Introducing the Beagle the dog breed that everybody loves so much so that even Charlie Brown owned one. Okay let’s face it Snoopy doesn’t really look like a Beagle, but after all when was the last time you’ve seen children that look like Lucy Linus or Charlie Brown.
But seriously these dogs seem to have been crafted to appear cute and adorable, especially when they are puppies and this often means trouble and lots of it!
Facts About Beagle’s
Let’s start by looking at the breed standard and some interesting Beagle facts. Beagles are noses on four legs. The American Kennel Club categorizes the Beagle as a hound.
Not many people are aware of what hounds are and what exactly they were bred to do, more specifically Beagles are scent hounds.
This means that they rely on their powerful noses to track down the scent of hair for a good reason Beagles are known as a nose with four legs. So if you don’t mind owning a nose that walks, the Beagle is for you.
What does this mean for prospective Beagle owners.
It means that they must be very careful in keeping their walking noses under control. A Beagle nose knows best, so if a Beagle tracks something of interest all bets are off. He will follow the scent no matter what.
There could be a road full of cars ahead or maybe a cliff, but your Beagle will keep going and going just like the Duracell bunny. Beagle noses can get them in trouble, and they are notorious for not coming when called, and escaping their yards.
Although it’s important to clarify things here, it’s not like your Beagle is really escaping your yard. When your Beagle escapes he’s actually on a hunting mission and he takes his job very seriously.
Beagles will follow their noses ?
When the Beagle tracks the scent of something his mind switches to the one-track mind.
The Beagles concentration is focused on following the scent, and you can call his name on the top of your lungs as much as you want, but from your hounds perspective you’re just barking from excitement because you have tracked that fresh scent too.
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Next thing you know your Beagle looks back for a second wondering whether you’re coming or not along for the hunt, and then he takes off nose to ground for good.
We can’t blame him though if we look at things under his perspective, often blamed for being stubborn or stupid, a Beagle is doing just what a hound ought to do.
Beagles were selectively bred to follow scent and track down rabbits and hair while the hunters were following at a distance when hounds were hot on the trail.
Meaning that they were getting closer to the rabbits they would start banging with enthusiasm so even though your Beagle nowadays is fed food from shiny bowls and sleeps adoringly on those plush pillows he still remains a Beagle.
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Beagles are always hungry ?
At heart Beagles are equipped with pleading eyes the American Kennel Club describes the Beagles eyes as soft and hound like with a gentle and pleading expression, yes it’s the fault of those eyes.
Beagle owners cannot resist doling out those table scraps the pleading expression gives you the idea of a dog that is starving in silence, a dog that hasn’t been fed in the last 15 minutes and that is on the brink of extinction before the World Wildlife Fund intervenes putting Beagles as a protected species.
You drop your Beagle a piece of steak just to save him, the next thing you know your Beagle is emptying your trash can or stealing food off your plate. When you answer the doorbell getting all upset about it is close to impossible.
Though again that gentle and pleading expression gives you the idea of a dog who is terribly apologetic and just can’t help himself from being a Chowhound Beagle.
Beagles like to run off?
A Beagles legs have propelling powers. The Beagles breed standard calls for hip and thighs strong and we’ll muscled given abundance of propelling power.
Yes! Beagle owners are well aware of the fact that Beagles have propelling powers as they take off like a jet after seeing a squirrel gathering nuts for the winter.
After such a departure you must be thankful if your elbows are still intact and still stored in their sockets even when your Beagle is sleeping those merry legs are put to work.
Sigmund Freud must have been right when he said that dreams are the Royal Road to the unconscious, because even when your Beagle looks cute and inactive slumbered on the bed. Yes! because let’s admit it on top of stealing your steak a Beagle also steals your bed.
He’s actively hunting your neighbours squirrel and those legs are propelling him in the right direction heck if he was lucky you might even hear him smack his lips and gulp with a satisfied look on his face.
Do Beagles become Obese?
Adding pounds slows Beagles down. Let’s face it there are many stories about obese Beagles, that it’s often because when Beagle owners open the trash can to toss some table scraps, the Beagle strategically places himself besides it, and with those pleading eyes say something along the lines of why not feed me instead of that trash can.
What a waste then Beagle owners confess to the fact that they don’t feed their Beagles any table scraps but next thing you know their Beagle craps in the vet’s office, and it’s full of undigested corn. Jokes aside obesity is a big problem in dogs not to mention Beagles.
Yet even when owners take precautions when the Beagle is not begging for food stealing a sandwich or raiding the trash can, he’s likely hunting down rabbit pellets or deer berries no wonder why Beagles love to hunt.
Are Beagles Clean Dogs?
So much Beagles are wash-and-wear dogs one of the best advantages of the Beagle is in the grooming department the Beagle is often described as being a wash-and-wear dog but what does that mean exactly.
A wash and wear dog simply means that you can sit down and relax without worrying about fancy hairdos, heck even if your Beagle chases rabbits and rolls in puddles, well let’s face he still manages to look good this is courtesy of a hounds oily coat which helps repel dirt and water.
So when you’re in the mood for a clean up just give Snoopy a regular bath after combing the coat and freeing it of any dirt and debris.
Do Beagles Shed?
Beagles shed however and have an odor first of all there is no such thing as a pill that makes dogs shed less.
If there was such a magic pill it would have allowed Bruce Willis to grow hair so any dogs that have fur will shed instead of asking do dogs shed it would be far more productive to ask do they have hair.
Which is a silly question after all well the stinking old truth is that Beagles will shed so just arm yourself with a good vacuum and some lint rollers and learn to live with it.
Why Do Beagles Smell ?
While all dogs have a doggy odor consider the hounds tend to have a distinctive odor. Some like to call it hound smell, but to put it more bluntly it’s more like a hound stink. The same oil responsible for making the hound a wash-and-wear dog is also responsible for the distinctive odor.
Luckily a nice bath can temporarily defuse the hound stink bomb, but here’s the best part most hound owners noses habituated to the smell and hardly ever notice Beagles have a distinctive voice.
Why Do Beagles Howl?
Because the Beagles voice is not like a bark nor like a howl it’s more like some sort of Alpine yodeling sound. Beagles thrive when doing what they were bred to do. Hounds are really hunting dogs and they may struggle at times to adapt to living in a domestic setting.
A Beagle likes to escape?
Sure, they love to eat food and sleep on cozy beds but they still have a strong desire for doing what they were bred for which is tracking scent.
In a small yard things can get boring after some time especially when they’re tempting whips of scent coming from the other side of the fence.
A motivated Beagle is a determined Beagle. If they cannot jump over the fence, he’ll dig right under, and if you can’t dig under you try to climb, and don’t think you can outsmart the Beagle.
With those flimsy latches, they have been known to open those as well the thing is Beagles are happiest when they are allowed to do what they like best wander and sniff.
A walk around the block will cut it for most Beagles this doesn’t mean though that you must have a courage and let them walk miles a day to make these dogs happy.
If you can find a large safely fenced area you can give him the illusion that he’s free to do as he pleases alternatively you can attach him to a long line and allow him every now and then to go on a sniffing adventure to make him even happier you can enroll him in some canine activities.
Are Beagles smart?
That puts his nose to work such as canine nose work or some fun Beagle field trials there are no stupid Beagles. The Beagle is not stubborn or stupid repeat Beagles are not stubborn nor stupid they just need smart dog owners who understand them.
First off stop making comparisons if you are a chemist and your neighbor is a lawyer that doesn’t mean that he’s smarter than you it just means that you have been trained for a different career.
Now there are those who believe because are difficult to train because they lack big time in the IQ Department others may say that because are difficult to train because they are stubborn and don’t want to please you again wrong wrong wrong.
Can Beagles be trained?
Beagles can be trained and some dedicated owners have even put obedient titles under Beagles. All people need is enough motivation and an area with not many distracting smells going on of course.
If you start training your Beagle to heel in the yard and there are rabbit droppings every step you take your Beagle may prefer those to those stale cookies you have in your pocket.
With Beagles it’s important to start training in a quiet room where there are not many distractions going on.
Use high-value treats and then gradually move on to more and more distracting areas.
Slow and steady wins the race if you progress too quickly it may be too difficult for your hounds to concentrate when all the background scents keep distracting him.
With the right incentive and determination a hound can be taught to sit stay heel and come when called a dog trainer familiar.
Why are Beagles so cute?
Beagle puppies are often difficult to resist and that’s why you often find them in cutesy pictures on calendars sniffing flower sit should be illegal.
To make them so cute not only are Beagles cute but bred and raised well. They’re also blessed with many wonderful temperaments it’s quite difficult to stumble on an angry Beetle who had a bad day.
One important consideration is that Beagle puppies grow fast, and once their hounds personalities start shining through owners must be ready to deal with all their entertaining ways.
So put together those pleading eyes, marry with their happy-go-lucky personalities, and now you know why so many people fall in love with Beagles and never look back, well actually maybe they should look back before their Beagles managed to steal food right under their noses.
Sarah is the Senior Editor at Beagle Owner. An avid reader of crime novels, fashion lover, and walking her Beagle Woody.
