Ultimate guide to exercising your Beagle
Cocoa's coastal escapade: Embracing nature's treadmill beyond the usual paths
Exercising your Beagle should never be a chore, but if you're trudging around the same old route day after day, it sure can start to feel like it! Beagles need plenty of exercise to burn off energy and satisfy their exploratory instincts, but this daily exercise should be fun for both of you. By just adding a few simple twists to your weekly exercise routine, this essential task can be transformed into an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Here's my ultimate guide to exercising your Beagle.
1) What is the best exercise for a Beagle?
In terms of energy levels, it helps to think of Beagles as similar to a young child - full of beans one minute, and snuggled up for a nap the next! As long as they can burn off excess energy, they are generally quite calm and relaxed the rest of the time. But if your Beagle doesn't get that all-important exercise every day, their mental wellbeing can quickly deteriorate and behavioral problems can start to develop.
As a rough guide, your Beagle should get around 90 minutes of exercise every day, split into at least two separate sessions. For Cocoa and me, this looks like a short walk to our (my) favorite coffee shop in the morning, and a longer walk, round about 2 miles, in the afternoon, a combination of walking, trotting, and sniffing.
It can be all too easy to let this routine become boring, but we're here to inspire you on ways to spice up your Beagle's daily energy-burning sessions. Let's take a look at some great ways to keep your exercise schedule fun and exciting!
a. Leash walks
Leash walking is the go-to form of exercise for most Beagle owners, but it can become dull and repetitive. Do you find yourself putting off your dog walk until the last possible minute, or bickering over whose turn it is to take the dog out? In that case, it’s time to start putting the fun back into your leash walks!
For a Beagle, the fun part of going for a walk is not just the opportunity to exercise. They also thrive on new sights, sounds, and scents, so add in as much diversity and variety to your route as possible. For some canine companionship, why not regularly meet up with a friend for a doggy walking date - after all, we're all out there doing the same thing, day after day!
b. Hiking
Getting out into nature is something we should all do more of, and taking a hike is the perfect way for you and your Beagle to get some much-deserved time outdoors.
Even if you live in an urban area, opportunities to hike may be closer than you think. Public transport is often a quick way to get out of town, taking you to more remote areas without the hassle of driving.
If you're heading into the great outdoors, remember to keep your Beagle on a leash unless you're in a designated off-leash area. Beagles are highly skilled scent hounds and love to flush out prey, which can be very detrimental to ground-nesting birds and mammals, not to mention dangerous to your Beagle. Cocoa has nearly got away from me on a couple of occasions in her life chasing after squirrels, and deer. (I’m not sure what she thought she would do when she caught up to the deer.) You have to be constantly vigilant with a Beagle.
Cocoa is a true adventurer at heart. She loves going for hikes our in nature. Her nickname is @cocoa_the_adventurer. Having said that – it’s quality rather than quantity that counts. The longest hike Cocoa has ever done was 9 miles. That was a lot for her little legs – but I’ve heard of lots of Beagles who regularly hike further than that.
c. Sniff walks
It’s no secret that Beagles love to sniff anything and everything! So, rather than marching your Beagle around the block, turn your leash walk into a sniff walk instead.
A sniff walk is one where the dog is allowed to lead with their nose, exploring every interesting smell they come across. Although the pace may be slower, your Beagle will get a huge amount of mental stimulation from this activity, which is equally as important as physical exercise.
Some days I set out to walk Cocoa with the intention of covering as much ground as we can during our walk, and some days Cocoa loves that. On other days, she has other plans, and I have to adapt to what’s working for her that day. That’s when sniff walks really come into their own.
2) How can I exercise my Beagle without walking?
Cocoa's garden exploration: Proof that exercise isn't just about the walk.
If for some reason a walk is out of the question, there are some fabulous alternative ways to exercise your Beagle! Here are my favorite alternatives to a daily walk:
a. Training
Beagles have incredibly active brains and love to learn, and a fun training session can be equally as tiring as a walk in the park. This could be as simple as incorporating some sit-stay training into your evening exercise, or you could mix things up by trying new activities such as agility training and scent training.
b. Swimming
Swimming is an excellent form of exercise for dogs, so if your Beagle is a water baby then a trip to your favorite swimming spot is the perfect way to let them burn off some energy! This is ideal for warmer days when a hike through the hills seems like too much effort.
Important to note though – not all Beagles like to swim. Only encourage your Beagle to swim if they enjoy it. My Beagle Cocoa does not like water or swimming, so I let her take the lead on whether she wants to paddle or not, even on really hot days.
c. Dog parks
Do you live in an area where it seems impossible to let your Beagle run off the leash? Dog parks can be an ideal solution, providing a safe place for our precious pets to run and play without any restrictions. If you can, set up a play date with other dog-owning friends to allow your Beagle to socialize with some canine pals.
However – exercise caution at dog parks, as lots of overexcited dogs together can escalate quickly. Know when and how to advocate for your dog and yourself, and when it’s time to leave.
3) How can I exercise my Beagle at home?
Now I'm not going to mention the C-word, but remember a year or two ago when we couldn't leave our houses? Well, this meant we had to get quite imaginative about keeping our dogs entertained in the house! One walk per day is never enough to keep Cocoa out of trouble, so I had to come up with other ways to help her burn off energy and keep her mind entertained.
To exercise your Beagle at home, play games such as hide and seek, go fetch, and indoor doggy treat hunts. Some dogs love a game of tug-of-war, while others will adore navigating through an indoor obstacle course. A game of chase can also be great fun, but take care to stay away from any breakable objects if things get a bit boisterous!
In summary, it is great to see that there are so many fun and exciting ways to exercise with our Beagles. Whether you're hiking through the hills, swimming in the lake, or relaxing at the local doggy play park, you can be sure to know that your beloved Beagle will love every minute of it.
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You can learn more about my Beagle Cocoa and me here.
