Made famous by the Peanuts character, Snoopy, Beagles were bred in England as trail hounds, used to hunt rabbits and hares. Beagles are scent hounds and have a tendency to ignore everything but the interesting scent when hunting. A very energetic breed of dog, Beagles are social, curious, intelligent and brave. They are also likely to get into trouble as their hound dog instinct can take over in an instant should a Beagle catch a whiff of an exciting or interesting scent.

Male Beagles will grow to an average height of 14 to 16 inches and average weight of 22 to 25 pounds; females, 13 to 15 inches and 20 to 23 pounds. On average, a Beagle will live 12 to 15 years. Most Beagles have a tri-color coat, consisting of red and white, orange and white or lemon and white. It is a short to medium length coat that requires no more than minimal care – regular brushing and bathing only when necessary.

Beagles will shed, but not excessively. They have long, wide ears and brown or hazel eyes that often times look like pleading 'puppy dog' eyes. They have a distinct, and often times, familiar baying sound that they make when hunting prey. It is this distinctive howl and ability to pick up on strange scents that make them excellent guard dogs.

Beagles are good with families and children and love to play, but care should be taken with other family pets. If a Beagle is not properly socialized early, it may try to hunt and capture the other pets; however, they do not like being left alone and may bay excessively (annoying the neighbors). Beagles do well traveling and adapt quickly and easily to new experiences, thanks to their fearless nature, but also need strong and consistent training to ensure they do not run off. Beagles will do well in almost any living environment, provided they are given plenty of opportunity to run and exercise.

A leash is a must with a Beagle, or a well fenced in yard as well as consistent obedience training. Their hunting instinct will take over when a scent comes their way and will run off in search of the prey. Ears should be checked and cleaned regularly, as Beagles are prone to painful ear infections. Beagles are also prone to heart disease, epilepsy, eye and back problems, and chondroplasia - dwarfism that results in warped front legs.

There is a website that has great information on Beagles and most other breeds of dogs. It has details that pertain to a dog breeds health, grooming, living conditions, best food choices and more, the website is called: Dog And Cat Facts, and can be found at this url:

http://www.dogandcatfacts.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2006

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