This is a happy, easy-going dog who is full of life and fun to be around. Beagles are good natured and, as they were bred to be pack animals, will get along with most other dogs. They love children but need to be exposed to cats at an early age in order to develop good relationships with them and may never be safe with strange cats or small furries. The Beagle is a good watchdog, barking at anything unusual, although once the burglar is indoors, the Beagle may prefer a game with him! The Beagle suits an owner or family who want an active, affectionate, cheerful dog who loves getting involved in games and activities but who are able to cope with their selective attitude to obedience and lack of reliable recall.

Around the mid-16th century, hounds began to be classified according to their purpose, i.e. sight hounds, scent hounds, etc. Around this time a small hound, bred to kill rabbit and hare, was assigned the name 'Begles', a French term meaning 'gape throat.' This referred to the animals' tendency to 'tongue', i.e. bay as a pack. The anglicised version where these dogs have their origins of course, is 'Beagle'. The breed owes its ancestry to the Foxhound, the Harrier and a small bloodhound known as a 'Kerry Beagle.'

Your dog's diet needs to have the right balance of all the main nutrient groups including a constant supply of fresh water. It's important to conduct regular body condition scores to ensure you keep your dog in ideal shape and remember to feed him at least twice daily and in accordance with the feeding guidelines of his particular food.

The Beagle needs a great deal of exercise – around two hours a day. For many Beagles, this will be on-lead and because of his strong hunting instinct, he should not be let off-lead until owners are confident he will return when called, or else (and more likely!) only in a safe enclosed area. One of the best ways to keep your Beagle happy and well-exercised is to play scenting games and give him a chance to use his exceptional nose.

Health and common issues

Beagles are generally a robust and healthy breed. However as with many breeds, they can suffer from hip dysplasia (a condition that can lead to mobility problems). Hip scoring of dogs prior to breeding is therefore important. Epilepsy and a type of meningitis (Beagle pain syndrome) also occur more frequently in this breed.

Space requirements

Like most hounds, Beagles are happiest in the countryside as they love the scents and open spaces of the great outdoors - and need a lot of exercise. A medium house with a decent sized, well-fenced garden is a must - with lots of close-by walks. They enjoy living with other Beagles too - which increases the space you will need!

Training beagles

Beagles are a challenge to train because of their natural scenthound instincts. Scenthounds were developed to find a trail and then to follow it to the exclusion of everything else and not be distracted no matter what might happen. This means that your Beagle is likely to tune you out totally if his mind is occupied with an interesting sniff! This isn’t him being ‘disobedient’, it is him doing what he was bred for. Recall is a real challenge for Beagles - and while you should spend as much time as possible teaching your Beagle to come back when you call him, it’s wise not to rely on that! He is an escape artist too so good fencing in vital. What a Beagle can do is sniff - and so find a reward-based training class who can teach you how to play scent games and exercises with your dog as this will improve the bond between you and give you both something you can excel at.

Best family dog breeds

Happy and friendly, but still solid and robust the Beagle makes a great family dog. He is gentle enough not to frighten smaller children and active enough to join in games and family activities. Just watch out for children leaving doors and gates open as the Beagle is an expert escape artist! While many dogs are traditionally thought of as being good with children , all dogs and children need to be taught to get on with and respect each other, and be safe together. Even so, dogs and young children should never be left alone together and adults should supervise all interactions between them.

Did you know?

The Beagle is one of the healthiest of pedigree dog breeds, and this coupled with his good nature has not always been good for him, as it has sadly led to the breed being widely used in vivisection and animal experiments. As the Beagle is such a manageable size, and has such an incredible nose, he has found work around the world as a drugs and food sniffer dog in many airports. He is extremely successful in this work – and his appealing look means he doesn’t frighten the passengers. The most famous Beagle of all is Snoopy – who, while he may not look like a Beagle, has made the breed very popular.