All About the Mini Beagles

A small and short dog breed that people prefer is the Mini Beagles. This dog, more commonly called the Pocket Beagles, have a lot of names. Some people call it “Teacup Beagles”, “Miniature Beagle”, “Mini Beagle” or even “Old English Beagle”. This dog breed is known for its short to medium – smooth, water-resistant and long coat. A mini beagle is known for its compact body: small that has equal height and length. Its eyes are wide-set, large, and hazel or even brown in color; they are known to have a rectangular head; large yet low-set and floppy ears. The legs of this dog breed are medium in length, its chest is broad and deep, with a medium-sized tail that is slightly curved and can be carried erect. This breed does not fall under a large breed, however, people still prefer to have their beagle in a small size.

Breeders believe that a  small-sized mini beagle is not bred from pure beagles. Breeders mate their beagles with another small-sized dog to produce a puppy that looks like the aforementioned breed. Many dog breeders would show their adorable and cute dog photos, which are small in size, however, these dogs will just grow up to be a regular-sized beagle dog. You can further research this on a mini beagle website, which will state that there is no guaranteed size for this breed.

History of the Beagle Breed

Back in the medieval times, hunters would have small dogs that would fit in their pockets – these are the original miniature beagles. The original breed of this dog is long gone now, however, the cute dogs that we love today – mini beagles – are named after them.

Queen Elizabeth I is recorded to have owned a small beagle. This dog is so small that it could fit in her glove! This made the beagle breed, or its close variation, to be known to exist in the United Kingdom for a long time now. From the history of Queen Elizabeth I, there is a long debate whether the standard-sized beagle or its small-sized variation are different breeds.  The Mini Beagle has gained a lot of popularity since then.

The mini beagle that we know today has a rich history in terms of hunting. The smallest-sized beagles are used for hunting animals such as fowl and rabbits. These small dogs could fit and go under the bushes as well into holes further and better than their large counterpart. This practice has been done for many centuries, this led the hunters to believe that they could also carry these small dogs into their saddlebags while they are riding their horses. This would mean that they could travel further

Old English Pocket Beagle

For many centuries, British hunters used the smallest Beagles in their packs for hunting game like rabbits and fowl, as the small dogs could scramble under bushes and into holes far better than their larger counterparts. The hunters also discovered they could carry these dogs in their saddlebags while they rode horses, which means they can hunt better instead of carrying big beagles. The small-sized dogs became popular and hunters started to breed them with other small-sized dogs. This created a new dog breed which is known as the “Old English Pocket Beagle.”

In the early 20^th century, hunting is less popular so a mini dog such as the beagle breed is seldom used. This breed is considered extinct around the 1900s. The Pocket Beagle is recreated using the same breeding technique as the hunters before, using the smallest sized beagles and adding other small dog breeds such as Chihuahuas and Pomeranians. After decades, the United States started a “designer dog” fad. In the present time, this breed mainly exists in America.

Characteristics of Mini Beagles

A dog breed that is a mixture of a lot of things is the mini beagles. They are intelligent, curious, lively, yet independent little furry creatures. They are also believed to be a bundle of tail-wagging happiness that would love to get into mischief, however, this trait is overpowered by their sweetness. The Mini Beagles are practically like their larger beagle relatives. They are extremely affectionate and very friendly to everyone. A downside of this trait is that they are very willful yet stubborn. You need to house train them, especially for obedience. Mini beagles can howl unnecessarily unless you train them to minimize this behavior. This dog breed is known to be scent-hounds, you need to know that they can follow you as long as they can smell you. For this reason, you need to have close supervision for your dog.

Learning More about Mini Beagles

Since the beagle dog breed is known for its age, in terms of dog breed. The breeders took this opportunity to weed out all the unhealthy genetic health conditions. Well-known dog breeders do not just mix plain small dogs to create small breeds. Breeders know that they should pick out dogs that would produce healthy, beautiful, and sociable dogs that would follow the breed standards. Breeding runs with one another would just yield sick and unhealthy puppies. This method would just create genetic health problems which are very bad for your dogs.

Some dog owners want to have an alternate dog that is similar to the miniature beagle. You can find a similar dog, just find a smaller dog breed. Some small breeds are Dachschund, you can also find a mix of a beagle with another small dog. Dog breeds such as the mini beagles have been around for a long time, you know that they are well taken care of because it has been around for a long time.

Maintenance Tips

• The mini beagle requires moderate care. You need to do obedience training for your dog. There is only a little grooming required, and your dog only needs about twice a week of bodily exercise.
• This dog breed will shed moderately. You need to brush your mini beagles once a week but they should only be bathed around every two to three months. You should also check their floppy ears, this is to prevent any ear infection.
• For its exercise needs, you need to give daily physical activities especially when they reach their adolescence. You can provide them with an outdoor game that would allow your dog to run, however, make sure that you keep a close eye to your dog. Also, make sure to take your dogs for daily walks, but make sure that s/he is on a leash.
• For its habitat, your dog could live in any living space. Your mini beagle could easily wander off, it is recommended that you keep your dog in a yard with a high fence.
• For the suitable temperature, your mini beagle has a shorter coat. This would mean that they are suitable for areas with warm climates.
• The life expectancy of your mini beagle is around 11 to 14 years. This dog breed is known for their illnesses like eye issues, epilepsy, obesity, and even heart diseases. Dogs, especially coming from “runt” breed, could also suffer from dwarfism. This is due to the genetic health condition concerning their bone growth.