Beagle
The Beagle is in between a small and a medium dog breed. It is grouped into scent hounds. Although it bares some similarities to the foxhound it is smaller. They were bred firstly to track game including hares and rabbits. The fantastic sense of smell that they have allows them to be also used as detection dogs (for identifying illegal drugs and produce). This breed is a popular pet due to their personalities. This breed can trace its ancestry for over 2000 years however this particular breed was refined in Great Britain at around the 1830s. It is a mixture of North Country Beagle, Southern Hound, Talbot Hound and potentially Harrier. The most famous beagle would probably have to be Snoopy. The name beagle may come from the French word begueule which means open throat, or from the Gaelic term beag meaning little. Both this breed and the Bloodhound have one of the best sense of smells of any breed of dog.
Appearance
As previously stated the beagle resembles the Foxhound breed, except smaller. The beagle breed tends to be between 33 to 41 cm high to the withers and weights between 8 and 18 kilos. As expected the females are slightly smaller. A key characteristic of this breed is their domed skull and square cut muzzle. The eyes are large. Beagles have a wide range of colours, the most common being a mixture of white brown and black.
Temperament
As would be expected of a breed which is so popular, Beagles tend to be mild mannered and gentle. This breed is intelligent, and is neither aggressive or shy. They love company, though are not so keen on strangers. This does mean that they do tend to make poor guard dogs. On the other hand if what you are looking for is a watch dog then this dog may be just what you need as they tend to make a big noise when confronted by the unknown. As is expected of a breed which is into hunting, they can be single minded and determined. These dogs tend to go well with children, they so much enjoy being part of the family, that when they are separated they can be quite upset. They do well with other dogs and pets. Beagles can be housed in apartments but then they need very regular access to the outdoors.
Grooming and care
These dogs are not overly demanding when it comes to exercise, however this breed is prone to get overweight if given half a chance. The beagles smooth coat is fairly simple to take care of. This breed does sheds as would be expected of this breed size, and it is important to regularly check the ears for signs of infection.
Health
Beagles tend to live between 10 and 13 years which is average for this dog size. Beagles are prone to epilepsy, hypothyroidism. Due to the nature of their long floppy ears they may be prone to ear infections. Beagles are also prone to reverse sneezing, this is not dangerous for the dog however it may be disturbing to an owner if they do not know about it. This is because it sounds like the dog is gasping for breath.