Beagles are fantastic dogs to have as companions, but you must remember not to overlook the fact that beagles require a very specific training and environment to fulfil their full potential.

If you train your beagle with patience and perseverance you will ultimately have a very obedient dog, one that will do almost anything on command. This is a very special skill to have, especially if you have a beagle. This is due to the fact that these dogs are hunting dogs and will usually go wherever their noses tell them to, rather than where their master tells them to.

A great way to start your beagle dog training would be to teach him the “lay down” command.

So what is the “lay down” command?

The lay down command is simply getting your beagle to lay down on its tummy on YOUR command. On top of this, the beagle must not move until you release the command for it to do so.

That makes sense! But how does the “lay down” command work? You can find the instructions to this question below.

Training Instructions:

1. Begin by having your beagle in a sitting position and make sure to gain its attention. This can be achieved by the simple calling of his name.

2. You then make it known that it is time to do a training exercise by holding some kind of treat or toy above your head so it is clearly visible. Make sure your beagle stays in a sitting position and does not come towards you. Remember, we need to maintain them focused on the task at hand.

3. Now you can begin to hold the treat closer to your beagles chest. Really emphasize on maintaining the focus on you and not the treat. If you see that your beagle does not pay attention to you, then snap your fingers and say “eyes here”, once the beagle looks at you, you can then reward him until he can do this consistently.

4. Next, bring the treat from your beagles chest directly down between his paws. While doing this, make sure you say “down”, once he has laid down, give your beagle the treat and pet him as well. You should do this several times until it becomes second nature.

5. Lastly, start moving away from your beagle and make sure he does not suddenly pop up. If he does so, no rewards are given. On the other hand, if your beagle stays in the lay down position until your release the command, then you can reward him with the treat.