Owning and taking care of beagles is a big commitment. Just like humans, dogs want to nurtured, loved and cared for, and they look up to their owners for these. As a pet owner, you are responsible for the caring and fostering of your pets. This is the same with beagles, especially beagle puppies.
Some owners are clueless about taking care of beagle puppies. If you fall into this class, this is the perfect guide for you. It talks about everything about taking care of beagle puppies!
How to Take Care of Beagle Puppies?
Beagle puppies are adorable, friendly, and loving pets, but they can also be hyperactive, hard-headed, or sickly. There many things to consider while owning one — from their food to their obedience up to their health.
So without further ado, here are the six ways to take care of your beagle pups:
1. Give them the right amount of food
Beagles are considered as voracious eaters by most dog experts. If there’s something to eat, they will try to raid it and eat it. Hence, one of the reasons why most beagles are obese.
It is important to manage their diet well. Experts advise owners to feed their beagles two moderate meals a day, rather than a single big dinner. If they are bought from a store or facility, try to slowly change their diet and give them food specially-made for beagles.
In case you want to prepare homemade dog food, consult a vet first to know what to feed them. Some of the foods that you should avoid include chocolate, raisins, onions, grapes, macadamia nuts, and spicy foods. Some of them are toxic to beagles.
Also, keep your beagle puppies out of other valuable items that they could gnaw. Trashes, small objects, and toxic chemicals should also be kept away from them. Instead, give them dog toys or teethers, which they can bite.
For newborn beagles, much more specific care is needed. Keep the pups close to their mother. However, if the mother beagle cannot produce enough milk, give the puppies a canine-specific milk every two hours using baby bottles. After a few weeks, start weaning them from a liquid to a solid diet.
2. Prepare their shelter
Like humans, give your puppy a personal space too. For your suckling beagles, it’s essential to place them in a whelping box. Temperature is core for growing beagles, so use multiple blankets to keep them warm and dry.
After six weeks, you can now use a crate to train your beagle puppies to stay in their designated spaces. The size of the crate should be the appropriate puppies. You can get one on Amazon. Keep them warm using blankets, and add toys or treats inside for them to enjoy their stay.
You can train them to stay put by opening and closing the crate’s door.
3. Let them exercise regularly
As a hunting dog breed, beagles’ instincts tell them to be hyperactive and energetic. Don’t deprive them of this, but instead, guide them to become well-behaved pets.
In their first few weeks, let your beagle puppy play with their mother and one another. It will help them to learn proper social interaction and etiquette.
After some time, they will start to reveal their ‘active’ side. Hence, to utilize their excess energy, allow them to exercise for five to thirty minutes a day. Note that too much exercise will make your beagles exhausted and lose their body support. This can damage their muscles, bones, and joints.
Like humans, they need ‘warm-ups’ before playing. Brisk walking is perfect as a warm-up exercise.
4. Obedience training is essential
Beagle’s food drive is the key to training them. Try to use treats when you are teaching them.
For house training, guide them towards the bathroom. Afterward, give them their well-deserved reward. This interaction will help them recall the bathroom as a place where they do their ‘potty business.’ In case that they peed or pooped outside the toilet, clean the spot immediately and remove any lingering scent. As a hound dog, scents might trigger a beagle puppy to defecate in that area.
Use training words like ‘stand’ or ‘sit.’ Reward them after following the command, but do not scold them if they didn’t obey the command. Just repeat the steps and try to be friendlier until they succeed.
It’s also a good idea to bring them to a dog training school to interact with other animals. Your beagle puppy might respond to strangers by barking or biting, so exposing them to the outside world will help control their behavior.
Again, beagles have strong scent receptors in their nose. Once they smell something, they will instinctively follow it. To avoid losing your dog, use a leash when they are outside, and consider a microchip for them.
5. Practice proper hygiene
No one wants a dirty companion, so ensure that the puppies are clean at all times. To remove their shedding hair, comb their coat with a mild bristle brush. Make sure to do this daily, along with cleaning the area around their eyes.
Buy personal dog toothbrushes and toothpaste for your beagle puppies and clean their mouth twice or thrice a week. In terms of bathing, wash them only when dirty, and always use warm water and mild dog soap.
The cleanliness of your beagle’s ears is also crucial, so polish it every fourteen days. Similarly, trim their nails if it gets too long to avoid unintentional injuries. But be careful when trimming the nails, since dogs have blood vessels around the paw area which might be damaged.]
6. Keep them healthy
Health is wealth for all humans and animals. This is why you should always keep the health of a beagle puppy in tiptop condition.
Check the puppy’s eyes, ears, nose, skin, and genitals for parasites, scratches, sores, irritations, and discharges. Examine their muscle density and stool for abnormalities.
Take them to a veterinarian twice a year and have them vaccinated for diseases. Regular check-ups are also a must. To reduce uneasiness towards their vet, give them some treats while in there. That way, they will remember their clinic experience as an enjoyable one.
You can also include supplements in their diet, although it is optional.
What Is the Most Important Thing to Do for a Beagle?
If there is one thing that you need to do for your beagle, it is to shower it with love. If you love your dog, caring for it shouldn’t be a problem.
