Why Beagles Are Popular Dogs in the USA

When the beagle Uno won Best in Show at Westminster in February of 2008, many Americans were surprised to hear that he was the only beagle to do so. This is because beagles have been incredibly popular in America for a couple of hundred years, appearing in hunts, homes and in the comics pages. Snoopy, Charlie Brown's beagle since the 1950s, was based on a real beagle owned by "Peanuts" creator Charles Schultz.

In January of 2010, the American Kennel Club announced that beagles were the fourth most popular purebred dog in America. What is the secret to their success?

They're Easy To Groom

Unlike poodles or long-haired dogs, beagles are low maintenance dogs. They don't need to be clipped or even go to the groomers, which saves a lot of expense for the owner. They also dry off very quickly after a romp in the rain. Since they're short-haired dogs, they do shed more often than some other breeds. But if you brush them regularly, all of the dead hair will mostly fall off in one place.

Although beagles are small hounds, they usually do not have the "hound scent" body odor that other hound breeds do. "Beagles for Dummies" (For Dummies; 2011) notes that if a beagles smells stinky and has not recently rolled in an odiforous substance like a dead squirrel or cat poop, then the odor could be the sign of a skin problem like seborrhea. Take the beagle to a vet.

They're Cute

Americans worship cute. On the cute-o-meter, beagle puppies go off the scale. But even the adults are still cute, because they don't grow that large. They generally are between ten and fifteen inches tall at the highest point of their shoulders. This makes them large enough to roughhouse without getting hurt, but small enough to curl on your lap. Just make sure your beagle doesn't get obese, or your lap will be squashed.

A word of warning here there is a trend among unscrupulous breeders to breed "teacup" or "pocket" beagles that grow up to be less than ten inches tall. Not only are they not allowed to be registered or shown in America, but very small beagles are prone to a wide variety of health problems. Look at Uno to see how cute (and healthy) a full-size Beagle can be.

They're Intelligent

Beagles are far more intelligent than most people. They can quickly assess a new situation and adapt. Granted, some beagles are smarter than others, but many beagles know that people have the food and will go to great lengths to please people for a tasty treat. This makes training them easier than for some other breeds that don't find food all that hot of a motivation to do anything.

They're Sensible

With their intelligence, compact size and desire to please their people, beagles are nowhere near as high-strung as some other breeds of dogs, provided they get a proper diet, regular exercise and plenty of affection. Unfortunately, this has made the beagle the favored dog among laboratories, which use them for anything from testing dog food to vivisection. This has helped to create a flood of unwanted beagles at animal rescue shelters when the experiment is over if the dog is still alive.

Another problem for beagle overpopulation has been puppy mills. These hellish pits of despair provide the puppies for all pet stores and Internet puppy broker sites that sell puppies 365 days of the year. Since beagles are cute, small and in demand, they are being pumped out for people to buy them on impulse. After the puppy gets older, they are then abandoned.

Never buy a beagle when there are so many already in need of a home. If you are looking to open your home to a beagle, you can find your new best friend at your local animal shelter or from a beagle rescue group. There are adoption fees to pay, but they are far less than buying a puppy online or from a pet store.

Additional Refernces:

American Kennel Club. "AKC Dog registration Statistics." http://www.akc.org/reg/dogreg_stats.cfm

"Beagles for Dummies." Susan McCullough. For Dummies; 2011.

Beagles on the Web. "Beagle FAQ." Laurie Kramer. 2002. http://www.beagles-on-the-web.com/questions/

Beagle Club of Queensland. "Beagle FAQ." May 14, 2011. http://www.beagleclubqld.org/faq.html