It’s time to put our noses to the ground and do some digging on the droopy-eyed pups we all adore.
Don’t let the dopey demeanour of the Beagle dog breed fool you: they’re true little bundles of energy that bring tons of quirk and humour to your household. Whether you are looking for an active, playful companion or an intelligent, kid-friendly breed, you can find both in a Beagle.
Did you know that humans have five million scent receptors in their noses? Now think of all the things that you can smell. Well, it’s not nearly as much as a Beagle can smell. A Beagle has about 22 million scent receptors so yes, smelling things is kind of their jam.
These stubborn doggos have a long history of being hunting dogs back in 16th century England for countrymen who owned packs of hounds to hunt. Their duties lay mostly in rabbit hunting and today, Beagles are trained in the line of duty to detect illegal substances in luggage. Nothing sneaky happening under your roof with a Beagle around!
General Beagle Dog Breed Profile
- Group: Hound
- Height: 33 – 41cm
- Coat and colouring: Beagles have short, water-resistant coats that can come in a variety of colours. A Beagle’s coat can be up to three colours: black white and tan.
- Life expectancy: 10 -15 years
The character of the Beagle Dog Breed
Beagles already have a pretty great reputation for being family dogs. They are fantastic with children and because they have been bred to hunt and live in large packs, they thrive being in environments with lots of family members. You and your pets will be quickly adopted as your Beagle’s new pack. That being said, they make great companions in single homes as long as you take the time to exercise them often.
It would be unlikely for a Beagle to have an aggressive temperament and they are a lovely combination between gentle and robust. Their low, eerie bales are what people may mistake for aggression but this is one of the beautiful parts of owning a Beagle (if you’re not sensitive to noise, of course).
Your Beagle will be one of the most vocal dogs you ever own, and you will start to hear their own musical lilts and howls starting to develop. They will bale more often if they are bored or under-exercised but they also love to show you their impression of a passing ambulance or Whitney Houston on the radio.
Caring for your Beagle
Training
You can’t say we didn’t warn you: Beagles are stubborn. Their evolved sense of smell and independent nature means they may find your instructions a bit of a waste of time and decide to explore their own paths. If you’re bringing a Beagle into a home that already has a few dogs and kids, you would be better off getting a puppy. Beagles are difficult (but not impossible) to train once they are older and set in their ways.
Grooming
Hunting hounds need short, sleek hair that doesn’t get caught in brambles and brush. Beagles have water-resistant coats that are super easy to maintain. They don’t shed copiously and you can wash and brush them regularly.
Pay special attention to their ears and make sure they are properly cleaned to avoid any infections.
Environment
Before you bring your Beagle home, make sure to secure the perimeter! Once these dogs get a scent they want to follow, they won’t mind many obstacles in their way. You’ll need to have enough space so that they can burn off any extra energy on top of going for walks and doing exercise together. A bored Beagle is a very loud Beagle so make sure your environment can keep them stimulated.
Insuring your Beagle
Whilst we always hope for the best for our pets, we can’t ignore that accidents do happen and as the years go by our pets become more prone to illnesses and disease. Some conditions that happen to affect Beagles include epilepsy, hypothyroidism, and intervertebral disc disease.
We recommend Oneplan Pet Insurance because you can insure your Beagle under one of their four plans, each of them tail-or-made with your pet and budget in mind (and they cover hereditary and genetic pre-existing conditions after a 12-month period).
Keep your Beagle safe from their curious side by having pet health cover on standby if you need it.
