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BEAGLE BASICS
Crates:
Plastic or Wire
We are firm believers that every dog should have a create to call his own. Crates provide a safe place for your dog at home or while traveling.
We recomend a plastic crate as they give the dog a sense of security (like a den). They have a solid bottom in case of accidents and are easy to transport from house to car.
Buy a crate with the adult dog in mind. That is, the crate should have enough room for the mature dog to stand up and to stretch out full length to relax.
Bedding
A young puppy will need to have some absorbentbedding in his crate. Newspaper is always a good base to start out with. Adding an old
towel or blanket to snuggle in. We like to use the fake sheep skin pads as they wash up easily and the puppies seem to not chew them up.
Collar / Leash
- Flat buckle or a quick release collar, the correct size and weight for the age of your puppy.
- Leash - 6 foot web or leather for walking and training.
- Flexi lead retractable to 15 feet for controlled exercise.
Dishes
Food and water dishes should be unbreakable and made as such that the puppy can not pick them up and carry them around.
Toys
- Rawhide chew bones - knots
- Hooves
- Fake sheep skin toys
Try not to give your puppy plastic toys that they can chew up and swallow pieces. Some puppies really enjoy toys and will "play" with
them for days. Others will destroy their toys in a matter of minutes.
Grooming
" THE WASH N' WEAR BEAGLE"
Brushing is something that both you and your Beagle will enjoy. Start at an early age and for just a few minutes, until your puppy gets use to the
grooming attention. Despite the breeds smooth appearance, the Beagle does shed. Shedding is more abundant in the spring when the Beagle
drops his thicker winter coat. Brushing or striping out the dead coat with a stiff brush will help control the loose hair in you home.
Paw pedicures should be done about once a month on an adult Bealge. You will need to start with your puppy by handling his feet daily. With a
nail trimmer just "tip" the nails. While holding the youngster in your lap, just take the very tip of the nail off. You should not be able to hear your
beagles toenails click as he walks across a hard surfaced floor.
Here's to Ears....because of the Beagle's pendulous ears, ear mites and infections can become a problem if you forget to check in the ears once a
month. A Beagle that is shaking his head alot or scratching his ears should be checked for ear problems. Gently swab out the ears with a
cotton ball or carefully with a Q tip soaked in one of the many over the counter ear wash products.
Flea control is a must since your Beagle is a family member. Depending on your area of the country, fleas and be a large or small problem. Here
in Minnesota we do not have a big flea problem, I do try to keep flea collars on the dogs that are traveling to dog shows. We find that in general, flea collars work for us.
After brushing, nail trimming and ear cleaning it's bath time. Luckily for Beagle owners the breed is a fairly clean little dog.
We recommend a bath every two to three months. However, there is always the happy wanderer that likes to roll on dead things, rotten
vegetation, etc.. and will try to get in the house while "not" smelling like a rose. We recommend that you use a mild deodorizing dog shampoo. A
good sudsing followed by a thorough rinse and a brisk toweling, keeping your Beagle in a warm dry room until he dries.
Teeth cleaning can be done at home with a soft traditional toothbrush or a smaller finger brush. Using a toothpaste or gel that you would get from
your vet. To start getting your puppy use to having this done just run a wash cloth wrapped around your finger over his teeth and gums. If the
teeth are ignored, the tarter bill up can require a trip to the vet to have the teeth scaled.
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