Character of the beagle
The Beagle is a happy, balanced and active dog. He is social and affectionate, but also stubborn, persistent and independent. He loves to sniff and outside he prefers to follow his nose. In addition, he loves food. Beagles are calm in the house if they get enough activity outside. Outside they are sporty and energetic. As a puppy and young dog, they can be very lively and jumpy and try to force your attention.
They are usually friendly towards strangers. They usually get on well with other dogs as they were bred to work in packs. Males can sometimes show dominant behavior towards other dogs.
The beagle is a real hunting dog. He needs to be well socialized with cats and small pets, and even then it's not wise to leave animals like rabbits alone with him. Small game or birds arouse his hunting passion and he will want to go after it.
Dealing
Beagles are generally good with children and enjoy playing with them. However, make sure that your children do not make the puppy even more busy than it naturally is and make sure that the dog gets enough rest. Never leave children and dogs alone.
Being alone is very difficult for the beagle. He was bred to always be in packs or with his owner. When he feels alone, he will howl and bark loudly and he can keep that up for a long time. He can also break down. If you build it up carefully, the beagle can learn to be alone for a while, but not for hours. Together with another dog it usually goes better, provided he also gets enough exercise and activities to make him tired. The beagle barks as soon as he notices 'trouble', but will not do anything else and is therefore not a real watchdog.
History
The beagle originates from England and was used there to hunt small game such as hares and rabbits. They hunted with packs of at least twenty dogs, followed by the hunters. The dogs had to independently search for game using their noses, and then chase the animal with a loud bark. Within a pack there were several tasks: a leader, a number of dogs that ran on the flanks and a group of followers, often more inexperienced dogs. This method of hunting is called beagling. Beagles are also used individually for hunting.
Appearance
The Beagle is a compact, sturdy but not coarsely built dog. His back is straight and strong, his chest deep to just below the elbows. Its tail is set high, firm and not too long. It is carried high, but not curled over the back. The legs are sturdy and straight.
The head is quite long, strong but not coarse and without wrinkles. The stop (transition between skull and muzzle) is clearly visible, the skull and muzzle are about the same length. The nose is broad with wide nostrils. The ears are set low and so long that they can be laid almost to the tip of the nose. They are rounded and hang down from the head. The eyes are quite large.
The beagle's coat is short, dense and weather resistant. All recognized beagle colors are allowed, such as red, wheaten, sand, black and tan, blue, or solid gray, except liver. However, tricolor animals with black, red and white are most common. The tip of the tail must always be white.
The eyes are dark brown or hazel, the nose preferably black, although it can also be a bit lighter in light-colored dogs.
The shoulder height of the beagle is 33 to 41 centimeters, the weight is between 10 and 18 kilos.
In the Netherlands, the beagle has mainly become a family dog. The beagle is also popular in many other countries, as a hunting dog, family dog or working dog. For example, beagles with their sharp noses are successfully used as tracking dogs by customs, for example at airports. In addition, beagles are often used as laboratory animals. The breed is classified in breed group 6, 'Running dogs and sweat dogs'. These are also referred to as 'brackets'. The beagle lives on average about 13 years old.