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"Small Dog Breed Catalog"
Small Dog Breed Catalog: Page 5
of 56
Beagle Dog Breed
The Beagle is a sturdy and attractive dog with a full blast of energy.
Originally bred to track fox, this breed has a great sense of smell
and like other scent hounds, will likely to ignore you and everything
else when hot on a scent trail. For this reason, extra care must be
taken to make sure that he does not wander off. He is a happy dog
that loves children and gets along well with other pets. The breed
standard describes this dog as 'A merry hound whose essential function
is to hunt, primarily hare, by following a scent - bold with great
activity, stamina, and determination - alert, intelligent, and of even
temperament - a sturdy and compactly-built hound, conveying the
impression of quality without coarseness.'
Although this breed is affectionate and intelligent, he requires
patients and persistent training from the first day of training
because of its stubborn nature in which he is easily distracted. It
is very rare to find scent hounds, including the Beagle, in the
obedience ring because their nose often overrules their brain. Also
similar to other scent hounds, the Beagle was bred to bark, bay, and
howl to alert the hunter to his location during the hunt. He may run
away and is not likely to come when called so you may need a secure
fence that he cannot get under or over. Always keep him on leash
whenever you take him out, otherwise he may take off the second hi
picks up a scent.
Size: Beagles are among the smaller scent hounds which com in 2
varieties, the first stands about 13in at the shoulder and the other
is more than 13 but not exceeding 15in. He weighs between 18-30lb.
History and origin: This breed is one of the smallest of the hounds.
He is an ancient breed that has been a great companion to sportsmen
for hundreds of years. The Beagle was first mentioned by name in
writings published in 1475. They were used to hunt in packs for hare
and were first imported into the United States for this purpose. They
have hunted many different quarries in different climates including
jackal, wild pig, and deer. In the United States and Canada, they are
used as gun-dogs to seek out and retrieve game and to hunt by scent
in competitive Field Trials.
Feeding: Because this breed is likely to put on weight, 1-2 meals per
day are sufficient for an adult Beagle with no tidbits. Recommended
amount of feeding is 1-1 ' cans (13.3oz size) of meat diet with added
biscuits in equal amount or 3 cupfuls of a complete dry food.
Exercise: Daily exercise such as walks and occasional runs is
required for this breed.
Grooming: Their shedding coat is tough, weatherproof, and requires
very low maintenance grooming.
Copyright 2006 by Jay Jennings. All rights reserved.
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