Beagle Training Profile

Weight: 20 to 30 pounds

Height: 13 to 15 inches

Lifespan: 10 to 15 years

Beagle Temperament and Behavior

The Beagle is one of the most recognizable dogs. They’re mid-sized, which makes them great for homes and apartments of all sizes.

The Beagle’s origin is not 100 percent known; there’s speculation that the breed existed as early as 55 B.C. in England. Even the little dog’s name is a mystery.

However, it’s confirmed that there were two types of hound dogs — a larger breed that tracked deer and a smaller breed that tracked hares — employed by English hunters in the 1500s. The small hound dogs later became known as the modern-day Beagle.

Beagles became popular among hunters who could not afford to buy horses to keep up with larger hounds; with their smaller size, Beagles could be followed on foot.

Following the Civil War, they were brought over to the United States, and have since become one of the most popular dog breeds owned by Americans. In fact, the breed inspired one of the most iconic comic strip characters in the history of the United States: Snoopy.

They get along well with family members of all ages, including children, and are very patient and tolerant of children who accidentally play too rough.

Beagles are also highly energetic and curious and need at least an hour of exercise daily. If you have a yard and plan on letting them roam around it, you need to make sure it’s heavily fortified.

You also need to keep them on a leash when you take them on walks to prevent them from pursuing any scents they pick up.

Beagle Training Tips

Like most hound dog breeds, Beagles can be difficult to train. They’re a very independent breed, and they tend to think more about what’s best for them rather than what’s best for their owners.

However, beagles can easily develop separation anxiety if they’re left alone for too long. When this happens, they can become extremely destructive, so it’s important to make sure you spend enough time with them or have other companions around for them to play with.

Something you can do at home to help them learn what’s allowed and what’s not is to keep them organized. Create designated areas for their food, water, bed and toys; get them on a regimented eating and bathroom schedule so they know when to expect those things.

Beagles are not typically aggressive, but as puppies, they may playfully bite or nip. You should stop those behaviors as soon as possible so they won’t carry them into adulthood.