Beagles are notorious for escaping and trying to run away. They’re incredibly intelligent dogs, which means they can be quite clever in finding out new ways to escape if they’re feeling bored or suffering from separation anxiety. Whether you’re in a big house or an apartment, your beagle will likely try and figure out how to escape at some point.

In this article I’ll explain some of the main causes behind why beagles run away, and will provide some tips on how to prevent this from happening in the future. 

Why Do Beagles Run Away?

• Boredom

Dogs are very susceptible to boredom, especially beagles. Without proper interaction and socialization, a dog will behave in ways that are inappropriate and frustrating – including escaping or trying to run away. 

Beagles require the same types of stimulation they were initially bred for; hunting, gathering, and living in a pack. When left to their own devices, beagles will rarely know what to do with themselves. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do for your beagles to combat boredom, even if you leave them alone for long periods of time.

• Separation Anxiety

Separation anxiety is not just a beagle problem. Many breeds of dogs suffer from the symptoms brought on by being left alone for hours on end. 

Unfortunately, separation anxiety can lead to a plethora of other behavior issues in dogs. A dog that suffers from anxiety of any sort may exhibit signs of aggression, destructive behaviors, and can start to attempt escaping. 

The behaviors brought on by separation anxiety can be harmful to the pet, the owner, and your home. The behaviors brought on by anxiety often lead to a dog being placed in a shelter or euthanized. While this can be difficult to deal with, there are ways to curb separation anxiety and help your beagle deal with being left alone. 

• Curiosity

Dogs are curious by nature, especially beagles. It’s extremely easy for a beagle to catch a scent of another animal near your home, and get completely overcome with curiosity. This scent following is one of the main reasons that beagle’s try to escape. That’s why you’ll want to make sure that your yard is secure and completely digging-proof, because beagles will absolutely dig to try and escape. 

As long as you make sure to take efforts to give your beagle lots of stimuli and attention while you’re together, hopefully they’ll be less bored, and less prone to curiosity. 

Another way to help against this is by getting a second dog to keep them company, so that they don’t fall victim to those pesky scents, as they’ll be too distracted by their new sibling’s scent anyway.

Another solution is by giving them consistent exercise. Daily walks are very important, as it’ll help your beagle get all of its energy out, smell the scents it wants to smell, and leave it tired and restful when it’s time for you to leave them at home. 

How to Prevent Your Beagle From Escaping

• Scent Work

Scent Work is one of the ways to help reduce boredom in a beagle. As a hound, the beagle is well known for its hunting prowess. Alleviating the need to hunt can be a challenge for any owner so, rather than suppress the need, the hunting instinct should be harnessed. 

There are various types of scent work training games to help beagles fulfill their evolutionary needs and track scents. You can learn more about these types of sports from the AKC (American Kennel Club). Scent work as a sport requires the owner/handler and the beagle to work as a team. Cotton balls are used with essential oils to evoke the beagle’s powerful sense of smell.. Amazon sells kits for scent work for those wanting to delve deeper into the sport with their beagle. The great thing about scent work is it can be a simple and inexpensive way to encourage the drive to hunt and alleviate boredom.

• Hide The Kong

Another great game is Hide the Kong: Use some of the beagles food or treats to fill a Kong before bowl feeding them. Be sure to use the measurements recommended by the vet or manufacturer of the food as beagles are also notorious for overeating. 

Next, hide the Kong toy from the beagle and allow them to use their sense of smell to sniff it out. Places to hind include in the laundry room, under dog bedding, under a towel, and in certain parts of your backyard or living room. Be careful not to put it in a place where the beagle will have to dig to reach it, as digging can create a new slew of problems. 

Letting the beagle sniff out their meal and feeding time becomes an engaging way to train them. After they have completed the task and emptied the Kong, place the remaining food in a slow feeder, again making them work for their meal, which can prevent bloating and keep them busy.

• Which Hand?

Another inexpensive game to curb boredom is what I like to call ‘Which Hand?’. This game can be practiced as basic obedience training.

For starters grab your beagle’s favorite treat. Have your beagle go to the sit position. Place your hands behind your back and place treats in one hand. Keep your hands closed in a balled fist as you bring them to the front of your body. Ask the beagle which hand they think the treat is in. They will use their nose to sniff for it in order to receive the treat. You can train them to touch the right hand with their paw, or their nose. But always be sure to keep rewards in place for this game, as tricking them without proper rewards will only build frustration.

Even though these games require you to be present, they provide a lot of mental stimulation that will help tire your beagle, making them less prone to bad behavior and boredom when you are gone. 

• Crate Training

Crate training is an essential part of training any small dog. While some people are opposed, as long as you only keep your dog in their crate for short periods of time, they’ll actually learn to love their crate, and will view it as a safe, den like space. You should start crate training while you’re in the house, so they don’t just always associate crate time with you being gone, allowing them to take ownership over the crate themselves. 

• Gradual Separation

Test boundaries with your beagle. You’ll want to give them some sense of independence, so that they don’t become insecurely attached to you. Try going on walks for ten or fifteen minutes by yourself, so that the beagle gets used to you leaving, and learns that you’ll always come back soon enough.

Also try to have some time where you and your beagle coexist in your home, but separately. Try leaving them in a different room than you for a few hours. Allow them to feel comfortable on their own in your home slowly over time. 

• Invisible Fences

If you leave your beagle alone in the yard for a long time, or if you know that your beagle is able to get out of the house when you might not be looking, you should consider investing in an invisible fence. These can range in their affects, but they essentially act like a shock collar – either delivering an annoying sound or gentle buzz that prevents your beagle from leaving a perimeter you choose. You can check out our guide on invisible fences here.

• Extra Stimuli

Extra stimuli like leaving music or the television on can be extremely effective ways to curb anxiety in your beagle. With external noise, the beagle will feel less loneliness, and will be a lot less likely to misbehave or act out when you’re gone. 

This is especially effective if you watch TV and listen to music while you’re home with your beagle. They’ll associate the stimuli with you being home, and even if you’re away, they won’t be as nervous because the recognizable sounds will still be playing.

Final Thoughts

In all the best way to prevent a beagle from escape is the same as for any dog. Keep them entertained so they are not as prone to running away, and give them the right amount of attention while you are together. 

Curbing insecure attachment and separation anxiety is an important part of obedience training, so showing your beagle healthy boundaries while you two are together indoors will help bounds in the long run.