Our Beagle

This week I’m going to spend some time sharing about our family pets.  The first pet I will introduce is Chipper.  Chipper is a 6 year old beagle whom we purchased when he was 8 weeks old.  I gave a lot of thought to this purchase, as I knew it could be a challenging breed.  I’m a short haired, small breed type of dog person as I don’t want to spend a lot of time on grooming maintance, or a fortune on going to the dog groomer.  I knew a beagle would work for me.

 

It is amazing that Chipper survived puppyhood as my husband does not have the patience to deal with misbehaving pets  My husband was not really raised with pets.  Chipper jumped on the dining table a few times, dug holes in the grass, howled and I’m sure he chewed a few things.  Today Chipper is a loving, gentle and loyal companion who loves everyone.  He loves to lay with you, play fetch and go for walks.  Of course chipper must be on a leash when outside our back yard, or he will vanish on an adventure of his own.

 

Here is a little FYI about the beagle.  The beagle was bred to locate game.  Not always the quickest to learn their role, these hounds were valued because they stubbornly refused to be diverted once on the trail of a scent.

A good beagle never gives up the pursuit.  A beagle is a very intelligent breed, but it should be understood that beagles have a lot of interests and thy may decide to pursue those interests regardless of your commands.  Beagles are not blessed with the “homing” instinct of some other breeds.  Responsible owners make sure their beagle is kept in a safe and secure environment.  Beagles love people and would have no problem with going with a total stranger.  A beagle could be happy with anyone who fed, loved, petted and has a couch or chair to sleep on.  Keep a good eye on your beagle.

There are two varieties of beagle, those that in adulthood do not exceed 13 inches and those that are at least 13 inches but do not exceed 15 inches.  The height is measured at the top of the shoulders.  Chipper measures at 13 inches.

I could blog for hours about beagles, but I must move on.  One final note about beagles. Beagle owners should have patience.  If you have patience, the beagle could be a good match for your as a companion.