Beagle Dog
Your Subtitle text
How to Groom a Beagle
Overview
To keep your beagle healthy, you must provide regular grooming and care to his coat, skin, nails, ears, eyes, and teeth. Grooming is also a great time for you and your beagle to bond, as well as an opportunity for you to inspect your dog's for changes that may be signs of illness.
Getting Your Beagle Used to Grooming
If you begin proper grooming when your Beagle is a puppy, you will find that in as soon as a few short weeks, he or she will begin to enjoy this time. Many dogs find brushing to be soothing, in as much as humans enjoy a nice back massage. In addition, bath time can be a great way to bond with your Beagle. You will want to:- Start a regular grooming routine immediately after you bring your Beagle home.
- Reward your Beagle with treats for staying still and allowing his feet, muzzle, and ears to be touched.
Bath Information
A Beagle has shiny, short hair and therefore does not need a bath as often as other breeds may. It is recommended to give your Beagle a bath every other week. If you will be showing your Beagle in a dog show, you will want to give him or her baths once per week. Before the event, a bath should be given the night before. Giving too many baths will dry out the skin of this breed and can lead to itching, sometime extreme.
It is very important to only use dog shampoo. Many dogs are allergic to human shampoo. In addition, human shampoo has a completely different Ph balance which will quickly dry out your dog’s skin. Dry skin on a dog can cause itching and fur loss.
Therefore, it is suggested to always use a hypo-allergenic dog shampoo, followed by a hypo-allergenic dog fur conditioner.
Bath time should be a fun time. If the noise of the running water scares your Beagle, you can prepare the bath without him or her in the room. The water should be warm. Use your wrist to check the temperature. If it feels hot to you, it will be too hot for your dog. You may wish to use the bathtub or a large sink.
Eyes should be wiped with a soft wash cloth. If you notice that discharge is causing a discoloration under or around your Beagle's eyes, it is recommended to use dog eye wipes. Excessive eye discharge is considered a health issue and should be checked out by your dog's veterinarian.
Tip: Young puppies do best when having baths in the kitchen sink, as opposed to a large bathtub. Be sure to put a non-slip mat in the sink before you add the water. Brushing Overview
Beagles are rather clean dogs, and are one of the easiest breeds to groom. They do tend to shed an average amount; however brushing your beagle regularly not only removes dirt, it also helps to reduce shedding. Brush your Beagle at least once a week and more often in the spring, when they shed the most.
- Medium-bristled brush: Use this tool to brush in long strokes along the dog’s body.
- Fine-toothed comb: After brushing, use this comb to remove hair that was left behind.
- Dog Glove Brush: This brush, worn over the hand, has rubber bristles on one side and wire bristles on the other. Use after you comb the dog to improve the shine of its coat.
- Rake: This comb cuts down on shedding because its rubber nubs pull dead hair out of the coat. Use it during a heavy shedding period.
Beagle Nail Care Overview
The nails on a Beagle need to be cut about every 5- 6 week, To cut the nails, you’ll need two things:
- Dog Nail Clippers: Get an appropriately sized pair of either pliers-type or guillotine-type clippers. Both are available at any pet store. Don’t use scissors or nail clippers made for humans.
- Styptic powder or gel: Styptic powder or gel will stop the bleeding if you cut your dog’s nail too far. Trim each nail just a tiny bit at a time or you’ll risk cutting the quick, the blood vessel inside the nail. In a dog with light-colored nails, you can see the quick as a pink line running up the middle of the nail nearly to the end. On darker nails, you can see the quick by holding a flashlight under the nail. If you do cut the quick, dip the nail into styptic powder or gel to stop the bleeding.
Beagle Ear Care
The Beagle's hanging ears should be checked at least every 2 weeks for any signs of infection, any waxy build-up and excessive hairs.
Any long hairs should be plucked from the ears. If long or excess hair is allowed to stay in the ears, this can make for a breeding ground for bacteria and/or ear mites.
Ear Mites: These are extremely contagious and will quickly jump from dog to dog or cat to dog. When a Beagle has ear mites, this can cause quite a bit of discomfort for the dog. As you groom your dog look for the signs of mites:
• There will be inflammation , this is sometimes extreme and very noticeable
• Intense itching and scratching – Your dog may shake his head and do all he can to scratch his ears and/or head
• An increase of earwax, this may be thicker than usual
• A thick black discharge
Ear Infections: Common acute infections or frustration chronic ear infections may occur. While grooming, look for the signs of infection:
• Scratching at their ears
• Attempting to rub their ear on the floor or up against furniture
• Shaking their head back and forth
• Tilting their head - A sign of an infection that has reached the middle ear
• A lack of balancing skill - A sign of an infection that has reached the middle ear
• Strange eye movements - Also a sign of an infection that has reached the dog's middle ear
More Information
Note: For 26 Beagle Behaviors, 40 Beagle Health Issues, Direct personal advice with the Beagle Pro Experts...For FREE...For Life...And Much More, have a peek at the The Beagle Pro E-Book.
