As the saying goes, “dogs are man’s best friend”. Indeed, these furry, loyal friends are special in their own ways. With a “litter” of different breeds scouring the earth, you will certainly be able to find that one special companion for you.
If you are looking for an explicitly unique and socially active friend, however, perhaps the two-toned Lemon beagle is your ideal match. Who are these gold-and-white coated dogs and how could you keep one or maybe a litter? Read along and be educated about Lemon beagles.
What is a Lemon Beagle?
Lemon beagles are hounds. With that being said, they are specifically known to be hunting dogs. Beagles are generally known to be active and restless, especially in situations where their strong sense of smell is triggered – sometimes by prey, most times by food.
In particular, Lemon beagles are purebred. What makes them sought-after among all beagles are their beautiful and unexpected white and lemon colour, thus the name. “Unexpected” is the term to describe it since once a white beagle pup is born, it’ll take time to determine whether it’ll grow and develop the lemon colour. In a world where tri-color beagles are the norm, Lemon beagles are a joy and pride to have in themselves.
How Does Lemon beagle Look Like?
Lemon beagles, like all beagles, are classified into two sub-classes, respective of sizes: the “13-inch variety” and “15-inch variety”. The first one includes all beagles who are 13 inches and below. The weight of these little beagles is usually under 20 pounds.
Beagles who are between 13 and 15 inches on the other hand may weigh something along 20 to 30 pounds. Females would typically weigh less than male beagles. In addition, these friends may stand at approximately 13 to 16 inches.
Beagles usually have a somewhat muscular, lean appearance being a small-sized breed. To describe in detail, lemon beagles have golden irises, a square-shaped nose, a short back, and a white-tipped tail which is common to all beagles. This tip is called “white flag” which aids hunters in finding where their beagle companion has gone hunting on their own.
Pure beagles like Lemon beagles do not possess solid-coloured genes. Instead, they have “hound colouring”, meaning a beagle will always have two coat colours at the very least. Though it’s called “lemon”, the colour of Lemon beagles isn’t actually yellow, but light golden patches adorn their coat. At birth, these patches are a light tan that darkens over time, that is if the breed turns out to be Lemon beagles.
Some beagles can have what is called “ticking”. These are tiny spots found on their legs and underside. Lemon beagles also have straight and short double-coats that allow them to withstand the rain. That’s perfect for a dog who loves the outside!
Where Did Lemon Beagles Come From?
The Beagle’s exact origin remains a mystery. Lemon beagles cannot even be traced back to their specific roots. Rather, the lemon genes of these rare dogs come from a recessive mutation.
Some scholars believed that scent-hunting dogs like beagles date back to 400 BC in Ancient Greece. Things happened and the Romans were thought to bring the small-sized dogs to the UK, eventually finding themselves in England where their ancestors were trained to hunt wild deer and rabbits.
The origin of the word “beagle” is said to be either the Gaelic word beag meaning “little” or the French be’geule referring to sounds made by hounds when hunting.
The breed made its way to the States, post-Civil War where American hunters quickly embraced their popularity as hunting dogs. Their smaller size made it easier for hunters to keep up with. The American Kennel Club officially recognized the Beagle in 1885. Blunder was the name of the first registered Beagle in the club.
The US Department of Agriculture sustains the popularity of beagles as hunting dogs by forming the “Beagle Brigade”. This popularity, however, has also made the breed more common to use for animal testing.
How do Lemon Beagles Breed?
There is no actual way to tell whether your beagles would produce Lemon beagle puppies. However, if both parents have dominant “Lemon” genes, you might find yourself blessed with a litter of adorable Lemon beagle pups. Take note of the keyword: might.
Lemon beagles have an average of 6 puppies per litter. Their pups could range from the common “tri-color” beagles to two-toned ones. Since they would be born completely white, one would not be able to tell immediately how many would grow up to display the “Lemon” genes.
Average LifeSpan of a Lemon Beagle?
If your Lemon beagle is at optimum health, chances are it would stay with you for 12 to 15 years. Their average lifespan is estimated to be 13 and a half years. This would depend on many factors such as diet, welfare, and exercise.
How Much Would It Cost To Have One?
Since Lemon beagles are one of the rarest types, it would amount to something more expensive. A puppy would probably cost around $500 to $1,300.
Parent-quality, show-quality, and degree of training are things to consider with regards to a pup’s price. If you plan on getting one from breeders, make sure to examine these points.
Why Should I Get A Lemon Beagle?
Lemon beagles are famous for their tracking ability. They are generally known to hunt rabbits of all sizes. Apart from this, they can be trained to work as “detector dogs” because of their strong sense of smell. In fact, the US Customs and Border Protection Agency work with Lemon beagles to screen passengers!
But aside from this cool job, Lemon beagles can make a great family member! Because of their temperament, they are great with people and other pets. They also make a good watcher since they can sense threatening situations. How’s that for a friendly, dependable companion?
Lemon Beagle Temperament?
Like their kin, Lemon beagles are lively and sociable. In the wild, beagles go in packs, so they have no problem associating with other humans and pets. As they are friendly and love attention, they will also be a great companion to kids.
However, beagles are independent. This makes training tricky. Food rewards would do good to keep them on their toes as this is one of their primary motivations. Just make sure to ease the food display since beagles would stop at nothing once they sense the smell of it.
While they are not known to attack other dogs and be aggressive, beagles may show signs of separation anxiety through excessive howling. This just goes to show their social nature.
How Should Lemon Beagle Exercise?
Beagle exercise should be kept short and limited to play and walking because of their small size. Since they are naturally active, they are always on the go to play around. This is a great way to burn off energy. Just make sure to always leave them in the company of another pet or human because if left alone, they may tend to be destructive.
Go for regular walks and activities. Obesity is fairly common in beagles and if you don’t get active with them, they tend to become bored and sluggish. Since they love to eat – so much to the point of obesity, their diets also have to be monitored.
How To Groom Lemon Beagle?
Lemon beagles are clean and easy to maintain. They usually shed minimally, and you would only have to be concerned about it during spring and fall. Year-round, they tend to shed moderately.
A good coat-brush once a week and bathing them every few months or as needed is the key to keeping them clean. They will not necessarily reek of dog order so you would have nothing to worry about. Excessive bathing may cause them dermatitis since it would strip their natural oils.
Remember to check their drooped ears and clean them weekly. Their ears tend to have poor circulation of air, causing build-up debris and will eventually lead to infections. As for their teeth, brush them once a week. Get them used to brushing teeth as early as you can, or you can also use dental chews and treats.
Trim your beagle’s nails regularly. Since they are an active breed, it would pain them to have overly-long nails as this will get in the way of walking and running.
How Do I Train Lemon Beagle?
“Prey drive” is natural to hounds like Lemon beagles. That’s why it is a must to have them on leash training. Since they exhibit high prey drive or in other words – attraction to scents, it is best to go out with them with a long leash. Remember: they are not disobedient by nature, they just think some scents are worth running away for.
As mentioned, beagles are extremely independent. It will take a while, but approach them with patience and positive reinforcements – especially food – and they will be excellent. Beagle training should be kept short and interesting. Just like a child, long hours of attention would be quite impossible.
If you are serious about keeping a beagle, consider getting them into dog socialization and early puppy training classes. To keep your beagle happy and responsive, never detach them from society.
Do I Have Any Health Issues To Worry About?
There should be an emphasis on brushing your beagle’s teeth regularly since the breed is most susceptible to teeth and mouth problems.
When you buy pets, it is important to ask breeders about health problems or history. Some common problems are obesity, cherry eye or prolapse in their third eyelid, glaucoma that if left alone may lead to blindness.
Patellar Luxation is a condition that occurs when the puppy’s knee is dislocated or misaligned. This is common to small-sized dogs like beagles. Consider seeking medical attention if you see your dog with its leg raised in the air. It might look strangely cute, but it is painful and may cause lameness.
Having Lemon beagles around is quite a big deal no matter how small and adorable they may be. Like any other pets, treat them right and keep them happy by knowing more about them and being their best – best friend.
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