Are you considering adding a Beagle to your home? Have you recently adopted a Beagle and you’re unsure about how to properly care for it?
While Beagles are known for their curious and friendly personalities, there are some challenges you may face.
Bred to be hunting dogs they have a seemingly endless supply of energy and stamina. Beagles that are left home alone all day without exercise can be vocal or destructive.
Here are a few important factors to consider when caring for a Beagle.
Exercise for a Beagle
Naturally active and energetic, Beagles need to be given daily exercise. Failure to do this will leave you with a difficult-to-manage dog.
This includes at least 1 hour of walking, hiking, playing fetch, or some other high-energy activity.
If you work long hours, a dog walker or doggy daycare will be necessary.
Be careful when trusting your Beagle outdoors in an enclosed area. They are scent hounds, meaning that they are bred to follow animal scents.
This combined with the fact that they are talented escape artists can lead to trouble!
Unless you are 100% confident that your Beagle is unable to dig under or climb over a secure fence, it’s safer to stick to on-leash activities.
Feeding a Beagle
Beagles are prone to weight gain and obesity, so it’s important to pay careful attention to what you are feeding and how much.
This includes not only his regular diet but also any treats he is getting between meals.
Choose a high-quality commercial diet or work with a pet nutritionist to create a home-cooked meal plan that will account for all his needs.
If you do notice that your Beagle is gaining weight, try cutting back on the amount each meal. Or, if he does eat a lot of treats and snacks, cut them out to help keep his weight under control.
Always make sure that your Beagle has access to fresh, clean water.
Beagle Grooming
While Beagles are considered to be moderate shedders, this doesn’t mean you can forgo regular grooming. They will need to be brushed at least once a week to remove loose hair.
In the spring shedding season, you may need to brush him more often to stay ahead of the loss of his heavy winter coat.
Unless your Beagle gets into something (which is likely going to happen at one time or another with this curious breed), they don’t need to be bathed often.
Their long ears are prone to infections and irritation and will need to be cleaned regularly with a dog-safe ear cleaner. You can pick up a product from your local pet store or talk to your veterinarian.
Finally, make sure to trim your Beagle’s nails and brush his teeth regularly to prevent problems.
Training a Beagle
While Beagles are loyal and eager to please their person, they are also very stubborn. Make sure to go into any training session with a lot of patience.
They respond best to positive reinforcement training. The use of harsh training techniques will often trigger retaliation.
Consistency and hard work will, ultimately, get the results that you are hoping to achieve!
