The Beagle is a beautiful
breed although the origin is a little cloudy. From
historians, it appears this breed comes from England
prior to Roman times when it was used for scent and
sight. When foxhunting became a popular sport in the
18th century, the Buck Hound and Beagle were crossed
to produce the Foxhound. Keep in mind that hunting
in the United States was not popular prior to 1870.
However, the dogs that were used when hunting began
were known as Bassets, which were straight-legged
dogs that had amazing energy and scent but not the
quickness needed for this sport.
Shortly thereafter, the Beagle came to the United
States from England and soon after in 1888, the
National Beagle Club was founded. Today, the Beagle
as we know it is a nice breed that is still used for
hunting, as well as a family pet. This breed is a
nice size, intelligent, easy to maintain, and
protective and loyal to its family.
Temperament
One of the benefits to the Beagle is its
disposition. This particular breed is extremely
gentle, well mannered, and intelligent. Now, you
will also find the Beagle to be somewhat strong
willed. Therefore, when training, you need to use a
firm hand and show tremendous patience. Being so
gentle and friendly, the Beagle makes a great pet
for families with children. In addition, this breed
typically gets along well with other dogs although
the males tend to be a little more aggressive than
females are.
Unless you plan to breed your male Beagle, it is
recommended you have him neutered since an unaltered
dog will bark, howl, and chase things. Even so, both
the male and female are truly wonderful pets.
However, as with any dog, the key to complete
success is making sure the puppy is socialized when
young.
Another important aspect of this breed is that it is
a pack animal. Therefore, the Beagle is a breed of
dog that can suffer from separation anxiety. For
this reason, the Beagle is usually best kept with
another dog, especially if you work outside the home
or would have to leave it along for any length of
time. Finally, the Beagle is a curious breed, which
probably has something to do with its incredible
sense of smell. When walking this dog, always make
sure you use a leash or your pet may do a
disappearing act.
Size and Color
The Beagle is a great size, not too large and not
too small. The head is relatively long and just
slightly domed. The ears on this breed are somewhat
floppy and soft. Then, you would expect to see
large, set apart eyes, a medium length muzzle, which
is straight and square, and a level jaw. The
interesting thing is that there are actually two
versions of the Beagle. For instance, the smaller
variety is less than 13 inches at the withers and
the larger variety, 13 to 16 inches. In either case,
the Beagle usually weighs around 35 pounds at
maturity. The coat of this breed is close, hard, and
of medium length. The body is considered compact and
muscular, with a tail that curves up slightly. With
proper care, the Beagle can live anywhere from 10 to
15 years of age.
As far as color, you will find a wide range of
colors and color combinations. For instance, the
tri-color is common, consisting of white with large
spots of brown and black. However, the beagle also
comes in a bi-color version, which again would have
a white background along with a second color such as
lemon, light tan, red, orange/brown, liver, and dark
brown. The Beagle also has ticking, which could
include black or white with varying “ticks” of
color.
Feeding and Grooming Requirements
Fortunately, the Beagle is not considered a picky
eater. Typically, putting the Beagle on quality dog
food, either dry or canned, or even a combination of
each will suffice. To ensure the Beagle does not
become overweight, two meals a day is considered
normal. As long as this breed has adequate exercise,
you should have no problem. As far as grooming, the
Beagle is easy to care for, requiring brushing
several times a week and an occasional bath in that
the breed does shed.
The only downfall to the Beagle is that for some
reason, it loves to roll around in things such as
dead animals and dog feces. For this reason, you may
need to bathe the dog more often than you like. In
addition, the Beagle will eat things it should not
eat so veterinarians recommend you keep the mouth
clean by using a doggie toothbrush and toothpaste.
Exercise Needs
The Beagle is a lively and active dog that loves to
play and exercise. In addition to training, this
breed will need between one to one and one-half
hours of exercise every day. Since the breed has a
high level of energy and strong desire to be
outdoors, you do need to make sure you can provide
room to roam, as well as time for daily activity.
