The Beagle Dog

The English Beagle is a small dog, normally around 15 inches high and weight bewtween 20 and 25 pounds when fully grown.

Beagle Breed Description

Beagle dogs are small hounds with a sturdy frame, and sleek orange, black and white hair. The beagle is often compared to a Foxhound due to its similarity in size and and nature.

Beagle dogs are characterised by round feet and have large soft ears. The temperament of Beagles is very kind and gentle, they can be lively and curious.

Temperament of the English Beagle

They are normally good with other dogs and cats, although some dogs have been bred for hunting, and will chase any cat given half a chance.

They are also very intelligent, and if trained from a puppy can be very obedient pets as well as being trained for use by the police and army, as drug and bomb sniffers.

Beagle dogs also dislike being left alone, if you intend to be away often it might be best to leave the dog at a friends, or to buy two beagles for companionship.

The Beagle dog also has a characteristic bark, a long howl that was often used in hunting, another use for their nose and intelligence, but this bark can annoy neighbours and family alike.

Beagles - Health Problems

There are some common problems with Beagles, they are often affected by heart disease and epilepsy as well as eye infections in older age.

Beagle dogs are very energetic although they are very active indoors and will be fine in an apartment as long as they are given a long walk every day. Beagles were bred as scent hounds, and were used in packs in England to track the scent of foxes and other wild animals, riding hunters would follow.

Beagles as Sniffer Dogs

Because of the Beagle dogs common size and weight, they are often used for medical and narcotic experimentation, although this use has decreased somewhat recently due to increased protests.

Beagle Dogs - History