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Beagle
The Beagle is a small to medium-sized dog similar in appearance to the Foxhound but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds, developed primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, and other game. Their keen sense of smell and tracking instinct have led them to be employed as detection dogs around the world. They are popular as pets because of their size (13 - 16 inches (33 and 41 cm) high at the withers and between 18 - 35 lb (8.2 and 16 kg), even temper, and lack of inherited health problems.
Beaglescome in any hound color. Tricoloured dogs occur in a number of shades, from the "Classic Tri" with a jet black saddle (also known as "Blackback"), to the "Dark Tri" (where faint brown markings are intermingled with more prominent black markings), to the "Faded Tri" (where faint black markings are intermingled with more prominent brown markings).Tan and white is the most common two-color variety, but colors include lemon, a very light tan; red, a reddish, almost orange, brown; and liver, a darker brown, and black.
The Beagle has an even temper and gentle disposition. Described in several breed standards as "merry", they are amiable and generally neither aggressive nor timid. They enjoy company, and although they may initially be standoffish with strangers, they are easily won over. They make poor guard dogs for this reason, although their tendency to bark or howl when confronted with the unfamiliar makes them good watch dogs.
Beagles are intelligent and tenacious which can make them hard to train. They are generally obedient, but can be difficult to recall once they have picked up a scent and are easily distracted by smells around them. They are easily bored or distracted.
Beagles are excellent with children and this is one of the reasons they have become popular family pets, but they are pack animals, and can be prone to separation anxiety. They generally get along well with other dogs. They are not demanding with regard to exercise; their inbred stamina means they do not easily tire when exercised, but they also do not need to be worked to exhaustion before they will rest, though regular exercise helps ward off the weight gain to which the breed is prone.
Some of the content on this page was originally published on Wikipedia
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Tri-color Beagle image courtesy of Wikipedia.
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