Is A Beagle Right For Your Family?
29 Jun 2009
Beagle personalities are generally very happy-go-lucky. They are playful, and if they are disciplined they can make an excellent pet. If you are considering a beagle for a pet, make sure that you are up to learning about the breed, as well as commiting yourself to training him, as beagles can easily become out of control without the proper training.
One important part of maintaining a pet is to ensure that you groom his coat. A beagle’s coat can easily take on a strong “dog” smell, which some people find offensive. In order to cut down on the smell, as well as for general health reasons, you should brush your beagle’s coat at least once a week. You must also make sure you check your beagle’s ears and clean them with a cotton ball every two weeks or so. As their ears are relatively long and floppy, they can easily get dirty and become infected. As for bathing, you can get by with bathing your beagle about once every month. Bathing your dog too often can result in irritated skin, as your dog’s coat contains oils which are necessary to protect his skin.
Beagles tend to be voracious eaters, and if you’re not careful, obesity could be a big problem for your beagle. Don’t feed your beagle from the table. Keep with dry dog food instead. You will also need to exercise your dog regularly. If you plan on getting a beagle, be ready to take the dog out at least once a day—maybe twice.
As mentioned earlier, you must be willing to go through a proper process when dog training beagle puppies. Although they are very friendly and playful, they are also very well known for their stubborn nature. Use positive reinforcement and make sure to stand your ground. Slacking off in the training process can result in a very unhappy owner-pet relationship. Use as little physical correction as possible as beagles tend to nip/bite when provoked.
Remember that beagle can live from 12-15 years, so be prepared for that commitment that caring for a beagle entails. If you look into proper care and properly train, feed, and clean your beagle, you should be a happy owner of this wonderful breed.
If you are looking to find beagles for sale, the internet is a great place to start. You may also find some great deals by looking in the classifieds section of your local newspaper. Take care in choosing your pet and make sure that the breeder is reputable.
