The origins of the Beagle or English Beagle go back to Xenophon who in his Treatise on Hunting speaks of a hound that could well be the first-time Beagle. Later, passing through all the stages of hunting from primitive men to medieval men, reaching the nobles and kings of the eighteenth century where a more select selection was made and never better said of the species, it was where we found the " Pocket Beagles ", which are now extinct but were greatly enjoyed by personalities as distinguished as Queen Elizabeth I.
In 1840 they were exported to USA mainly for hunting but breeding as a domestic dog would not take place until 1870. The wars The world championships were a heavy blow to the continuation of the breed but nothing that our Beagles who had been fighting for so long could not recover from. Thus, today the Beagle is a breed taken into account by us not only for hunting for which they have been faithful companions since long ago, but also as great members of the family.
Beagle Characteristics
This is a breed of great beauty and elegance. Beagles almost always walk and waddle with their tail held high forming almost an inverted "c" and that gives them a proud look. We can appreciate a well-proportioned dog, square in shape, with a muscular carriage, a well-pronounced chest, an elongated head (more noticeable in females) and with its nose always black. The ears are large and droop down giving the Beagle a touch of tenderness. As for its height and weight, the Beagle will reach about 33 or 41 centimeters in height at the withers and a weight that ranges from 8 to 16 kilograms.
The colors within the breed are divided into tricolor or bicolor, always with white, brown and black tones:
- Beagle tricolor - Classic tri: We start from more to less with the color black, in this classic combination we always keep the white base of the mantle but predominates the black that covers the back.
- Beagle tricolor - Dark tri: White base, and very light brown markings mixed with the black marks.
- Beagle tricolor - Faded tri: White base and now the weakness is in the black spots that mix with brown spotspowerful.
- Beagle tricolor - Pied: This is the broken mixture we could say since the coat is about all white with some white and brown spots without particularly standing out.
- Beagle bicolor: In this case, Beagles will combine their white usually with brown although the shades can range from very light brown, to red, reddish, orange, strong brown and even black.
Beagle Character
Many people choose the Beagle letting themselves be guided by their physical appearance since they are tender from puppies and remain the same when the specimen is an adult. However, when we make a decision as important as adopting a dog, we have to know its behavior, its predispositions, its defects and its virtues before believing that we are making the right decision.
Beagles have their own character and not all personalities are compatible with us. Let's get to know him better and thus you will decide whether or not you see yourself with a Beagle as a companion in your life:
- Beagles are very active dogs Life in a chalet is more comfortable for them and for you because they run around as much as they want and that way in their own home they release a good part of their energy. This does not mean that they are incompatible with life in an apartment, but if they live in a flat, you have to take them out three times a day at least, two of them long; one of 1 hour and another of half an hour so that your Beagle is fully happy.
- To understand them, don't forget that they are hounds, they have been hunting dogs so they love looking for prey, barking to warn you and bringing it to you. It is part of their normal behavior. A hunter can't constantly ask for permission because speed rules rather than please so sometimes they feel the need to run away.
For these reasons you must understand that the beagle is an active and impulsive dog that will not bat an eyelid at the idea of seeking and finding prey (and bringing you a little gift). They are also dogs that require a good education from puppies as they tend to become authoritarian when faced with an owner who does not impose their corresponding household rules.
Beagle Care
It is generally a very he althy breed that can accompany us for 15 long years of our lives if we take care of it correctly and with a lot of love.
He has short hair, so his care is simple, but that doesn't mean we should leave him to his own devices. It must be brushed 2 or 3 times per week and we will give our dog a bath once a month, always taking into account how much or how little he goes out in the park and gets dirty.
What we must observe carefully are their ears, large and droopy as they are, they are a place where dirt can lodge and, being this way, they easily get clogged. Therefore, if we clean it in a hairdresser or if we do it ourselves, we must pay attention.
On the other hand sport is essential, the Beagle needs large doses of activity for physical and mental he alth reasons, otherwise we will end up having an obese and destructive dog from nervousness. Walking with him at least 3 times a day, exercising and going out to the mountains on weekends are qualities that the Beagle looks for in its owner.
Beagle behavior
The beagle finds a playmate in children, for this reason we inform you that the behavior with them is going to be great now that you will discharge a lot of energy playing, in addition to enjoying. In fact, families love the Beagle because the little ones have a great time with it, they play tirelessly. Of course, parents must set rules, since neither of them (both child and dog) must exceed the game limits
Regarding pets, it is very difficult to make a value judgment on how they are going to behave towards our cats, rabbits or birds in the house, it is true that they are hunting dogs, but since they are puppies they get used to coexisting with other species, good relationships can be forged. If the Beagle is an adult, it may take a longer adaptation process, but by following some coexistence guidelines we will get them to be accepted.
Beagle education
The Beagle is an obedient and intelligent dog that performs various functions as a hunter or detector dog:
- Hunting: Beagles were selected to hunt hares and rabbits. They are very good hunting dogs due to their incredible tracking ability and later joined the fox hunt (19th century). His ability to cooperate in a pack and his predisposition also made him participate in pheasant hunting.
- Detection dog: As a result of discovering the qualities of the breed, the Beagle began to work as a detection dog in various and broad cases. He participates in the detection of prohibited agricultural imports as he is a very intelligent dog and accepts rewards such as a good educational system. Inspection and detection are tasks that the Beagle performs with pleasure and with a desire to please its owners.
