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The Beagle is small hound-dog that's both an avid, capable hunter and pet. With a small foxhound appearance and large, sympathetic eyes, the beagle is a favored and long endeared friend.
HISTORY
The breed of beagles have been in existence for some time, though their exact origins are only vaguely documented. Beagle-type animals are documented in early history, and date back to 400 B.C. Greece, though little is known of them. The Romans were also thought to have brought small rabbit hunting hounds with them to England, where they were bred with local hounds native to Great Britain.
Named because they were small enough to "fit on a glove," beagles became a popular hunting dog in England, and a well regarded member of British monarchy in the 1300 and 1400s. Edward II and Henry VII both kept hunting packs of beagles, as did Elizabeth I.
First introduced to the United States in the 1876, the beagle was imported from Great Britain and became known as the American Beagle. The American Kennel Club (AKC) accepted the beagle as a distinct breed in 1884 with two size classifications within the breed itself.
AKC SIZE CLASSIFICATIONS
The AKC recognizes two standards of beagle breeds. The 13-inch beagle stands at 13-inches or less and weights 18-pounds. The larger beagle is 15-inches or less in size, and weights about 30-pounds. They both have the same distinct markings, physical qualities and personality.
APPEARANCE
The beagle typically has a long skull, which is slightly domed. Ears are set low, droop, and are moderately long. Large, well set, soft hazel eyes give this dog a tender, loving appearance. The beagle's body is heavy for its size, carrying muscular hips, thighs, shoulders and a short, curved tail. The muzzle is straight and square-cut, giving the beagle a miniature foxhound look. The beagle's coat is a hard, smooth hound coat of medium length, and is usually white with black and tan coloring, though other AKC disqualified colors exist within the breed.
HUNTER
The beagle has been used for ages to hunt down small game such as rabbits, squirrels and the like. The beagle hunts by scent, and is one of the most popular hunting dogs in the United States today. Known for their vast intelligence and quick thinking, the beagle is considered far superior to some of the larger hunting breeds.
TEMPERAMENT
The beagle is an alert dog, eager to play, learn and hunt. It's rare for the beagle to show aggression or timidness. Beagles are intelligent, quick dogs, but bore easily. Known for being intuitive problem solvers, it can be difficult to keep a beagle's attention. For this reason, the beagle can be bit more challenging to train than other breeds, and has a difficult time filling his time when left alone for extended periods.
BEAGLES AS PETS
Beagles generally adore children and are happy to play for hours, if properly socialized early on. Beagles do tend to play with their mouths and chew on things, though they almost never bite. The beagle uses its mouth to grab things. It is never done in anger or fear.
Despite the short coat, beagles do shed, though not in great amounts. The beagle sheds its winter coat during early spring months. To help loosen and remove dead hair from the coat, it's recommended that the beagle be brushed weekly with a medium bristled brush or hound glove.
The beagle is not a yappy, barky dog and for this reason, they are considered a quiet breed. Most adult dogs will bark or growl at the appearance of stranger in their territory or if left alone for long periods of time, but are more likely to play with the stranger, than attack or continue barking. Due largely in part to their hunting genes, the beagle has an infamous howl, which can be triggered by loud noises, other animals and boredom.
Because they were originally bred as a pack animal, beagles get along well with other animals and are seldom aggressive.
Keep a beagle occupied and stimulated, and he makes an excellent, faithful pet that happily interacts with the entire family. Beagles require a generous amount of regular exercise including both walking and running.
HEALTH CONCERNS
EAR INFECTIONS are a common problem with the long eared beagle. Ears should be checked regularly for signs of infection or wax build up. Drying and cleaning solutions work well to curb this problem.
CHERRY EYE, a swelling of the gland of the third eyelid is a common, hereditary disorder in this breed. Other inherited eye disorders include Glaucoma, Cataracts, Retinal Dysplasia and Progressive Retinal Atrophy.
EPILEPSY is another common, hereditary concern in beagles.
HYPOTHYROIDISM is well known in the beagle breed, and can cause dysfunction of the thyroid gland, weight gain, poor hair coat and reproductive difficulty.
KIDNEY FAILURE and BLADDER CANCER are also inherited disorders prevalent in beagles.
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