Grooming Your Beagle

The beagle dog breed dates back historically to 19th century England. The breed was registered with the American Kennel Club in the 1880s. It is thought that beagles are derived from inter-breeding of several kinds of harrier and other hunting dogs. Beagles have gained popularity not only for the skill on the hunt but also for their sociable temperament. These sturdy dogs have an independent spirit yet they are pack animals too. This makes beagles excellent family pets since they view their human family members as part of their pack. Beagles have an excellent sense of smell and a natural affinity for the chase.

Physically, beagles are attractive, small to medium sized dogs with a solid body construction. They are known for their brown eyes and characteristically sad expression. Their coats come in a variety of color patterns. Many are tri-colored in shades of black/white/orange or black/white/yellow. Grooming your beagle is made easy because of their short, sleek fur.

Grooming your beagle can include everything from brushing his fur to trimming his toes and even eyelashes. Grooming is a way to care for your beagle抯 appearance and maintain his overall health. Whether you choose to groom your beagle at home or take him to a veterinarian抯 office or pet groomer, it is important to know the areas specific to your beagle that require special attention. The ears, feet, and eyes along with the coat need consistent grooming. The long, pendulous ears are prone to infection as water and bacteria can easily become trapped inside. The nails may require more or less trimming depending on your dog抯 activity level. Beagle eyes need special care because their long eyelashes may become ingrown.

If you do not feel comfortable grooming your beagle, there are many pet groomers available to maintain your dog抯 appearance. They can handle, in particular, tricky areas like trimming your beagle抯 nails. Services are relatively reasonable. A 損uppy package?may include a puppy wash, brush, nail trim, and style and costs approximately $10-$60.

Whether you groom your beagle at home or a professional pet groomer takes care of grooming your beagle, follow these guidelines to maintain your beagle抯 target areas of ears, nails, and eyes. Remember that to care for his coat, brush him at least once weekly. Beagles rarely need to be bathed but can be dry-shampooed occasionally.

The long, pendulum-shaped beagle ears can be prone to infection due to water or bacteria becoming trapped inside. It is important to check your beagle抯 ears at least once per week to ensure they are clean and free of infection. A good method is to wipe the ears whenever he is being brushed.

When grooming your beagle抯 nails, trim them with a quality nail clipper. There is no set frequency for when nails should be trimmed since length depends on your beagle抯 activity level. If you can hear his nails clicking on the floor it is probably a good time for trimming.

Your beagle抯 eyes require special attention because they have longer eyelashes than other dogs. Eyelashes need to be monitored and trimmed carefully. An ingrown eyelash will be very uncomfortable for your beagle and may require surgery to correct.