I recently decided to increase the height of the fence in my backyard because I know beagles are notorious for jumping over the fence and running away. So I wanted it big enough to stop my two beagles from jumping over it without blocking the outside view. For that, I needed to find out how high can beagles jump?
Beagles can jump as high as 4 feet into the air, but it depends on several factors. Healthy, energetic beagles will be able to jump much higher than overweight and lazy beagles. It also depends on their age, height, and agility.
An energetic beagle may easily jump over 3 to 4 feet fence or objects. So a fence with 5 feet height is enough to secure the place.
Do Beagles like Jumping?
Beagles are an energetic breed that loves running and jumping. Apart from that, they love food. It is not uncommon for them to jump at you in excitement while you bring their food. They may even jump on you if you have something they are curious about.
Here are some instances where beagles like to jump:
- Beagles jump when they are in a playful mood. My younger beagle gets all jumpy while playing with me.
- They jump when they see their food coming. This is very common in beagles. They start jumping on you if they see or smell their food in your hand. But this isn’t a behavior you should promote. It can be dangerous for your beagle as well as you.
- They jump over the objects and fences. Beagles are infamous for jumping over the fences and running away. Get a fence high and protected enough to keep them safe. Here are the best types of fences for beagles.
- They jump when they get excited. Both of my dogs get excited when they see their favorite people and start jumping around them.
These behaviors are more common in puppies and young adult dogs. As they mature, you may not enjoy jumping as much as they use to.
Is jumping high bad for Beagles?
Jumping is not exactly bad for beagles. It is relatively safe if they jump at a safe height and land on a safe surface.
However, jumping can be dangerous in the following cases:
- If you overdo it. While jumping can be a great exercise, you should never overdo it. It can increase the risk of arthritis.
- If your dog jumps really high. High jumps put a lot of pressure on their joints. If your beagle is an energetic jumper, then you should correct this behavior.
- If your dog jumps and lands on a hard surface. Jumping and landing or hard surfaces can increase the risk of injury. It would be best if you did not allow your beagle to jump on the floor or the rocky surface. The best place to allow them to jump is in gardens and parks with grass.
- If they jump long. Long jumps can cause injury in joints as well as paws. You can allow them to run at their full speed, but teach them not to jump when running.
In such cases, you must discipline your beagle and teach them where they are allowed to jump.
Safe Jumping Height
Jumping 3 to 4 feet in the air is fine until it’s occasionally. If your beagle jumps high quite often, then it can increase the risk of injury. They can bend their paws or dislocate their knee cap.
The high jump puts more pressure on their joints. Constant jumping can increase the risk of early arthritis.
Safe Jumping for Puppy Beagles
Puppies often injure their legs while jumping from bed or tables. This is because their body has not completed all the growth stages. You should restrict their jumping from heights until they are 16 months old.
It can be a toughie because puppies are almost always excited about everything. They are quite jumpy.
Usually, jumping from less than 1.5 feet height is safe. However, you should try your best to restrict their jumps as much as possible.
Safe Jumping for Adult Beagles
The safe jumping height for a beagle depends on various circumstances. They can jump high with minimal risk of injury on soft surfaces like grass. You can allow them to jump freely on grass. However, this should not be included in their daily exercising schedule.
On the other hand, landing on hard surfaces can increase the risk of knee or joint injury. It is better to restrict them from jumping on the house floors and concrete pathways. But never allow them to take a jump higher than 2 feet on hard surfaces.
You should completely restrict them from jumping on a rocky surface. The risk of injury drastically increases on such surfaces.
Safe Jumping for Senior Beagles
Mature beagles are less likely to jump. But still, you should try not to put them in a position to jump high. At this stage, their joints are not as strong as before, which drastically increases the risk of joint injury. It can even cause a fracture.
Train your beagle not to Jump
If your beagle is like my Groot, who loves to jump, then you may want to spend some extra time training them to stop this behavior.
Jumping on Visitors
Beagles are friendly dogs, and they can easily get excited seeing a new face at the door. They may jump and throw themself on the visitors.
This is not something you should promote. You can do the following to stop this behavior:
- Have one of your friends visit your house.
- When your dog jumps on them, have your friend turn around and leave.
- Command your dog to stay and ask your friend to come again. If the dog stays and does not jumps, then give a reward.
- Then ask your friend to greet your dog.
In this way, you are making it clear with your dog that if they stay calm, they will be rewarded.
Jumping in Excitement
It is very common for beagles to jump when you bring their food or if you have something which they are interested in. To stop this, you need to teach your pooch to control their excitement.
- If your dog starts jumping on you, stop immediately.
- Do nothing but stand still. Do not even look at your dog.
- Move forward when they stop jumping.
- If your dog jumps on you when you bring their food, then command them to sit and stay before giving food.
Your dog won’t learn to stop jumping in a day or two. You will have to be consistent with their training. Try not to motivate their bad behavior.
Final Thoughts
If you have a jumpy beagle, then they may jump high. Occasional jumping on soft surfaces is fine. But if your dog jumps more often, then it can affect the health of their joint and increase the chances of arthritis. So start training your beagle.