Buying A Beagle? You Must Read These Points
Thinking about getting a dog, then you will be trying to figure out what breed is right for you and your family? There are tons of people who ask this question when looking at getting a dog. In this post we look at why we think a Beagle might be the right choice for you. There are some people for whom the dog breed would be the best and for some, another breed would be better. It all depends on the owner, their lifestyle and dog both.
Here, we have discussed some of the major details that you should take into consideration before moving further. Beagles are a relatively quiet and low maintenance dog, which contributes to why Beagles are one of the most popular breeds of dog in the United States.
It is really good to know the dog breed before purchasing it. Even if you are getting Beagle puppies for free it is worth reading through this whole post to ensure that you’re going to be able to look after them properly.
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Beagle is an Inquisitive Sniffing Dog
One of the things that the beagle is best known for is its sense of smell. This goes as far as them having been used for trying to sniff out people who may be suffering from cancer.
A Beagle’s wonderful sense of smell will make them curious about anything and everything. To a Beagle the world is a wonderful spectrum of smells that all need to be investigated.
Unfortunately, this can lead to Beagles getting carried away investigating smells and unintentionally find themselves in areas that you do not want them. You can try and prevent this by pet-proofing your home but anyone who has previously owned a dog can tell you no amount of pet-proofing your home will completely stop your dog’s from finding themselves getting into things you hadn’t meant them to.
By pet proofing, we mean things like:
- Keeping doors closed for rooms you don’t want the Beagle going into, locking them if you really don’t want them going in them.
- Keeping small items like toys tidied away or above the height the Beagle can reach.
- Like most dogs, Beagles will be able to smell when you start preparing food and will be extremely interested in what you’re making. Make sure that when you prepare/serve food you’re keeping it out of your Beagles reach. Even if they choose not to eat it they will be all over it giving it a good sniff.
It is worth keeping in mind that dog-proofing your home is an ongoing activity and not a do-once-and-forget one. Beagles are intelligent and curious dogs, they will see barriers (literal and figurative) as a challenge for them to work around.
This curiosity and desire to explore the smells of the world around them make Beagles adorable pets as long as you’re prepared for that.
Invest in a Healthy Beagle Dog
If you’re looking to get a puppy, whether you’re looking at getting a Beagle or any other breed of dog you need to make sure you’re going into getting a puppy informed.
Unfortunately, while it is possible for you to go and just find a dog that you think looks cute and take it home that’s not the best way to do it. The problem with that situation is that you don’t know anything about the dog’s heredity and you don’t know what issues may develop in the future.
Most dog breeders will be above board and will look to ensure that they’re breeding out any non-desirable traits such as genetic diseases but you shouldn’t count on it. You will want to check with the breeder whether both the mother and father were health screened to check for any hereditary issues and what the results were.
You should wherever possible ask to meet the mother and father of the Beagle pup. Not all fathers will be around as breeders may use males from other breeders but the pups should be kept with their mother to begin with. What you’re looking for is there anything obviously wrong with the mother, how does her coat look, is she friendly or seem exhausted, though keep in mind she does have a litter of pups!
When going to look at the puppy you should pay attention to the conditions around, if the place looks run down or not cared for then it’s more likely that the puppy’s will have been treated the same.
When buying a Beagle ensuring that they are healthy and that they are brought up in a good way will help to avoid both medical and behavioral problems in the future. Spending some time looking into these in advance of choosing a Beagle will save you both time and money in the future.
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Strongly Built
Despite their small side, Beagles have an athletic build and a muscular body. Healthy Beagles need to ensure they are getting adequate exercise to maintain their body and avoid becoming overweight.
To maintain their body and prevent issues caused by them becoming overweight you should make sure to figure an exercise routine for them. By having a routine that helps you to mix up their exercise, it also helps you by giving you a structure, this comes in handy when it’s raining and you don’t want to take your dog for exercise. Rather than waiting to see if the rain is going to let up you should try to keep to the routine.
One option that you can also look into is that there are various pet centers that provide training for activities such as agility training, which is a great and fun workout for your dog.
One thing to be wary of is that even at a young age these curious explores will want to be running and jumping around. This is completely natural but keep an eye on them as them making too big of a jump may damage their joints. Their muscles may allow them to make it but their joints will take the brunt when they land.
You need a lot of patience
If you know someone who owns a Beagle dog then you would probably already know how lively these dogs are. If you’re unable to find a good outlet for your Beagle’s energy then they can end up finding their own ways to use their energy up.
If your Beagle has to find their own way to use their excess energy you may find them becoming more destructive, chewing on furniture, noisy through barking.
Beagles not only bark when they have excess energy but may also do so to warn you of a perceived threat, whether that is someone they don’t know or an animal in your yard.
Another reason could be if the dog has picked up a certain scent. They will also make noise to express their emotions like getting bored or sad.
It is always worth remembering when thinking about getting a Beagle that it won’t just be you who has to deal with any barking, your neighbors are likely to be able to hear it barking as well if you live in an apartment.
It is important to keep a watch on the dog all the time
Beagles get distracted easily, that amazing nose of them will draw their attention to anything new or different. This means that you will need to take measures to stop your beagles from escaping your home/yard. Once you have made your efforts to make it so your beagle won’t escape, continue to keep an eye on them, this will help you to know where they might be able to escape from.
As well as interesting smells outside of your yard/home your Beagle may feel that there are interesting smells or things to be chased under your yard or up trees. This may lead to them trying to climb up trees in your yard and dig holes in your yard.
With wanting to climb up to get to things you may find that your Beagle can be quite ingenious about how to get there, jumping onto lower items to get to the higher ones, or taking run ups to get momentum to get up trees.
For digging in your yard, one method you can utilize to minimize the amount of holes they make and how many of your plants they dig up is by giving them an area to dig. By setting aside a safe area where they can dig without you having to worry about them digging under a fence will also allow you to relax a little more.
Unfamiliar, unfenced areas are the highest risk for your Beagle getting distracted and getting lost. You should look to train them to return on command as early as possible and continue training them to follow this throughout their life. It’s better to give them a treat to say that following the return command is always worthwhile than risk them not returning one time.
While it is rare, it isn’t unheard of for unscrupulous people to steal puppies to sell on. This is unlikely but another good reason to keep an eye on your Beagle. It may also be worth thinking about whether you should get your Beagle chipped to help recover them if they do escape your yard or get stolen.
They do not require high-maintenance grooming
One of the best things about owning a beagle is that fall in the range of dog breeds that are low-maintenance when it comes to grooming. While Beagles do have a double coat, their hair isn’t long and therefore won’t need to shed quite as much. In addition to that, their coat is good at staying reasonably clean.
Brushing your Beagle’s coat one a week will suffice, this will help in removing any dead hair and helping to maintain a healthy coat. If you’re able to brush your Beagle’s coat more than once a week then that would be better as this gives you an opportunity to pamper your Beagle and bond closer with them.
In addition to brushing your Beagle’s coat you should also consider bathing them. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear that you don’t need to bathe them very often. Unless they’ve managed to get themselves dirty rolling in mud or something like that then having a bath every two to three months will be plenty.
Obviously if your Beagle starts to smell before two months don’t feel you can’t give them a bath but be careful not to do so too often as doing it too frequently will strip the essential oils, which help to keep them clean, from their coat.
Beagle is a dog with a mixed temperament
Historically Beagles were used as hunting dogs and they did that in their packs. For this reason they love being in a pack and hunting. While hunting is a very aggressive and violent activity, there is another side to them, that is calm, gentle and loving. This makes them good family dogs. Due to their hunting trait, it is highly advisable that you socialize them straight away when you bring them home.
The most important time for socializing your Beagle is when you bring them home. This is where the Beagle will start to understand what is and isn’t allowed. They will start building an idea of how they are expected to behave around the house.
Give them a warm welcome at your home and ensure that there are as many of your household around. This will allow them to meet everyone and start bonding with them,
While you may not think it but dogs love having routine. It helps them to know what is expected of them. By including the routine for their exercise and feeding you’re also going to make your life easier for getting your Beagle to do what you want.
Important Facts About Beagle
- There are three different ways in which the beagle can vocalize. One is the standard bark and the other two are a howl and bay. The French word from which their name is derived itself means gaped throat, which refers to the sound that they make when they were getting excited for a hunt.
- Beagle is one of the most popular dog breeds in the US. It was ranked at seventh position amongst the popular breed list in 2019 (source).
- The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has a beagle brigade. They are trained to sniff the luggage at the airport. So they can find stuff like agricultural products that are banned.
- There is a Beagle that can smell pregnancy. The dog’s name is Elvis and it can smell the poop of the polar bear to determine whether it is pregnant or not. Also, the accuracy rate of detecting pregnancy was 97 percent.
- Queen Elizabeth the First loved beagles. In fact, she loved them so much that she owned multiple pocket Beagles. They were so small that she could hold them in one hand.
- There was a time when there were Beagles in the white house. President Lyndon Johnson was the one who owned two Beagles. They were named “Him” and “Her”. There are a lot of photos of President Johnson playing with his Beagles.
- Beagles have been part of album covers too. Barry Mainlow is an American singer who owned a Beagle whose name was Bagel. His album covers had Beagles featured on them. In fact, he was photographed wearing a T-shirt with “I love Beagles” written on it.
People Also Ask
How much does it cost to buy a beagle?
If you find the beagle puppies for sale then the minimum price you need to pay is $450. The price varies according to the lineage. If the dog is of show quality then obviously the looks, health, and other things might be superiorly taken care of. In such a case be ready to pay an amount as high as $1250 for buying a Beagle.
If you’re buying a Beagle from a breeder and they’re offering for less than $450 then be cautious.
Are beagles good for first-time owners?
Beagles are small in size and relatively low maintenance, which makes them the great choice for the first time owners. Labradors are the most popular of dogs but their size can mean they are more difficult to deal with for first-time owners, whereas the Beagle’s size makes them much easier for the first time owners to handle the dog. We agree that potty training a beagle puppy can be a time taking task but you can manage it and it is definitely worth it in the long run. We would recommend you to buy a dog stroller for Beagle so that while in public you can handle them easily.
Do all beagles bark a lot?
While no dog breed is completely silent Beagles are a pretty quiet breed and if they are treated well and given enough time and attention they aren’t going to bark a huge amount.
If you leave your Beagle alone for long periods of time or they feel that there is a threat that they need to let you know about then they will bark.
Are beagles easy to train?
No, Beagles are not that easiest of breeds to train. This doesn’t mean you won’t be able to train them. It’s just that you will have to take more effort to train them. They belong to the hunting hound category so they will become solely focused on the scent once they smell something.
Do Beagles shed?
Yes, Beagles do shed. You will be happy to know that this breed’s shedding is minimal in comparison to other breeds. Beagle’s hairs are short so even when they do shed there won’t be a huge amount of long hairs around. If you will brush the coat with a bristle brush then you can remove the dead hairs early to prevent them falling out all over your house. A good hoover should be able to pick up most of the hair pretty quickly.
FINAL VERDICT
Beagles are one of the most loving dog breeds there are. They are loved by everybody and take little time to get along with anyone. Here, we have covered multiple aspects that you should consider before buying a Beagle. These points are not intended to stop you from buying the dog. It is just that you should be prepared before bringing the dog to your home. There is no harm in taking extra care of the dog so you can visit the homepage to know how you can do it.
If you think we have missed any important information about beagles that someone needs to know before getting one then please let us know and we’ll be sure to update this article to include the information.