Beagle Breed Information
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.
Beagle 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.
Beagle 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.
Beagle 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.
Beagle 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.
Read More About Beagle
- Beagle : 10 Most Common Questions
- Beagle Training Guide
- Owning an Beagle : Breeder Recommendations
- Beagle Health Guide
