As with all dogs, the type and amount of food offered is determined by the age of the dog. For the first two months of the beagle’s life, the mother’s milk provides all the nutrients needed. Toward the end of this period, after about five weeks, you can begin to wean the pup from its dependence upon the mother and on to eating solid foods.

The period that begins when your beagle becomes dependent upon solid foods, usually at eight weeks, until about six months of age will be one of rapid growth. During this period proper nutrition is critical. Feeding should be scheduled for three times a day. Scheduled feedings are usually logistically easier for the owner, and provide the dog with a dependable regimen that is a great component of improving behavior. This is also the period during which the time allotted for eating is limited, with the food being available for no more than one half hour at each meal.

After six months, you can begin to reduce the number of feedings per day to two: one in the morning and one in the evening. At the age of one year you can further reduce the meals to one a day supplemented by occasional snacks as rewards for training or good behavior.

The puppy phase, which comes to a close during the second year, should be over by the dog’s second birthday. You’ll then have a healthy, well behaved, and happy adult beagle for your constant and loyal companion. Your feeding routine should now be well established for both you and your dog. For the remainder of your time together, the major concern in feeding the beagle should be not to feed it too much. A fat dog is not a healthy dog.

As an adult, your beagle will not need as much food to grow. Watch your dog’s diet and go easy with the snacks. Back when your beagle was just a pup entering your life, you would have had to make a decision whether to feed the dog a mass produced manufactured dog food or a homemade food from your own kitchen. Either one is acceptable, with a few caveats.

Store bought prepared wet or dry foods vary in quality and in price and the two are generally in direct proportion to one another. If you decide to go with the prepared dog foods, keep in mind that both the lower priced and higher priced foods contain fillers which are empty calories. The major difference is in the percentage of fillers included. Generally the more expensive brands have less filler.

Homemade food does not mean table scraps. There are some foods eaten by humans that can be harmful, even deadly for your dog. If you should decide to feed your beagle with homemade foods check with your veterinarian for advice and go online for recipes tailored for dogs, some specifically for beagles. Generally, the homemade food should be slightly under 50% lean meats, approximately 30% of certain vegetables, and the remainder starchy foods like rice and pasta.

If you should find a nice piece of chicken left over after a family meal, you can give it to your dog as one of his reward snacks, but never do it from the table. Put the food in his eating bowl and present it to him at the usual eating location. Serving snacks to your beagle from the table, even if done only a few times, will create a boldly begging beagle, which you certainly do not want.

Grooming – Beagles have a great coat and should be brushed every week or two to get rid of any extra hair that has yet to be shed. Use a rubber brush or comb to remove any of the extra dirt as well as spread the oils to give the coat a nice healthy shine. Moreover, you only need to bath your dog two or three times a year, if you don’t send him to a groomer regularly.

Your Beagle should have short nails so clip them regularly.

At least once a month, check the inside of your Beagles ears to make sure they are clean. You should use a cottonball to clean the ear if it is dirty. Do not use a Q-tip as it will only push wax and dirt inside the ear!

Brushing a Beagle’s Teeth – Brush your Beagle’s teeth frequently. This should be done at least once a week to ensure your beagle as clean teeth. Brushing will help control build up of plaque and tartar. Poor brushing can lead to bad breath and teeth problems that can lead to serious dental issues. Make sure you use a dentabone and have the Vet check his teeth too!

Taking Your Beagle to the Vet – Your beagle should go to the vet once a year to get all his vaccinations and check ups. It’s important that they are seen regularly to make sure there are no problems. Moreover, do not forget to give your dog his heartworm pill. This is a very important pill that should be given to your beagle!

Food and Water– Beagles like to eat. Beagles like to eat anything really. However, it’s important that you train your beagle properly to avoid him eating human food. Your Beagle needs dog food that will provide the nutrition he needs to be healthy and strong. If you give your beagle treats, make sure that it is only once or twice during the day. Overfeeding and human food can lead to weight and other health issues.

Additionally, beagles dehydrate quickly and should have a full bowl of water out for them to drink everyday.

Playing and walking your Beagle– Beagles are very active dogs. They are hunting dogs are were breed to be outside in nature. They like wide open spaces, to play, and to run around. If you leave your beagle cooped up all day, they will start to get antsy and might cause havoc around your house. It is therefore important that you walk your beagle everyday. They should be allowed outside frequently. If you have a large backyard, you can let your beagle out for awhile and let them run around and have fun outside. Play catch with them.

Beagle care is not difficult and simply requires you to be attentive and caring to your pet beagle. If you feed them well, keep a beagle active, groom them, and take them to the vet as appropriate, you will find that beagle care is a rewarding and lovely experience.

Beagles have a lovely soft expression about them, with their big floppy ears and intelligent dark eyes. It’s hard not to fall in love with them!

Beagle’s Origins and History
The origin of the word “beagle” is uncertain. Possibly it comes from the French begueule (meaning “open throat”, or “loudmouth”) or from an Old English, French, or Welsh term beag, meaning “small.” Other possibilities: the French beugler (meaning “to bellow”) and the German begele (meaning “to scold”).
Historical notes: Edward III had a pack of up to 120 hare hounds with him on the battlefield during the Hundred Years’ War. It is thought that these were likely either beagles or ancestors of beagles.

The Beagle dog breed is a medium-sized hound. Beagles are scent hounds used primarily for hunting rabbits to larger hares. Friendly and lovable, the beagle has been the dog breed of choice for everyone from President Lyndon Johnson to Charlie Brown. Their non-threatening demeanor has led the USDA, along with its counterparts in Australia and New Zealand, to use beagles to search airplane passengers for contraband. Sadly, their trusting, gentle temperament means beagles are also the most commonly used dog breed in animal experiments in the US.

Beagle’s Physical Characteristics
Here are the characteristics of the Beagle breed as determined by the American Kennel Club’s published breed standard.

• Size: 13-15 inches
• Coat: medium-length hound dog-style coat
• Color: The American Kennel Club's breed standard does not make a big deal of color, saying any "true hound color" is acceptable. According to Wikipedia, the most common beagle coat types are: tricolor (white with large black and light brown spots), Two-color varieties (white with lemon, red,), Tick-Varieties (white or black with different color spots).
• Eyes: large, brown or hazel.
• Ears: long, fairly broad.
• Skull: fairly long and slightly domed.
• Muzzle: squared and medium-long
• Nose: nostrils large and open
• Tail: slightly curved and shorter than most hound tails

Beagle Health Concerns
The Beagle dog breed is generally a hardy specimen with a healthy constitution. They typically live an active 12-15 years. As with all dog breeds they do have a few health problems which can worry them.

Your Veterinarian and Beagle breeder can offer you more specialized Beagle health care advice, but you should at least be aware of some of the potential health problems listed below.
• The long floppy ears of your Beagle can present a few problems. The shape of the ears means that they are susceptible to a build up of yeast and other infections. Management is the key to preventing this problem. Regular inspection of the ear every couple of days is required and a clean out when necessary.
• Beagles love their food! This is a good thing really but you must feed the right food in the right amount to avoid obesity - don't rely on your Beagle to tell you when he/she is hungry! Your Beagle breeder will give you a good feeding plan - try to stick with it. Overweight Beagles are much more likely to suffer from a wide range of serious health problems.
• Beagles are one of the breeds most likely to suffer from canine epilepsy. This is usually an inherited condition which results in repeated seizures. Your Veterinarian can help with a suitable treatment.
• Like most dog breeds the Beagle does suffer from some skin conditions and also arthritis when they get older.

The Beagle's Behavior
According to Wikipedia, Beagles tend to be gentle-tempered and friendly. Still, some people think they can be stubborn and hard to train. Beagles are generally not aggressive and work well with children. Remember that the Beagle breed only provides a general clue as to any individual dog's actual behavior. Make sure to get to know dogs well before bringing them into your home.

Along with the Beagles obvious good looks it is their lovely gentle temperament that wins over dog lovers worldwide.

At their best when they have been well bred, socialized and trained Beagles have a beautiful even temperament and merry disposition. Beagle owners also know them to be cheeky, mischievous but above all, friendly. They are great with children (love to play games!) and get along well with other pets.

Beagles actually crave human company. They hate to be separated from their "human pack" for long periods. Beagles who are left alone and frustrated each day often suffer from separation anxiety which can lead to various destructive behaviors (digging, barking and even self mutilation). If you and your family are required to be away from home for hours and hours on end then a Beagle puppy is probably not for you.

If you are planning to bring a Beagle puppy into your household be sure that you have sufficient fencing around your property. Not having a secure area for your Beagle is a recipe for disaster. They are notorious for roaming when given half a chance and unfortunately it often ends badly.

You'll find your Beagle to be ever alert, inquisitive, and of course have an acute sense of smell. They do make good watchdogs, with their distinctive deep bark enough to raise the alarm. They are not what you would call good guard dogs though - they are far too friendly!