Beagle is one of the very ancient, truly English breeds

The Beagle's character is amazing if you value humor, an active life position and are inclined to an optimistic assessment of the world. An important point is that in order for your pet to listen to you and enthusiastically carry out your commands, you must be a leader by nature. It is not in vain that the beagle Porthos is the favorite dog of the brave space explorer, captain of the Enterprise, Archer. If you are a captain and explorer by nature, a beagle will be your ideal buddy. You will have a pleasant and interesting time together. Beagles love children. Children are curious and spontaneous.

Perhaps this is due to the similarity in the life position of a beagle and an active healthy child. This is curiosity, perseverance, the desire to explore everything possible, climb through bushes, jump over ditches, announce the surroundings with a flood of ringing barks, tirelessly play ball and run, run, run. Everything the beagle does, he does with pleasure and enthusiasm. Running after a bicycle is a pleasure! Lying comfortably on your knees - with delight! Chew your slippers with gusto! The Beagle constantly beams with happiness and love of life. This can irritate sad, suspicious and depressed people. With good physical exercise, which is necessary for a hound, a beagle has indestructible health and is able to withstand even the active curiosity of a very small child and at the same time maintain complacency. He treats any kind of curiosity with understanding, and will gladly join in any research.

The Beagle is a hunting dog. The Beagle is a pack dog and happily and comfortably fits into the hierarchy. If the leader's place, from the dog's point of view, is free, he will try to take it. In this case, your commands will be perceived with some bewilderment. The Beagle is friendly and not prone to direct aggression and will get its way with endless strings of small pranks. He has a lot of persistence. From unpleasant moments. If you don't have a good relationship with your beagle, he may simply run away because he decides that other adventures are more interesting for him. Also, a beagle can accidentally get carried away by hunting and run off on the trail. In this case, you need to call him and he will come to his senses.

History of the breed

Beagles are believed to have been brought to Britain in the 15th century. The main use of dogs was hunting rabbits, foxes, and hares. Beagles were the most beloved dogs of the nobility. In the 18th century, dogs were divided into: large, medium and small (up to 35 cm) beagles. In England, a pack of dogs was collected, which became the ancestors of modern beagles. Dogs appeared in Russia in the 18th century, but did not gain popularity. Only in the 20th century did they begin to notice them and use them as service dogs for fetching prey and as companion dogs.

Varieties

Officially, the American Kennel Club distinguishes two types of beagles - English and American. The first type may be called differently in different sources. For example, French or European. The main visual difference is the size. The American brother is noticeably larger than his relative from Foggy Albion. Other differences between the two types are shown in the table.

Table - Comparative characteristics of English and American beagles

Unofficially, there is another type of breed - dwarf. In the 18th century, such beagles were carried on horses in special hanging bags. Offers to buy a dog with a height at the withers of less than 28 cm can still be found today. But be aware: height below standard may indicate the presence of a genetic disease in the puppy. The English Kennel Club believes that the breed under discussion does not have any internal division into subspecies.

Beagle character

• Friendly
• Decisive
• Excitable
• Mobile

• Vigorous
• good-natured
• Active
• Cheerful

In Australia, beagles are used to detect explosives.

What conditions make up a dog's character? It is widely believed that the character of a four-legged pet is determined at the genetic level. Also, many people close to cynology argue that character traits are nothing more than the consequences of training and daily upbringing of a puppy. The conditions under which the pet is kept also play an important role. You should not expect your pet to be sociable and friendly towards people if he has been shouted at since childhood, waved at with a leash, or with a newspaper.

Experienced dog breeders will certainly say that if you want to achieve mutual understanding with your own pet, then you must match in temperament and in some character traits. To correctly choose the breed that suits you, first study this issue theoretically: consider the exterior of the dogs you like, read the breed standard, pay attention to the description of the temperament and characteristics of the breed's behavior, ask questions to the real owners of the breed you are interested in. If, in theory, you are satisfied with the breed of your future pet, go to a nursery, or to people engaged in private breeding. A competent breeder who cares about his breed will readily respond to your requests for help in selecting a puppy. It is difficult to say with certainty what kind of character your chosen dog will grow up to be in such a short period of time. There are several simple tests with which you can choose a little friend with the qualities you need.

Beagle: breed features

• Suitable for keeping in private houses and apartments.
• Need active and long walks . Quite energetic, active and agile dogs that need regular exercise. Otherwise, he will chew through everything in the house.
• Family dogs . They get along well with all family members.
• They do not get along with other pets (especially cats). Due to the developed hunting instinct, they will perceive pets as prey.
• For experienced owners . Although dominant behavior is not typical of this breed, this is a serious working dog.
• Not security guards . This is not a guard dog breed and you should not expect this. They are very inquisitive and peaceful dogs.
• Playful . They can run around the table for hours and get along well with children.
• Poorly trained . Dogs are very difficult to train, but they are always happy for physical training.
• They wander around . If they catch any smell, they will be able to go far from the owner without looking back.
• Unpretentious in care.
• Early socialization.

Care and maintenance

Since the dog is not impressive in size, it can be kept both in a house and in an apartment without any problems. This is also due to the fact that their maintenance and nutrition does not require a special approach. It is very important that the animal moves as much as possible. Therefore, this dog is not for the lazy and not for homebodies, but for those who are ready to walk for a long time with their pet.

Care and hygiene

You will have to monitor the condition of your dog's eyes and ears every day. When returning from a walk, wipe the animal's paws with a damp towel.

It is enough to brush the animal 2 times a week, but during periods of shedding you will have to do this more often. In addition, dead undercoat is removed with a special brush.

Beagles bathe quite rarely, only in cases when the pet gets dirty in something sticky and smells terrible.

The eyes and ears are also cleaned as they become contaminated with dirt or natural secretions in excess.

As a rule, the claws of these animals wear down as the dog is active, but if this does not happen, then the claws are trimmed with a nail clipper.

Need to know! Beagles do not require special dental care, although they should be provided with special toys or treats that will help the dog get rid of plaque.

What to feed

These dogs always have a great appetite because they actively burn calories. As a rule, there are no problems in this regard. The most important thing is to decide what kind of food to give the animal: you can feed the dog with natural food, or you can feed it with high-quality ready-made food.

It should be remembered that natural food is not food from a person’s table. It must be prepared separately for the dog, observing the proportions of the food components, with a small amount of salt (under-salted).

The percentage of meat products should be at the level of 30 percent and no less for pets, and for working dogs this proportion should reach 50 percent.

The rest of the daily diet includes various cereals, vegetables, both raw and boiled, greens, as well as fermented milk products. Once a week, the dog can be pampered with a boiled egg, as well as fish, replacing meat with it, and there should be twice as much fish as meat in order to maintain the energy value of the diet.

Puppies up to 3 months of age need to be fed about 6 times a day, and at six months - no more than 4 times. When the animal reaches 1 year, the dog is fed no more than 2 times a day.

Need to know! Adult beagles are prone to gaining excess weight, so the daily diet is divided into a maximum of 3 parts.

Beagle breed