Beagles are beautiful dogs belonging to the hound group famous for hunting. Therefore, one of the most important characteristics of your beagle puppy could be that he will always be sniffing around. Once he gets a scent, he will be on its track and with his relentless hunting skills, there’s not a chance he’d give up before he finds what he is looking for. Here’s some more advice about the beagle breed that you’d want to know about.
Beagle characteristics, facts and temperament
You can describe your beagle as small and cute, but he is also a formidable hunter and makes for an excellent guard dog.
- They love to eat and eat a lot. So you must exercise your pet daily to prevent weight gain.
- Your beagle’s tiny nose has around 220 million scent receptors-no wonder, you’ll always find him sniffing.
- They are playful pets-you can hide treats and he’s sure to find them in no time.
- Every beagle has 3 colors-brown, white and black.
- This clever breed was first seen in dog shows around 1876
- In 2007, this breed was considered the 5th most popular dog breeds out of the 157 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club
- They are fun loving, smart, independent and self confident. They do not need much attention so if you do not like clingy dogs; this is the pet for you.
- If you follow the beagle training tips given below, you can easily train your pet to become an obedient well-behaved dog.
Where to find a Beagle
You’d naturally want this cheerful breed in your home soon. The best place to find a beagle puppy is directly from a breeder, a pet store or from organized beagle rescue programs. The advantage of buying directly from the breeders is that you might get a spayed/neutered pet and even get a chance to interact with the pup’s mother. Beagles are usually expensive. If you check the price on beagle puppies, it could range anywhere between $1500 and $3000. Anything less than that should signal red flag as it could indicate health issues. Mature beagles are cheaper as they are not much in demand, so you could consider opening your home to one. The beagle puppy price is just the tip of the iceberg of expenses; once you start following a beagle diet chart, you will be spending on food as well as monthly vet visits.
Care and grooming
Beagles are clean animals and do not need as much grooming as some of the log haired breeds. You must brush your beagles teeth daily and give him a bath at least 2 times a month. A gentle, skin soothing shampoo is perfect for keeping your pet’s coat clean and healthy. If he has ticks or fleas, use a anti-parasitic shampoo. Use clippers from time to time to trim excess hair from the belly, inner thighs and under the ears. Inspect his ears weekly and clean them out with cotton swabs dipped in hydrogen peroxide. You also need to trim his toenails every few weeks.
Training tips
No matter how clever and affectionate your beagle is, he will not become an ideal companion unless he has some basic training. You need to use a system of treats/rewards and praise for desirable behavior and ignore or redirect unwanted behavior. Start with crate training using these tips. You can also get him enrolled in obedience classes or puppy socialization classes or observe how professionals train dogs. Use a set of training collars if needed.
Food
You can feed your beagle high quality kibble or wet/canned food. Most beagles prefer the latter owing to the taste and aroma. However, the disadvantage of wet dog food is that it can be calorie-dense and could also lead to plaque build-up. Also, compared to dry kibble, wet dog food is also easily perishable and leads to moist poop.
If you are bringing home a beagle puppy, we hope this brief puppy advice guide helps you.
