Beagle

Beagle

Perhaps the most famous beagle of all is "Snoopy," the canine philosopher, from the cartoon strip called Peanuts. The real-life dog is equally loved; of the hounds, it is most popular as a companion animal.

History:

The Beagle is credited as coming from Great Britain, and the breed dates back to the 1600s. However, the breed may be considerably older and in fact may have originated from Greece, where a small Beagle-like hunting hound was used in 400 BC. A Beagle-like dog was used in France as a courser for hares and brought to England at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. Although there seem to have been efforts to vary the size of the breed from large to pocket-size over the years, now just two distinct sizes have been settled on.

Physical characteristics:

The Beagle is a symmetrical and smoothly muscular dog. Height: 10 - 13 in (25.4 - 33 cm) for the smaller Beagle, and 13 - 15 in (33 - 38 cm) for the larger. The weight is not specified but should be proportionate to the height. The broad head is large and dome-shaped with a narrow muzzle. The large round eyes may be either deep-set or prominent and are very meaningful, with an alert but soulful expression.

The long flat ears hang down and forwards over a strong neck. The body has a low chest with a straight back supported by straight legs. The tail is of medium-length and carried high. The coat is short and dense and may be any of the hound colors, except liver, which is generally excluded from the show ring.

Behavior:

This medium to small dog is an excellent tracker of small game and loves to run all day. It has been bred to hunt as a pack animal and so is very sociable with members of its own pack. Like many dogs, the Beagle has a definite sense of who's the boss, and care should be taken not to undermine the social hierarchy if several dogs are kept together. Although originally bred as a hunter, the Beagle has a gentle nature in most circumstances.

Given the right training, the Beagle will make an excellent watch-dog. It also has a wonderfully melodious bark. Beagles make excellent family pets and are very sociable with people. As they are slow to anger and a medium size, they are excellent playmates for children. They are big enough not to suffer the many indignities from enthusiastic children, and small enough not to bowl them over during vigorous play.

As they are a uniform size and generally have a placid nature, Beagles have been used as laboratory animals. Traditionally, they have been used as circus dogs because they can be taught many tricks. Nowadays their other characteristics have been recognized and put to really good use. Beagles are frequently used as modern-day specialist working dogs.

In some countries, government agencies such as Quarantine services use them for the detection of contraband foodstuffs, while commercial enterprises use them for the detection of termites in buildings, and even for leaks in gas and oil pipelines. Beagles are easy-care dogs and if housed outside, only require a simple kennel.

They will thrive on lots of exercise but will happily settle for moderate exercise with lots of mental stimulation. The Beagle's coat is easy to care for by regular brushing but they should not be washed too frequently. Owners of Beagles living indoors may choose to "dry clean" them by rubbing powder into the coat and then giving it a good brushing.

They require about 1.25 lb (0.5 kg) of food a day, depending on their age and activity. They have few common ailments but their ears should be given careful attention and cleaned regularly. When they are used as working dogs, their feet must be checked regularly for any injuries. The Beagle is a superb dog.

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