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Taken From The Essential Beagle
Copyright 1999 by Howel Book House
   The Beagle is a hound, a member of a select fraternity within the canine world, bred for centuries to hunt as part of a large pack.  He is the little cousin of the Foxhound so often depicted in the numerous paintings of horses and hounds in the English countryside.  He is the more active, less melancholic cousin of the Basset Hound and, like the Basset, his primary quarry is the hare or rabbit.
 
    New owners of a Beagle puppy may find it amusing that the tiny creature cruises around the house with his nose to the ground; this is both a legacy from his pack hunting ancestors and a rehearsal for the future hunting if allowed the opportunity.  It can safely be said that the Beagle experiences much of the world through his nose.  Within days of settling into his new home, a Beagle will have memorized a rather detailed olfactory map of his territory, and his rounds each day to tell him whether anyone new has been around.
 
    Remember, the Beagle has been bred to live as a pack member.  While our modern Beagle may be a member of a pack consisting of himself and your family, his temperament is excellent (assuming, of course, he is well treated), and his loyalty, courage and devotion have remained unchanged over the centuries.
 
    The Beagle is possessed of a very musical voice, and not "yappy," the Beagle can be quite vocal in expressing himself, especially if a stray dog or cat enters his territory.  This characteristic has led many people to praise the Beagle as a useful watchdog.
 
    The downside to all this hound heritage is a tendency sometimes to be a bit headstrong, and cases of selective hearing in Beagles is not uncommon.  If a Beagle is following a trail, or just sniffing something really interesting, he will not be as likely to respond as if you were in the house.  A knowledgeable Beagle owner will plan for these contingencies as part of his outgoing training.
 
    Another "hound habit" is rolling in foul-smelling matter.  While many breeds do this, it seems the Beagles, again because of their good noses, find more of it to roll in!  Often they are just as inclined to eat such things!  Such an event is no big deal, but for a house pet it usually means an unscheduled bath.
 
    There is a fairly wide range of temperament in today's Beagle.  Beagles bred for show, on an average, tend to be bolder than their field-bred counter paths.  On the face of it, this seems counterintuitive, since one thinks of "hunting dogs" as bold, or even aggressive, but many superb hunting Beagles are quite shy.  A shy show Beagle, on the other hand, would never stand a chance in the ring if he were constantly worried about the presence of strangers, especially when one of them is the judge.  Obviously, what we want is a bold, friendly little hound not too overbearing either.
The Following Story Is About What A Dog Named Daisy Does Daily
 
    Daisy half wakes up and yawns on the couch where she has been curled up most of the afternoon.  At almost 3 years old, she never causes and problems around the house; her puppy teething ended when she was about a year old, she was well paper housebroken by 6 months old, she never has accidents, and she no longer feels upset being left alone when her people are at work.
 
    Some days they leave her outdoors in the fenced in backyard, where she has a house she can retreat to if it starts to rain, but now it is early spring and the yard is wet and muddy.

    She is getting progressively wakeful as the hour when people generally return approaches.  More cars are driving by, and suddenly one is driving close that she recognizes by it's sound.  She is waiting as the kitchen door as the car door slams, at the footsteps tell her that is is her master.  He comes in and doesn't notice her wagging tail.  His jacket is off, his necktie is askew and he shuffling a stack of mail.

    Not used to being ignored quite this much, she lightly rests her front paws on his legs and looks up at him.  She was discouraged from jumping up as a puppy, but now she is allowed to do this.  Now she has his attention, as he bends down to stroke her under the chin, and follows up with an ear rub.  Then he gets his jeans on and they go for a run.

    Only a couple blocks away is a small woodlot.  It is early spring, approaching dusk, and there is a cottontail nibbling the clover at the edge of the woods.  Daisy does not see it, but her master does.

    He lets off her leash, and she bounds toward the woods, her tail up and practically vibrating  with excitement.  Soon she drifts over to where the cottontail was dining adn her whole body begins to wag.  Her tail is whipping from side to side as she begins to whimper slightly, then breaks out in a Beagle aria!

    Soon she is trotting along the line of of scent left by the rabbit and singing her heart out.  Suddenly the rabbit pops out of the clover and darts into the woods.

    Back home, her master checks her for ticks, then himself as well.  Back in the kitchen as he prepares his dinner, Daisy sits hopefully at his feet waiting for either a spill or a lapse in judgement.  He people have been warned by the vet the she needs to watch her weight, especially now that she has been spayed.  Her attentiveness has not been losy on him, and he asks weather or not she would like a treat.

 
 

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