So You Think You Want A Beagle?

By Michael Russell

So you think you want to own a beagle?  There are few puppies as cute as a little black-and-white beagle!  Beagles show up in movies as the perfect family pet.  Beagles do make great family pets, but as with any pure bred dog, before purchasing a beagle make sure you learn a few things about the breed.

Beagles are generally a friendly dog breed.  They do well with children.  Beagles are inherently curious.  When you see a beagle, chances are you will see it with its nose to the ground, tracking something.  Because they were originally bred as hunting dogs, beagles track things constantly.  This can create a problem for the beagle owner because beagles have a tendency to dig out of yards and run after something that they are tracking.  Vets usually recommend beagles be implanted with ID chips because of their tendency to get out.

Beagles were bred to hunt in packs and they get lonely easily.  A lonely beagle can become destructive, chewing on furniture, digging up gardens and destroying belongings.  A lonely beagle will often howl as well.  If you have fussy neighbors a beagle might not be the best option, because they will bark and howl at times and beagles have a very distinct howl.  Beagles need a lot of exercise to keep them from becoming bored.

Beagle owners need to be careful about how much they feed their dogs.  Beagles will eat whatever food is offered to them, no matter the amount.  It is not uncommon for beagles to become quite obese.  Beagle owners need to monitor food intake.  Beagles cannot have unlimited amounts of food at their disposal because they will over eat.

Beagles are easy to groom because they have short hair.  Their coat is traditionally tri-colored-brown, black and white.  The tip of the beagle's tail is almost always white.  They were bred this way to make them easy for hunters to spot in tall grass when hunting small game, like rabbits.  Beagles shed a lot and a weekly brushing is a good grooming idea.  As with all breeds that have hanging ears, beagles need to have their ears cleaned.  Commercial ear cleaners are available for this purpose.  If the owner does not keep the dog's ears clean, they can get an ear infection or ear mites.  For indoor dogs, bathing once a month is usually sufficient.

The average lifespan of beagles is twelve to fifteen years.  Before purchasing any pet, make sure you are ready to make a life-long commitment.  As a breed, beagles can be stubborn and difficult to train.  The best training method is to use food rewards.  A beagle will do almost anything for food!  Beagles are one of the most loving and amusing dog breeds.  Their energetic personality and persistent curiosity is a constant source of delight for their owners.  Beagles love to be around people and do very well with children.  Most beagle owners fall in love quite quickly and find themselves beagle owners for life!

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Dogs
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