Beagle

Introduction

The Beagle is perhaps one of the most recognisable dog breeds out there and that’s largely down to their popularity, history and personality.

They’re a happy, optimistic and loving bundle of energy with a lot of time for their family whether that’s humans, dogs or even cats.

They’re one of the most gifted dog breeds when it comes to their nose. An interesting fact is that they have an astonishing 220 million scent receptors. Compare that to a human’s measly 5 million and you can see why they’re one of the most popular hunting dogs and are also used for more modern practices like sniffer and rescue dogs.

Their incredible sense of smell, among other attributes, has served them well through their history and is one of the reasons they've been able to stick around when so many other old breeds have been lost.

Being such an old breed, the Beagle’s history is a little cloudy. They've been a popular choice for some of the biggest names throughout England’s history including William the Conqueror who reportedly introduced the now extinct Talbot Hounds to England. These hounds are believed to be the direct ancestors of both the Beagle and the Foxhound.

Through the centuries there have been multiple varieties of the Beagle which mostly differ in size. Included in those varieties are the Pocket Beagle which was only 9 inches tall and Queen Elizabeth I even had her very own pack. Their use, like all Beagles, was for hunting however their small size meant they weren’t the fastest of breeds, so they fell out of favour for larger, faster scent hounds.

Other small variations include the Glove Beagle which was so called because they were small enough to fit in a gloved hand.

The rise in popularity of fox hunting almost meant the end of the Beagle as they were largely replaced by the larger Foxhound. Thankfully, others kept the breed going to use them mostly for rabbit hunting.

The direct ancestors of the modern day Beagle can be dated back to a 19th century pack of scent hounds that were established by Reverend Phillip Honeywood. The Reverend bred them for their prestigious hunting abilities, not their looks, whilst another Englishman called Thomas Johnson is credited with breeding them to be attractive without losing any of their hunting skills.

Ideal owner / home

Apartment

House

Children

Pets

Beagle are pack dogs, often living in groups of several dozen if they’re part of a hunting pack. This, along with their affectionate nature and love towards their humans, means they don’t respond well to being left alone. If you're required to leave the house regularly for work or other reasons, you should consider a different breed or find a way to ensure they’re not alone in the day. One way you could do this is to extend your family further with another dog or cat to keep them company.

Their small size and temperament mean they can live in an apartment so long as they still get the exercise requirements they need. Those who live in apartments will want to seriously consider their neighbours before committing to a Beagle. Their loud howling could be enough to upset even the friendliest of neighbours, so you will need to do your best to train it out of them.

If you’re not looking for an active pet, then a Beagle isn’t for you. They require an owner who can commit to at least 1 to 2 hours walking a day, usually split into at least 2 walks. This exercise requirement doesn’t lessen during winter, so you must be willing to continue these walks even on cold, wet days. If they don’t get this exercise then they can quickly become overweight and bored which will lead to negative, destructive behaviour.

If the weather really is to bad to go for your regular walk, you can still stimulate them both mentally and physically in your house. For tips on how to do this, please read our 8 ways to exercise your pet indoors blog.

Any potential Beagle owner needs to be patient, understanding and consistent if they want to have a well-trained dog. Whilst Beagles are intelligent, they are also notoriously stubborn and independent so training can be difficult, buy you'll prevail if you use the right techniques and are patient and consistent.

Those who have gardens will need to thoroughly escape proof the perimeter. If your Beagle catches an interesting scent, then you can guarantee they'll find any weakness in the garden fence and will be gone before you know it. Unfortunately, when they’re after a scent, they can be incredibly difficult to recall, so it’s best to ensure they never have the capability to escape.

They’re a rather mouthy breed which means they'll often put their whole mouth around people’s arms, hands, feet etc. It’s not an action that 's intended to cause harm which you'll realise as they apply hardly any pressure from their jaw, but it can be distressing for young children if they’re not warned or aren’t particularly fond of dogs.

There are multiple ways you can help reduce mouthy behaviour including distracting them or teaching them a different, less intrusive way of welcoming guests. If you have young children, you should teach them to be wary of your dog’s mouthy tendencies to reduce the risk of an accident.

Health

One of the biggest factors that affects a Beagle’s health is the ease at which they become overweight. Given the chance, they'll eat and eat and eat until they simply cannot fit any more food in and then they’ll eat some more.

As their owner, it’s important that you monitor their food intake and are very careful to not overfeed them with treats. You must also ensure you keep their exercise levels up even though they may look like they’d love nothing more than to lie in their bed all day.