WHY BEAGLE?

There is something special about a dog of the beagle breed. It is impossible to resist it when it looks at you with its begging brown eyes and its happy and trustful behavior will most certainly touch your heart.
But do not let it fool you completely with its innocent appearance. A beagle is no lap-dog. It is robust...and knows well what it wants!

The beagle is the smallest type of hound, a fox-and-hare-hound.
In Sweden it usually works alone, but originally it is bred to hunt in packs - thats the reason why most beagles like to live together with other dogs.
Some people - especially hunters - believes a hound must hunt, or it will be unhappy. This is not my experience. None of our beagles has ever been used as hunting-dogs, but they have all seemed contented with their lives anyway.
If you are going to buy a beagle (however you plan to use it) you must consider its urge for an interesting life. It will not thrive in a home where nothing happens. It is a curious, strong and active dog, stubborn as a donkey and persistent enough for a whole day´s hunt. Unleashed in the woods it will probably soon run away...and if it then gets a good scent in its nose, you might very well have to wait for a while before it decides to come back to you.
Furthermore it is often crazy about food and can easily grow a bit fat.
Disregarding these "shortcomings", which is really a part of its charm, the beagle is a most wonderful dog. You can hardly get a companion more delightful than it in your house!

I am not a hunter, so I often get the question "why beagle?" The answer is quite obvious - I simply like this nice little breed. Its temper and independence suits me and my needs very well. Besides it is a helthy breed, with few hereditary diseases. If a beagle don´t get killed in the traffic or disapperes in the woods during hunting, your chances are good to keep it until it is 12 - 14 years.
It is right in size (not too big, not too small), kind and happy and easy to handle, even for children and elderly people.
The coat is short, smooth and "self-cleaning" - I use to wash my dogs just once a year...I´m not even sure it´s necessairy - and meanwhile just give them a wash-up when they have rolled themselves in something "unmentionable". Okay, they shed - it is normal - but not worse than other animals. At least they need no trimming. Their nails must get clipped, that is all.
Some beagles get problems with their ears, so it is wise to check up on them now and then - and old beagles often get cataract and neither see or hear very well, but this is normal for elderly dogs - they can have a good life anyway.

MEET THE MERRY BEAGLES IN KATRINEHOLM!

Trot along