Why to Use a Crate for a Beagle?

When fresh pet parents hear an offer to buy a crate for a Beagle, many of them are outraged. And you can understand them – dog is not a bird or rodent, but a freedom-loving creature that feels comfortable around people in the family. But time passes, the family loses several pairs of shoes, one or two cell phones, and the furniture looks as if a pair of beavers have worked on it. And at this point, the idea of locking up the Beagle does not seem so scary any more. We offer not to wait, and to choose an appropriate Beagle cage size when you take a puppy to your place.

What Size Crate for Beagle Puppy?

There are two types of Beagle height range: 13 inches and under, and between 13 and 15 inches. So, this is a medium-sized breed. The length of you pup you have to measure by yourself: from the legs tip in laying position to the tail base. Dog length is actually the most important measurement. If you know it – this is enough to pick a suitable crate.

Our tests have proved that the most convenient dog crate size for a Beagle is 36 x 23 x 25 inches (Length x Width x Height). This is Medium and Intermediate crate size, depending on the manufacturer’s sizing chart.  If you have a small female Beagle, or puppy Beagle one size less can be enough. 

If you are choosing a crate for a puppy and don’t want to change it when he grows bigger, just ask the length of his parents. The crate or kennel must not be shorter than the measured length of the dog. But it can be longer. The rest of measurements like height and width are made by crate producers in accordance with the length. But if you want to be on a safe side, you can also measure your pup’s height in a sitting position and width – in lying position.

The crate should be high enough to allow your dog to sit and stand at full height. It should be wide enough for your dog to turn around and long enough for your dog to lie stretched out.

If you get a very spacious crate, for growing up, your puppy can sleep in one corner and do his thing in the other.  Instinctively, dogs do not potty where they sleep and eat. Therefore, the crate should be exactly the size of the dog. If your puppy grows into a big dog at some point, you can buy another kennel or buy a big kennel with a divider and increase the living space as the puppy grows.

5 Reasons to Buy Crate for a Beagle

• Crate is a safe home for a Beagle when he can stay on his own, protected from kids and other family
• Means of travelling by plane or by car in which he can comfortably spend a few hours
• A place where you can lock up a dog if you have some visitor who are afraid of dogs
• Great instrument to discipline your pup and implant positive habits
• Prevention of destructive behaviour

Types of Crate for Beagle Puppy and Grown-Up

Pet stores offer a wide range of best crates for Beagles: small plastic kennels, spacious metal crates, soft fabric carriers etc. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The choice has to be made based on the reasons that prompted the owner to purchase it.

Best Dog Crates, Pet Carriers and Kennels

Best Dog Crate Beds

Soft-Sided Carrier

Fabric carriers on the frame are a great solution for dog exhibitions, any kind of travelling by car, but they are not too strong and reliable, so you should not leave your pup in them unattended for a long time. The main advantage of such a crate is its low weight and the possibility to fold it when you do not need it.

Plastic Kennel

Plastic dog kennel probably offers the greatest feeling of safety with solid walls. They’re easy to clean and wash. But they’re not too well ventilated. Therefore they are perfect for transportation, but not so good for home and long time stay.

Metal Crate

If you’re looking for something to protect your home from your beloved Beagle and to give him a cozy place to stay, the best choice is metal crates for dogs.

Buying your first crate? Go further and find out all the details.

Where should I Place a Dog Cage for Beagle?

Positioning the crate near the Beagle’s owner bed will help the pup to get used to the new environment more easily and not feel alone. With the right upbringing, the pup understands that the crate is his lair and is willing to be in it at hours when the whole family is together, or maybe at night.

The most important thing is not to put a crate in next to the hot battery or house draught. Both overheating and cold are bad for your pup’s health. The kitchen or children’s room is also not the most suitable place, especially in terms of hygiene.

If you buy a crate before you made up your mind about the place in your home, choose a two-door crate. This way you will be more flexible when you finally make a decision, or you can move a cage.

What to Put into a Crate?

• Put a comfortable dog bed inside
• Keep your dog hydrated in a crate and provide him with enough water. Special water dispenser bowl is the best.
• Put his favorite toys inside. They help to cope with anxiety and boredom. Snuggle toys with heart bit are a wonderful solution for puppies at night.

You may also like: Best Pet Beds for a Beagle

How to Crate Train a Beagle?

5 Things You should NEVER Do when Crate Training a Beagle

• Don’t use the crate as a punishment
• Do not abuse the dog in a crate
• Do not leave your dog in a crate with a collar, harness and leash on
• Do not force your puppy to get into the cage
• Don’t use the crate as an alternative to training and walking

Basic Rules to Crate Train a Beagle Puppy

Your puppy’s first impression about his new home should be as positive as possible.

• Encourage all expressions of interest: praise your pet for coming up, sniffing and going inside. At this stage, don’t try to shut him down; let him know what’s inside is his desire, not the owner’s. Do not limit his time in the crate, and do not try to get your pet out of there by force. Provide the most comfortable conditions: put a bed, crate training toys, and treats inside.
• When he starts to stay calm in his doghouse, try closing it for a short while, then open, praise him and let him out. If your Beagle puppy whines and barks when closed, ignore this behavior, wait until he calms down and then praise and let him go out.
• If your pup starts dragging his favorite toys and things into the crate, it’s a good sign that he considers this as his lair. And that was your target! 🙂
• The time that he can spend locked up, you need to increase smoothly, starting from a couple of minutes and gradually reaching two or three, and then eight or ten hours.
• Do not forget to leave water, because your pet will tolerate without food, but the lack of water will have a negative impact on his health.
• It is best to get accustomed to a long stay in the crate at night, when the furbaby is calm and wants to sleep.

Remember!

Being locked up won’t make your pet obedient and socialized. Having a cozy dog refuge limits the possibility of your apartment being smashed, but does not negate the need to raise, train and socialize your dog. By restricting Beagle’s movements during your absence of a host, try to make up for his lack of physical activity during walks and communicate with him as much as possible during his time at home.

7 Tips for Initial Crate Training a Beagle Puppy 

1. Walk the dog first. Then take off his collar to avoid any unpleasant accidents in his crate. Attract your dog’s attention with a special toy and give the command an excited and joyful tone: “Home!” (you can think of any term). Use the toy to attract your dog to the crate, for example throw it at the far corner of the crate or hold it with your hand in the crate. When your dog enters the crate – praise him with affectionate words and give him the toy. The same can be done with a bone or a dog’s biscuit. Throw the bone at the back of the crate and let your puppy find it. Remember, the crate should only cause positive emotions.
2. Turn crate training session into a game. Dedicate a couple of days to this and repeat the exercise 10-20 times a day. First, leave the door open.
3. Do not leave your dog in the crate for an extended period of time. When your dog starts to enter his ‘lair’ without fear, try leaving him there for short periods of time. If, while in a crate, your dog is quiet and calm, praise him. If he barks or whines, ignore him (!) until he calms down and then praise him.
4. If your dog is making a lot of noise, try covering the crate with something (a blanket, crate cover.). Remember, at this stage, whining and barking isn’t an indication that your dog doesn’t like the crate – he’s just fine with you and needs to be reunited. Don’t ever get involved with him!
5. Once your dog has been calm for short periods of time (which will happen sooner or later), increase his crate time. Remember to praise your dog from time to time when he is calm. Gaps between praises should also be increased. And make sure you walk your dog when you let him out of his crate.
6. There are other ways to do this. Once you’ve closed the crate door, stay close to your puppy and talk to him about something. If your puppy starts whimpering, distract him and let him smell his own fingers. Stay close to your puppy until he stops whimpering and then open the crate door. This exercise usually takes 5-10 minutes.
7. If your puppy falls asleep during class, don’t wake him up. When he wakes up, let him out and don’t praise him, play, caress him or pay any attention to him for a few minutes. Let him think he’s loved much more when he’s in a crate. And don’t let puppy out of the crate until he’s been quiet for 30 seconds.

3 Tips to Keep your Beagle Puppy in a Crate over Night

1. If your puppy has learned the lessons above, it’s easy for you to keep him in the crate at night. If you haven’t done this, place the crate next to your bed, tire him out (it’s important!) by playing and lure him into the crate in one of these ways. If he whines, put your hand on the crate or slip your fingers inside and talk to him gently and soothingly. Stay with him overnight as your happy future is worth it. Keep your puppy in his crate, don’t get mad at him or yell at him.
2. As a rule, a tired two-month-old puppy can sleep for four hours. If he wakes up in the middle of the night demanding to be released to go potty, let him do it. Take or take your puppy to a place where he is allowed to to do  that. If you want to take him outside, dress first and then open the crate. After he’s done, put him in the crate without playing, turn off the light and go back to bed. If he starts whining again, give him your palm and talk to him gently.
3. It will take two or three nights to make him get used to this completely. In a week or two, try to leave the crate somewhere else in your apartment.

Final Tips to Leave a Beagle Puppy in a Crate when You are out of Home

• If you’ve mastered the exercises described above, it won’t be difficult for you to get puppy to stay in the crate when you leave home. When you leave your puppy alone, make sure he’s walked and tired. This will make it easier for him to endure loneliness and mobility restrictions.
• Take off your dog’s collar and invite him into the crate. Avoid violence.
• Close the crate door.
• Don’t talk to your dog about anything, just go away and that’s it.
• He may make a little noise, but that’s okay. If the noise is loud, warn the neighbours it won’t last long. Let’s hope they understand you 🙂
• Don’t go away for long in the beginning. The first time you should be away is one or two hours. If you’re in a desperate situation and need to go to work, ask someone to feed your puppy and walk him around in your absence.

If you’re persistent in your demands and always leave your puppy in the crate when you leave home or go to bed, after a while you’ll find that your puppy will often climb in himself. This happens when he’s tired, or if he wants to be alone for a while (by the way, when he leaves the crate, don’t let the children disturb him), or if he just wants to sleep. Let the crate door always be open when you’re home.

It’s believed that the time your puppy can spend in the crate without going out can be calculated by the formula:

Age in months + one month = number of hours. For example, a 2-month-old puppy can stay in a crate for 3 hours.

How to Crate Train an Adult Beagle?

You can also accustom a grown up Beagle to a cage. First, use the same technique as for puppies. Make sure your dog walks safely into the crate after a toy or food without closing the doors. This is not difficult if you only feed him (!) in the crate.

After two or three days of training, encourage your dog to enter the crate without throwing anything or showing anything in his hand – Beagle food or toy should only appear when he enters the crate.

A couple days more – and put him there by order and feed or give him a toy. Sit next to the crate without closing the doors. During the week of this exercise gradually increase the time your dog staying is in the crate.

As the next step try to close the crate door for one or two minutes. If your dog is quiet, open the door and if he barks and whines don’t pay attention. You can praise your dog when he is quiet. It’s important that your dog doesn’t think barking is causing the door to open.

Best Dry Dog Food for Beagles

It’s also important to let your dog know that you love him when he’s in the crate so when he leaves the crate – don’t mind him for a few minutes.

Keep doing this by increasing the time he stays in the crate. Avoid negative (painful or unpleasant) influences. Be patient as it may take between one and two months for an adult dog to get used to his crate.

Summary

Crate should be your Beagle’s a place he can claim as his own. Crates are good for home, car travel and other activities where your Beagle has to be safe and secure and not to cause inconvenience for other people too. Be patient and praising while crate training, and your Beagle will soon be happy staying in his crate.