Beagle

Beagles are easy-care dogs who don’t need a lot of fancy grooming. A good going-over with a hound mitt once or twice a week removes dead hairs and helps keep them from migrating to clothing and furniture. And that’s the bad news: Beagles shed year-round. The good news: unless your Beagle rolls in something stinky, which is a strong possibility, he shouldn’t need a bath more than three or four times a year.

Keep your Beagle’s droopy ears clean with a solution recommended by your veterinarian. Don’t use cotton swabs inside the ear; they can push gunk further down into it. Wipe out the ear with a cotton ball, never going deeper than the first knuckle of your finger.

`Check the ears on a weekly basis for signs of infection, irritation, or wax build up. Cleanse regularly with a veterinarian-approved cleanser and cotton ball. Brush the teeth at least once per week to prevent tartar buildup and fight gum disease. Additionally, nails should be trimmed once per month if the dog does not wear down the toenails naturally.

Beagles need a lot in the way of exercise and they also need to be given a lot of mental stimulation to the truly happy, well-balanced dogs. This means a good hour a day and ideally, this needs to be twice a day. They also benefit from being allowed to roam around a secure garden as much as possible, but the fencing needs to be "Beagle proof" because they are known to be skilled escape artists when the mood takes them.

• Walks – Pleasant strolls, leisurely or brisk, are fine with these dogs.

• Fetch– Active games like this are good for 15 or 20 minutes.

• Hiking– a great/horrible activity for Beagles. Great because Beagles are built for walking a long time. And there are enough new sights, sounds and scents (especially scents) in the woods to interest this dog and stimulate his brain. These are the same reasons why a hikecouldbe horrible – an overstimulated dog. Make sure your Beagle is trained for obedience or be sure to use a lead.

• Dog parks– Beagles tend to be social animals. If yours is, a romp in the park with some friends can give him a little workout.

• Agility– a mental challenge and fun because of the different activities involved. If your dog is distractable, train for fun.

If you get a Beagle puppy from a breeder, they would give you a feeding schedule for your new pet and it's important to stick to the same routine, feeding the same type of food to a puppy to avoid any tummy upsets. You can change a puppy's diet, but this needs to be done very gradually always making sure they don't develop any digestive upset and if they do, it's best to put them back on their original diet and to discuss things with the vet before attempting to change their food again.

A mature Beagle needs to be fed a good quality, well-balanced diet that meets all their nutritional needs throughout their lives. It's also important to keep a close eye on their weight because as previously mentioned, Beagles are prone to put on weight which means limiting the number of rewards they are given even during their training.

Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times. Like many large breeds, Saint Bernard can experience bloat, a life-threatening condition where the stomach distends and twists. The causes of bloat aren’t fully understood, but experts agree that multiple, small meals per day and preventing vigorous exercise around mealtimes may help reduce the chances of it happening.

All dogs have the potential to develop genetic health problems, just as all people have the potential to inherit a particular disease. Run, don’t walk, from any breeder who does not offer a health guarantee on puppies, who tells you that the breed is 100 percent healthy and has no known problems, or who tells you that her puppies are isolated from the main part of the household for health reasons. A reputable breeder will be honest and open about health problems in the breed and the incidence with which they occur in her lines.

Responsible breederswillscreentheir breeding stock for health conditions such aship dysplasia, hypothyroidism, epilepsy, luxating patella (a dislocated kneecap), and eye disorders. As with all breeds, a Beagle’s ears should be checked weekly, andthe teethshould be brushed regularly.

As with all dogs, earlysocializationand puppy training classesare a must.Treatsare a huge aid in training. Beagles do not respond well to harsh techniques, but patience, positive reinforcement, and even a little creativity will win out in the end.

Though at heart they are independent hunting dogs, Beagles are very suitable pets for the home. They are stubborn by nature and learn best from obedience classes. Beagles are eager to please and behave well once trained, aside from the occasional mischief.

Puppies should be properly socialized to develop the amiable, outgoing personality that is characteristic of the breed. They’re successful in performance and companion events such as earthdog, barn hunt, obedience, and agility.