Hi Lil Dog Whisperer Readers ~

One of the sweetest dogs I have ever met is the Beagle.  They are friendly, gentle and merry.  I always love being around and with them.   Sorry for all the photos, but I think that they are so cute!

Beagles are kind and gentle with children.  He loves to play with you and always wants to be near you and he's territorial and protective of his family.

Beagles are a member of the Hound Group along with the Bloodhound, Dachshund, Basset Hound and many others!

The Beagle is a small to medium-sized dog. It is similar in appearance to the Foxhound, but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears.

Beagles are a scent hound, which means that they use their sense of smell to find game, not like the Greyhound who as a sight hound, the breed pursues game using its vision and speed.  Often you can tell sight hounds from scent hounds but their heads.  For example, the Greyhound has a long lean head so the have more range to see, while the Beagle has a short square head, also the ears play a good part in scent hounds tracking.  Their ears pull the scent towards their nose.

He has a highly developed nose and will wander off after interesting smells. For this reason, he needs to be securely fenced in or on a leash when he's outdoors or he will wander miles away after a scent. He might be more interested in finding out where that fascinating smell comes from than obeying your commands!

 Due to their amazing sense of smell often today in airports throughout the USA, dogs of the "Beagle Brigade" sniff packages and baggage belonging to international passengers, searching for prohibited food and agricultural items.

The Beagle can be quite noisy: baying and barking, telling you he has found his scent. He loves his food and will eat until he bursts if allowed to. He can be quite ingenious in coming up with ways to get to the food in the cupboard, in the bin or on the table! His favorite past time is digging in the dirt. He always wants to be near you and given lots of love and attention from his human family.  They are eager to please and will always be willing to take a treat! 

Beagles have many different hair colors although the Tri-color (white with large black areas and light brown shading) is the most common, Beagles can occur in any hound color.

Tricolored dogs occur in a number of shades, from the "Classic Tri" with a jet black saddle (also known as "Blackback"), to the "Dark Tri" (where faint brown markings are intermingled with more prominent black markings), to the "Faded Tri" (where faint black markings are intermingled with more prominent brown markings)

Some tricolored dogs have a broken pattern, sometimes referred to as pied. These dogs have mostly white coats with patches of black and brown hair.

Tricolor Beagles are almost always born black and white. The white areas are typically set by eight weeks, but the black areas may fade to brown as the puppy matures. (The brown may take between one and two years to fully develop.) 
Some Beagles gradually change color during their lives, and may lose their black markings entirely.

Two-color varieties always have a white base color with areas of the second color. Tan and white is the most common two-color variety, but there is a wide range of other colors including lemon, a very light tan; red, a reddish, almost orange, brown; and liver, a darker brown, and black.

Liver is not common and is not permitted in some standards; it tends to occur with yellow eyes. Ticked or mottled varieties may be either white or black with different colored flecks (ticking), such as the blue-mottled or bluetick Beagle, which has spots that appear to be a midnight-blue color, similar to the coloring of the Bluetick Coonhound. Some tricolor 

Beagles also have ticking of various colors in their white areas.

The short coat of a Beagle requires only an occasional brushing.  But he does shed and you may find yourself brushing him more the twice a week to remove loose hair.

Has anyone heard of Snoopy from the comic strip and TV series Peanuts?  He is one of some very famous Beagles.  So, to finish off, here are some more Beagles that I’m sure you know:

Odie from the Garfield series

Underdog, the Super dog,

There’s no need to fear Underdog is here!

 Gromit from Wallace and Gromit

In the 1960s President Lyndon Johnson had three Beagles.... named "Him", "Her", and "Edgar". 

And here is a really cute video that I found that I just LOVE!

I hope you enjoyed learning more about the Beagle as much as I did!

Cute Pups! Cute Dog Photo of the Week!

Hi Lil Dog Whisperer Readers ~

I have a new column where every week I will post a cute dog photo and this week I have some really cute ones to share with you to kick off the new column!

Here they are!

Which one is your favorite?  I love the one with the Golden and Westie!

If you have any beautiful or cute dog photos you'd like to share, please e-mail me at lildogwhisperer@gmail.com.  I would love to share them here on Lil Dog Whisperer. 

Hope you enjoyed the photos and look forward to seeing some of yours soon!! 

You Dog Lovin’ Pal, 

Araya

Flat-Coated Retriever ~ Peter Pan of the Dog World

Hi Lil Dog Whisperer Readers!
This week I have decided to write about the fun, beautiful Flat-Coated Retriever!  I hope you enjoy learning about them as much as I have!!

 The Flat-Coated Retriever is excellent with children and a great family dog, with a reliable temperament. Friendly, sweet and high-spirited, they love everyone, even strangers. They have a puppy-like attitude and always appear to be in good spirits.

They love to play and retrieve, and with enough exercise they will be quiet indoors, saving the activity for the outside. They are intelligent, loyal companions. This very sociable breed needs lots of gentle but firm leadership from their family.

As a family companion he is sensible, alert and highly intelligent; a lighthearted, affectionate and adaptable friend. He retains these qualities as well as his youthfully good-humored outlook on life into old age. 

Paddy Petch, author of The Complete Flat-Coated Retriever, refers to these dogs as the "Peter Pan" of the retriever breeds, given they never quite grow up.
The Flat-Coated Retriever gets along well with dogs and other pets. They are active, obedient and highly trainable, and can get bored easily without variety.

Keep training sessions short and fun, without excessive repetition. Be sure to take them for daily walks to satisfy their high energy.

The Flat-Coated Retrievers is a versatile family companion hunting retriever with a happy and active demeanor, intelligent expression, and clean lines.The Flat-

Coated Retriever is an active, multi-talented bird dog with a strong desire to please people. Exuberant, confident, and outgoing, they make a loving family pet and are excellent companions to even small children, providing adults are nearby to direct this dog's boisterous enthusiasm.

These retrievers do best with plenty of exercise and engagement to help channel their natural sporting energy. Including them in one's daily routines whether for a walk, jog, or car ride are great ways to indulge their innate desire to be with people. While flat-coats will protect their owners and property with an assertive bark, they are unlikely to back up such noise with actual aggression.

Originating in the mid-19th century in England, the Flat-Coated Retriever gained popularity as a gamekeeper’s dog.  It is thought that Canadian seafarers brought Newfoundlands to British ports and that they factored into the ancestry of the Flat-coat. It is thought that Collie-type dogs were added to increase the breed's trainability along with the Newfoundland for strength and Setter blood for enhanced scenting ability.

The first examples of the breed were introduced around 1860, but the final type was only established twenty years later.  These retrievers were invaluable to fishermen and often traded between Britain and North America, where they became known as generic "Labrador" dogs. Eventually, a breed known as the Wavy-Coated (subsequently Flat-Coated) Retriever appeared and became distinct to these "Labrador" dogs.

The medium-length coat of the Flat-Coated Retriever only requires an occasional brushing. But because he sheds you may find yourself brushing him once or twice a week to remove loose hair. (What you get out with a brush doesn't fall out in your home!)

The distinctive and most important features of the Flat-Coat are the silhouette (both moving and standing), smooth effortless movement, head type, coat and character.

In silhouette the Flat-Coat has a long, strong, clean, "one piece" head, which is unique to the breed. Free from exaggeration of stop or cheek, the head is set well into a moderately long neck which flows smoothly into well laid back shoulders.

A level topline combined with a deep, long rib cage tapering to a moderate tuck-up create the impression of a blunted triangle. The brisket is well developed and the forechest forms a prominent prow.

(Liver Flat Coated Retriever)
This utilitarian retriever is well balanced, strong, but elegant; never cobby, short legged or rangy. The coat is thick and flat lying, and the legs and tail are well feathered. A proud carriage, responsive attitude, waving tail and overall look of functional strength, quality, style and symmetry complete the picture of the typical Flat-Coat.

From the young Peter Pan or strong retriever, the Flat-Coated Retriever is an amazing dog!