Home Page Health Small Dog Breeds BeagleThe Beagle is a small breed of Scent Hound, originally used for tracking rabbits, hares and other small game.This breed has been around since Roman times and was developed in Britain from Talbot Hounds, brought in by William the Conqueror.
Like all the Scent Hounds, the Beagle has a strong sense of smell and is often used by Customs officials for detecting prohibited substances such as drugs and foodstuffs. A 13 year study carried out in the 1950's, demonstrates just how powerful the beagle's sense of smell is. As part of their research, they tested the scenting abilities of various breeds by putting a mouse in a one acre field and timing how long it took the dogs to find it. The Beagles found it in less than a minute, while Fox Terriers took 15 minutes and Scottish Terriers failed to find it at all. The Beagle is one of the most popular breeds, being the fourth highest in the breed registrations of the American Kennel Club in 2010. Their popularity is explained by their compact size, their friendly temperament and their reputation for good health. Snoopy, in Peanuts is probably the best known beagle in the world. Beagles are somewhat like a smaller version of the Foxhound but more compact. They normally weigh between eighteen and thirty five pounds and stand about 13 to 16 inches tall. Their ears are large and soft, in common with all the Scent Hounds. Beagles have a distinctive white tip to their tail, known as the "flag" and it is easy to see why. The tail is carried erect when tracking a scent and the white tip makes it easy to see when his head is to the ground. The average life span of the beagle is about twelve years. They are greedy eaters, so care should be taken not to overfeed them. If not given a reasonable amount of exercise, they are prone to obesity as they get older. Grooming The BeagleBeagles appear in a range of colors. The base color is white, with large areas of black and tan. Tan and white is the most common combination. The coat is short and clean but this breed does shed hair quite a bit, so it may be a problem if you are concerned about your carpets and furnishings.If that is the case, you may want to brush him more frequently than the once a week which is all that is necessary to keep his coat in good condition. if you do groom the dog for this reason, it is best to do it outdoors or in a place where the hair can be collected and disposed of. Ten minutes should be ample time to do this small task. Exercise For The BeagleThe Beagle is a hound. More accurately, he is a scenthound that hunts by his highly deveoped sent of smell, so he has energy and stamina for the chase. He needs daily exercise, as a minimum, preferably on a leash. If he is free in any open space he is likely to set off on a determined exploration of any interesting smell he comes across - and with his amazing sense of smell he is just about certain to find one.Training The BeagleYou may be thinking that the Beagle is a smart little fellow because he is used by the security and customs services to sniff out contraband and dangerous substances. I know I thought that at one time, but actually he is in the lowest class of all dog breeds for intelligence and trainability.He is assessed at the lowest degree of working/obedience intelligence and also for his ability in understanding of new commands. That, together with his stubborn streak and his disobedience in following any interesting smells makes him a difficult dog to train. He is also difficult to housetrain. Grab Your Free Copy of This 6-day Course - Training Your Beagle The Beagle's TemperamentIn spite of all that is in the previous paragraph, the Beagle is an affectionate and friendly dog who makes friends with everyone, including other dogs, kids and strangers. That is why he is the 4th most popular breed in the United States. He will bay (he is a hound!) at the approach of strangers, so he is a useful watchdog but he is far too friendly to be any good as a guard dog. He is such a companiable dog that he hates to be left alone for any long period and will almost certainly get up to some mischief because he suffers from Separation Anxiety.Need To Learn More?
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