The Beagle is a
medium size dog bred for hunting small game such as hare and rabbits. There is
no true documentation of the breed origin but, it’s believed the Beagle was
created in the early 11th century by mixing the great tracking
ability of the English Talbot and the speed and stamina of the Greyhound. Others
will argue that there are documents mentioning of pack hunting dogs dating back
to the Ancient Greek times resembling the Beagles but not official reports
exist.
Due to the Beagles
amiable, sweet and gentle temperament the Beagle appear as the 9th
most popular breed in the United States according to the AKC Dog Registration
Statistic in 2012 and 2013. They are very popular within service agencies such
as police departments and airport security due to their acute sense of smell
making them excellent drugs and explosive detection dogs. Another side of its
popularity comes from the famous cartoon “Snoopy” exposing the breed to a different
audience, the typical American family.
The Beagle loves
company but make no mistake with this breed; they are mainly led by its nose,
meaning they will not listen to humans when they’re focus following any scent
that catches their interest. When it comes to scent tracking they are focus and
determined. They will climb or dig around fences or any possible obstacle in
order to follow their scent. Having a fenced yard is a must when owning a
Beagle and consider keeping them inside due to this breed tends to howl or
whine when left alone.
When it comes to
health the Beagle is a fairly healthy breed but some of the major health
concerns includes:
·
Epilepsy: Seizures
that may show themselves as unusual behavior such as running frantically as if
being chased, staggering, or even by falling down with rigid limbs and losing
consciousness.
·
Cherry Eye: Gland
under the third eyelid that protrudes and looks rather like a cherry in the
corner of the eye.
·
Chondroplasia (aka dwarfism): Condition
where the dog is smaller than normal, may or may not be accompanied by other
physical abnormalities, such as extremely short legs.
·
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): Degenerative
eye disorder that eventually causes blindness from the loss of photoreceptors
at the back of the eye.
·
Distichiasis: Additional
row of eyelashes known as distichia grow on the oil gland in the dog's eye and
protrude along the edge of the eyelid.
·
Glaucoma: Painful
disease in which pressure in the eye becomes abnormally high and can damage the
pressure inside the eye increases causing damage to the optic nerve and
resulting in vision loss and blindness.
When looking to buy
a Beagle puppy make sure of the breeder honesty and reputation. Make sure they
provide a health history report of the puppy parents and even better if they
provide history if its lineage. Request viewing the parents and the whole
litter for a better selection of what you are looking for. Also consider adopting
from a known shelter or Humane Society nearby; they tend to provide good care
and records of any treatment performed.
Owning and caring
for a Beagle is a challenging task and not recommended for novice owners.
Beagles are not the typical obedient dog that comes when called or likes
playing fetch in the park. They need to be securely leashed as they will wonder
off following their nose not your commands. Growing up and in training they can
be stubborn and need a firm trainer with unbreakable consistency. They tend to
get distracted easily and disregard instructions. Beagles are best when trained
with snack as the smell of food gives them something familiar along their innate
hunting instinct. Beagles are best when trained by only one trainer as having different
trainers one might undermine the instruction of another thus causing confusion and/or
discouraging the dog’s focus and learning interest. If the Beagle is for family
purpose, make sure the whole family is informed of the boundaries of the dog
and the direction of their training. Beagles are good with children and makes
good family pets as long you provide plenty of exercise and activities for
them.
Always do your
research about these or any other breed you are interested in and remember to
inform yourself about your local pet laws. Always used a leash when walking
your dog regardless the breed, this might help avoid any accidental dog related
mishap.
