When I first decided that I wanted to own a beagle, many people that I told clearly thought I was mad! Common reactions included looks of alarm, surprise, and even knowing concern. I heard many statements along the lines of, “Ohhhh I’ve heard beagles are trouble,” “You better make sure you have a secure fence,” and “You know they will never listen to you, right?”
Despite these well-meant words of warning, I remained firm, and four years ago I welcomed a floppy-eared friend into my home. Whilst many of the cautionary tales were true, I would not change a single thing about my stubborn, greedy, and independent best friend, Dave.
I am clearly not alone in my love of the little hound dogs; beagles have consistently appeared in the American Kennel Club’s Top 10 Most Popular Breeds, and this is echoed around the world. Here are some fun reasons why beagles make the most wonderful of companions and some fun facts you may not know!
PUP WITH PERSONALITY
Beagles are gentle and even-tempered; they make perfect family dogs due to their fun-loving nature and happy-go-lucky attitude. These pups are full to the brim with personality and certainly have a mind of their own. Stubborn and strong-willed are putting it mildly!
LOUD MOUTH
You can always recognize the baying of a beagle — it is iconic! It is actually believed that the name “Beagle” comes from Middle French and translates to Beegueule, which means “gaping throat, noisy person, whiner.”
NOSE KNOWS BEST
All dogs are known for sniffing, however, my friend the beagle takes this trait to a completely new level! Almost every feature of a beagle points to its ability to track a scent, but the pinnacle would be its nose. This is a nose that has 225 million scent receptors, which equates to a sense of smell up to 10,000 times greater than a human’s!
CELEBRITY BEAGLES
There have been a few notable beagles in popular culture, but none more famous than Snoopy! Snoopy was created by Charles M. Schulz for the comic strip Peanuts. Snoopy and his best buddy, Charlie Brown, remain as popular today as they did when it was first created.
TALL TALES
The white tip of a beagle’s tail is actually a sign that it is purebred. The coloring of the tail has been bred into the dog to assist during hunting. The clear white tip means the dog can be seen whilst busy tracking with its nose close to the ground.
SUB-STANDARD SECURITY
If you are looking for a dog to keep your home secure, then maybe look into something a little more security-conscious. Given their friendly and welcoming nature, a beagle is more likely to lick an intruder within an inch of their life than alert anyone to their presence.
HISTORIC HOUND
Beagles are a breed with a substantial history; whilst the exact origins are unknown, the modern breed’s ancestors date back to England around the time of the Roman Empire. The breed became popular with the rise of fox hunting where the dogs were used for their incredible tracking ability.
THE BEAGLE BRIGADE
That sense of smell and curious yet friendly demeanor makes a beagle the perfect fit for a Quarantine dog. They are used in airports all over the world to hunt down food and other agricultural products that should perhaps not be traveling internationally! Their ability to detect scents too faint for scientific equipment and voracious appetites make them the perfect hound for the job.
THE EYES HAVE IT
Last but not least in my list of beagle features and facts has to be my favorite: those eyes have the ability to stare at you as if you are the only friend they will ever need. The same eyes simultaneously make you feel compelled to feed them just one more bit of chicken, its hypnotic!
As you can tell, I am a pretty proud beagle owner; and whilst possibly a little biased, would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a canine companion. Having written and pondered all of the above, I can honestly say that I might own one of the laziest, most stubborn, and vocal beagles out there, but would not have him any other way.
Do you own a beagle or are you thinking about getting one? Share your funny stories and quirky characteristics below!
I’m Sophie, Dave the Beagle’s human. Together we make a pretty good team, sharing a love of Netflix, BBQ Chicken, and sleep! I am originally from the UK but have lived in Australia for almost 15 years.
