Off-leash Beagle stereotype?

I have seen a beagle off leash in my neighborhood. She walks about 1 to 10 feet onto any adjoining yard or on the sidewalk. She is well behaved and aware of where her master is at all times. I think she is 5 or 6 years old. But, that isn't my beagle.

Sigh...

We actually all know the answer to this question. Beagles like to explore with their noses. And, their probiscus distracts them. If a beagles attention is diverted away from their owner, they can lose their way. A lost beagle is ripe to get hit by a car... etc.

That being said, if my beagle runs out the front door - something she has trouble refraining from when there are guests... I still have a few commands that limit her sojourn:

1. The emergency word - no matter where she is this word brings her back to me.

2. When she hears the commands - stop, sit and down command. She usually responses - unless.

The trouble is once my beagle races outside - she believes any behavior afterwards is just a big game. So, if I loose my cool (which I have done) it just spurs her on - and she further ignores me.

There is a dog park nearby that is situated in a culdesac. Once a week the dog park is closed. Then people have their dogs outside playing in a field-like area. My beagle has been very good in these type of situations.

However, it would be wonderful if she could walk on the sidewalk like my neighbor's beagle. Ah, the grass is always greener where my beagle hasn't pee'd...

Bailey Star's Dad said:

The issue in this thread - I believe, relates to off-leash exploits in urban and suburban areas....

It is hard to get a beagle to stay close on the sidewalk and not meander into traffic. Successfully walking a beagle off leash in this environment is the epitome of training.

Click to expand...

True enough. It's like every direction is a cornucopia of new smells and they have to take them all in at once! Serious heeling is a challenge I'm up to but it will take persistence and patience and be limited to situations I can control - like obedience class or the backyard.
From the original post:

Mrs. Archer said:

This is referring to controlled environments - dog parks, acreages etc. - and not everyday walking down the street.

Click to expand...

I don't expect to ever be able to walk Benny in the city streets without his leash. On top of being scary (I've heard way too many horror stories of dogs running into traffic or unexpectedly attacking people while the owner looks on in horror, helpless to stop them) it carries a fine where I live, and I would consider it rude.

The only exception is, it would be nice to go to a regular park and let him romp and know he wouldn't leg it through a hole in the fence; I try to limit this to times when there's nobody else around, and put his leash on when someone else shows up. Although this also carries a fine, sometimes it's all we have available and at least he can run with less risk of getting hit by traffic.

So the purpose of the thread was to see whether it's reasonable to expect that he'll be able to listen in those kinds of situations - as the general attitude towards Beagles is that my expectations are unattainable!

Total Recall - Not Just A Schwarzenegger Movie...

I believe close to 100% recall is possible with a beagle. I get about 90%. I've practiced in fields, dog parks, in the back yard with near perfect success. This isn't only my anecdotal experience, but pretty easily attained by every dog owner. The only caveat is because the command works so well - be very careful of it's use in urban and suburban areas. Your beagle will make a bee-line to you and could get hit by a car.

First, some beagle breed specific observations. Beagles are the type of dog that are Benefit Driven. So, the command "come" sometimes has little meaning. You know that blank beagle stare when you've said one or another command. They look at you like "no - I don't see a treat or a ball or anything I really want in your hand, so I think I'll just stand here and ignore you."

Being - Benefit Driven - getting a beagle to do a command actually means teaching a beagle two or three alternative commands in order to achieve the same thing. The beagle of course, does not know that the other commands achieve the same goal. They are just doing the one they like over the one which at that moment they chose to ignore.

Parents of human children remember a version of this approach, when they asked their child a question like, "do you want to take a nap OR play with your brother?" The point of the question was to limit behavior and illicit a response that conforms to the confines of the parent's question.

With a beagle, "come" is but one command in an owner's training arsenal to bring the dog to you. Next, try "touch me" - which brings the dog to you and has them lick your hand.

Now, if you are like me - a natural born cynic - you are thinking, okay but the difficult recall situations usually involve my beagle's attention being drawn by another animal, something gross or dangerous. The beagle doesn't hear me... when do I do then?

Well - besides reinforcing the existing commands of "come" and "touch me" - the one command that I believe is the most important command to any beagle or dog owner (for that matter) is the Emergency Word. This command will simply save a dog's life - especially a beagles. It's kept mine from danger on already a half dozen occasions.

The best part of the Emergency Word is that it is simple. And, the beagle like Pavlov's dog - reacts on an almost automatic level. The best training is where a dog understands and can accomplish a command easily, wants to do the command and looks forward to the benefit as a result of completing the command.

Now the almost idiotically simple mechanics of the Emergency Word. Pick any unusual word you can remember that you do not use in normal conversation. I use the word SHMUTZ (a yiddish word for dirt). A foreign language word like AGITA (an italian word for indigestion or agitation) works well too. Do not pick an Emergency Word like "come" or "here". That's because the point of this word is that it is very special. The word is only ever uttered for the purpose of training this specific command or in an emergency. It is not used in any other situation - or like Kryptonite with Superman, it loses all its power and effectiveness.

Shout the word - yup, shout it out - loud, then give your dog the most delicious treat they ever had - one you otherwise never feed your dog. And praise your dog profusely. Pat them and tickle them - get them extremely excited and happy about their achievement.

The special treat I give my beagle is a tiny piece of a hot dog, steak or roasted chicken. Believe me - this will get your dog's undivided attention. Over a weeks time repeat the Emergency Word command two or three more times - putting distance between yourself and your dog. Place obstacles in their path; say the command when they are out of sight - so they have to search for you.

Don't overdue the command - three times a week should be fine. In two weeks - you will have provided yourself and your dog - the most important tool against losing your beagle in an open field. Your dog should come to you 90% of the time. Keep in mind - this is an emergency recall command. If overused - this command will become like "come". Then your beagle may simply look at you, then decide whether they want to come. With the Emergency Word - the command's response should be damn near automatic.

Try the Emergency Word command in an expansive area that is still enclosed - like a baseball, soccer or hockey field. Let your dog meander away from you then shout the word! They will spin on a dime and run back.

Now, I've had a situation in a dog park - where my beagle was getting into a tussle. She didn't respond immediately to the Emergency Word - it took two or three times uttering it But, her focus changed and she eventually came to me. It may have been - all the noise that prevented her from coming as she didn't hear me, or the fact that I don't regularly practice the word enough to keep her sharp.

I keep looking for situations where there are distractions that aren't dangerous but are captivating for her. Places to hone our Emergency Word skills.