart attack. So getting him to come back was an absolute must!! We got him a shock collar, got trained in properly using it. i'd say 75% of the time he will come with just the BEEP. The other 25% of the time i do have to give him about a 9 or 10 (our shock collar goes from 0-15) to get him to respond. So it has worked for us. Now...my point with talking about my other dog is because now we have this new dog (my rescue beagle). He is even more into scents than my redbone. I have not let him run loose yet except in our yard which is fenced in. We have tried everything we have with my other dog but NOTHING will break this dog from scents. I know it is their breed and they are born to be like this. But would a shock collar also help a beagle? We are going to meet with a new trainer with our beagle and i'll try to discusse it. But we really really love letting our dogs run loose on our own land, but want to play it safe with them. What are E-Collars for training? Do they work? Will they snap a beagle out of a scent? trust me when i say i do not abuse the use of our shock collar. I was not to keen on them at first but it made me feel better when we were properly trained in using them and ONLY use it when necessary. Just wanting to here suggestions on training tools for beagles. I am new to the beagle and "hound dog" world. I never saw myself getting hounds, i've been a lab person my whole life. But i fell head over heals for both of them and rescue shelter dogs.

02-18-2013, 12:45 PM	#2 (permalink)
wizardeyes Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 384	I wouldn't use the shock collar. Not only is it painful for the dog, but it's counter productive. Once they start associating the collar with the shocks, they'll end up trying to expend all their energy when the collar is off. A shock collar on a rescue dog can be especially detrimental in building trust in the relationship. Your rescue dog's life with you is a healing process, shocking it any time it does something you don't like won't help that process, it'll hinder it. I recommend getting a harness for walks, one that clips on the side. It turns the dog around if it pulls, forcing it to walk well without causing pain. Also, I've found that a doggy backpack keeps my beagle's nose off the ground. I put the backpack on and put a soup can in each side. The shift in weight when she puts her nose down causes her to put it back up and look straight ahead. Just don't forget that these dogs are scent hounds and scent hounds sniff. It's good for their mental health to sniff, so why stop it? Maybe try getting a drop leash for when you're on the trails. It's just a very long, braided lead (most are about 50 ft) that you just drop and allow your dog to explore and allows you to pick up the lead and get hold of them when you need to. Because I'm no expert, I recommend reading this PDF. Last edited by wizardeyes; 02-18-2013 at 12:57 PM. Reason: Added article.

02-18-2013, 04:32 PM	#3 (permalink)
My6beagles Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Ohio,USA Posts: 668	Training collars for beagles? Rocko, I want to first state I am not a dog trainer nor do I profess to be one nor aspire to be one. I am just a person that has currently six beagles and a Black and Tan coonhound as members of my pack(10 total). I have used the Innotek Beaglemaster series for over a decade. Absolutely love it !!! It has a half of a mile range and is waterproof. I'm sure by now it's been upgraded but I've never had any issues with the collars or the controllers. I have used these while hiking with seven dogs off leash while I was alone for years. Personally I would never ever use a long leash dragging behind a beagle while hiking. I won't use a harness either. Beagles LOVE thickets,brush,brambles and high weeds. This is all stuff they can and WILL get caught on if dragging a long leash. If the dog happens to be out of sight you might not know they are stuck. I have had a beagle get caught in a harness. Luckily she backed out of it after a bit and was able to free herself. Where we live we have "hunting grounds and dog training areas" and these can be large areas(50+ or more acres). Not to mention the isolated parks that we take them. It is these places that allow my beagles to be beagles. They romp,roll and chase everything. Rarely is anything other than a beep(like you) needed to get them to come back from the chase. I guarantee their lives will never be the same. I would rather use a e collar than never give them the opportunity to bring out the "beagle" in themselves. Or get hit on some road because they got a little away from me and wouldn't listen. My beagles almost become hysterical when I bring out the box with their collars in it. They know what it means and can't wait. Talk to your trainer and get their recommendation on the method to train your beagle. They know your specific dog and its needs. You clearly know what your dealing with since you already own a scent hound. Your beagle won't be much different to train. PM if you have any questions. Sent from Petguide.com Free App __________________ Sometimes when I get up in the morning, I feel very peculiar. I feel like I've just got to bite a cat! I feel like if I don't bite a cat before sundown, I'll go crazy! But then I just take a deep breath and forget about it. That's what is known as real maturity. Peanuts Snoopy

02-18-2013, 08:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
My6beagles Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Ohio,USA Posts: 668	Training collars for beagles? This is why I use them...... Sent from Petguide.com Free App __________________ Sometimes when I get up in the morning, I feel very peculiar. I feel like I've just got to bite a cat! I feel like if I don't bite a cat before sundown, I'll go crazy! But then I just take a deep breath and forget about it. That's what is known as real maturity. Peanuts Snoopy

02-18-2013, 06:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
wizardeyes Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 384	About the harness, I didn't mean use the harness with the drop leash, but for walks on a regular lead. The drop leash I have works perfectly and never gets tangled anywhere Jayne goes. The leash was designed for going through brush without getting tangled and doesn't pick up burrs. If it gets tangled around a tree, it just keeps sliding until it becomes untangled. (Here's what it looks like.) The main problem with the shock collar is that you said the dog seems to have been abused in the past. He didn't grow up with the shock collar, he's not used to it and doesn't know that you're trying to use it to make him happy(even if it was used, it obviously wasn't used in the right manner if he's so skittish). Coming from an abusive past, how do you think he'll react to a shock?

02-18-2013, 07:28 PM	#6 (permalink)
wizardeyes Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 384	The way I see it is if it would hurt me, it would hurt my dog. I don't want to cause any unnecessary pain to her.

02-18-2013, 08:07 PM	#8 (permalink)
wizardeyes Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 384	No, I don't use chokes or prongs because they hurt my dog. Even the most obedient dog runs the risk of turning off their listening ears, so why set them up for peril? If I want to prevent my dog from getting hurt, why would I do so with pain? It just doesn't seem logical to me.

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