Beagles make excellent companion dogs. Beagles are pack animals and always enjoy being in the company of others. They enjoy living in the limelight. For this reason, beagles do not always do well when left alone and tend to have issues patiently waiting for you to come back home. 

Beagles commonly suffer from separation anxiety and channel their fear and anxiety through destructive behavior, causing damage to almost everything in the house and immense stress to themselves as well. 

As a result, they will need your company regularly. So if you are away from home for long hours and your beagle is at home, then he will be unhappy. But there are ways to alleviate boredom and loneliness and make separation easier for both you and your beagle.

Why Beagles Need A Lot of Attention

Beagles are pack animals and in the wild they would tend do pretty much everything together. They would sleep together, hunt together, eat together. Despite a long history of domestication that separates them from their wild ancestors, beagles still are inherently social animals. 

Beagles enjoy both mental and social stimulation. However, there could be several reasons behind why your beagle craves your attention in particular. Maybe they are not getting enough exercise or mental stimulation, or they are genuinely not getting enough attention from you that they require at a minimum. 

Smart dogs like beagles will look for creative ways to get their owner’s attention. They can steal something and run off with it, and the more we react, the more attention your beagle feels they are getting, which will perpetuate this annoying behavior. 

A sad reality is that many people ignore their dogs when they are sitting quietly, and so the dog feels that the only way to get their owner’s attention is to do something their owners don’t want them to do, such as jumping on them, chewing things, and barking. 

How to Keep Your Beagle Content While You’re Away

More than anything else, your beagle misses your company when left alone at home. Apart from getting those sad dog eyes and the guilt that you may feel for leaving your beagle home alone for a long time, there is also the question of what kind of mess you may come back to. 

Chewed up shoes, ruined carpet, and furniture, and scratched doors are a reality for many beagle owners. So how can you make your beagle feel more content and comfortable when alone and get peace of mind yourself?

• Offer entertainment

Think of entertaining ways to keep your beagle busy and happy while you are away from home. Leave some interactive toys for your beagle like a puzzle or a treat toy that they will have to spend a little time to figure out. The toys should be durable so that your beagle does not chew off pieces and swallow them.

• Make a comfortable space for your dog

Create a comfortable space for your beagle and fill it up with cozy items like a snug bed, blankets, and things that smell like you – maybe old shirts and towels. This will make your beagle feel like they have a safe den in your home. Put out their chew toys and other treats in this space so that your dog can relax in their special spot where they most feel secure. If it’s just a short while that you’re gone, you can consider using a dog crate as this space.

• Give them ample exercise

Beagles are susceptible to boredom and loneliness. They are super active and energetic dogs and need lots of physical activity to release their pent up energy. So make sure your canine buddy gets ample exercise in the morning that tires them out and leaves them content while you are off at work. Engaging in quick training sessions in the morning and walks in the afternoon can be an effective way to calm your pup down

• Have daily one-to-one sessions

Beagles love being around their owners. Take out some time every day to give your beagle your undivided attention to show how much you love them. Beagles are immensely sensitive dogs and crave your attention, and will greatly appreciate this solo time together. 

• Leave blinds and curtains open

Leaving your curtains or blinds open to an exciting view can provide some visual stimulation to your beagle. But if the view is of a busy street, then your beagle will most likely bark at people passing by, so you’ll want to exercise good judgment when deciding which blinds or curtains you leave open for long hours at a time.

• Leave the TV or radio on

Instead of leaving your incomplete beagle silence, leave your radio or TV on so that they feel less alone in the house. It’s been proven that hearing other voices from TV or radio is calming to dogs that suffer from separation anxiety. 

Tips For Beagles With Separation Anxiety

Lonely beagles are usually unhappy beagles. If left alone for long periods of time, beagles can become far clingier when their owner is home. If left alone for a long time, a beagle will try to look for the company elsewhere, which means they may try to escape the yard, start digging or barking and howling. 

Beagles love the company of their “human pack” much more than other dog breeds. They suffer from separation anxiety because they love being around their owners almost too much, similar to other pack breeds like huskies. The following tips can help beagles with separation anxiety.

1. If you must be gone for long hours, then before heading out, give your beagle a brisk walk, a run around the yard or a park, or play a game of fetch to help your beagle expend some of their energy. Engaging your beagle in some physical activity can curtail anxiety in them and also prevent them from destroying your house.
2. Give some separation training to your beagle. It is essential to teach your beagle that your absence of a few hours is not the end of the world. Start the training by making your dog get used to a temporary separation. Make your beagle stay in one room while you are in the other. Gradually extend the time and distance of your separation until you can leave your dog alone for long hours. As with any training, consistency is the key. Eventually, your beagle will learn to trust that everything is okay when you are not around.
3. If your beagle suffers from severe separation anxiety, then you can also consider working with a dog trainer or day care that can help work on these issues.
4. Having a second dog who can play and bond with your beagle can assuage their loneliness. Beagles are usually friendly with other pets in the house. But domesticated dogs still need human interaction, so you can consider having a dog sitter or at least a dog walker to keep your dog company while you are gone.
5. It is normal for any dog to want to be with their owners, but you should teach them not to follow you around all the time. If your beagle does this, do not make eye contact with them or touch them. By doing this, you will send this message to your dog that following you everywhere is not exciting. This will help your beagle when they are left home alone.
6. You can establish a leaving routine and say words like “stay and be good.” A consistent routine helps your dog know what happens next and makes them feel more secure.
7. You can also create positive associations with being left alone. For example, you can leave some special treats and your beagle’s favorite toys when you leave them alone in the house and put them away when you return. This way, your beagle will learn that certain good things may only come when you are gone.
8. Do not make a big deal about leaving your beagle alone at home. If your beagle is excessively anxious about being alone, then to help them to be more independent, ignore them upon entering and leaving the house, as if your absence wasn’t a big deal at all.
9. If your beagle is severely anxious, try visiting your vet to see if your beagle can benefit from certain types of medication or behavioral therapy.

Can You Give Your Beagle Too Much Attention?

As a loving pet owner, you can’t help but feel guilt pangs when you have to leave your dog alone at home for long periods. It is almost impossible to have your beagle by your side all the time, especially if you have a full-time job. 

Beagles are natural attention seekers. Giving attention to your beagle and spending time with them can undoubtedly strengthen your bond together. But giving too much attention can encourage some undesirable behaviors in your beagle. 

Beagles do not like staying alone, but giving them company all the time can make them overly dependent on you and exacerbate their separation anxiety, which they almost always exhibit through their destructive behavior. 

Also, feeding too many treats randomly can spoil your dog and make it more challenging to train them in the long run. Excessive attention can in turn also lead to excessive barking, obsessive behaviors, whining, not following their owner’s commands, destroying things in the house, digging, chasing, aggression towards other animals, and even growling or biting. 

All good things come in moderation, including the amount of attention and love you should give to your beagle. 

Final Thoughts

While you may have a lot of guilt for leaving your beagle at home alone, there are a lot of things you can do to mitigate their anxiety and give them proper attention. Loving your beagle and spending time with them is essential, but do not overwhelm your dog with constant attention and affection. With some training and preparation, your time apart from each other can be happy and calm, making your time together even sweeter.