Beagle puppies, are particularly adorable with their long ears and roly-poly bellies. But as anyone who has ever raised a puppy can tell you, they are a lot of work.

Puppies seem to have boundless supplies of energy. They are always in motion, always learning and always getting into trouble. Of course, they are designed this way. Their curiosity encourages them to learn about the world, making new discoveries each day.

Beagles especially are known for being a more “hyper” breed than most, and their endless exploring and troublemaking has driven more than owner batty! You may be wondering when on earth you can expect your beagle pup to calm down a little. The answer is multifaceted. There are some things – genetic, the rate of your puppy’s growth for example – that you cannot control. The good news, however, is that there are many things that you can!

Read on for the low down of why beagle puppies get amped up, and what you can do to help them wind down.

When Do Beagle Puppies Usually Calm Down?

You’re probably beginning to wonder about now – when WILL my beagle puppy start to calm down a little. There’s good news and bad news on that front. 

The bad news is that beagles are not known for being naturally calm. They are a breed of hunting dog that is known as a scent hound. This means that they are naturally wired to be super alert, to run and to follow their nose wherever it may take them! Their hard-wiring also tells them that they should alert you to every little thing.

The good news, however, is that beagles begin to calm down a bit after the age of six months, and will likely reach a good baseline level of energy by the time they are one and a half to two years old.  Again, neutering might make this process move along a little faster. And remember, some beagles are just simply more hyper than others. Be patient with your little dog – someday you may just find yourself missing the adorable zooming around and excitement of the puppy days.

But for those that want to curb some of this bad behavior in spastic beagles, check out these tips below.

How to Get A Beagle Puppy to Calm Down

If your beagle puppy is driving you nuts, you are no doubt looking for ways to calm them down. Part of the process of growing for dogs is about learning this exact skill – being able to self-calm and entertain oneself. Believe it or not, your beagle will one day outgrow some of their crazy antics. And hopefully, you can take some comfort in knowing that all of this curiosity and troublemaking is a sign of a bright and healthy dog!

But let’s get to it – what exactly can you do to get your beagle puppy to calm down? Here are a few tips I’ve put together from my time raising two rambunctious beagle puppies:

• Make sure your puppy is getting plenty of play time and exercise

We’ve all heard the phrase “a tired dog is a good dog.” Well, that goes doubly for puppies! Take your pup outside as frequently as you can and let them run it out!

There are of course times in the winter where this might be harder to do, so it’s important to remember that there are a variety of ways that you can properly entertain your beagle indoors.

In many ways getting a puppy nice and calm isn’t simply achieved by walking them for hours on end, but rather than giving them the proper amount of mental stimulation. This can be done through games they can play inside like tug, puzzle feeders, and scent tracking hidden treats around the house.

One of the best ways to give yourself some extra help in tiring out your pup is simply by getting a second one! Beagles are pack animals by nature, and tend to do very well with having another dog friend in the mix.

• Give your dog stimulating tasks and toys that occupy their body and mind

Your puppy is less likely to wander off and cause mischief if they have something to keep themselves occupied. As I mentioned before, puzzle toys and treats are an excellent way to stimulate them, but also tasks can be incredibly effective.

Beagles as a breed have experienced roles as guard dogs, hunting dogs, seeing eye dogs, and even police dogs; they thrive on having jobs to do.

It’s important from a young age to instill tasks in your beagle puppy to help nurture this sense of responsibility. Training your beagle to do certain tasks around the house can be a great way to give them fulfillment and focus that will lead to a calmer dog with a sense of purpose as they grow up.

• Teach your dog simple commands like sit, wait (for food) and quiet

The last one is particularly valuable for beagles, since they tend to be very vocal. Starting training early keeps your dog safer on walks, occupies their mind and makes your job easier. It also stimulates brain growth and eases anxiety.

An easy place to start is with commands like sit, stay, wait for food, speak, and be quiet. As your beagle gets more advanced in their training, your commands can get more intricate and situational. The mental strength required to focus on these tasks will help your beagle obey you in the long run, and will make them a calmer dog in general.

• Make sure that your puppy doesn’t need to go to the bathroom.

Puppies are not known for their excellent communication skills. If yours is being loud and rowdy, make sure that they don’t just need a quick potty break! When beagles are young, the only way they can really express themselves is through barking or asking out, so always be sure to analyze why they might be barking, it just might save you an annoying indoor cleanup! 

• Considering neutering your male puppy

If you are not planning on breeding your dog, you should consider getting your male beagle neutered when he is big enough. Not only will you help prevent unwanted litters, it also limits bad behaviors like humping, and decreases the risk of many types of health problems and cancers. And, as far as behavior is concerned, most owners find that their young male dog is considerably calmer after being neutered.

• Watch your own behavior and emotions around your dog

Your puppy will feed off of, and mirror your reactions and behavior. While it’s hard not to get excited when you come home to your puppy, try to temper your reactions somewhat. Your excitement and over-reaction will only amp them up more, and could be contributing to symptoms of separation anxiety whenever you try to leave the house.

When it’s time for pup to calm down or go to sleep, model calm behavior and take your voice and your demeanor down to “quiet mode” for a while. You might be surprised at what a difference it makes.

What Causes Hyperactivity in Beagles?

The causes for hyperactivity in puppies are usually a mix of genetic makeup, the natural growth process and how those both interact with environmental cues. Again, while all puppies tend to be pretty excitable, if you’ve gotten a beagle puppy, you have definitely chosen one of the more lively breeds! So why ARE beagle puppies so active?

• They have puppy energy
  

Simply put, they are growing and changing every day, taking in new experiences and reacting to new stimuli. Just imagine that you woke up every day with a ton of fresh, new things to explore and learn about. If you’ve traveled abroad, you might have experienced this feeling – of everything being new and interesting! Well, for puppies, every day is a day abroad in a new world.

It’s also very common for beagle puppies simply to get overstimulated. Like human children, they won’t know how to calm themselves down, which is why I highly recommend crate training to try and level them out and bring their energy levels down in a way that they enjoy.

Overstimulation can result in bad behaviors like growling, excessive chewing, and even biting or nipping for a lot of puppies. That’s why curbing it early on and learning how to calm down your dog is a great investment.

• They are immature

After all, they are puppies. And even when your beagle puppy is beginning to look more like a dog than a baby, their mind is not yet mature. This is quite similar to human children if you think about it. Teenagers look a lot like adults, but we know that they are a long way away from reaching mental maturity. Your puppy’s mind is set on immediate gratification and go-go-go at all times. Some of this will abate as they mature past their first year of age.

• Your puppy might be anxious

An anxious or insecure puppy will get twitchy and reactive, which can lead to hyperactivity. You can help your puppy grow more confident and secure in their surroundings by both offering comfort and teaching them obedience skills, which provide structure and set the right expectations for behavior.

• Your puppy might be hungry or need to go to the bathroom

If your puppy is zooming around like a tiny tornado and just cannot seem to get themselves together, start out by making sure that all of their basic needs are met. Your puppy doesn’t know how to tell you what they need yet and may not even fully recognize their own needs yet either. You can help them out by directing them to food and taking them out for a walk, and praising them if they eat or go potty. You want your puppy to begin to understand that you will listen to them and that you will respond to their needs.

This will make your puppy more trusting of your judgment, and more willing to obey you when you need them to calm down.

• Lack of physical and mental stimulation might be the problem

As I mentioned earlier, a bored dog is a mischievous dog. Your puppy has lots of energy and boundless curiosity and if you don’t provide an outlet for it, they will try to find one on their own!

That’s why it’s vital that you provide enough for your beagle to be able to entertain themselves indoors, but also make an effort to walk them at least once a day to help bond with them and get them outside and moving.

• Hyperkinesis

Hyperkinesis is an uncommon disorder in dogs that is somewhat like ADHD in humans. Dogs with hyperkinesis are truly unable to control their bodily movements and feel like they have to be constantly in motion. While this should never be the first conclusion when your puppy is being hyper, you will want to get them checked out by a vet if you feel that your dog’s energy or movement level is truly very excessive.

Final Thoughts

Beagle puppies are a lot of fun but – take my word for it – a ton of work as well. Try to enjoy the puppy days by taking your new friend on lots of adventures and by providing a stimulating, loving and energizing environment for them. You can get your puppy off to the best start for a happy life by initiating training early and keeping them on a regular schedule of fun and exercise.

Try to enjoy all those sweet puppy snuggles because, just like with human kids, before you know it they are full grown adults!