The Beagle- if there is a walking embodiment of good things come in small packages – surely the beagle is it!
Stout, proud, pint sized dogs bursting with personality and energy the beagle is a much loved family dog.
They’re Howlers!
The beagle is a Scent Hound. This means they are bred to use their heightened canine olfactory senses to track and trace scents.
Now your pet beagle does not know he is supposed to ignore generations of genetic engineering! Your beagle howls when he wants attention- its how they communicate. A beagle on the hunt would howl when he/she located prey.
Beagles have incredible noses! and they know how to use them. Bred to hunt and track down prey, they’re sniffers! If your beagle is particularly fond of taking his/ her on a walk, let them. If they’re prone to picking up things as they go along, a muzzle goes a long way !
Their incredible noses get them into high profile jobs such as scent dogs for law enforcement!
Did you get yourself a Pandemic Beagle puppy? You should know that beagles are famous for their whine and howl! This may happen when they experience separation anxiety. And most if not all pandemic fosters, puppies, rescues are certain to experience separation anxiety. Which means your beagle is going to make his famous howl heard!
The beagle is not a beguiling dog. They are adorable and compact sized dogs but they are a lot of work. Alert eyes with sharp minds, the beagle is not always for the first time pet owner. A vocal dog because of its breeding as a scent hound, the beagle howl can become a difficult situation if you live in an apartment building.
Your adorable beagle buddy is likely to be a jumper- all over your furniture and if you do not discipline them in time your bed!
Beagle Health Problems
What are some of the health problems your beagle may develop? They’re a relatively healthy breed with an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years. Some specific conditions you should be aware of are
1. Patellar Luxation (a dislocation of the knee). Smaller breeds are prone to medial displacement. Owners may notice a skip in the gait, sometimes the condition goes unnoticed. Vigilance is important because at the initial stages, physiotherapy and rehabilitation aids and therapy can help stabilise or stop progression.
2. Eyes- what can you expect and what should you know about your beagles eyes?
Cherry Eye- if your dog is rubbing his/her eye, the eye appears raw or inflamed, typically ‘red’. Cherry eye in simple terms is the third eyelid of a dog closing over the eye instead of continuing to work up and down (prolapse).
Glaucoma like for human beings glaucoma is an increase in pressure in the eye. Glaucoma can be of two types
Central progressive retinal atrophy – “Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) is an inherited, bilateral, progressive disease of the retinal photoreceptors that ends in blindness.” (ScienceDirect.com)
If you’re looking for natural remedies to keep your dogs eyes safe our friends at HomeoAnimal have some great insights on eye health and care for dogs.
Readings and Resources for you to Explore:
PetMD has more interesting facts on the beagle
Want to know how many colours and variations the breed of beagle has?
Note: Beagles and their history with human beings is not all love and cuddly puppy time. For decades beagles have been the subject of laboratory experiments from products such as cigarettes to cosmetics.
Dedicated beagle breeder farms have for decades supplied these dogs to laboratories. Often asked, ‘why the beagle?’ and its their trusting nature, stature and temperament which make them good subjects. So while we spoil and adore our pets, lets not forget the generations of beagles used as test subjects.
Numerous organisations globally work toward the rescue and rehabilitation of beagles freed from laboratories and experimental facilities. These rescue beagles are in need of loving homes, if you are an experienced dog owner and can help give them a new lease of life – welcome a rescue beagle into your home.
Photo credits Artem Beliaikin
