To "BE"agle or not to "BE"agle

How do you know if my fellow beagles are suitable for you or your family? Well, it helps to understand our characteristic traits. We are hound dogs, bred in the past to hunt in packs. Physique wise, we're medium-sized dogs, with short fur and long-ish ears, although our ears are not as long as the basset hound, more famously known as the "Hush Puppy"dog. You'll probably fall in love with our soulful eyes. We have a fairly deep voice and have a tendency to bay (deep half howl). I personally like to "sing" (bay) along with the call to prayer!

Personality wise, because we're born and bred in packs, we are very sociable dogs. That means, we need lots of companionship. You'll need to be prepared to give us stimulation and affection, especially if we're the sole pet in the household. When left alone for too long, we are persistent and expert escape artists. You could say we're the Houdinis of the doggie world. We'll dig (chain link fences can't keep us in), climb, jump, bite, whatever... Even 6 foot fences can't stop us! (Ask my humans...).

As hunting dogs, we are independent, have lots of energy (translation = LOTS OF WALKS) and are pretty much governed by our nose. Once we catch a scent, that's it...That's why it is important for us to be on the leash when we're outdoors. This is also another reason for us to undergo obedience training, especially to respond to the command "Come". Having said that, if the scent is too tantalizing, and we're in the "sniff zone", that's it... We're not known to be the most obedient dogs due to our strong sense of independence and scent.

We are friendly, gentle creatures and are generally good with children. Still, as with most dogs, we should never be left unsupervised with small children. We should also be properly socialised with children and other dogs.

So, if you are prepared to invest time and love on us, in return, you will get a loyal companion who will love you unconditionally. What better way to come home after a hard day's work to a pet who greets you with a smile and a wagging tail? Woof!