The Beagle an Even Tempered Dog with a Gentle Nature

Very popular in England for Steeple Chase hunting, the breed was first developed for tracking small game such as rabbits and hares. They look like a smaller version of the foxhound. While still use for hunting, today they are becoming more and more popular as house pets..

Small to medium size, Beagles are intelligent, cute and fairly easy to care for. However, remember this is a hunting dog and it has been bred for over three centuries to essentially track scent. If you decide after reading this interview with Sheila Lewis to get a Beagle, be prepared to provide your new dog with ample opportunities to sniff and track. It doesn’t have to be hunting. Tracking and nose work classes are now available and can help you provide the mental stimulation a scent hound needs to be healthy and well balanced.

Sheila Lewis is a long time Beagle lover. In 2003 she followed the life of several Beagles in her home town of St Johns, Newfoundland. Beagles were imported for rabbit hunting and suffered a lot of abuse as a result of it. With the help of a coworker, she put a website together to raise awareness about the abuse and neglect Beagles suffer as hunting dogs, and find homes for the abandoned ones. Beagle Paws was born.

I could not think of someone better than Sheila to talk to us about Beagles, and find out what to expect if you would like to welcome one into your home.

Happy Dog Connections: Beagles are very cute with a gentle nature. Their non-threatening look and gentle manners combined with a great sense of smell make them perfect candidate as “sniff and detection” dogs in airports to look, for instance, for prohibited food in airports.

Sheila: Yes, and there is nothing more adorable than Beagle puppies with their floppy ears. They are a very friendly happy-go-lucky breed. I don’t think I would classify them as a loyal breed. They thrive on attention and love everybody they meet.

HDC: How easy are they to train?

Sheila: They are a food-motivated breed. That does help with positive reinforcement training. Sometimes you may find they are a bit stubborn, but in most cases they are fairly easy to train.

HDC: Would you recommend them for a first time dog owner?

Sheila: Certainly I would. But like any breed, they have their set of characteristics. When getting a Beagle as a pet, you have to be aware of the traits a Beagle has. One of the big things about Beagles is they are scent hounds. So their nose rules their train of thought a lot of the time, especially when they are outside. So if somebody is looking for a dog to go off leash, it could be a problem. Going hiking in the woods in off leash areas won’t work.

HDC: So would they be better in the city?

Sheila: Yes, because if they get distracted by a scent and off-leash, they would run away.They are scent hounds. They are used for hunting. This is what they are bred for. They are a pack-oriented breed as well. So many Beagles do better with a companion dog. It does not have to be another Beagle, but they do enjoy the company of other dogs a lot. You’ll find many do enjoy the company of people as well. They are a very social breed. They like to be near their people quite a bit.

HDC: So definitely not a good dog if you are working away from home most of the day

Sheila:A regular schedule is fine but if you are going to be away a lot, they are not the right dog

HDC: If you are going to be away a lot, you will have rethink the idea of getting a dog anyway. Are they good with children?

Sheila:They are great with children. If you have small children, I would recommend a puppy so the dog adapts to a life of having small children around. Like any dog when they get older, in their senior age sometimes they can get a bit more temperamental. So the younger the dog the better for the children, I think.

HDC: How much exercise would they need?

Sheila: They do not require a lot of exercise. If you keep a good weight on your beagle, the minimum of a daily walk is good or a good play in the backyard. In most cases they are not a hyper energy breed

HDC: How about grooming. Do they require a lot of grooming?

Sheila:No very minimal grooming. Bathing every couple of month at the most. They are a short haired- breed so there is no cutting required. Just bathing and keeping their nails trimmed

HDC: How about shedding. Do they shed a lot?

Sheila:They do shed and that is a misconception I think a lot of people have seeing their short hair. Because their hair is short does not mean they don’t shed.

HDC: So regular brushing

Sheila:yes Another thing, because they are a floppy-eared dog they are prone to ear infections. it is not uncommon in floppy ears breed

HDC: Any disease or other genetic conditions we should be aware of

Sheila: Sometimes they are prone to what is known as teary eyes or cherry eyes. It is a collapse of the gland in the third eye lid. The gland protrudes and becomes irritated and inflamed. It’s red looking and can be easily corrected with surgery. It is cosmetic mainly. This you will find mainly in pure bred beagle

HDC:Anything else you would like to add ?

Sheila: Probably a few things about their look. The breed itself will have a white -tipped tail. All beagles have a white tip tail. This is so when they are hunting in the woods the hunter can see them. There is also a reason for their floppy ears. When they are hunting in the woods the ears brush towards the snout as they are going through the bush. It pushes the scent of what they are tracking towards their nose. So there is a reason for their floppy ears.

HDC: Nature always has a reason

Sheila:There is s a reason for everything

HDC: OK let’s talk about Beagle Paws your rescue. I am really surprised, Beagles are cute, good-natured, small why are they abandoned?

Sheila: Here in Newfoundland. They are used for hunting rabbits. Rabbits are the only game you are allowed to sell here in our province. So that has been an issue. Whenever you can sell game, people will abuse the fact. The more they can catch, the more money they can make. They are many hunters that just see the Beagle as a hunting tool. A means to an end. It has been a generation thing here in our province for hunting with rabbits. I know not only in Newfoundland but also in Nova Scotia they have the same kind of issues there

HDC: So once the dog is to old to hunt, that’s when hunters will abandon it?

Sheila: That is one of the reasons that the dogs are abandoned. If they develop health issues, it is easier for the hunter to get a new dog than to have the original dog treated. And some Beagles are not that good at hunting. They don’t perform that well and there is no need to keep them

HDC: Beagle Paws is a Canadian-wide organization. You have a chapter in every province. Is that correct?

Sheila: We have chapters right now in Newfoundland where we started, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and British Columbia

HDC: So if someone wants to adopt a Beagle they can go on your website Beagle Paws

Sheila: Yes we have shipped dogs all over Canada even the North West Territories

HDC: There is something I would like to talk about that is not often brought to light. Beagles are often use in laboratories as well right?

Sheila: Yes and you don’t see a lot of this in Canada. However some of the vet schools I know in PEI, they do use some there for their training and at the college as well. I know they are kept quite well and they are adopted out after the schools are no longer able to use them . I think they are under more scrutiny than some other places. In the States there are chemical labs that use them and of course in Europe it’s pretty big as well. One thing about Beagles, because of their friendly nature, it is almost their downfall in a situation like this. They can withstand so much abuse. You can come back the next day and they still be happy to see you. They are not an aggressive breed by nature.

HDC: If someone would like to help how can they do that?

Sheila: There are different ways. Beside monetary help, there are volunteer opportunities on the website. Promoting the breed is a big thing. We want people to know that they are great family pets as well. They are more than hunting dogs.

HDC: Is there anything would like to say to a future Beagle owner?

Sheila: It is certainly a breed worth investigating. I think once you get a Beagle, you certainly be hooked on the hound breed. Quite often we find that people who adopted one beagle end up with more than one down the road. We say they are like potato chips. You cannot only just have one.

HDC: They are kind of addictive then

Sheila: Yes they are