Raising A Beagle

Wow, it's been a looooooong while since I have last been here.

So long that the last time I posted, Pippa was still a puppy, now she's already a proud mother of seven .

Being a father of six dogs already, I don't have a budget anymore to keep all of her babies. I am actually selling most of her puppies keeping only one as requested by my cousin.

So, I'm writing this post to whoever will be taking care of my babies. This is I guess a guide to having a beagle. These are my general observations of the breed.

• They are really hyper as puppies. They're not going to listen to you specially when they smell something tasty. They are being led by their sense of smell, so anything that smells curious to them they will go after. Whether it's inside a vase, under the couch, under a mound of dirt, behind the oven or especially on the table, they will try to find a way to get to whatever it is they're smelling.
• They do not like to be alone. Do NOT leave them alone inside your house. Beagles are pack animals, meaning they enjoy the company of their kind, other dogs or their owner. Being alone makes them bored. And when they're bored that's when they start to act like dogs. The best thing to do if you have to absolutely leave them alone, keep them leashed or in a cage. 
• Keep your food stored where beagles cannot reach it. When Pippa was about three or four months old, there was a time she pulled an unopened bag of dog food from atop our kitchen sink and devoured about half of it's content. Suffice it to say, we did not feed her for a couple of days after that.
• They kind of like to howl or cry if they're bored. But as long as they have company, a toy, food or their human, they are well behaved.
• Depending on how hungry you are, their intelligence can be totally amazing or frustrating. Because Pippa loves going up to our table to steal food, we normally push the chair under the table so she won't be able to stand on it. The other day, she pushed the chair from under the table so she can stand on it and eat my 'ulam'.
• They are easy to maintain. There's no need to pay salons to have them groomed regularly. They have short smooth coats. They're the most huggable breed at least compared to my other dogs. But for such a short haired breed, they do shed a lot. They do that about twice a year.
• They are good dogs for families. They are patient with kids. They are gentle creatures and most of all they don't lose their playfulness. Kids love them because they are cute and beagles are tolerant to children. Of course, just to be safe, don't let your kids play with any dogs when they are feeding. That's when most of dog bites occur. Dogs are extremely territorial when it comes to  their food. But other than that, they should be fine.
• As adults, they are the most loyal companions you will ever have. I have a shih tzu, a husky and a dachschund, but it's my beagle who would stay beside me the most. I don't have to call them to me, if Pippa sees me sit on the couch, she will automatically go and sit or lie down by my feet waiting for me to pat their head.