You can completely rest assured when choosing a Beagle dog as your companion. Let’s learn more about this dog breed with DailyPets.net.
The Origin and History of the Beagle
The Beagle is one of the small-sized hunting dogs with a soft, fluffy coat, specialized for hunting rabbits. About 2,400 years ago, people successfully crossed the Talbot greyhound with native English dogs and created a new breed named Beagle. Beagle is the word that comes from “be geule”, the word for the howling habit very typical of the Beagle species.
The Beagle was bred to sniff and hunt rabbits, pheasants, and quails. Moreover, this species is also quite good at detecting drugs.
Until the early 19th century, the Beagle was introduced to England. Since then, they gradually became famous throughout Europe and became a favorite dog of many people. The Beagle is also a highly adaptable dog. When brought back to England, they were raised to hunt rabbits; later, when they arrived in Sri Lanka, they were raised to hunt wild boar.
Beagle Dog.
Currently, the Beagle dog breed is bred and is a popular pet in many parts of the world thanks to its flexibility, sensitivity, and friendliness. Beagle is also one of the most popular dog breeds at the moment.
Appearance Characteristics of the Beagle Dog
Considered one of the exceptional rabbit hunting breeds with a remarkable sense of smell, strong health, and a constant hunting spirit, the Beagle is classified by many experts as one of the highly capable dog breeds. They possess an incredibly adorable and captivating appearance that appeals to onlookers.
Beagle dogs have a square, sturdy body with a smooth tricolor coat, presenting a highly appealing look. Their skull is broad and round, with a straight, square muzzle. The cute black nose and wide nostrils likely contribute to the Beagle’s excellent scenting ability.
The Beagle has a medium-sized head, a large muzzle, and a strong jaw. Their coat is smooth and snug, paired with moderately long, large ears that often hang down on either side.
Although the Beagle is a rabbit-hunting breed, they don’t have a large or imposing physique. On the contrary, they have a small, compact body with an average height of about 33 – 41 cm (13 – 16 inches) when fully grown. In terms of weight, Beagles are not heavy dogs; adult males typically weigh 10 – 11 kg (22 – 24 lbs), while females are slightly lighter at around 9 – 10 kg (20 – 22 lbs).
Personality Traits of the Beagle Dog
Beagles are popular hunting dogs, always brimming with energy, playfulness, and extreme cuteness. They are very friendly with everyone, especially children. In all situations, Beagles demonstrate intelligence and decisiveness. When raising a Beagle, it’s important not to be overly lenient, as this might make them even more active than usual and potentially lead to more mischief.
Beagles love to run and jump and enjoy playfulness. Therefore, providing ample space is recommended; confining them in a tight space might lead to them turning your room upside down.
Particularly, Beagles have a distinctive barking and howling sound. Especially during hunting, their barking inspires hunters, yet it doesn’t bother those around them.
One more thing to note when caring for a Beagle: if you take them out for a walk, you should keep an eye on them or get them a leash. Beagles are originally rabbit-hunting dogs and have a curious nature, often following scents detected by their sensitive nose. Without proper supervision, you might lose this adorable and lively companion.
In addition to the aforementioned characteristics, Beagle dogs have distinguishing features like round, large paws, a black nose, and brown eyes. When a Beagle barks, they tend to extend their voices, sounding similar to a wolf’s howl.
How to take care of Beagle dogs
Living space
First, you need to give them a spacious living space because the Beagle is a hyperactive dog that loves to run and explore. If you keep Beagle dogs in houses or apartments without garden space, you should regularly lead them to places with spacious, airy spaces with lots of green trees so that they can freely run, jump, and explore.
In addition, the Beagle is an affectionate dog, so you should not leave the Beagle alone for too long. If left alone for a long time, they will lose control, become disruptive, and destroy things in the house.
Furthermore, the Beagle is a hunting dog, so they will not be able to control their nature when they see small animals such as rabbits, hamsters, cats, etc., but will rush to “slaughter” the small animals. Therefore, Beagles should not be kept with smaller species. If kept, Beagles should be trained to get used to these animals and teach them how to control their hunting nature.
Beagle dog food
Beagles are quite small dogs, so you need to pay special attention to their diet from an early age so they can grow. The special thing is that this dog is very easy to care for. They can eat any kind of home-cooked food or canned food from the supermarket. When choosing food for your Beagle dog, a small note is that you need to pay attention to food hygiene and safety, ensuring the food has a clear origin.
If you want Beagle dogs to have a toned body, you should provide them with protein, fiber, and regular exercise.
Hygiene for Beagle dogs
Beagle is a dog that loves to run and play, so they will get a lot of mud after every walk. You need to be careful to bathe them regularly to avoid skin diseases in Beagles. Beagle dogs have short fur, so bathing them is not difficult.
You also need to pay attention to cutting the Beagle’s nails 1-2 times a month, brush their teeth at least 3 times a week, and pay attention to every nook and cranny of the body to eliminate the possibility of bacteria in the Beagle’s body. In addition, your dog must go for regular health check-ups and get all the necessary injections to prevent dangerous diseases.
Common Health Issues in Beagle Dogs
Beagles are considered healthy dogs with an average lifespan of 12-15 years. However, there are still some common diseases in Beagle dogs, such as:
- Epilepsy: When suffering from this disease, your dog will have several symptoms: convulsions, loss of control, and destruction of furniture.
- Chinese Beagle syndrome: Some symptoms include susceptibility to heart disease, head larger than body ratio, and slanted eyes.
- Dislocation of the patella: If the dog has an accident, it will make them sick. This disease will make it difficult for them to move. Because Beagles are very active, if you let them go out for a walk near a big road with lots of traffic, you should pay close attention to your dog.
- Glaucoma: This disease makes Beagle dogs visually impaired, making them not agile.
- Scurvy and malnutrition: Although the Beagle’s body is quite small, it is susceptible to rickets and malnutrition if not carefully cared for with an adequate diet.
Remember that regular veterinary check-ups, maintaining a healthy diet, providing sufficient exercise, and attentive care can significantly reduce the risk of these health issues and help ensure a long and healthy life for your Beagle.
Beagle Dog price
The price of a Beagle dog can vary widely depending on several factors, including the dog’s lineage, pedigree, location, breeder reputation, and whether the dog is intended for pet or show purposes.
On average, Beagle puppies can range from $400 to $1,200 or more. Show-quality Beagles from well-known breeders can be more expensive, often exceeding $1,000, while pet-quality Beagles from less established breeders might be on the lower end of the price range.
