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Beagle
Perhaps the most famous
beagle of all is "Snoopy," the canine philosopher, from the
cartoon strip called Peanuts. The real-life dog is equally
loved; of the hounds, it is most popular as a companion
animal.
History:
The Beagle is credited as
coming from Great Britain, and the breed dates back to the
1600s. However, the breed may be considerably older and in
fact may have originated from Greece, where a small
Beagle-like hunting hound was used in 400 BC. A Beagle-like
dog was used in France as a courser for hares and brought to
England at the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066. Although
there seem to have been efforts to vary the size of the breed
from large to pocket-size over the years, now just two
distinct sizes have been settled on.
Physical
characteristics:
The Beagle is a symmetrical
and smoothly muscular dog. Height: 10 - 13 in (25.4 - 33 cm)
for the smaller Beagle, and 13 - 15 in (33 - 38 cm) for the
larger. The weight is not specified but should be
proportionate to the height. The broad head is large and
dome-shaped with a narrow muzzle. The large round eyes may be
either deep-set or prominent and are very meaningful, with an
alert but soulful expression.
The
long flat ears hang down and forwards over a strong neck. The
body has a low chest with a straight back supported by
straight legs. The tail is of medium-length and carried high.
The coat is short and dense and may be any of the hound
colors, except liver, which is generally excluded from the
show ring.
Behavior:
This medium to small dog is an
excellent tracker of small game and loves to run all day. It
has been bred to hunt as a pack animal and so is very sociable
with members of its own pack. Like many dogs, the Beagle has a
definite sense of who's the boss, and care should be taken not
to undermine the social hierarchy if several dogs are kept
together. Although originally bred as a hunter, the Beagle has
a gentle nature in most circumstances.
Given
the right training, the Beagle will make an excellent
watch-dog. It also has a wonderfully melodious bark. Beagles
make excellent family pets and are very sociable with people.
As they are slow to anger and a medium size, they are
excellent playmates for children. They are big enough not to
suffer the many indignities from enthusiastic children, and
small enough not to bowl them over during vigorous play.
As
they are a uniform size and generally have a placid nature,
Beagles have been used as laboratory animals. Traditionally,
they have been used as circus dogs because they can be taught
many tricks. Nowadays their other characteristics have been
recognized and put to really good use. Beagles are frequently
used as modern-day specialist working dogs.
In
some countries, government agencies such as Quarantine
services use them for the detection of contraband foodstuffs,
while commercial enterprises use them for the detection of
termites in buildings, and even for leaks in gas and oil
pipelines. Beagles are easy-care dogs and if housed outside,
only require a simple kennel.
They
will thrive on lots of exercise but will happily settle for
moderate exercise with lots of mental stimulation. The
Beagle's coat is easy to care for by regular brushing but they
should not be washed too frequently. Owners of Beagles living
indoors may choose to "dry clean" them by rubbing powder into
the coat and then giving it a good brushing.
They require about 1.25 lb
(0.5 kg) of food a day, depending on their age and activity.
They have few common ailments but their ears should be given
careful attention and cleaned regularly. When they are used as
working dogs, their feet must be checked regularly for any
injuries. The Beagle is a superb dog.
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