Pocket Beagle: Care

A pocket Beagle is every bit as much a scenthound as his larger brethren, which means that when outside he should always be on a leash in unconfined areas.

He's a wanderer by nature, so in case he escapes--a common occurrence with Beagles--be sure he's microchipped and wearing I.D. tags so he can be returned to you.

Some people prefer to use an underground electronic fence, but this type of enclosure doesn't prevent other animals from coming into your yard. Besides, if a scent is enticing enough your Beagle will be more than willing to risk a momentary shock to follow it.

Like all dogs, Beagles benefit from obedience training. Positive reinforcement techniques work best because Beagles will simply tune out when treated harshly. Most Beagles are more than happy to do anything for a tasty treat.

Adolescent Beagles are full of energy and need a lot of opportunities to work it all off. They love going for walks with their family, or, even better, a good run across a field to hunt down rabbits (not recommended unless you have adequately trained your dog to come back to you!).

They can enjoy jogging with you, but wait until they are 18 months or older before starting them on such a repetitive exercise, or they could experience joint damage.

When mature, a Beagle can become fairly lazy, content to lie about the house all day, and getting up mostly for meals and an occasional scratching of the ears. Since this is a breed is prone to obesity, it's not a good idea to let this happen.

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