Breed Profile

DESCRIPTION

Beagles make excellent family pets! They have an upbeat personality and enjoy romping. They are eager to play and are great with children. Beagles are charming, admirable and courageous dogs with exceptional stamina. Additionally, they are an independent breed much like all scent hounds.

TEMPERAMENT

Beagles are joyous little tail-waggers that just love everyone! They are sociable, calm and loving making them excellent with children. Their bravery and intelligence is matched by their curiosity and lively nature. Beagles are sweet, gentle and energetic – a combination that makes them one of the most popular scent hounds. Despite their merry and sweet disposition, this breed should not be trusted with non-canine pets. They can be trained and socialized to cohabitate with cats and other household animals but this should begin at an early age. Training requires patience and a firm owner who can command the energy and willingness of the Beagle. Originally bred for hunting, Beagles are determined and watchful and will follow their nose wherever they go. This also means they will bay, howl and bark which can be disturbing to family and neighbors.

GROOMING

Beagles are minimal shedders with a dense, short, hard and weatherproof coat that is easy to maintain.

HEALTH

Without proper exercise, Beagles have the tendency to become obese. Other health concerns can include cleft palate, hypothyroidism, luxating patellas and reproductive disorders. This breed may also be prone to congenital heart disease, epilepsy, spinal problems, invertebral disk disease, skin conditions and hip dysplasia.

EXERCISE

With their tendency to roam after intriguing scents, exercise is recommended on leash. Beagles also benefit from a large back yard where they can run and meet their exercise needs.

TRAINING

Although Beagles are not extremely easy to train, they do respond well to basic obedience training.