Beagles

I'm thinking about beagles tonight, for reasons I can't fathom, but little 12-inch tricolored, blanket-back beagles are on my mind.

We raised beagles for the better part of two decades and during the '90s I got out of the beagle-running business   They're great little dogs, smart, pack oriented, and deadly hell on rabbits.  There's really nothing better than a crisp winter morning, a pack of beagles and a rabbit cover.    With a small pack of dogs, a pocket full of 20 gauge shells, and a recent clear-cut, you've got a morning full of fun.

Beagles are susceptible to problems, but no so much that you've got to worry about them, they're fairly durable little dogs.  Keep the bloodlines clean, don't interbreed them and you don't have to worry about hip dysplasia. Keep the shots current and give them a worming twice a year, you're pretty much done.  Like with all dogs, heart-worm treatment and inoculation against parvo virus is a great idea.

Beagles are great little dogs, and I'm thinking about beagles tonight.