Does this sound familiar? You take your dog for a walk, and it pulls so hard on the leash it ends up walking on 2 legs instead of 4? It doesn’t have to be that way. Beagles in particular are prone to following scents, but it doesn’t mean training is an impossible task. Take it from a beagle owner, follow these 6 training tips and you’re well on your way to a happy, well-trained dog:

1. Start early. From the time he or she is a puppy, training can begin. Put the dog on a feeding schedule to assure it eats at the same times each day. It’s never too early to get your dog used to strict schedules. Also, if you begin to reward good behavior early, the greater the likelihood your dog will develop fewer bad habits.

2. Start with the basics. Even simple commands such as “come,” “stay,” and “sit” are vital. The obvious benefit here is that it teaches discipline. But it also let’s your dog know that you’re the leader. Beagles are pack animals and, believe me, they’ll establish dominance if you let them.

3. Short and sweet. If you’ve ever owned a beagle, you know how easily they can be thrown off track because of their desire to follow smells. Keep your training sessions short, even 5 to 10 minutes twice a day can be very worthwhile. Make the sessions as entertaining as you can so he’ll want to learn.

4. Physical punishment never works. Under no circumstances should you ever use force on your dog. It will have the opposite effect and, in fact, will either make your dog more aggressive, will make him more fearful of you, or both. Fear and respect are not the same thing.

5. Reward good behavior. Any dog likes a treat, and they like to know they’re getting a reward for pleasing you. Being a hound, a beagle is food-motivated so use that to your advantage. However, make sure the dog doesn’t see the treat before you issue a command, or after a while he will only obey if he’s able to see the treat, and that’s not what you want.

6. Beagle-appropriate training methods work best. Use a beagle’s natural tendencies to your advantage. These dogs are bred to hunt and track, obviously having an incredible sense of smell. If you can incorporate that into your training, you’ll experience a higher success rate. Anything involving running, retrieving, or discovering buried objects will be much more fun for him.

Beagles are headstrong, no doubt about it. But that doesn’t mean training them has to be impossible. If, at the very minimum, you stick with these 6 guidelines, you’ll have a well-trained dog that will bring you years of lasting enjoyment.