The Beagle Harrier is an intelligent and loyal breed. But how do you know whether you are ready to purchase a pet and if this breed is right for you? This information is absolutely necessary in making the decision to purchase a pet.
History
The origin of the Beagle Harrier can be traced back to late 19th century France, when a breeder named Baron Gerard crossed the Beagle and the Harrier in hopes of creating the ultimate hunting dog.
Throughout its history, the Beagle Harrier has been most commonly used for tracking and hunting game such as rabbit, fox, deer, and wild boar, proving its superior abilities to perform in most any environment while providing companionship.
The destruction of World War II threatened complete extinction of the Beagle Harrier. Credited for saving the breed are several unnamed breeders, who worked feverishly to repopulate the breed to the stable numbers it remains as currently.
Today, while the Beagle Harrier has attained a regional popularity as a hunting and companion dog, the breed remains rather rare outside of France.
Personality Traits
Best known for its outgoing and spunky nature, the Beagle Harrier is full of character. This breed thrives on strong and dependable relationships with humans. These dogs are highly intelligent and generally easy to train. As a pet, the Beagle Harrier is obedient, loyal, loving, and affectionate. The Beagle Harrier is not suited for apartment or full-time indoor living, as it enjoys spending time outdoors and playing games such as fetch.
Train-ability
Due to its need for human leadership and eagerness to please and impress its owner, the Beagle Harrier generally responds well to basic training and commands. This intelligent breed has the ability to learn to perform most any task its trainer is willing to take the time to teach.
Establishing immediate trust and respect is key to successfully training the Beagle Harrier. These dogs can be somewhat sensitive to criticism and require positive reinforcement and reward-based training.
Benefits and Disadvantages of the Breed
There are many benefits to owning a Beagle Harrier, such as its no hassle, low maintenance coat. This intelligent breed is easy to train and capable of learning to perform many impressive tricks and tasks. When properly socialized from a young age, the Beagle Harrier gets along well with small children and other pets, often making friends quickly. These dogs are very alert, serving as an effective watch dog, announcing the arrival of guests and unwanted visitors. The Beagle Harrier is obedient, loyal, loving, and affectionate, making an excellent hunting dog, family pet, and companion alike.
Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to owning a Beagle Harrier. This energetic and athletic breed requires large amounts of daily exercise and room to run and play outdoors. Anyone wishing to purchase this breed lacking the adequate amount of time and space to dedicate to the dog is strongly advised against doing so. A Beagle Harrier not receiving the proper amount of exercise and space will often act out by destroying property, chewing, barking, whining, and ignoring basic training such as housebreaking.
The Beagle Harrier has a strong instinct to hunt and will occasionally indulge in a good chase. When on the run, these small dogs are surprisingly quick, and may pose a threat to other animals, neighborhood pets, and small woodland creatures. The Beagle Harrier must be leashed or properly secured at all times when outdoors.
Like many companion breeds, the Beagle Harrier is known to suffer from separation anxiety. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed who travel frequently, have full time work, or are away from the home on a daily basis are advised to begin researching another breed. During an attack of separation anxiety, the Beagle Harrier will act out of nervous destruction and may destroy property, chew, bark, whine, and ignore housebreaking training.
As previously mentioned, the Beagle Harrier is rather rare outside of France and can prove difficult to obtain. Individuals wishing to purchase this breed often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.
Common Health Concerns
While the Beagle Harrier is typically known as a healthy and hearty breed, they do suffer from a few health problems, including: hip dysplasia, skin allergies and sensitivity, various dental issues, and distichiasis – ingrown eye lashes.
Now that you know all about the breed, do you think you are ready to own a Beagle Harrier? Remember, purchasing a pet is a big decision and should be discussed thoroughly and seriously with your entire family.
Sources:
http://www.heydogs.com/b/beagle-harrier.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/beagle_harrier
