Interesting Facts About Beagles
Before you welcome a playful little Beagle to your family, here are a few interesting facts about the breed that will enhance your experience as a pet parent:
Do Not Get A Beagle If You Have A Rabbit At Home!
While everyone knows that Beagles were originally bred for hunting smaller animals, not many people know that they are still the best at hunting rabbits and hares. A Beagle’s primitive hunting instinct might kick in if it sees a rabbit nearby. If you have a rabbit at home, it is advisable not to bring a Beagle under the same roof!
Their Noses And Ears Work In Sync
Beagles are known for their long and droopy ears. Interestingly, their ears work in perfect sync with their noses to enhance their sense of smell. The ears of a Beagle are capable of catching scent particles and bringing them closer to its nose, letting it sense the smell of specific objects/people effectively. This is a good way for a Beagle to take in maximum information with its powerful sense of smell.
A Beagle Could Smell Polar Bears’ Pregnancy!
A two-year-old Beagle was once capable of determining whether a polar bear was pregnant or not simply by smelling it. Called Elvis, the Beagle helped zookeepers who found it difficult to tell if the bears therein were pregnant. Everyone was impressed with Elvis’ accuracy in smelling pregnancies!
Beagles Are Named Due To Their Voices
The term “Beagle” is derived from the French word “begueule”, which means a gaped throat. The breed definitely lives up to this name with its three distinct voices – a conventional doggy bark, a yodel-like bay, and a full-fledged howl.
A Lot Of Beagles Are Employed!
Many Beagles around the world are respectfully employed, thanks to their strong sense of smell and other characteristics. The Department of Homeland Security in the US uses Beagles to find food in passengers’ bags at airports. These Beagles belong to a group called the Beagle Brigade.
There Is A Reason For Their White-tipped Tails
White-tipped tails are some of the most striking features of a Beagle. However, do you know there is a reason for these tips being white? Back in the day, these tips were bred into Beagles to make them visible and identifiable while hunting when they kept their noses to the ground.