Originally bred for hunting, the beagle has an incredible sense of smell and belongs to the hound group. Its droopy ears, adorable facial features and unique expressions make the beagle a popular dog throughout the world for its cuteness factor. The beagle comes in two sizes and three varieties of color. The breed is energetic, loyal and makes the perfect addition to any home. All are legitimate reasons why this breed has remained a popular canine companion for families.
However one of the most known problems that afflicts beagles quite frequently is separation anxiety. Most beagle owners have likely noticed this at one point or another.
The separation anxiety can manifest in a few different ways, all usually characterized by bad behavior if they are left by themselves for too long: chewing up shoes or furniture, barking loudly, or marking territory in inappropriate places indoors.
While this may seem like a major drawback, separation anxiety is a natural element of a beagle’s character, and there are ways to train and develop beagles to be more securely attached when you leave for hours at a time.
Why Do Beagles Get Separation Anxiety?
There are a few opposing theories regarding the origin of separation anxiety in beagles. The likeliest is due to the specific breeding over generations that they’ve gone through.
Beagles were bred to specifically hunt in packs to chase wild game. From the time the dog was originally bred, it was in their true nature to be part of a large group and to always have someone to play with and keep them company. However, the beagle today is viewed more as a family oriented dog.
This can cause some dissonance, because their true nature is still embedded as they inevitably will make you and your family a part of their pack.
They become extremely attached and when everyone leaves the house they tend to become lonely, stressed, and upset. Their inability to control these feelings eventually leads to fully formed separation anxiety.
Another factor is based on their natural energy levels and intelligence. Beagles were bred to be extremely smart, and full of energy. While this combination is great in general, it can lead to anxiety inducing boredom if they are left home alone for too long.
Signs of Separation Anxiety in Beagles
There are a few ways to accurately discern whether or not your beagle is struggling with separation anxiety. Some signs are more subtle than others, and they can start to be noticed before you even set foot outside.
Generally, the first sign of separation anxiety in beagles is an excessive amount of whining. Because beagles are extremely intelligent, they tend to pick up on your daily rituals fairly quickly. As soon as they see that you are gathering your things, putting on your shoes, and are getting ready to leave, their anxiety may start to steadily creep up.
As you probably already know, beagles are very vocal as well, and won’t be afraid to let you know that they’re upset that you’re about to leave them alone. This whining and whimpering can escalate into full blown barking, even while you’re still there. A bark characterized by separation anxiety is often loud and high pitched compared to other types of barks.
A problem that a lot of beagle owners struggle with is the fact that after they leave, this bark can continue on for hours while the beagles are home alone, which can put tension on your relationships with your neighbors or landlord.
On top of the signs that you can hear, another telltale sign of separation anxiety is excessive pacing. When your beagle becomes aware of the fact that you are leaving, they may not be able to stay still. They’ll start to pace around the house, and it will be clear from their demeanor and tail that it’s not out of excitement, but rather out of general worry. This pacing can last for hours until after you leave, and can cause a lot of beagle owners guilt for leaving during the day.
Another classic sign of separation anxiety in beagles is through their crafty ability to try and escape almost any situation. Beagles are notorious diggers, climbers, and can even solve some rudimentary puzzles. If you don’t have a very secure yard or home, they may try to escape because of the emotional stress that being alone puts them through.
Lastly, one of the most destructive habits and signs of separation anxiety is excessive chewing. With the combination of a lack of coping mechanisms and boredom, beagles that suffer from separation anxiety will quickly resort to chewing on almost everything and anything in sight (including their own paws). This can come as a surprise to some owners, because even if they don’t regularly chew on inappropriate objects when you’re home, the separation anxiety can bring out some real troubling behavior while you’re away.
Fortunately, if you’re able to recognize these signs early in your beagle’s development, there are a lot of ways that you can curb these behaviors, and help make sure that your beagle grows up with secure emotional attachment. Additionally, there are a variety of toys that you can use to help keep your beagles from getting too bored and mischievous, even if their anxiety isn’t the root of this bad behavior after all. I’ll get into that next.
How to Help With Separation Anxiety in Beagles
While most owners of beagles with separation anxiety might feel like there isn’t anything to be done, but there are actually quite a few ways that you can try to ease the stress that your dog starts to feel whenever you leave the house.
Separation anxiety can be prevented, helped, and in many cases even cured by just making some effort in early training, and adjusting a few aspects of your general training throughout your dog’s life.
One of the biggest factors at play is the environment that your beagle is left in. Setting up the right environment at home can be a great way to keep them from being bored, and help them remain calm throughout the day.
Depending on your living situation, and depending on how long you’ll be away for the day, you’ll want to consider a few different options.
If you’re going to be gone for a full work day, it’s best to give your beagle as much reign of the house and yard as is safely possible. However if you’re only leaving for a couple of hours at a time, you should consider simply crating the beagle with food, water and toys, or using something a little larger like an indoor pet yard.
Keeping their space small for shorter durations is a great way to reduce stress, because if they’re left in wide open spaces or access to multiple empty rooms, in can amplify their feelings of loneliness and actually make their separation anxiety much worse.
Once you have the designated area set up for when you’re ready to leave, you’ll want to get your check list ready. You’ll definitely need water, and depending on how long you’re gone, I’d recommend a self-replenishing bowl to help prevent your beagle from making a mess. You’ll also want to provide them with enough food for the day.
One way I like to keep my beagle busy is by filling a kong ball with peanut butter (making sure that it’s free of xylitol or other sugar substitutes that dogs can’t have), and putting it in the freezer until its nice and hard. This can keep beagles busy for hours while they try to get all the food out.
Other things to always have around include the dog’s favorite bed or blanket, as well as their favorite toys to help give them a sense of security (chew toys are best in case they get the urge to chew while you’re gone.
If you’re away for long periods of time frequently, it’s also good to try and get a friend, dog walker, or neighbor to check up on your dog intermittently so that they aren’t left alone for too long, especially if they’re still puppies. Additionally, when you do get home, it’s important to give them of love and attention shortly after you get back to help reinforce secure attachment (but not too soon after), and give them a walk or take them outside to help them burn off any excess pent up energy.
If you get home too excited to see your beagle, they’ll likely develop more insecure attachment, and associate you leaving with bad emotions, you should try to remain neutral both when you leave the house and when you arrive back home.
Another trick that I like to use is training by association. I noticed that my beagle tends to get really nervous when she first hears the jangling sound of my car keys, so I decided to start just jangling my keys at home when hanging out with her, and after they’d make a noise, I’d give her a treat. Eventually after enough time, she began to associate positive feelings with me picking up my keys, and didn’t always get so nervous when I did have to use them to leave for the day.
If you’re looking for more tips, I highly recommend this video from Zak George’s Dog Training Revolution:
Final Thoughts
While the separation anxiety that your beagle may be experiencing can sometimes be stressful for you too, it’s important to rest assured that this issue is completely reversible, and is easy to fix. Following these simple instructions is a great way to help make your beagle much more calm, and secure with themselves when they are left home alone.
It’s important to remember that these changes won’t happen over night, but if you’re patient and caring, you’ll be in a great position to help your beagle through these emotional times.