One of the biggest needs of a beagle is companionship. The beagle was bred to live in a pack and as a result must have company. The company can be in the shape of regular human companionship, another beagle or another breed of dog. If your lifestyle means you are away for long period of time, a beagle may not be a suitable breed unless you can assure they have company during the day.
A beagle without company will be more likely to try to look for company elsewhere, which means they may try to get out of your yard, they may call for company - barking or singing, or they may try to make their time more enjoyable by digging up your prized garden. A lonely beagle is an unhappy beagle.
Beagle - Dog Lover
Puppy Selection : The best place to find a healthy, happy Beagle for your family is from a reputable breeder. However, finding yourself face to face with an adorable litter of Beagle puppy may make the selection process seem close to impossible. Some helpful folks might suggest allowing your puppy to select you, but that process usually results in bringing home the boldest of the bunch. Those types of dogs are not always the easiest to train.
Shy dogs are also not a good choice for most, since fear can cause some of these pups to have a snapping issue. Stay away from those Beagle puppy that run from you or approach with their tails between their legs, no matter how tempted you are to take one home to "bring him out of his shell". There is a good chance that you would not succeed. Some breeders can help you with the process of selecting your dog as well, if you let him know what type of pet you are looking for. By selecting the best dog for your family, you have made the first step in a successful relationship with your new pet.
Beagle - Dog Lover
Beagles bond with everyone in the family, especially children. They can be rambunctious when playing, however, so they need to be properly socialized and supervised with very young children. In addition, Beagles tend to be "mouthy," grabbing things, including your or your child's hand, with their mouths to play. They do this in fun and can be trained not to do this.
As with every breed, you should always teach children how to approach and touch dogs, and supervise any interactions. Teach your child never to approach any dog while he's eating or sleeping or to try to take the dog's food away. No dog, no matter how friendly, should ever be left unsupervised with a child.
Beagle - Dog Lover
Obstinate is a word often used by trainers to describe a Beagle, and training a smart animal is not always easy to accomplish. Although a Beagle is typically easy to please, it can also be short on attention and quickly lose interest in what is attempted to be taught. Because of their short attention span Beagle training lessons should be short and they should also be consistent.
For example, when teaching your Beagle to come, saying the word three times in a normal voice and the last time in a voice that is close to yelling, may teach you Beagle to come only after you have said it three times and yelled it once. While it is not the outcome you are looking for, it can be the result of inconsistent Beagle training techniques.Beagle puppies learn very quickly when they are young and taking them to obedience school may offer a surprise about how quickly they can learn basic skills. Some obedience schools offer Beagle training in what might be referred to as puppy kindergarten for pups three months and older where they can learn basic skills and socialization. At about six months you should enroll in obedience classes and if it is your first time, beginners obedience classes where he can be taught to sit, stay and come and walk on a leash.
Beagle - Dog Lover
Recommended daily feeding amount: 3/4 to 1.5 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Feed your beagle eats depends on his size, age, build, metabolism, and activity level. Beagles are individuals, just like people, and they don't all need the same amount of food. It almost goes without saying that a highly active dog will need more than a couch potato dog. The quality of dog food you buy also makes a difference--the better the dog food, the further it will go toward nourishing your beagle and the less of it you'll need to shake into your dog's bowl.
Beagle - Dog Lover
12 years is the average life span of beagle, which are prone to several health problems that may require treatment during their lifetimes usually centering around the eyes, ears, or nasal system. As they grow older, beagle may also suffer from joint diseases or heart problems mainly due to inactivity or excess weight. Therefore, careful monitoring of food and exercise are important throughout its life and most especially as the beagle reaches old age. Beagle - Dog Lover
The Beagle has a very good temperament and gentle disposition. Beagles are intelligent, but are stubborn and may be hard to train (due to their strong will). They are an especially loyal breed and are very friendly. They rarely show signs of aggression, and are excellent with children. Beagles also get along with other dogs, provided that they have been socialized correctly.
They are playful and energetic dogs who enjoy long walks. Being scent hounds, if released, they may follow a scent endlessly or will incessantly try to tag along with other dogs regardless of cars, strangers, etc. Because of this, many humane societies and pounds often pick up stray beagles. Beagles are pack animals, and can be prone to separation anxiety.
Beagles are best kept with other dogs if they are going to be alone for long periods of time. Much of the time Beagles also howl instead of barking. Although, our Beagle has masered the art of Barking to 'Shout' other dogs, or when his girlfriend "Angel" has stolen his bone.
Beagle - Dog Lover
Taking care of your Beagle nutritionally may seem a little difficult but taking care of Beagle grooming needs is fairly easy and uncomplicated, but time will be needed to do it properly. Their typically short, tight hair growth will rarely require professional grooming, but here are some tips for keeping his hair clean at home.
A Beagles hair is short, hard and flat coat of medium length with an undercoat of finer hair which will need brushed two or three times a week to keep it clean and healthy. A female will shed its coat every season while males will shed usually once a year. As part of your Beagle grooming brushing with a grooming glove or soft brush will generally be enough to keep the coat healthy and clean.
The ears and feet will require special attention as the natural shape and hanging of its ear allows moisture and water to be trapped inside them. Keeping them wiped clean helps prevent ear infections and possible hearing loss and a good Beagle care method is to clean the ears every time you brush the dog. In addition to stopping infections it can also reduce to occurrence of ear mites.Frequent Bathing Not RequiredDespite all your best efforts, your Beagle will occasionally require to be bathed, especially if it found something with an unpleasant odor outside in which to roll around. He can be given a bath in warm water as part of you Beagle care using a no-tears dog shampoo and clean water to rinse it with. A blow dryer should not be used as it tends to dry out the skin and special attention should be paid to the ears to make sure you do not leave any water in them, which can cause an infection.
Toe nails are another area that may need frequent attention, depending on they wear down when the Beagle is exercising. As part of your Beagle grooming routine, they should be checked often and trimmed with a quality nail clipper. You should also have styptic powder on hand when you trim the toenails in case of a small cut, to stop the bleeding quickly.
Additionally, keep watch on the eyelashes, which on a Beagle can be longer than other dogs, and they have a tendency to curl downwards and grow into the eyeball, which may require surgery to correct. You should also look at the things you will need to groom your Beagle.
Beagle - Dog Lover
