The Beagle is a very popular
dog breed. They make excellent pets because of their great
temperament and gentle disposition. However, they can be handful
due to their stubbornness. Make sure that this is the breed you
want before you get one.
The Beagle was probably
developed by crossing the Harrier and other hounds in England. It
has been used for hunting pheasant, hare and quail. It can hunt
either alone, in pairs, or in packs. Because of their excellent
sense of smell, they are also used for narcotics detection. Sadly,
they are also used for medical experimentation because of their
uniformity of size.
The Beagle is very sweet,
gentle, brave, intelligent, curious and lively. They are very
sociable and just love everyone! They are also great with children
and other dogs, but should not be trusted with cats or other
animals unless they were introduced at a very young age. They are
never aggressive.
Beagles can be very stubborn
dogs. When you train them, you need to be very firm and patient.
Whenever they smell something, they usually just take off to
explore it and won't listen to you telling them to come back. They
will follow a scent and won't watch out for cars or other dangers.
For this reason, be sure to keep them on a leash when you are
outside. Beagles can be difficult to train for many people because
they are so strong willed.
Because Beagles are so
sociable, they hate to be alone. If you are going to be gone a
lot, I would recommend getting two Beagles to keep each other
company. This dog is used to traveling in packs, so they would
love to have a friend. If they are kept alone too much, they are
prone to separation anxiety.
Beagles do not bark like normal
dogs do. Their bark is described as baying bark or a howling. It
is very noisy and can be very annoying. Your neighbors might not
appreciate all the noise. When this dog was used for hunting,
their bark was actually a delight to the hunters!
The Beagle is a very energetic
dog and needs lots of exercise. It is best if you have a good
sized yard for them to run in. Daily walks are also recommended.
Just be sure to put this dog on a leash for walks or else they
will probably run off in search of something.
Beagles are a very healthy
breed and usually live for twelve to fifteen years. There are some
common health problems you should watch out for though. Because of
their long, floppy ears, air cannot reach their ear canal causing
moisture to sometimes build up. Try to keep water out of their
ears so they don't get ear infections. You should also check and
clean the ears regularly.
Another problem to watch out
for is distichiasis, which occurs when their eyelashes grow into
their eyes. If this happens, surgery is often required to remove
their eyelashes.
Obesity is another problem with
this breed. Be sure you don't overfeed this dog. You should be
able to feel their ribs. If they gain too much weight, this can
lead to heart trouble or hip dysplasia. Make sure they get enough
exercise too.
If you are considering getting
this dog, make sure you understand how to care for them. They make
great pets and are extremely happy, energetic dogs!
