BEAGLE, a Smart Owners Guide
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Beagle / from the editors of Dog fancy magazine.
p. cm. (Smart owners guide)
Includes index and bibliography.
ISBN 978-1-59378-772-1
1. Beagle (Dog breed) I. Dog fancy (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) SF429.B3B43 2010 636.7537 dc22
2009040983
CHAPTER 1
THE REGAL BEAGLE
When most dog people think Beagle, they dont often think cunning, smart-as-a-fox and twice as naughty, but those big brown eyes and that innocent look can be deceptive. Beagles are laidback, affectionate and can even be a little aloof but dumb? No way. Still, most Beagle owners agree that the nose is the most intelligent part of their canine pals anatomy.
One of Belles favorite treats is Mc-Donalds Chicken McNuggets, but when we give her a nugget in the car, she buries it under the blanket on the backseat, says Sheila Pinkney of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, about her Beagle, Annabelle. One time, Belle stole a bun that was in a plastic bag and buried it in the couch. I threw it away, but she went and got it again and buried it in my bed. I found it and threw it away again. We did this four times before I finally took it outside and put it where she wouldnt be able to get it. Once, we found a slice of pizza in the couch, and another time, we found a Boston crme donut.
Though its not typical of a Beagle to refrain from gulping down a contraband treat before his owner even knows he has it. This wacky behavior is indicative of what makes the breed so charming; its unpredictability and determination. How else is that rabbit going to get caught? Read on to discover what life is really like with the loveable Beagle.
Over the years the Beagles size has increased, and they now sport the smooth coat we associate with the breed. In America, Beagles come in two distinct size categories, the 13-inch and the 15-inch, while in England they are allowed to be as tall as 16 inches.
Although it has been claimed that Beagles were bred down from Foxhounds, the opposite is true: The larger, quicker Foxhound that accompanied the gentry as they rode to hounds on their country estates evolved from a mixture of the Buck Hound and Beagle. Then, as now, the Beagle was the working mans dog, and farmers in England and Ireland continue to hunt with their Beagle packs today.
PUPPY POWER
A Beagles energy level generally changes as the dog ages. Beagle puppies are full of vigor, always ready for an exhausting romp. Teenage and adult Beagles have a lot of stamina; after all, theyre bred for hunting and chasing game. Older Beagles can fatigue easily, but thats true of nearly every breed.
Buster and Rocky have energy spurts where theyll play really hard, says Marnie Burge of Pittsburgh, Pa., of her two Beagle puppies. After about 10 minutes, theyre pooped. They sleep well through the night and have their play time before we leave for work. They like to wrestle and play keepaway. We give each puppy the exact same bone, but theyll fight over them just to play.
Ginny Butterfield, a Beagle owner from Cranberry Township, Pa., says her two Beagles are on opposite sides of energylevel extremes. George likes to eat and sleep, Butterfield says. We need to wake him up to go outside. GiGi, on the other hand, is always playing, romping and performing like a circus dog.
Beagles, like many other breeds, tend to take on the energy level of their household, according to Bruce Cornely, a writer from Gainesville, Fla. Im a quiet, homebody type, and my Beagles are like that as well, he says. Theyve always been house dogs and only enjoy being outside for short periods of time. Theyre content to be sacked out on the sofa or my bed. Theyre surprisingly adaptable.
DETERMINED DOGS
OK, the nose itself isnt stubborn, but its behind some of the Beagles seemingly stubborn behavior. Once a Beagle happens upon a scent, youll be hard-pressed to regain his interest in anything else.
My husband once chased [our Beagle] Shelley for five miles through the woods after she got on the scent of a deer, says Alice Moser of Shavertown, Pa. She screeched and howled the entire time, so it wasnt hard for him to follow her, but she would not come to him, no matter how many times he called her. She was focused solely on that scent. That was the last time she was let off the leash outside the confines of our fenced yard!
Be careful any time your Beagle is roaming freely. Not only do Beagles enjoy taking off after wild game, theyre bred to be followed by their human companions; in other words, running after the dog only fuels the chase.
I was working with Bosco on coming in a huge park, off leash, says Kim Caporale of Homewood, Ill., about her 2-year-old Beagle. He was doing great, when all of a sudden a flock of geese landed in the park. He took off so fast that I thought Id never see him again, but he eventually came back. Its extremely difficult to train Beagles outdoors when their main focus is sniffing for squirrels and rabbits.
Warning! Beagles can be addictive. If you have one, you might find yourself wanting more.
Meet other Beagle owners just like you. On our Beagle forums, you can chat about your Beagle and ask other owners for advice on training, health issues and anything else about your favorite dog breed. Log onto DogChannel.com/Club-Beagle for details!
Beagles are a breed built around a nose!
Most Beagle owners soon learn that their dogs not only cant be trusted off leash, but Beagles are also drawn to escaping the house or yard to track game. Chester is an escape artist; hell dart out the door at the first sign of another dog or a squirrel, says Marta Kane of Massapequa Park, N.Y. When their nose leads them on a hunting trail, its often difficult to divert their attention.
The nose also leads to thievery. A new Beagle owner soon learns to put food away quickly. If you have a sandwich in your hand and youre not paying attention, that sandwich will be gone, Pinkney says. Dont be persuaded by their sweet faces. I call [my Beagle] Belle the Queen of the Mile; if you give her an inch, shell take a mile.
TRAINING IS A MUST
You have to take a kind of Zen outlook on training a Beagle. If you want your Beagles attention, you have to be more exciting and more rewarding than the proverbial rabbit (or squirrel or sandwich, whatever the case).
