9781422279281

Beagle

Beagle Boxer Bulldog Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Chihuahua Cocker Spaniel Dachshund French Bulldog

German Shepherd Golden Retriever Labrador Retriever Miniature Schnauzer Poodle Pug Rottweiler Siberian Husky Shih Tzu Yorkshire Terrier

By Diana Porter Beagle

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, PA 19008 www.masoncrest.com © 2018 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America. Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-3848-6 Hardback ISBN: 978-1-4222-3849-3 EBook ISBN: 978-1-4222-7928-1 First printing 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Cover photograph by Szabolcs Steiber/Dreamstime.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher.

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Contents

1 Introducing the Beagle. ...................................... 6 2 What Should a Beagle Look Like?. ................... 16 3 What Do You Want From Your Beagle?............. 24 4 Finding Your Puppy. ......................................... 36 5 Getting Ready.................................................... 44 6 Caring for Your Beagle. ..................................... 72 7 Training Your Beagle........................................ 82 8 Keeping Your Beagle Busy...............................100 9 Beagle Health Care. .........................................106 Find Out More.......................................................................... 126 Series Glossary of Key Terms................................................. 127 Index. ...................................................................................... 128

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Chapter 1 Introducing the Beagle S mart, jaunty, and bright as a button, the Beagle is the per- fect family companion. Bred as a pack hound to track hares and rabbits, he has a formidable sense of smell and where his nose leads, he will follow . . . . Physical characteristics The Beagle is a medium-size scenthound (a hound who hunts by following a scent trail) with a sturdy, compact body. He is built en- tirely without exaggeration. When hunting hares, he needed to keep going at a gallop for miles, so he is an active, athletic dog with loads of stamina. He should look like a small version of a Foxhound. His head is powerful without being coarse, with a domed skull and a square-cut muzzle. The ears are long, providing a perfect frame for his face. As you would expect in a scenthound, the nose is large, with well-

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developed nostrils. But the eyes are the outstanding feature in a Beagle’s face. They are large, and may be dark brown or hazel, de- pending on coat color. The amiable, heartwarming expression that comes from the eyes sums up the Beagle’s temperament. Another Beagle feature is the tail. This is high-set and carried up, so dogs could be seen when tracking in long grass. Easygoing movement is key for a scenthound who needs to cover long dis- tances with his nose to the ground. Typically, a Beagle moves with long-reaching strides, with the drive coming from the hindquarters. If you like to have lots of choices in the color of your dog, the Bea- gle is the breed for you! There are 22 color combinations to choose from, encompassing all the hound colors. Temperament The Beagle is a dream dog to live with: easygoing, sociable, and affectionate. Breeders use a number of adjectives to describe his characteristics, and these are worth looking at in more detail. Merry: This is a lovely

term, and it fully sums up the Beagle’s hap- py-go-lucky approach to life.

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Bold: The Beagle was bred to work on his own initiative, and he carries this through to domestic life. He is never afraid to make decisions—even when they may not comply with your wishes. Alert: Life is full of interest for the inquisitive Beagle, and he will be more than ready to investigate every new sight, sound, and scent he comes across. Intelligent: The Beagle is a clever dog and is adept at learning new skills. He is also something of a problem-solver, which he may well use to his own ends—particularly if it involves getting hold of food. Even-tempered: This may sound bland, but it is an outstanding quality in a companion dog. Every day is a good day for a Beagle, and he generally finds life pleasing and problem-free. Amiable: The Beagle is a mild-mannered, sweet-tempered dog, and this makes him an absolute pleasure to live with. The ideal home The Beagle is an adaptable breed and will thrive in most house- holds. He is a loving and affectionate dog, and will enjoy being in- cluded in family activities. He will be happy living in the town or in the country, in a mansion or in an apartment, as long as he gets sufficient exercise. It is important to remember that the Beagle is governed by his sense of smell—and this can lead him astray. Your Beagle needs the opportunity to exercise, but he needs safe, enclosed areas if he is to be let off the leash. He is a determined character, and no matter how good your recall is at home, he cannot be trusted in the great out- doors. There may be exceptions to this rule, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. As a pack hound, the Beagle is highly sociable and will be de- lighted if you add to your canine population—particularly if it is a like-minded Beagle. However, if you prefer to have just one dog, a

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Beagle will not object to being the center of attention. One of the legacies of being a pack hound is the Beagle’s vocal range. Pack dogs frequently “give tongue” when they are in pursuit of quarry, and the Beagle does like the sound of his own voice. If you want a quiet dog, the Beagle is not for you. Bear in mind that you have a clever dog on your hands, so pro- viding mental stimulation is essential. If you can combine this with a comfortable bed, plentiful food, and the opportunity to use his nose, your Beagle will be in heaven! Tracing back in time The Beagle has a long and distinguished history as a hunting dog, prized for his stamina, his determination, and his amazing ability to follow a scent. The origins of the Beagle are obscure, but it is thought that the first hounds used for hunting small game were found in southern Europe, probably in Greece. There is written evidence from the Greek author Xenophon, who was born around 433 BCE. He lived in Corinth, and when he retired from military duties he kept a pack of hounds—and knew every hound by name. The quarry was hare or rabbit. Beaters would go forward, flush- ing out the game, followed by the hounds who drove the game to- ward nets. The hunters were on foot rather than horseback. Reaching Britain The Romans were quick to find a use for the packs of hunting dogs they found in Europe. They were an easy means of providing hares and rabbits to feed their legions of soldiers. When the Romans expanded their empire to Britain, they took packs of small hounds with them. The name Beagle seems to be of Celtic origin, and comes from beg or beag, meaning small—referring to the size of some of the Celtic hunting hounds at the time of the Roman occupation.In time, they were joined by larger hounds from Normandy, and for the next

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few centuries hunting larger game, such as deer and boar, on horse- back proved more popular than hunting small game on foot. However, the smaller hounds survived, and in the 14th century there is reference to “small houndes” belonging to the Prioress in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales . In Tudor times, Elizabeth I had a pack of “singing Beagles,” so-called for their vocalization when hunting. The dogs were said to be small enough to fit inside a lady’s gauntlet. Establishing a type By the turn of the 19th century, there was a variety of Beagle-type hounds that were used for hunting. There were Southern Beagles, Northern Beagles, and Cotswold Beagles. Some were wirehaired and some were smooth-haired. There was also much interbreeding between Harriers and other hounds; the Kerry Hound from Ireland may have been added to the mix. This black and tan dog, resembling a miniature Bloodhound, is thought to have contributed to the Bea- gle’s scenting ability.

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American links Beagles first arrived in the USA around 1640. At this time, they looked very different from the Beagle we know today. There are re- ports of hounds that looked more like Dachshunds, although they had straight legs. The Beagle was particularly popular in the Southern states, but the Civil War (1861–1865) put a stop to all hunting activities. When the war ended, breeders once again turned to Britain to import new stock that could revive the breed. General Richard Rowett from Illinois imported some dogs from Britain around 1870 and began breeding. Rowett’s Beagles are be- lieved to be the models for the first American standard. Addition- al imports by Captain Assheton and James Kernochan brought the breed to its current look of a “miniature English Foxhound.” These early day

Beagles were excelled in both hunting and the show ring. In 1885, Blunder be-

came the first Beagle to be registered in the American Kennel Club’s stud book. In 1888 the National Beagle Club was found- ed. A breed standard was drawn up, and it has not changed much since. American breed enthusiasts agreed that there should be two siz- es of Beagle—thinking it unfair to run smaller Beagles against

larger ones in the field— and to this day the two size varieties are shown in separate classes.

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The modern Beagle As the 20th century progressed, hunting activities started to de- cline and packs of hounds were disbanded. Today the sport is kept alive in the form of competitive field trials. There is also something of a divide between the working Beagle and those that are bred for the show ring. The show Beagle lines (from which most pet Beagles come), is likely to be heavier in build, with longer, low-set ears, and a more square-cut muzzle. However, it is important that the Beagle remains fit for the function he was bred to, as this ensures that he is built on athletic lines and remains true to his original purpose. Today, the association has registered 62 packs of Beagles that hunt in the U.K. and four packs that hunt overseas. At one time, many famous private schools and universities had a pack of hunting Beagles. Now, only Eton, Radley, and Stowe prep schools have packs; at Oxford University there’s also the Christ Church and Farley Hill Beagles. At Cambridge Uni- versity, there are the Trinity Foot and South Herts Beagles, and the Royal Agricultural College has a Beagle pack. Beagle Packs In the 17th and early 18th centuries in Britain, hunting Beagles were kept in large packs by wealthy sport hunters. But by the middle of the 18th century, hare hunting with Beagles as an aristocratic sport was replaced by fox hunting with English Foxhounds. Hare hunting with packs of Beagles continued to be popular with the farmers and small landholders of the southern counties of England, as well as Wales and Ireland, so the breed flourished. But by 1887, there were only 18 Beagle packs left in the U.K. The Beagle Club was formed in 1890, and the following year the As- sociation of Masters of Harriers and Beagles was formed. The association registered 107 packs of Harriers and 40 packs of Beagles. Both organiza- tions aimed to further the best interests of the breed, and both wanted to produce one standard type of Beagle.

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