17 Beagle Pros And Cons You Should Know About

The Beagle is a popular dog loved by many families around the world. Its playful and affectionate nature is what most people are drawn to. But there are many Beagle pros and cons that you should know before getting one for yourself.

Beagles have a lot of positive traits that attract new dog owners. The fact that they are sociable, affectionate, and adaptable makes every dog owner like them. But Beagles are also loud, stubborn, and prone to running away. In this article, we talk about all the characteristics of Beagles.

• Introduction To The Beagle
• Beagle Pros
• Beagle Cons

Introduction To The Beagle

Beagles are small hound dogs that are believed to come from the St. Hubert Hound. The modern Beagle originates from 19 century England where it was bred for hunting. It was officially accepted by the American Kennel Club in 1885.

These dogs have short tri-colored coats with a mix of black, brown, and white. They have small but strong bodies that are built to hunt. Because they are hunting dogs, they are filled with energy. They also have a superior sense of smell and tracking instincts.

There are many other traits that make these dogs very desirable and popular. But there are also some traits that many dog owners dislike and avoid.

Beagle Pros

There are many positive traits that Beagles have. These traits make the Beagles very desirable. In fact, they are the 7th most popular dog breed in the world according to the AKC.

Loves To Socialize

Beagles are good dogs to introduce to your friends. This is because they love meeting new people and making new friends. That behavior was developed because of their hunting origin which demanded they work in packs. Beagles are also very good with kids. They are energetic and entertaining so playing with the kids is a fun activity for them. They are also small enough to be safe around young children.

Friendly With Other Dogs And Pets

Besides people, Beagles also get along with other dogs and even other animals. Getting your Beagle to a dog park will be a fun experience as they will try to make new friends. Even though Beagles are friendly with other animals, they do have a high prey drive so they might start chasing the smaller ones.

Isn’t Picky With Food

Beagles are known to love food. In fact, they love food so much that they are prone to overeating and obesity. This is great for owners that don’t have a lot of experience with feeding dogs. But high-quality dog food with little grain and lots of protein always works great. Their love for food will also make them easy to train.

Low-Maintenance

Beagles are not high maintenance dogs. They have a short smooth coat that doesn’t require too much brushing or bathing. They also don’t need trimming or clipping so going to the groomer is not a must. Of course, this doesn’t mean that they are non-maintenance dogs. You still need to clean their ears, trim their nails, and brush their teeth.

Can Fit Into Any Apartment

People that live in apartments often have problems with getting dogs due to their size. Luckily, Beagles are dogs that are small enough to fit any sized apartment. There are in fact two sizes that Beagles can have. The bigger one has 13-15 inches in height and 20-30 pounds in weight. The smaller one is less than 13 inches tall, and less than 20 pounds heavy.

Adaptive And Professional

Even though Beagles were originally bred for hunting, they can adapt to all living conditions and needs. They are fine living in rural places, and they are fine in big cities. 

Because of their great sense of smell, Beagles are often employed by the police to work as scent dogs. They can also be used in emergency situations for help. 

Affectionate And Entertaining

The Beagle is a good family dog because it is very loving and cuddly with its close ones. They are often employed as therapy dogs. This can be a con sometimes because if you leave them alone they tend to develop separation anxiety.

Beagles are also very funny and entertaining. They will often do funny tricks or act recklessly to make you and your family laugh.

Great Hunting Dogs

Beagles were originally bred as hunting dogs so they have developed all the skills needed to be good at hunting. This makes them great companions for hunters. They are strong, fast, and agile which helps them chase after their prey. They have an amazing sense of smell and great tracking abilities. If you are into hunting, the Beagle is the perfect dog for you.

Good Watchdogs

If you need a guard dog, the Beagle isn’t the best option. Beagles are friendly and small so scaring off intruders is not an option.

That said, Beagles make great watchdogs. They are very curious and have a strong sense of smell which helps them sense danger from a long way. They have a loud bark that is the perfect instrument to alarm you of intruders.

Beagle Cons

Even though there are many positive things about Beagles, there are also some negative personality traits that people like to avoid.

Loud Barking

Beagles are known to bark very loudly compared to other dog breeds. All hound dogs tend to be quite vocal. Beagles also bark very often. They bark for a myriad of reasons, from alerting barks due to intruders to pure boredom. They are also prone to howling which is pretty loud. This habit might annoy the neighbors that live next to you. 

Filled With Energy

Due to being hunting dogs, Beagles are considered high-energy dogs and need a lot of exercise throughout the day. This is great for people that like being active and going on runs. But it isn’t good for people that are busy or don’t like to do a lot of activities. Make sure to give at least 60 minutes of exercise daily, or you risk your Beagle getting destructive.

Shedding Problems

There are many pros and cons of Beagles coats. On the one hand, their coats are short and don’t require a lot of grooming. But on the other hand, they still tend to shed throughout the whole year. This makes them undesirable for people that are prone to allergies. Also, Beagles have a specific “hound” doggy odor which some people don’t enjoy.

Tends To Run Away

Because Beagles have such good scents, they are often attracted by the many smells outside has to offer. This means that you can’t just let your Beagle out alone or it will run away. If you have a yard, make sure to secure it well before letting the dog out. When you are going for a walk, make sure to leash your Beagle, otherwise, it will run away.

Stubborn

Even though Beagles are intelligent dogs that learn commands quickly, they are quite stubborn. Because of this, Beagles are not easily trainable. In some situations, they will avoid doing learned commands, just because they want to do something else. To prevent them from being this hard-headed, you need to position yourself as the leader of the pack from an early age.

Prone To Obesity

Beagles are not picky with their food as they love eating anything they reach. This means that they are prone to overeating and you should monitor their daily intake of food. 

An adult Beagle needs around 1 cup of dog food every day. Make sure to give them nutritious food full of protein, vitamins, and minerals, and avoid giving treats too often.

Loves To Dig

If you have a yard in your house, expect to see a lot of holes made by your Beagles. These dogs are natural hunters and are used to digging foxes out of their holes. So their natural instinct is to dig up your garden. They will often roll in the dirt after. Luckily, with consistent training, you can work to get rid of this unwanted behavior. 

Hard To Housebreak

There is a contradiction in the pros and cons of Beagles. Even though these dogs fit into any house they are kept, they are quite difficult to housebreak. Housebreaking is the process of teaching the dog to potty.

Beagles sniff out where they went to potty and do it in the same place often. Because they are so stubborn, you will need a lot of persistence to change that.

Is The Beagle The Right Dog For You?

The Beagle is the world’s 7th most popular dog as it is loved by many families around the world. But there are many Beagle pros and cons you should know about before getting this dog.

Beagles are a very affectionate breed. They love to cuddle and entertain their family members. They also like being social and making new friends with other people, as well as dogs, and other pets. They are very adaptive and can fit into any apartment. They aren’t picky with their food and they are considered low-maintenance dogs.

But there are also some negative things about this dog breed. These dogs are loud and tend to bark and howl. They are filled with energy and often commit to destructive behaviors like digging up the garden. The stubborn Beagle is also hard to housebreak. They also love food and are prone to obesity.

FAQ

Are Beagles good for first-time owners?

Beagles are considered good first-time dogs. They are small and adaptive, they are affectionate and playful, and they are friendly. That said, they can be stubborn, so training the Beagles might be hard for an inexperienced owner.

What problems do Beagles have?

There are some Beagle pros and cons when it comes to their health. They are relatively healthy long-living dogs, but they are predisposed to a few potential health problems. Musladin-Lueke Syndrome, hip dysplasia, and hypothyroidism are some of them.

Are Beagles ever aggressive?

Beagles are not aggressive dogs. This makes them bad guard dogs but otherwise makes them great family dogs. There are cases when a Beagle will become aggressive due to territorial aggression, fear, or pain.