Beagle

Beagles have very friendly dispositions and would even welcome a burglar. Find out everything about the behavior, character, activity and exercise needs, training, and care of the dog breed Beagle in the profile.

Beagles are among the most popular pedigree dogs among dog lovers. Here you will find the most important information about the Beagle.

The appearance of the Beagle

The Beagle has a short, dense coat that comes in bi- or tricolor, that is, patches of black, tan, or red on a white background, with each Beagle having a different pattern. Also typical of Beagles are a compact, short-legged but muscular build, lop-eared ears, and a gently cheeky facial expression. The tail is set high and has a white tip.

• Size: Male: 36-41 cm; Female: 33-38 cm
• Weight: 10 to 18 kilos
• Coat length: short, dense
• Coat Colors: Cream, white, fawn, gold/yellow
• Country of origin: Great Britain
• Classification: FCI Group 6: Hounds, Scenthounds, and Related Breeds. Section 1.3.: small hounds

Behavior and temperament

If you are looking for a protector of the house and yard, you should give the Beagle a wide berth. Aggressiveness is completely alien to him, and if he growls, he’s probably just startled. If you are looking for a trusting, charming, and always cheerful friend for yourself and your children, you will not find a better candidate than the Beagle. He has a happy and balanced character, is extremely lovable and playful – a great family dog.

However, he is also an enthusiastic hunting dog, who is very persistent and determined when pursuing a hare track. Beagles are also very confident and often stubborn, which is why they need consistent training from the start.

Need for physical activity

The Beagle needs plenty of exercise and company. He likes to be on the move, roams through meadows and forests, and also likes to walk through the bushes. He likes rummaging more than long-distance running, but he can also be enthusiastic about dog sports – for hours of playing with children anyway. The Beagle also likes long walks very much. In any case, the owner should make sure that he keeps moving: Beagles are really greedy and otherwise they quickly become overweight.

Training of the Beagle

Beagles are smart and attentive: training is actually quite easy. The emphasis is on “actually”: If you don’t want to use the Beagle for hunting, you will quickly have problems with the dog, because its hunting instinct is still very strong, especially with rabbits there is no stopping it. The challenge for a Beagle owner is to redirect and control this hunting instinct. The many beagles that you only ever see on a leash testify that this is not easy to cope with. Beagles are therefore not suitable for dog beginners, despite their extremely friendly nature.

Care

Taking care of the Beagle requires little effort. The coat is not demanding, only needs to be brushed from time to time and should also be checked for ticks and vermin after the walk, because the Beagle likes to roam through the bushes and brings “subtenants” with them from there. The Beagle’s ears should also be checked and cared for regularly.

Disease Susceptibility / Common Diseases

The Beagle is very hardy but has a known predisposition to Hound Ataxia, a neurological condition that affects the spinal cord. Occasionally, eye problems, hormonal imbalances, epilepsy, skin tumors, and fatty ulcers can also occur.

Did you know?

The most famous beagle in the world is “Snoopy”, Charles M. Schulz’s dog in the comic “Peanuts”. Beagles gained notoriety as laboratory dogs: because they have such a gentle nature and don’t even bite people who are causing them severe pain, they are the preferred choice for use in test laboratories.