How to Care for a Beagle

There are several reasons why beagles areknown for, that fact will probably not ease the
consistently voted a top breed among dog lovers.irritation felt by your neighbors.  Beagles respond
Beagles are spirited and affectionate dogs who arewell to obedience training and will have no trouble
make great family pets. They do have some specificlearning basic commands when rewarded with praise.
needs though, so follow these steps to be sure youStep 5: Exercise your beagle daily. A beagle can be
are meeting your beagle’s needs.quite content in a small yard; due to their energetic
Step 1: Make sure you don’t leave your beaglenature they will get plenty of exercise even if given
home alone too often. Beagles suffer froma small space.  Play games in the yard or take him
separation anxiety when left to themselves for longon walks to better socialize him to other pets and
periods of time. Their generally docile nature will bepeople.
tested and your pup will begin to exhibit negative orStep 6: Feed your beagle one nutritious and delicious
destructive behaviors.meal a day. The breed has a tendency to gain weight
Step 2: Plan to play tracking games with your beagle.easily so be sure not to feed him table scraps or too
A beagle has a natural instinct to track and youmany treats.
should encourage that instinct by hiding items for himStep 7: Keep a close eye on this natural born hunter.
and allowing him to “hunt” for them. Pets other than canines could fall prey to your beagle
Step 3: Keep your beagle leashed and/or fenced at allif you don’t take the time to socialize him to
times. Their natural instinct to track also means thatother pets in the home that are not dogs.
beagles like to follow their nose.  If you aren’tIf you follow the steps above, you can be sure that
careful, your beagle might follow his nose to the nextyou will share your home with a healthy and happy
town over in no time at all!beagle. Your efforts to meet his needs will be
Step 4: Enroll your beagle in an obedience class torewarded with your beagle’s wagging tail and
tackle a behavior that is common in beagles; barkingendless loyalty.
and baying. Although it’s a trait that beagles are