The Scenthound Beagle

Welcome to Purebred Star, the weekly blog exploring the wide diversity of dogs out there!

This week: The Scenthound Beagle

My Training Experience:  Beagles! What can I say? One of the most beloved purebreds ever, the Beagle really is one of the best dogs around kids.  Working with Beagles is a lot of fun. They are an eager-to-please breed that is quick to pick up on training. They REALLY want to work for you! One caveat  - they can be difficult to train off-leash as their nose likes to guide them to explore! As a trainer, I'd advise Beagle owners to train their dog  the “Come” command early! Another quirk of the Beagles - they LOVE food and using treats to help train works really well with them. However, it's important that treating not get out of hand. The breed is prone to obesity.

Originates From: Great Britain is the place of origin for this particular purebred and they date back to around for 150’s years.

Interesting Fact: Snoopy from the comic strip “Peanuts” is the most recognized and famous Beagle throughout the world! Copper, from the Disney classic "The Fox and the Hound" runs a close second.

Bred For: The Beagle is considered a scenthound and thus was bred to track rabbit and other small game, sometimes individually or traditionally in foot packs of 70! They have even been known to hunt bobcat, coyote, wild boar.  Because of their strong scent disposition, thier size and their friendly disposition,  they are also commonly used as “detection dogs” for food items coming into the United States as well as illegal contraband and explosives.

Build: The Beagle’s height ranges from 10-15 inches and they should weigh between 20-30 pounds.  They are a hardy and sturdy medium size breed.

Appearance: A lean,small physic is the official look of a Beagle. Their eyes are BIG and brown (sometimes hazel) and paired with a black square nose, their sweet face will melt your heart! Long drop ears are a key identifying feature of the beagle  as well as a their coat which is silky soft and their tail which is short and sits high.  Beagle coats are short and can be of the following colors; tricolor or white in combination with red, lemon or orange-brown.

Personality: Beagles are an outstanding breed for kids. They are extremely good-natured, but also very strong-headed and intelligent, so early training will be a must for a Beagle. Known to be happy-go-lucky and to get along well with other animals and people, if properly socialized at a young age, the Beagle makes them a poor guard dog - they will quickly take to everyone. HOWEVER - they ARE happy to alert you when people are coming to the house with their infamous Beagle howl or bark. As a scenthound, the Beagle  loves to track and will follow a scent for miles, so special care and a fenced-in yard will most likely be required!

Activity Level: Their activity level is moderate, which makes the Beagle a FANTASTIC jogging partner!  They'll require at least one 30 minute walk a day - two is better.  It's likely they won't let you forget it anyway. Beagles LOVE their walks and the wondrous adventure of scents they offer! Their eager-to-please nature also means they will love to play fetch and learn tricks.  Training and working with your Beagle is an important part of keeping them mentally healthy and challenged.  They can be busy-bodies and will seek out ways to entertain themselves (via destruction of your home) if proper care is not taken to exercise their mind and body.

Health Concerns: A typical life span for the Beagle is 10-13 years, however they can have some serious health issues.  The Beagle can suffer from cleth palates, demodectic mange, dwarfism, epilepsy, eye problems, hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, intervertebral disc disease, luxating patella’s and reproductive disorders. As with any breed, avoiding some of the nasty dog food out there and selecting a high-quality food instead, should elongated their life and decrease their chances of developing these problems!

Rescue First

Have you fallen in LOVE those BIG brown eyes and long floppy ears?The Beagle is a fun, happy, and energetic dog to be around. They LOVE kids, other pets and everyone - that is the total package in my book! Sound like the dog for you?

As you begin looking for your Beagle, please check with rescue organizations first.  Every year there are millions of dogs being euthanized, not because they are bad dogs, but because there is no home for them and insufficient resources to feed them at the rescues. By adopting a dog, you are truly saving a life.

At the very least, NEVER purchase any dog from a pet store. Unfortunately, those puppies almost always come from puppy mills. Instead, look for a reputable breeder to work with.

And as a final note, it is important to spay and neuter your puppy by 6 months old to have a healthy and happy pet for many years to come!

Photo Credit: GianlucaChiari , NJNL, me'nthedogs', SoundAndFury, [ Roberto Bouza ], skalpo21, Johnny's D5, FranUlloa, .-. Handle with care .-.

Resources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beagle

Dog Bible, Edited by Kristin Mehus-Roe, 2005

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