May 14th, 2006 - 09:24
Frequently Asked Questions About Beagles

Do beagles shed?

Yes, beagles shed quite a bit. People with allergies often react to the dander and fur from beagles, though with weekly grooming and proper bathing, many allergy suffers do quite well with a beagle in the home.

I've heard that beagles smell, is that true?

Beagles smell only if they're dirty. If you brush them once a week, feed them a nutritious brand of dogfood, and bathe them only when they need it, they should not smell. There is nothing inherently "smelly" about a beagle unless it has indulged in one of its favorite hobbies and rolled in something yucky. That usually requires an immediate bath, after which you will be entertained by the well-known "post-bath beagle frenzy" during which they run around the house as fast as they possibly can, pausing only to roll around on the floor in an attempt to dry themselves off.

Why does my beagle sometimes sound like she's choking?

This is likely what is known as a "reverse sneeze", although it actually has nothing to do with sneezing. It sounds like a cross between coughing and gasping for breath, is often accompanied by drooling, and can last for a couple of minutes. The cause of reverse sneezing is unclear - the soft palate is often implicated - but the important thing to know is that it is a common occurence in beagles and is not dangerous. Getting your beagle to swallow seems to help stop it. To do this you can gently stroke his throat while you briefly cover his nostrils.

How can I keep my beagle from running away?

The short answer is, you can't. Beagles are scent hounds, bred to hunt with their noses, following a scent until they're nearly exhausted. Although with a great deal of perseverance, you can train a beagle to reliably come to you when called much of the time, they will never be 100% reliable, especially if they are following a scent. For this reason, beagles cannot be trusted in a non-fenced yard or off a leash.

What colors do Beagles come in?

The most common color you will see is called tricolor. It means a black saddle, white legs, chest, and belly, with a tan head, and often around the edges of the saddle. Many dogs have a white blaze on their face, but a solid tan face is common too. Tricolor puppies  are born black and white, the tan develops as the puppy gets older.

• Red and White: There is no black at all, and the red can range from a light tan to a darker red. These puppies are born as red and whites, or sometimes even a solid white, with the color developing  later.

• Lemon and White: The lemon varies from an off-white, to a dark  lemon. These puppies are often born completely white, with the color developing later.

• Black and White: Very rare.

With all of these colors, you can have freckling, mottling,  ticking, and grizzling. Occasionally, an all white hound appears,  but this is very very rare. These are not albinos, simply white dogs.  

Do beagles bark, or otherwise make noise, a lot?

Beagles do not tend to be 'yappy' dogs, however, they can and will      bark when given the right stimulation. Most will bark/growl when  strange dogs/people/things-you-can't-see come in their territory.  They will also bark when excited, although this varies from dog to      dog. Most beagles will become very vocal if they are left alone a  lot. Some beagles can be extremely vocal, although this can vary by  individual as to amount of vocalization and type.

Beagles can also howl, this sound was useful in hunting as it would      alert the hunters when the beagles had cornered their prey. Again, not all beagles will howl, but you should be prepared for the  possibility.

A third noise beagles can make is hard to describe, kind of like a  half-howl, called baying. Beagles will often make this noise when  they catch the scent of something, again, this was useful in  hunting.

The amount of any barking/howling/etc will always vary from dog to dog. If you want your dog to be quiet, you can train them to be.  But again, when training beagles, patience is the key, it could take several months for your dog to understand the 'quiet' command.  Some beagles never do understand the idea that you want them to be quiet, and if this is a necessity for you, you may want to consider another breed, or more radical training methods such as anti-bark collars, or to have the dog surgically altered.