Beagle: Breed of the Week
Are Beagles Good City Dogs?
The fifth most popular breed in the country, the Beagle seems to be as American as apple pie and baseball. They’ve lived in the White House, President Lyndon Johnson owned three. And Charles Schultz made the most famous Beagle of all time, Snoopy, a household name in his comic strip Peanuts. And even Urban Dog’s own resident health expert, Dr. Christina Moore, has the lovable Frankie.
Although the Beagle is a popular breed, there is no clear answer to the breed’s origin. Beagles have been documented as far back as Greek and Roman times, but the Beagle as we know it appeared sometime in the 1800s according to the dogtime.com website, when Reverend Phillip Honeywood bred them in Essex England.
Having big brown eyes, large noses, and clownish personalities, Beagles are adorable small dogs. One of the reasons they may be so popular is their cuteness!
The Beagle comes in two sizes: the 13-inch and the 15-inch, and both are recognized as separate breeds by the American Kennel Club. They also come in a variety of colors, according to the AKC, the breed standard is “any hound color”: red and white; black and white; and black and tan.
Beagles weigh from 20 to 25 pounds. Beagles require very little grooming but can be subject to some health problems like mast cell tumors and dwarfism. They can also suffer from epilepsy, heart disease and eye and back problems. So, as always, make sure you find a reputable breeder when searching for your new pup.
Do Beagles Bark?
Are Beagles good Urban Dogs? The short answer is “maybe.”
They were bred to hunt small game in packs. They communicate with each other in these packs by barking and baying, which can be problematic for urban living. They are energetic and like to run. And like most scent dogs, if they find themselves bored and have not had enough exercise, they can cause some problems.
It is important to train your city dog. You don’t want your pooch to misbehave in your building’s common areas. Beagles unfortunately not the easiest to train. They score toward the bottom of a list of dogs when it comes to understanding new commands. They obey first commands only about 25% of the time according to Stanley Coren, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia who studies dog behavior. That means it takes anywhere from 80 to 100 repetitions or more for them to learn new commands. They can be taught to be great babysitters or fierce guard dogs.
Beagles are also considered excessive, nuisance barkers. UC Davis researchers Benjamin and Lynette Hart devised a chart ranking dogs by the likelihood of barking at inappropriate times. On a scale of one to ten — with one being the least offensive barkers and ten the most excessive barkers — Beagles get a ten rating and come in last on the list! Click here for more on Urban Dog’s take on barking.
That said, we do see Beagles in New York City! So it can be done!
Click here to visit the American Kennel Club’s page on the breed. And here’s a link to the Beagle Club of America. They can make great Urban Dogs, just make sure you keep them active and engaged.
For tips on how to find a pet-friendly apartment in New York and other cities read Urban Dog’s guide.
We’re going to leave you with “The Snoopy Dance,” set to the iconic Linus and Lucy jazz song from A Charle Brown Christmas. Scroll down below for the video.
