Page 186 - Australian House & Garden (January 2020)

H G ADVICE
Pets
BUS Y
BE AGL ES
For a family-loving pooch, you can’t beat a beagle – just
don’t leave food lying around, writes Roger Crosthwaite.
eagles have a busy air about them.
That may have something to do
Bwith the fact that their noses –
their windows on the world – are
constantly receiving signals at a fantastic
rate. These sniffing machines have
worked as detector dogs at airports
and ports for decades, and for several
hundred years before that as scent
hounds for tracking prey.
So how does this compact, energetic
and occasionally wilful dog fit into
a family household? Very well, as it
turns out. For all of their preoccupation
with the world of exciting smells and
following where they lead, beagles are
right at home with families.
While fashion dictates a fair amount
of movement in top 10 lists of the most
popular breeds, beagles have maintained
a steady spot around about the middle.
“Beagles have always been popular
because they’re a smart little dog,” says
Nancye Lee, a beagle breeder for 40
years and an officer of The Beagle
Club of NSW. “Beagles have been
a recognised breed for centuries.
They’re very sturdy.”
Affectionate and tolerant, beagles
happily coexist with children and other
pets, but they don’t like being left alone
for long periods – Mum and Dad at work
and the kids at school all day is not an
arrangement that will work for them.
Don’t expect your beagle to be a
guard dog, either, because their innate
friendliness makes them pretty affable
with strangers. Especially strangers who
bring food.
184 | AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN
Yes, beagles are somewhat of a greedy 3 OF A KIND
guts. And while that works to your PET ACCESSORIES
advantage in training them – they
respond very well to an order if there’s
a food treat as a reward – they can easily
become overweight.
“They’re very food oriented, which
is why they’re so good at detecting it,”
says Nancye. “But if I gave a beagle a
20kg bag of dog food, it would most
likely sit down and eat the lot.”
On the other hand, being very energetic Durable and adorable, this felt
and keen to get out and follow a scent, bone toywithsqueaker,$38,will
beagles readily burn off the calories. The keepyourpupentertainedforhours.
lure of an interesting trail occasionally LavishTails;lavishtails.com.au.
makes them heedless of their owner’s
calls, but that strong-mindedness can
be countered with early, consistent
training of your pup.
And you can’t deny them their heritage.
Besides eating, a beagle’s greatest joy
is experiencing the world through that
fantastic nose. “A walk provides both
mental stimulation and exercise,” says
Your pooch will be right on trend
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BREED ALL ABOUT IT
Beagles are a smallish dog, about
35cm high at the shoulder and weighing
roughly 12kg, with a short, dense coat
that needs very little grooming. They are
regarded as a very healthy breed, but can
become obese if their food intake isn’t
carefully monitored. They usually live for Photography from Alamy.
12 to 15 years. You can expect to pay The Architect dogbed, $895 for
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