Beagle

Beagle History

Scent hounds, originally bred for hunting rabbits and other small game, an activity named ‘Beagling’.

The first beagles date back to the 1500’s. The modern day beagles were developed in England around 1830 and exported to the US around 1840.

Due to their even temper and outstanding sense of smell among other things they are used for a variety of tasks including ;

Hunting, pet therapy, detection of drugs and other contraband, termite detection, animal testing and media.

The world’s most famous beagle is Snoopy of the comic strip Peanuts.

Cheerful, gentle and playful dogs, that are not only beautiful but are also excellent with children and other animals.

Most commonly tricolour, a mixture of white, black and brown, but can be found in any hound colour.

They have the best developed sense of smell of any dog.

These dogs love company and prefer to be in packs, if they are left alone too often they may develop separation anxiety.

For the most part, the beagle is a healthy dog with an average lifespan of 10 -13 years.

Common Illnesses include;

Epilepsy – Recurrent seizures.
Hypothyroidism – Underactive thyroid gland causing obesity, lethargy, ear infections and skin problems.
Dwarfism – Deficiency in growth hormone causing stunted growth.
Hip Dysplasia – Abnormal formation of the hip joints causing early onset degenerative joint disease.
Intervertebral Disc Disease – Compression of the spinal cord causing pain or weakness to paralysis.
Immune mediated Polygenic Arthritis – The immune system attacks the joints causing lameness and fever.
Ear Infections – Their conformation i.e. long ears doesn’t allow adequate airflow in the inner ear and predisposes them to infection.
Funny Puppy – Poor development results in weak legs, a crooked back, and they are prone to range of illnesses.