| Training | |
| Sensitivity to strangers | |
| Affection for family | |
| Suitable for first-time owners | |
| Ease of grooming | |
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The Beagle is one of the most loved dogs on the planet, thanks to its sensitive and playful temperament
Can you believe how hard it is not to pet it? This little dog is not too large, but it has an intense and sweet look that you will feel the need to pet it. The Beagle’s look will literally conquer you and make you want to have one for yourself.
Surely, this loving furball made the creator of the famous “Snoopy” dog think of a Beagle for his distinctive character!
This breed reaches a maximum height of 16 inches (40 cm). It has short hair, a thick tail, and long ears that are rounded at the tip. Besides, it is always looking for petting and attention… Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Beagle!
Beagle: Use
This breed, which originated in England, was Elizabeth I’s favorite. She also created a now extinct, miniature version of it. The Beagle is an esteemed dog all around the world.
It is the most popular breed in France. Despite being bred as a hunting dog, today it is mainly used as a companion dog in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Scotland, India and South Africa Unfortunately, this breed is also the most used one for lab experiments.
It is the ideal dog for those looking for a pet. It is a dog that fits well to live in an apartment (in this case, it needs an owner that makes it exercise a lot), but it is also suitable to live in the backyard (with a well-protected “bed”).
In terms of temperament, it is a very sweet and loving animal. It establishes an almost sick-like bond with its owner, following him everywhere. It needs a sweet and patient, but also determined and consistent owner since it is a stubborn dog. Moreover, as a hunting dog, it is easily attracted to smells. However, it will never stray too far from its owner.
It is a medium-sized dog breed which originated in England. It was mainly used as a hunting dog for small, wild animals, such as pheasants, foxes, and hares.
Nowadays, the Beagle is also quite popular as a companion dog. This breed has ancient origins and emerges thanks to the cross between the Harrier Terrier and the old English hounds.
Beagle: Origins
Its modern history begins in the 19th century thanks to Philip Honeywood. His hunting dog group is considered to be the basis for the selection of the modern Beagle.
However, Honeywood developed this dog only to enhance its hunting characteristics, without considering its physical appearance.
It was another English breeder, Thomas Johnson, who worked on the physical aspect. He was the first one to seek in the Beagle an attractive appearance as well as a calm and friendly temperament. This new selection allowed it to become a pleasant companion dog.
It is now found in many European countries and it is highly esteemed in different parts of the world. It is the most popular breed in France. The Beagle is the most sought out dog in Great Britain and it is bred in two different ways: the hunting version and the companionship version.
In other countries, this breed became known in the last decades, especially as a companion dog. It is also used for hunting wild boar. Sadly, it makes up the vast majority of dogs used for laboratory animal testing due to its cardiovascular system similarity to humans.
Pocket Beagle
There is a particular type of Beagles called Elizabethan Pocket Beagle that differs from the classic ones in its size. They stand between 7 and 10 inches (18-25 cm), while the standard Beagle stands at 13 inches (33 cm). They were named after Queen Elizabeth I, who created the breed.
These specimens were bred in Great Britain until the 19th century. Then, breeders had many difficulties in breeding due to their small size and they decided to quit the project. Today, it is believed that there are no longer any specimens.
At the beginning of the 20th century, some breeders in the United Kingdom tried to recreate this variety of beagles, but they failed. Nowadays, we could say that they no longer exist, but some breed enthusiasts claim that there are still some specimens left.
Beagle: Physical Characteristics
Beagles are a robust, medium to small-sized breed. Their height ranges from a minimum of 13 inches (33 cm) to a maximum of 16 inches (40 cm). They have a solid and elegant body.
The skull is rounded at the top and it has a slight Occipital Dysplasia. The muzzle is large and black; the nostrils are wide open.
The eyes are a particular trait in this dog breed. Not because of their shape, since they are big and dark brown or hazelnut, but because of their sweet and charming expression. In short, the eyes of this furry dog are surely its most distinctive feature.
Its ears are long and rounded at the tips. If they are stretched, they touch the tip of the muzzle. The tail is long and has an average length. The coat is short, thick, and waterproof.
The Beagle can be found in the following varieties of colors:
Tricolor:
- Black, tan, and white. When born, the puppy is only black and white. The color tan shows up over time on the head, shoulders, and legs.
- Smoky gray, tan, and white.
Bicolor:
- Red and white;
- Tan and white;
- Lemon and white;
- Black and white.
All tricolor and bicolor dogs can have the variant “mottled”, that is to say that they may have strips or spots of color on the white parts.
Generally, it enjoys excellent health and no particular pathologies have been found until today. If your Beagle lives inside the house, it will need to be taken out for a walk a couple of times a day. It is important to keep it healthy since this breed tends to being over-weight. On the other hand, if your beagle lives in the backyard, you should make sure it has a “bed” in which it can protect itself from rain and humidity.
Beagle: Temperament
The Beagle is a very sweet and loving, sensitive and playful dog. It is a great playmate for children. It is good to remember that, by its nature, a Beagle is not primarily a companion dog, but a hunting dog, a hound. This implies a need to relax, to smell new stimulations, to run and to do all those typical things of a hunting dog.
It is also a little stubborn. It is not difficult to train it, but it can take a long time since any smell is enough to distract it.
Therefore, it needs an owner who is not only patient and gentle, but also firm and consistent. If your Beagle is well trained, it will be a highly obedient dog. It is still an excellent companion dog. However, it is not recommended for older people who may be looking for a couch dog.
The Beagle is a very sociable dog that tends to get close and to trust strangers, a fact that can jeopardize its guard dog purpose. It becomes extremely attached to its owner and constantly seeks his company. This breed tends to follow him wherever he goes, and it will hardly want to leave him.
Precisely, because of their strong bond with their owner, Beagles are often called “Shadow dogs”. The Beagle is one of the dog breeds that most suffer from separation anxiety.
It is not common to see it aggressive, either towards people or other dogs. In a state of excitement or agitation, it is a dog that barks a lot. Its bark is loud and high-pitched.
Beagle: Breeders or Breeding Establishments
There are several professional establishments where you can buy well-selected specimens. It is essential that you buy a dog from a reliable breeder so that you can be sure that your puppy has been:
- Bred for good health and temperament;
- Well-selected (this means that its parents were chosen without genetic diseases);
- Properly socialized, so that it is not too fearful or too aggressive;
- Vaccinated and well-groomed.
In addition, if you adopt a puppy, a reliable breeder will provide you with a veterinary certificate which states that the animal has been dewormed and is completely healthy.
Beagle: Price and Puppies For Sale
As for the price, it can vary. You can pay for a puppy Beagle between 600 and 1300 dollars, about 500-1200 English pounds. A very low price does not guarantee a healthy dog; therefore, it is better not to rely on unverified offers.
You can always ask for the pedigree, which is essential: it allows you to check the purity of the dog’s breed. An animal with a pedigree has certain characteristics of its breed that differentiate it from the rest.
Now that we have clarified all the most important aspects, you can go in search of your new 4-legged friend, who is surely waiting for you.
Beagle: Animal Testing
Unfortunately, the Beagle is used in vivisection (that is the dissection of live animals for the purpose of physiological studies or pathological research). This is an issue that closely affects this dog breed given its massive use as laboratory animals.
By definition, animal testing is done for the purpose of studying and investigating in laboratories functions and substances in different fields: pharmacological, physiological, physiopathological, biomedical, and biological. What perhaps not everyone knows is why the Beagle is chosen for such purposes.
Let’s see the main reasons:
- Size: It is ideal to be handled and locked in cages.
- Resistance: It is a strong and healthy dog.
- Temperament: It is one of the sweetest and most docile dog breeds. Beagles are not aggressive with strangers, so they are easy to handle.
- High pain threshold: It is higher than the average of other breeds.
- Physiological similarities with humans: The Beagle’s cardiovascular system is quite similar to that of humans.
Some establishments breed these little furry friends only to provide “material” for experiments.
Such testing makes them victims in toxicity studies and organ and tissue transplants. They suffer tests of any kind of product, from cosmetics to pharmaceutical products.
The tragic fact is that, although this is a known phenomenon against which many animals’ welfare associations fight, the number of these experiments does not seem to be decreasing.
Attention Beagle’s friends! This is a sweet and loving breed that must be protected as much as possible from those who want them only to be used for experimental purposes.
You may be interested in reading another article related to other dog breeds such as:
- French Bulldog
- Jack Russell Terrier
- Poodle
- Beagle
- Borador
- Australian Cattle Dog
- Boston Terrier
- English Bulldog
