10. Dec, 2011
About the Breed
Everyone?s favorite cartoon dog, Snoopy, is a well loved representative of the Beagle breed.� It helps show how well loved the breed is. The Beagle is a British hound dog that was developed from a mixture of larger hound breeds.� The breed was ideal because it created a smaller hound that was slower than some of the larger hounds.� He was excellent at scent work and tracking the game, primarily rabbits, but could easily be followed either on horse or foot.� It was common for the beagles to work in a large pack, even up to 50 dogs or more.
The breed can still be used for hunting purposes, but his superior scenting ability has gained him new employment in other venues.� The most popular is his work for Customs in the United States (and a similar purpose in other countries) to detect food items entering the country at airports.� Additionally, he is being used for new applications like bedbug, termite, and mold detection.
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Physical Characteristics
The Beagle is a compact small breed of dog that is only around 15 inches tall and weighs under 25 pounds.� His appearance looks very close to larger hounds like the foxhound.
He has a short coat that lies close to the body.� He comes in a variety of colorations such as the classic tri-color with black, tan, and white as well as blue tri-color, lemon and white, ticked or mottled, red and white, chocolate tri-color, and open marked which is a white body with patches of color.� The options are almost limitless.
Personality
The Beagle is universally looked upon as a cheery, delightful companion.� He should never be aggressive or shy but instead have an outgoing demeanor that is ready for anything.� This breed is the quintessential ?live in the moment? kind of breed.
He is an excellent family dog who gets along very well with all ages and types of people.� Children love the breed, and he is great fun for games and adventures.� He also does very well with other dogs.� This goes back to his history as a dog that ran in large packs, and he is amiable with others.
Beagles are very affectionate with their family, and they make friends easily.� When excited, they often make a noise that is a version of howling referred to as baying.� It is a distinctive sound that is just a Beagle talking.
He does require daily exercise, and walks are wonderful for him because they afford him the opportunity to smell along the way.� It is hard for Beagles not to smell on a walk as it is instinctual.� Without regular exercise and proper diet, Beagles can become obese.
Training
The Beagle is one of the easier hounds to train, and he does exceptionally well with food rewards.� He can be very motivated by food, but he doesn?t do well with repetition and can become bored easily with that kind of training.
Training should be fun, and positive reinforcement techniques and consistency work best for him.� Beagles should be in fenced areas or on leash in unfenced areas as they are known to quickly follow a scent and disappear without returning.
Beagles are not seen frequently in competitive obedience, and this is due to his ability to become distracted, particularly by odors, and his occasional selective hearing.
Shedding & Grooming
The Beagle is an easy to care for dog that is fairly low maintenance.� He does shed, but weekly brushing with a grooming glove or light brush will take of his coat easily.� He doesn?t require frequent bathing, and instead lightly running a moist towel over his coat or a bath wipe will take care of his coat in between baths.
Due to his long downed ears, routine ear care is a must.� They should be inspected for debris, reddening, and odor and regularly cleaned to avoid ear infections.
Routine nail trims and toothbrushing is the remainder of what is necessary.
Health & Life Expectancy
The Beagle has an average life expectancy of 10-13 years of age, but he does have a number of health issues to be aware of.� The National Beagle Club (clubs.akc.org/nbc/index.htm) identifies these as health issues that affect Beagles:
- Hypothyroidism
- Seizures
- Hip dysplasia
- Allergies
- Inter-vertebral disc disease
- Beagle Colic Syndrome
- Beagle Pain Syndrome/Steroid Responsive Meningitis
- Bladder cancer
- Cherry eye
- Beagle tail
- Hitching
- Musladin-Lueke Syndrome
- Reverse sneezing
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