Beagle

A Beagle’s coat is medium length and sleek, making it easy to care for. The Beagle comes in a variety of colors including black and tan, lemon, tricolor, blue or red tick, and white with red, orange or lemon. Beagles have a distinct howl when they bark.

Beagles were developed for hunting and therefore have many hunting dog traits in their genes. This means they need a lot more exercise than many other breeds and unfortunately, then most owners give them, which is why you see so many overweight Beagles with health problems.

Temperament

It is important for Beagle owners to proclaim from the start that they are the dog’s pack leader. Beagles that are allowed to be pack leaders over their humans can develop a varying degree of behavior issues, including, but not limited to:

• guarding
• obsessive barking
• snapping
• biting
• destructive behaviors when left alone.

These are not normal Beagle traits, but rather behaviors brought on by lack of leadership and/or exercise from their humans. The behaviors can be corrected when the dog’s instincts are met.

Owners should be committed to providing the proper amount of mental and physical exercise, including daily walks to avoid separation anxiety.

Beagles will (when given the proper amount of exercise daily) be calm but again, this is not a sedentary dog and should not be adopted or purchased by an owner who leads a sedentary lifestyle. There are other dog breeds much more suited to that lifestyle.

Living Conditions

This is not a good dog breed for apartment or condominium dwellers.

Beagles are at their best when they are given long and frequent walks. They thrive when they are raised in a home that has a fenced yard where they can run off some of their energy and where they can stretch off-leash.

The keyword here is a fenced yard because Beagles are explorers, chasers and accomplished diggers and climbers. They tend to follow their noses wherever they go (a hunting trait) and any sight, sound or smell that attracts their attention will cause them to chase it down. The problem is worse because they are a breed that has an unfortunate reputation for seldom coming back when you call for them.

They are prone to wander away so owners should be cautious when allowing the dog off-leash and make sure to be in a safe area where the dog can be seen always.

Beagles should not be left outside unattended for long periods of time because they are prone to becoming bored which can cause them to howl and dig.

Note: Beagles do not have a normal sounding bark rather they have what sounds like a loud cry that almost sounds like the howl of a wolf.

This makes them unique but again, neighbors will not appreciate a Beagle left unattended in a yard to the point the dog begins to howl for attention.

Beagle puppies are wonderful pets, but they are high-maintenance.

Disposition

The Beagle is a loving, sweet, gentle, happy to see everyone type of breed. It is sociable, brave and intelligent but unique in its need for exercise. Although the Beagle is good with children and generally good with other dogs, because of its hunting instincts it should not be completely trusted with non-canine pets unless it was socialized with cats and other household animals when it was young. Beagles have a mind of their own. They are watchful and determined but require a patient, firm trainer and persistent and consistent obedience training.

Check out the Beagle puppies for sale we currently have in our stores. If there are none here, please contact us and we’ll be in touch.

✓ This article has been reviewed by Animal Kingdom’s expert team to ensure accuracy and reliable pet care guidance.