Beagles are not a very possessive breed of dog. However, that doesn’t mean that it is unheard of. Under certain circumstances, beagles can definitely be possessive.
What would make a beagle possessive?
Beagles can be possessive over many things, such as toys, treats or food. The possessive aggression comes from a beagle mentally claiming something. This claiming of something originates from their natural instinct in the wild. However, with them not being in the wild anymore this natural instinct isn’t needed and can be cut out when a beagle is young.
A beagle may also become possessive with the arrival of a rival. If another dog is brought into your home they may become more protective over their possessions.
Their possessive behaviour can also stem from the owner’s behaviour. It is extremely important that the owner of the beagle deals with their behaviour in the right way. The worst thing you could do is respond to the beagle’s aggressive behaviour with more aggression. You should not physically punish the dog for this behaviour or remove the item that the dog is guarding against them. Naturally, a beagle will respond to these actions with more aggression.
How to stop your beagle from being possessive?
Possessive behaviour is much easier to cut out when the beagle is young because they haven’t picked up as many bad habits. It is still possible to train an older dog and cut this behaviour out. However, some people opt to have a professional help them out if they are struggling. Beagles are not always easy to train.
One method to help get rid of this behaviour is reward-based training. You will want to train your beagle the command “drop it”, “drop”, “leave” or something similar. First, you will want to find a reward such as a treat that your dog finds more valuable than the item that they are protecting. Now you can use your new command when your beagle is being possessive and offer them the reward. When they leave the item behind and take the reward you are offering you should give them back their item. This process is showing your beagle that they are being highly rewarded for leaving the item behind and that they are not losing the item. Eventually, they will understand that they do not need to be possessive.
If your dog is possessive over its food bowl, some professionals recommend placing several bowls around a large room. And then add plain food to one of their bowls as they eat from that bowl add more valuable food to another. While doing this make sure that your aren’t close enough to your beagle for them to become aggressive. Continue to add this valuable food to the other bowls. This method teaches your beagle not to become too possessive to their food bowl and willingly move on from it.
If your beagle reacts poorly to these methods, you may want to consider consulting a professional.
Are beagles aggressive?
Beagles are typically not an aggressive breed of dog. However, they may become aggressive if they feel threatened or if they are not properly socialized. Beagles are one of the easier breeds of dog to train, which means any aggression can be dealt with. You may see aggression from your beagle in situations such as:
-guarding territory
-guarding resources (e.g food, treats and toys)
-frustration
-fear
What are signs of possessive aggression?
Some of the most common signs of possessive aggression include: growling, lifting the upper lip, aggressive barking, snapping, lunging and/or biting. if you are seeing any of these signs from your beagle you need to action change as soon as possible.
What are the repercussions of an aggressive beagle?
There are some expensive repercussions that come along with having an aggressive beagle. To start with your beagle may pick up a habit of biting objects that are not edible, phones, wallets, remotes, etc.