Beagle Dog Breed
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[ A tri-color Beagle. ]A Beagle is a medium-sized dog breed and a member of the hound group, similar in appearance to a Foxhound but smaller with shorter legs, and with longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds used primarily for hunting rabbits to larger hares.
Appearance
The Beagle has a somewhat oval skull; a medium-length, square-cut
muzzle; large, hound-like hazel or brown eyes; long, low-set ears (big),
turning towards the cheeks slightly and rounded at the tips; a
medium-length, strong neck without folds in the skin; a broad chest
narrowing to a tapered abdomen and waist; a short, slightly curved tail;
an overall muscular body; and a medium-length, smooth, hard coat. One
standard calls for ideally shaped beagles to be twice as long as tall,
and twice as tall as wide.
They appear in a range of colors, not limited to the familiar tricolor
(white with large black and light brown spots). Two-color varieties are
always white with colored areas, including such colors as "lemon", a
very light tan; "red", a reddish, almost orangish brown; "liver", a
darker brown, is the only colour not allowed.
"Ticked" varieties may be either white or black with different colored
spots ("ticking"), such as the bluetick beagle, which has spots that
appear to be a midnight-blue color, similar to the bluetick coonhound.
Some tricolor beagles also have ticking of various colors in their white
areas. The brown is usually the last color to appear on beagles, usually
taking 1-2 years to fully develop. Beagles have a white-tipped tail, or
"flag", which is important in locating them in the field due to their
short height.
Breed varieties
The American Kennel Club and the Canadian Kennel Club recognize two
separate varieties of Beagle: the 13-inch for hounds less than 13
inches, and the 15-inch for those between 13 and 15 inches. The Kennel
Club (UK) and FCI affiliated clubs recognize a single type, with a
height of between 13 and 16 inches.
In Medieval times, there was a breed called a "pocket beagle", which
stood at 8–9 inches. This breed no longer exists, and many claims by
some breeders to have pocket beagles for sale usually indicate poor
breeding practices.
[ The Beagle has a very well-developed sense of smell. ]
Temperament
The Beagle has a very good temper and gentle disposition. Beagles are
intelligent, but are stubborn and may be hard to train (due to their
strong will). They are an especially loyal breed and are very friendly.
They rarely show signs of aggression, and are excellent with children.
Beagles also get along with other dogs, provided that they have been
socialized correctly.
They are playful and energetic dogs who enjoy long walks. Being scent
hounds, if released, they may follow a scent endlessly or will
incessantly try to tag along with other dogs regardless of cars,
strangers, etc. Because of this, many humane societies and pounds often
pick up stray beagles. They must never be let off leash unless in a
confined area such as a fenced back yard.
Beagles are pack animals, and can be prone to separation anxiety.
Beagles are best in pairs if they are going to be alone for long periods
of time.
Health, History of and Famous Beagle
Dogs
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Beagle".
