A little background on Beagle behaviour

After talking to numerous people, I've finally come to realize that many people are not too familiar about how life with a Beagle is like. With their dopey eyes, droopy ears and friendly nature, beagles are perceived to be adorable, lovely and sweet. While that's all true, and they do melt my heart, Beagles are also very active dogs, mischievous at times, intelligent and cheeky. They have a mind of their own, and may or may not listen to their masters consistently.

To me, that's what makes life with a Beagle most interesting. They make you laugh and smile at times when you are down. And they sense they are needed when you need a friend. However, part of the package also includes times when they bite your shoe and end up looking very guilty about it. During these times, you may feel your blood boil and that Snoopy needs to be taught a lesson. And you should - by firmly reprimanding your dog. A firm "No" with a grasp at the back of the neck should be enough.

The fact is, we can't entirely blame our dogs for their behaviour. While we need to correct them for this, there is no guarantee that your dog won't repeat the same mistake. At this point, it is up to you to take preventive measures - Can you stop placing your shoe at a place where your puppy can find it? Can you lock up your Beagle puppy in a cage when you are not at home? Can you buy a dog chew toy instead? (Picture of Claire Doo on the right)

Beagles are utterly intelligent canines. All the beagle puppies in our litter (only 6 weeks old) have already learnt that they need to poo on the grass area whenever they are outside. I was amazed at how fast they picked that up! Clifford has somewhat learnt NOT to put his paws in the bowl while eating. Emily and Penny has managed to open the door of the crate FROM THE INSIDE when we were not at home. While they had explored the house, it was a good thing they didn't bite any of the wires. Tobie, their mom, has also figured out how to open the cage from within. We have since then stopped locking her in the cage, else she will let all the puppies out!

Another trait of Beagles is that they love attention. They need you to talk to them and pat them, although they are not overly clingy like some other breeds I've seen. Beagles are loyal friends, and would readily sit next to you for brownie points. The most amusing thing about my Beagle is her ability to "pose" when she hopes to get treats from us. All this cuteness has managed to earn her some significant extra food over the years. Interestingly, they seem to have the innate ability to get on your good side especially when it's to their advantage.

I would not say that Beagles are good guard dogs. All my Beagle has ever barked at were cats and dogs passing by our home. They may be vocal at times, but that would be to get YOUR attention. Unlike Miniature Pinchers, they DON'T bark non-stop. They may make that half-howl, half bark Beagling noise, but Tobie has rarely done that.

Ideally, Beagles should be raised in a house, not an apartment. Although they are small dogs, they are very active, and need to run about in the compound. Sometimes, my dogs have been caught sunbathing in the midst of a blazing afternoon at 3 pm! Beagles can be kept inside the home, and they can be toilet-trained, but they should be let out into the yard whenever possible.

Cages are necessary for a Beagle, for their safety as well as yours. Due to their docile and friendly nature, there have been cases of Beagle thefts right from the home. Caging them also prevents them from biting on stuff around your house, and also from escaping. Unlike other dogs, Beagles are easily distracted by their noses (Beagles have an excellent sense of smell) and aren't inclined to return home once they escape. They are just too distracted by the smells outside of their home!

Finally, Beagles are great for young couples, or families with children. They love kids and look forward to playing with them too. Of course, I've never seen a child who does not adore a Beagle. Nevertheless, young children should not be wholly responsible for the daily care of a Beagle. Ultimately, the dog becomes part of the family, and the adults need to care for the dog just like any other family member. Dogs are a commitment for at least 10 years and we must be ready to be responsible for them for the long term. (Picture of Emily Doo on the right)

Just pictures and captions!

Milo Doo napping

A box of beagle puppies!

Let's sleep now....

Let's Explore!

Clifford Doo posing

Claire Doo napping

Mommy feeding us

The 3 Beagle Boys

Clifford Doo

I was the largest of the litter, and also the one with the darkest black fur. You can see that I'm serious about stuff, and am able to sit still for a picture. Right now, tan color markings are starting to appear on my face, although I'm still predominantly black. I have a good appetite too, probably the reason why I've been able to stay large in physique still.

Milo Doo

I'm cute and am one of the most active male beagle puppies of the pack. I love to eat too, but I love to play even more. I can sneak up on my brothers and sisters, and wrestle with them after dinner. I try to get the attention of my masters in the morning. Hopefully, they will let me out so that I can play outside again!

Teddy Doo

I think I must be the cutest male beagle, but I'm not trying too hard to compare. I'm curious about my new surroundings, but I'm careful with my steps. If you look carefully at me, you may think that I look like a bear. That large dog at home tried to play with me that day, but I can't chase after her like she wants. Anyways, it's good to have made her acquaintance and I look forward to playing with her again! (Psst, I heard that my new mistresses have already booked me, so I really look forward to my new home.)

Who are we? (Self-portraits of 3 female beagle puppies)

Emily Doo

I'm probably the youngest of the litter. I can't really tell and my mom doesn't know either (she was unconscious when we were born). What I do know is that my mom loves us all, and tries to feed us all at one go. Sometimes, it's difficult to do that, so we take turns to eat.


Playing is my favorite past time. I love to explore, and have probably been farther than my siblings. I don't think they are as adventurous as me, although I've tried to get them to come along. Lately, I've been able to walk faster and I even skip around sometimes. I've even learnt the play position, and gotten one of the large dogs around the house (I think her name is Murfee) to play. She adores us too, although she's not our mom.

Penny Doo



I look like Emily, have almost the same markings, and love to play just like her. Nevertheless, I don't venture as far away as Emily, but stay close to my other siblings during play time. I love to wrestle with Emily, and we are probably the most active of the pack. Pick me up and I'll wriggle round and round. In terms of size, I'm slightly larger and longer than Emily, as I probably eat more than her.




Claire Doo

I love to EAT! I'm the first to the bowl and the last to leave! Feel my stomach after dinner and you'll see that I'm so full. I never seem to get enough, and try my best to get all I can. As compared to my sisters, I have a white stripe on my leg (something they don't have). I look much like them in terms of facial features, except that I'm bigger and fatter.

One-week old beagle puppies nursing!

One of the most amazing things about Tobie was her instinct to care and protect her puppies after they were born. We never knew that she had this in her.

As she laid down at her side, tired after her night-long ordeal with going in and out of labour, we observed as the entire litter whined for milk from their mother. Frantic and concerned, we prepared our own milk replacers for the puppies, and tried to feed them via a small puppy feader bottle. Surprizingly, these pups weren't too interested in what we had to offer. Obviously, they preferred mom's milk.

Tobie kept busy during the first week of being a mom, feeding and cleaning her puppies regularly. As her owners, the loving Beagle we had just a few days ago was no longer her. There were no more Beagle poses, no more relational pats, and no more playing games with Murfee, our other dog. She looked to us only to let her out, or as her source of food. Her personality changed overnight, and her priority now was obviously her 6 adorable puppies.

Of course, the upside to this was that we hardly had to do much cleaning, except to change the newspapers and the sheets we had for them. Tobie took care of all her puppies' needs. Diligently, she woke them up with gentle nudges when it was time for a meal, and licked them clean thereafter. Newborn puppies needed to be stimulated to poo and pee.

Diet-wise, Tobie seemed to have lost weight although we fed her 3 times as much, and provided supplements of milk replacer, calcium and Nutripet. Obviously, all her puppies are well-nourished and active. They are growing up fast and twitch when they sleep. It has been a different scene each week, and their features and personalities are starting to surface.

Physically, they had been all born black and white, (brown tones in beagles start to emerge as they grow up). Gradually, parts of the black on their shoulders and face are turning tan, just like their mom. We have even named them! More pup personality tales in my next post!

6 Adorable Beagle Puppies!

17th May 2007 - These 6 beagle puppies were born through Ceasarian section. Tobie Doo, our 5 year old Beagle weighing only 9 kg before being pregnant was considered a small Beagle to be carrying 6 pups. Thus, this was really a surprise to us! Moreover, this was already her 65th day of pregnancy, and she was already late. (The expected gestation period for dogs is 63 days).

Throughout the night of the 16th, we waited the entire night for Tobie to go into labour. After just a mere whine and squeak at about 10 pm at night, probably signaling the start of the contractions, nothing happened till the next morning. Her water bag broke about 11 am the next day, and after several hours of waiting without any progress, we finally took her in to the vet.

After an hour of surgery, we were delighted when the 6 puppies were presented to us in a box, collectively making high-pitched whines. Amidst fears that Tobie would not recognize her own pups, she surprised us once again when she lovingly let them suckle milk, even though she was still in pain from surgery. She placed her paws as much as she could on them, and pulled them close to her to protect them from the cold. Truly, we never expected Tobie, our mischievous Beagle to be motherly. In our eyes, she has always been our puppy friend.

Throughout the next two weeks, Tobie has been relatively protective over her puppies, although she has never been fierce with us. We were allowed to pick her puppies out, but she always kept a watchful eye. If we held on too long (like over 2 minutes) , she would come over and grab them back with from us. She could hardly carry them in her mouth, but she tried nevertheless.

I still remember the first week when she was hardly out of the puppy pen, a box we made for her, feeding them every few hours. As the newborn beagle puppies hardly whined, we knew that Tobie had done a good job being their mother.

Read my new posts, as I relate the different personalities of this litter of beagle puppies!