The Beagle is friendly, fun, and loves to play. They were bred to be scent hounds for hunting and chase prey over long distances. This means they have high energy and stamina and are very smart.
Beagles require plenty of daily exercise and mental stimulation. Failure to burn off all this pent up energy and challenge their minds can result in them acting out. This can lead to behavior issues such as destructive behavior, nuisance barking, digging, and even escaping to look for adventure. For a guide to Beagle exercise see here.
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What activities do Beagles love the most
Beagles are very friendly and social and love companionship. Thye enjoy any activities that involve people or other dogs. For more on are Beagles good with other dogs see here?
Beagles also love activities that cater to their natural instincts as a scenting hound such as sniffing and chasing. They also can be very food-obsessed.
Here are some things that Beagles love to do for fun.
Beagles love to chase
Being a hunting breed and having a high prey instinct means chasing small furry animals is pure bliss to a Beagle. This can be a problem if they are chasing the neighbor’s cat down the street. It is important with any natural instinctive behavior to provide an outlet for it. There are many ways to cater to and redirect this chase drive. Some suggestions are;
Varram Pet Fitness Robot
The Varram Pet Fitness Robot is the newest of the automatic chase toys for dogs and cats. This device is super smart and ideal to keep your dog active when home alone. Using an app on your iPhone or Android you can schedule when to activate or have it in sleep mode. It also can sense when your pet is near wanting to play. It also has an obstacle avoidance ability and can learn where obstacles are.
The Varram Pet Robot has a few more functions than the other smart chase toys, and as a result, is a little more expensive. For other moving chase toys for dogs see here.
It has a built-in treat dispenser to reward your dog for playing. It also provides all the stats and reports on the smartphone app such as monitoring your dog’s activity and how many treats were dispensed.
View the Varram Pet Robot on Amazon
Flirt Pole
A Flirt pole is like a giant cat tickler for dogs. It has a long handle with a bungy type rope with a lure or toy attached to the end. You simply move the lure along the ground around in circles or in different directions as your dog chases it. It works directly with their natural prey instinct. Be sure they have a good leave it command and do not allow them to destroy the toy. This game is excellent for burning up that pent-up energy in a short amount of time. For a full guide to flirt pole exercise for dogs see here.
View Flirt Poles on Amazon
Digging
Not all Beagles are diggers. However, most Beagles seem to love it. The main reason a Beagle will dig holes is boredom and pent up energy. The other most common reason is to escape by digging under the fence. For solutions to dog digging under a fence see here.
Like all instinctive behaviors, you can’t train to dig out of a dog. However, you can redirect or cater to the behavior in a more productive way. Provide your Beagle with its own digging area or a sandpit.
An alternative is the iDig. This is the first dog toy that has been specially designed to cater to your dog’s natural digging instinct. You simply hide their favorite toy or treats in the flaps and let them dig away to uncover the hidden treasure. Not only will the action of digging help burn off pent-up energy, but the mental challenge of working out how to get to the goodies will help to tire them also.
Check out the video to see how this works or view the iDig Go on Amazon.
For more toy ideas for dogs that dig see here.
Beagles love to sniff
With 220 million scent receptors Beagles they can pick up 50 distinct odors. This is why they are so effective as sniffer dogs. It is often said that a Beagles nose controls their brain. When their nose picks up something of interest the ears switch off.
As Beagles are so driven by their nose playing scenting and nose games is an ideal way of providing mental enrichment and having fun. For 12 scenting and nose games for dogs see here.
Beagles love company
Beagles are affectionate and very loyal to their owners and family. They make excellent family dogs There is nothing your Beagle enjoys more is to spend time with you. Whether that is going on walks, playing, or curling up by your side.
Beagles love to solve puzzles
Beagles are smart dogs. Failing to challenge the mind of a Beagle and providing enrichment will lead to boredom. Boredom is the major cause of behavior issues with a dog.
Puzzle toys are one of the best ways to test and challenge a Beagles problem-solving skills. The added bonus is that most puzzle toys involve getting a treat out of the toy. When selecting puzzle toys for your Beagle select toys that are a little more difficult or have different levels of difficulty.
For the top puzzle toys for dogs see here.
Beagles love food
Beagles take food obsession to a whole new level. This can have its benefits making training easier as they will do anything for a treat. It can also be an excellent opportunity to provide mental enrichment for them. For more on food enrichment for dogs see here.
However, this insatiable desire for food can have a downside. This includes them stealing food and going through the trash bin. Overeating also can be very harmful to their health. Obesity and the associated health risks are a serious problem for many Beagles and their owners.
Beagles like to lick everything
Many Beagles can be compulsive lickers. This is in part because Beagles are a scent hound and by tasting things it helps them smell. This sounds weird but it carries the odor to the roof of the mouth and back of the nose. This is also why Beagles have large jowls. They sweep the ground and lift them to the roof of the mouth and nose. For more see why do dogs have jowls.
If your Beagles licking behavior is excessive it can also be an indication of an underlying behavioral or health issue. For more on stopping excessive licking see here.
Beagles love to put their head out the car window
Beagles look hilarious with their head out the car window with their big ears flapping around. This is not to check out the scenery or the feeling of the breeze on their face.
They do it to enjoy all the wonderful smells. As air moves over the olfactory membrane, odor molecules settle on the scent receptors and get recognized. The more air there is flowing over the membrane, the more scents they can detect.
What do Beagles love to play with
Beagles love toys that cater to their natural traits and instincts. This includes toys they can chase or seek out with their nose. They also love toys that hold food like puzzle toys and any toy that can involve you in a game.
For the best type of toys for Beagles see here.
Let us know in the comments what your Beagle likes to do for fun.
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