The Beagle Is Naturally Gentle

One of the most even-tempered pets a family can hope to have can also pull double duty as a hunting dog. Beagles are known for their easy tempers and eagerness to please their owners so much that they are willing to learn new tricks and behaviors, making them ideal as family pets. Although not necessarily shy, they may be a little reluctant to make friends as first, but will usually warm up quickly to strangers. They are also very rarely aggressive and genuinely happy to be around recognized people.

This trait works well to make them serve as watchdogs as they will generally only bark and carry on around people with whom they are unfamiliar. Often times their skittishness around strangers has been confused with aggression but most often a simple word of reassurance from their owners will quiet and settle them down almost immediately.

Its diligence as a hunting dog can be traced back to the 18th century when hunters wanting to spend all day on the hunt used beagles to track and corner hares. Their later use as rabbit hunters allowed them to use their nose to follow the rabbits into high weeds and under brush to find the elusive quarry. Being in reasonably good health beagles also have the stamina needed to chase down as animal into its hiding place and then work on routing the rabbit into an opening.

This dedication to its purpose allowed hunters to follow on horseback and wait until the beagle brought the captured prey to them. When the days of the all-day hunt drew to a close and hunters wanted animals more for the quick hunt, the use of beagles waned. However, hunters today still train their beagles to hunt quarry and many are still used for their noses’ ability to track wild game. They are used in hunting not only rabbits, but also for pheasants and other birds. Some deer hunters use them to track wounded animals that may otherwise become lost in the woods.

In addition to hunting, their sense of smell allows them to also be trained to find contraband hidden away in suitcases and packages. Used frequently by detection services, the small size of the animal rarely intimidates travelers while a border beagle is sniffing their bags.

Their keen sense of smell as well as their stamina made them attractive as hunting dogs, especially during the days when people enjoyed the all-day hunts. They can fit into heavily wooded areas or in thick brush to bring out rabbits. Even though the faster animals can outrun thebeagles, putting its nose close to the ground enabled it to track the animal into even the smallest hiding places.

The all day hunters appreciated the instincts of a well-trained beagle is they could ride leisurely behind the dog as it chased the scent of its quarry into even the thickest of undergrowth, emerging successfully with its prey.