Being a beagle parent, it is quite common to return home to find a piece of your furniture chewed and destroyed. Apart from being scent hounds and following scent trails, they love putting their mouth at work now and then. Chewing on things can not only destroy your belongings, but it can also be dangerous for your beagle. So let’s look into how you can stop your beagle from chewing things:
Understand the Reasons behind Chewing
To solve this problem, you need to first understand the reason behind your beagle’s chewing. A puppy may chew on things to ease the discomfort of his gums caused due to teething, whereas an adult beagle may chew on things because he is bored and has nothing else to do.
You would come across some pet dogs who just love to chomp on things they find in the house. As a parent, you need to understand and evaluate the reasons behind this chewing behavior. You cannot completely eliminate this habit, without understanding its cause. So let’s look into some reasons why your beagle may chew on things.
Teething
One of the most common reasons why beagle puppies chew on things is teething. Teething occurs when a beagle is around four to eight months old. Teething causes discomfort in the gums, and to ease the irritation, a beagle starts chewing on things.
It is natural, and every dog goes through this phase. You can help your pooch to numb the pain by offering him pieces of frozen carrot. You can even put an ice cube on the floor and let your pooch play with it as it slips.
Ninja Tip: You can add chicken broth to the water before freezing it. Your beagle will definitely love this flavored ice cube.
Separation Anxiety
Beagles are social creatures, and they don’t do well when left alone. Separation anxiety is another crucial reason that can cause destructive chewing in a beagle. A pooch suffering from this, may bark, whine, and get restless as soon as he senses your absence.
Hunger
A less nutritional and low-calorie diet can also be a reason behind a beagle’s chewing. If a dog’s body is not getting enough nutrients, then it may start craving for it. This may lead to chewing and swallowing things present in the surrounding. If you think that’s the case, then consider switching to a better dog food brand. My dog food brand recommendation for a beagle would be Orijen; they have a Dog Food Advisor Rating of 5 out of 5 stars. (I am not getting paid for promoting Orijen, I genuinely think they have a fantastic food recipe.)
Boredom
As I said before, beagles are social creatures, and they need attention. They need a good amount of physical as well as mental exercises. To keep themselves busy and kill boredom, they can chew on things they find around.
No Exercise
Beagles are an energetic breed. An exhausted beagle is a happy beagle. If you fail to provide proper daily exercise to your beagle, then he may show destructive behavior to release his energy.
Regular exercise for about 30-45 minutes a day will keep your beagle fit and fresh. Physical activities also channelize proper mental training and health. Exercise releases endorphins hormones, which trigger a positive feeling in their body.
Related Article: Why do beagles eat everything?
It is super frustrating when your beagle decides to chew on your favorite pair of shoes or your charging cable when you are not at home. Figuring out the best strategies for your dog to not trying to chew on things can be annoying and a big task. Like a pack of leaders, once you understand the reasons behind their chewing behavior, coming to a solution is quite easy.
Puppy/Dog-Proofing your house
Puppy/Dog – Proofing your house can help you ensure that your pooch has a safe and secure environment to live. You can dog-proof your dog by keeping away small objects that are inedible or hazardous from your beagle’s reach. You can start by keeping your shoes in a rack or shoe closet, taking away all the small objects, keeping your medicines at a higher level, using cord protectors on electrical cords and wires, etc.
It can be difficult to dog-proof the entire house, so you can select a room or a confined space where you can keep your beagle unattended.
Use Dog Repellent Spray
Sometimes, Beagles can give their toys a toss and choose to chew on furniture and other small objects. They are perfectly capable of breaking down things and swallow them; this can be dangerous for their digestives tract. Here’s my Dog Repellent Spray Recommendation that worked on my younger beagle, Groot.
You can avoid this by applying a dog repellent spray on the furniture that he chews the most. These sprays are edible for dogs but have a strong bitter taste and smell that beagles hate.
Offer Plenty of Chew Toys instead
Your beagle doesn’t understand what’s okay to chew and what’s not. He thinks that the entire house is his playhouse, and all the furniture is his chew toys. You can correct this behavior by redirecting your pooch to a chew toy. Every time you notice that he is chewing on something which he is not supposed to, make a loud clap or any notice to gain his attention and offer him his chew toy. If he leaves the thing and starts chewing on his toy, praise him and give him a treat.
Make sure to get high quality and durable chew toys. Check out Chew Toys on Amazon.
Provide Regular Exercises
A beagle may start chewing on things if he is busy and has a lot of energy in it. Make sure to provide daily exercise to your pooch. Take your beagle on long walks at least once a day. Set a playtime where you can allow him to run and jump. Play various games. Here are 12 ways to exercise your beagle.
Apart from physical exercise, teach your beagle hew tricks and commands. Beagles need mental stimulation too.
Motivate Good Chewing Behavior
Praise your beagle every time you find him chewing on one of his toys. Say marker word like ‘Good Boy/Girl’ or ‘Yes’ in a cheerful voice. Reward him some treats too. This will help you motivate the good chewing behavior of your pooch.
And if you catch him doing the crime, then do not scream or yell, instead redirect him to his toy.
Supervising Your Beagle
When you are around your beagle, supervise them properly, and understand their behavior and actions during the waking hours. Keep an eye on them when they start chewing or biting something inappropriate. Try to remove the inedible thing from their mouth and give them a safe and edible toy. Once you understand this, it will be much easier at the later stage.
When you aren’t around them, make sure you keep your beagle in a crate or a dog-proof room to avoid any accident. Give them a variety of chewing or edible toys while they are confined to the room, so they don’t get bored easily.
Beagles are fun to be around, but their over-excitement and boredom can inevitably lead to biting and chewing things. Having a consistent behavior can help you, and your beagle has a disciplined environment. They learn quickly when you are consistent with them. Try to set some ground rules and tell them about it.
Final Thoughts
You need to train your beagle to not chew. It can cause some serious problems in the house if you ignore this chewing behavior. Proper management and training can help your beagle reduce this aggressive habit. Give your dog a good number of physical activities and quality time, so (s)he doesn’t feel restricted at home.