Life is fun with beagles. This small to medium-sized dog breed is recognized by its slightly domed skull and droopy ears.
These fun-loving and super friendly dogs are actually scenthounds and they were originally bred for hunting and chasing small animals. You will always find your beagle sniffing the ground and chasing a scent one after another.
Beagles are found in 2 varieties, one is smaller in size and one is medium.
Along with the fun life, beagles can also gift you with some challenges and that includes their training, especially “potty training”.
Are beagles hard to potty train? / Beagle Potty training Problems:
Beagles are scent hounds and they will always chase new scents. This distraction makes them harder to potty train.
In our article, hardest dogs to potty train, we mentioned that the dog breeds who are always distracted, are hard to potty train because they won’t stay in a place and finish their deed.
Distracted dogs often don’t finish peeing and just run away. After a while, they will just go pee again. It’s a great hurdle in their potty training.
Besides distraction, beagles’ intelligence level is average and they take time to understand the process.
Smaller beagles are even harder because of their small size as small dogs pee more often and they can’t hold it for longer.
“Beagles are hard to potty train because they are scenthounds. They will always be distracted by scents around them. Their high energy level and average level of intelligence make their potty training harder. They won’t just stay in a place and finish peeing. The key to successful beagle potty training is a lot of patience, consistency, and rewards.”
Many people who potty trained a beagle and other dog breeds, admit that beagles were the hardest to potty train.
Dogtime also claims that beagles can be difficult to potty train.
They are difficult, it doesn’t mean that it is impossible to housetrain them. With the use of the right method and the right tools, you should be successful in making your beagle understand and follow the commands.
At what age beagles can be potty trained?
Beagles are small to medium-sized dogs so they take a little more time to be ready for potty training.
You can start potty training a beagle when he is around 14-16 weeks old. Before that, you should focus on setting good potty habits by taking the puppy on the potty spot often and keeping his living space clean.
You must make sure that when you are starting your dogs’ housetraining, he is medically fine and is capable enough to control his bladder muscles.
Read more: When to start potty training a puppy?
The best way to potty train a beagle puppy?
The best way to potty train a beagle is to train him to pee on pads. This is because of their level of distraction. Taking them out to pee is like inviting them to chase different scents in the air during they are doing the “job”.
It is also said that a small dog can also be potty trained on pads because they can’t hold it until they reach the outdoor potty space. So potty training the smaller beagle on pads can be beneficial.
Beagles don’t really bear cold weather so if you live in a place where the weather remains cold, you can train your dog to use puppy pads.
Besides, the process of potty training remains the same for all dog breeds.
Find out here:
How long does it take to potty train a Beagle?
Beagles take more time than other dog breeds to be potty trained.
Dogtime says that it can take up to a year to potty train a beagle puppy. And Dailypaws also agrees, “Despite being a smart breed, beagles are notoriously slow to house train and may take up to a year to be accident-free.”
When you will start potty training a beagle at 14 weeks old, it will take around 1 year for him to be fully potty trained. However, it doesn’t mean that you have to work throughout this year.
The first month will be hard but your buddy will start understanding the process and after that, you have to be consistent and be with him on potty breaks.
It will take up to a year to have your beagle completely accident-free.
“Meanwhile, if your beagle has a potty accident in the wrong place, make sure to clean it up perfectly with a good enzyme cleaner.”
Beagle potty training tips:
- Train him inside, use grass pads: Potty training a beagle inside using puppy pads can be beneficial as it will limit the scent distractions and it will be easier for the dog to hold it until he reaches the pad.
You can transition him to go outside once he is fully potty trained.
Using grass pads is a better option if you plan to switch from pads to outdoors. - Be consistent and patient: With a beagle, you need much more patience than you would need with any other dog. Stay consistent with his eating, drinking, and sleeping routine so that your dog does not get confused.
- Repeat the potty command several times during the potty break: When the beagle is doing the deed, make sure to avoid any distractions and repeat the potty command multiple times to keep him focused.
- Don’t miss on the treats: A beagle is highly food motivated. This breed tends to respond very well to food rewards. You can stock up on different flavors of dog treats to reward him and keep him on track.
- Crate training is a must: Crate training will really help you when you are potty training a beagle. That’s where your dog will stay calm and focus on his body. There he will learn to control it.
- Provide him with enough outdoor activities: Beagles are naturally scent focus and they were bred to follow the scent. If you are raising a beagle, it is your responsibility to provide him with enough outdoor activities and walks so that he could fulfill his natural desire and focus on the task when he is doing potty.
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Best Beagle potty training supplies:
Following are the potty training supplies that are best suited for beagles.
1- A small to medium-sized crate:
A properly sized crate is important to prevent accidents in the crate. Because dogs do not soil the place where they go to sleep.
A beagle is a small to medium-sized dog so a small-sized crate would be good for puppies and a medium-sized crate for adult dogs.
We recommend Midwest iCrate starter kit as it comes with everything a dog needs in his den. It comes in many sizes. You can choose one, as per your own requirement.
2- Short leash:
As beagles are highly distracted, you need a leash that is short and keeps your dog in place when he is doing the deed.
But remember, a short leash is only good for potty training. When you are walking your dog then the leash should be long enough for your beagle to enjoy his surroundings and run around.
3- Enzyme cleaner:
You must keep the area clean even after your dog has an accident. A good enzyme cleaner is a must-have to completely clean and remove dog urine odor. So, your dog won’t go there again.
4- Best beagle treats:
Beagles are highly food-centered. Stock up with a variety of treats to reward him for doing the job in the right place.
5- Playpen:
It is important to keep the puppy confined to an area until he is fully potty trained. He should get access to other areas of the house when he knows how to behave.
A playpen is a great accessory to keep him confined and provide him with enough opportunity to play with him.
6- Poop bags:
You need good quality dog poop bag to safely dispose of your dog’s feces without spreading the smell around.
Beagle’s mess is not so huge, so any leak-proof poop bag would do.
Biodegradable or compostable poo bags would be a good option.
7- Pooper scooper:
No one wants to touch dog feces, no matter how much you love your dog.
A pooper scooper is a great tool that will help you to pick up the dog poop without touching it.
8- Puppy pads or grass pads:
As many people opt in to use puppy pads to train their beagles to go potty. If you are the one who also plans to do so, you need good-quality puppy pads.
We recommend these Amazon basics puppy pads as they are of very good quality, leak-proof and large.
Subscribing for real grass pads is also a great option.
By using grass pads, it will be easier for your dog to adapt to the outside environment when he will be out for walks and when you will transition him to go outside.
You can subscribe for doggylawn real grass pads here.
9- UV flashlight:
UV flashlight helps you to find hidden urine marks that can’t be seen with the naked eye.
By using this light, you can clean up the mess more perfectly and avoid any upcoming potty accidents at the home.
Conclusion:
Beagles are not easy to potty train because of their high level of distraction and the average level of intelligence. The trainer needs a lot of patience and consistency to successfully train a beagle to go toilet in the right place. It’s hard, doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.
With the use of the right method and the right tools, you can do it easily.
Read More: How to potty train an untrainable dog? (7 tips that work like magic)
