Beagles are known for their friendly and affectionate personality. They cuddle us all day long and follow everywhere we go. But why are beagles so clingy?
Beagles are clingy because they were bred to be in packs. They adjure for companionship. This makes them prone to separation anxiety. Clinginess can also occur when the beagle is bored, anxious, or afraid.
Further, we will look into various reasons why beagles are so clingy to their owners and see how you can make them less clingy and more independent.
Why is your Beagle so Clingy?
Even though it’s instinctive for beagles to be a little clingy to their human companions, some reasons can lead to a clingy personality. Let’s have a look at them:
Unknowing rewarding Clinginess
We often find it adorable when our beagle follows us everywhere and snuggles into our blanket at night. We tend to encourage such behavior by praising or treating them.
Due to this, they start associating positive things with clingy behaviors, and they end up doing it more and more.
Inheritance
Beagles were bred to hunt in packs. More than one beagle hunted alongside their human companion. The entire pack use to live together, hunt together, and eat together.
They love being with their companions. This is the reason why modern beagles are so friendly and social with everyone.
Modern beagles do not live with other dogs anymore. They start seeing their human companions as their pack members and want to be around them all the time.
Fear
If we do not socialize our beagles with different scents, sounds, and situations during their puppyhood, they can become fearful of their surroundings. Fearful beagles often have a timid and clingy personality.
Some fearful situations like thunder or firecrackers can also lead to temporary clinginess, which is fine. Such circumstances can be scary for your pooch, and you should try to calm them. Here are some common things beagles are often scared of.
Separation Anxiety
Beagles are prone to separation anxiety. Dogs with such conditions get anxious when left alone. They always need someone they are comfortable with around them. We will learn more about this further.
Velcro Dog Syndrom
Velcro Dog Syndrom is a condition in which the dog wants to be with its owner all the time. They want their owners around them all the time. And when they don’t find their owners around them, they get anxious and scared.
Such dogs depend on their owner and lack self-confidence. If your beagle doesn’t leave you alone and continuously barks when you are not around, he may have velcro dog syndrome.
Boredom
When beagles are bored, they either start destroying things or try to grab your attention. They may come and lick your face or sit on your lap or even follow you everywhere.
Clinginess increases if you have been busy lately and not giving them enough attention. Beagles need a lot of attention, so play with them, teach them tricks, take them outside for walks, and give them exercise daily.
How to make your Beagle Less Clingy
Even if it looks adorable, clinginess is not something you should promote in your beagle. It signifies a lack of confidence and a fearful personality. Let’s look into some ways you can make them less clingy and boost their self-esteem.
Reward-Based Training
Promote good behavior by giving them rewards. Beagles love to eat, so use high value treats that they love for promoting good behavior.
Clingy beagles often follow their owners everywhere. So to stop this habit, give them a treat every time they don’t come behind you.
You can start by training them to stay while you slowly move out of the room, gradually increasing the duration.
You will also need to make sure that you don’t unknowingly motivate their negative behavior. You can do it by not giving them attention while they are being clingy. When your dog follows you, ignore them. If they start barking when you leave them alone, do not come back immediately. Instead, wait until they are quiet.
Exercise is the Key
Belonging to the hound category, beagles are super active and energetic. They need a proper amount of exercise daily.
Lack of exercise is the cause behind 50% of behavioral problems in beagles.
Take them out for walks twice a day. Apart from that, make them run for a few minutes. It helps provide proper stimulation to their body. Apart from that, exhausted beagles are easier to train. Here are some ways you can exercise your beagle.
Increase their Pack
Beagles become clingy to a particular person because they think he is the only member of their pack. Allow them to trust more people. Ask all your family members to spend equal time with them. You can even consider getting another dog companion for your beagle.
Give them Attention
Beagles can become clingy when their owner doesn’t provide them enough attention. Play with them, train them, teach them some tricks, take them outside for walks.
Dealing with Separation Anxiety
Beagles thrive on the companionship of their owners. They are pack animals that why they are prone to separation anxiety.
Signs that your Beagle has Separation Anxiety
Here are the signs that can help you figure out if your dog has Separation anxiety:
- They always want someone beside them.
- They get anxious and whine or frantically bark when they don’t see anyone else around.
- They may have involuntary physiological responses like dilated pupils, drooling, panting, or sweaty paws when left alone for a longer period.
- They may attempt to break out of their confinement when left alone in the house.
- They may display destructive chewing or digging behavior if they are left alone.
How to Help
Daily Exercise: Provide them a combination of soft exercises like walks and heavy exercise like running every day.
Mental Stimulation: Make sure your dog is getting plenty of mental stimulation. You can play brain games like hiding things around the house and let them find it. You can even get some dog puzzle toys.
Crate Training: Start with training your dog to be inside the crate alone. You can read this guide for crate training your beagle.
Toys and Chew Treat: Before leaving them alone, give them toys, and chew treats to keep them busy.
Kong Toy: Kong is a food puzzle toy where you can put delicious dog food and let your beagle struggle to eat it all. Offer your beagle a kong toy full of food when you are not around.
Dealing with Velcro Dog Syndrom
Although Velcro dog syndrome and Separation anxiety may sound very similar to each other, they are not. A velcro dog wants to be closer to its owner all the time. On the other hand, a beagle with separation anxiety doesn’t want to be alone.
Signs that your Beagle has Velcro Dog Syndrome
- They follow you from room to room.
- They constantly want to be by your side.
- They keep an eye on you and watch your movements at all times.
- They anticipate when you will get up and go out the door.
- They start barking and howling when you leave the room, even if other family members accompany them.
- They get anxious when you go to the toilet.
How to Help
Again Exercise is the Key. An exhausted beagle will be more interested in sleeping or lying around than following you.
Don’t allow them to be clingy all day long. Instead, set a specific time when they can cuddle you. You can keep that time right before going to bed.
Do not allow them to follow you. Train them to stay at a place while you move around the house.
Find the Right Balance. More of anything is never good. Find the right balance where the beagle can show his affection without entirely depending on you.
Train them. Teach your beagle various commands and tricks. Teach your beagle discipline.
When to seek professional help?
If you cannot deal with your beagle’s clingy behavior, you must seek professional help. Consult your vet and explain what your beagle is going through. He or she may suggest a professional dog behaviorist or trainer.
Final Thoughts
Beagles can be clingy, and it’s totally okay. However, it would be best if you did not let your beagle depend entirely on you. Teach them to be a little independent.