Miniature Beagle (also known as "Pocket Beagle"), is a smaller version of the Standard Beagle. The Miniature Beagles originated in England. Used as a hunting dogs, they could travel under bushes and were used to hunt small  animals such as rabbits. The name "Pocket Beagle" originated because hunters would carry the dogs in their saddle bags. It is said that these original small-sized Beagles were bred in 1300's and 1400's, then became extinct. However, miniature beagles have been recreated and are now being bred once again.  While it is possible to buy this small dog puppy for under $150, it is better to choose a miniature beagle for adoption thus saving money and offering one more dog a forever home. You can check BONES Beagles website for information about dogs available for adoption, and rules to comply with.  The Miniature Beagle is a gentle and curious dog that loves everyone. They are sociable, intelligent, trainable, calm and loving. Excellent with children. The Miniature Beagle has a loud, baying cry that was a delight to hunting horsemen, but can be disturbing to family and neighbours.

Nose is the most important part of the beagle. He is a scenthound and usually runs miles with the head down to the ground, searching for an interesting trail to follow.

These little hounds have about 220 million scent receptors, while people live with just 5 million. This huge number makes beagles very good at picking up scents. To keep them fit and active you should allow beagles at least an hour of exercise every day. Beagles love to play and sniff out everything around them while walking.

This breed makes perfect watchdogs, but it can't guard the house due to its friendly nature. However, thanks to excellent sense of smell and very sensitive ears miniature beagles can identify a sound's location much faster than a human can. Additionally, they are able to recognize the sounds up to 4 times the distance that humans can distinguish. So your beagle is a wonderful 'sound and smell detector' ;-)

Pet obedience training is recommended for beagles, much better if the training is given while it is still puppy. Training should not encounter any major complications as beagles are intelligent and quickly soak up the expectations of the owner. 

1. Do miniature beagles smell?

Of course they do, but only if they are dirty. If you brush the miniature beagle once a week and feed him nutritious food, you should have any problem with the smell. Sometimes a beagle can develop an offensive odour if anal glands need expressing.

2.  Do beagles shed?

Yes, beagles shed quite a bit. However, when properly cared for, even people with allergies can do quite well with a beagle in the home. A good brushing is usually sufficient to keep your beagle's coat clean, healthy and non-smelling. They should be brushed once or twice a week to remove all the dead hair and keep their coats healthy.

3.  How much does a pocket beagle cost?

It depends on whether you intend to buy a "pet-quality" or "show-quality" dog, the latter being higher prices because of strict standards. In pounds and rescues you can buy a beagle for $100-$200, but there are miniature beagles available for adoption because some people no longer want to keep dogs.

4. Can I keep my miniature beagle from running away?

Essentially no. The thing is that beagles are hound dogs and their insincts make them chase anything they smell with their nostrils. Certainly you can train your beagle to come to you when called, but generally beagles should be kept in fenced yards.

5. What about "invisible fences"? Are they effective?

There's no definite answer to this question. For some beagles, invisible fences work OK, others consider it a "schock" only for a certain time. After a couple of successful attempts to cross the invisible border, dogs get to the idea of temporary inconvenience, and from that point they can go back and forth paying little attention to invisible fences.

6.  What colors do pocket beagles come in?

In short, quite various. Beagles colors include all shades and combinations of black, white/cream, brown, grey, tan, etc.

7. How long do beagles live?

On average, a beagle will live 12 to 15 years.

8. How big do mini beagles get?

The AKC recognizes two standard beagle sizes, the 13" and the 15". Those under 13'' can be considered as "mini" or "pocket", but this is not a separate type of beagles according to AKC standards. Mini beagles can vary in weight from 20 to 35 pounds. However, owners should keep in mind that obesity is not uncommon among beagles. Too much fat in food, little or no exercises can result in excessive weight.

9. Should I take my miniature beagle to obedience class?

Definitely recommended. Training will allow your dog to recognize you as his or her Boss, while will have a chance to get to know your pet better. You should start training as soon as possible, even if the pup is just several months old. Even at this age he can learn basic commands like sit and come.

10. What do pocket beagles look like?

There are pictures of pocket beagles above and below this FAQ, but you can look at more pictures here and here.

Pocket beagles were much in favor with the Royal Family. Edward II and Henry VIII adored small beagles which were so tiny that were called "glove beagles" because they were small enough to fit in the gauntlet. Those beagles were short-legged and had somewhat pointy noses. Queen Elizabeth I loved little dogs. However, nowadays such "pocket beagles" are no longer bred. Sometimes unethic sellers use the term "pocket" to refer to ill dogs with poor, improper feeding with little nutrition to support health.

If you're looking for miniature beagles for adoption and need detailed information about rescues and pounds in your area, this list of websites can be of help to you:

1. Brew Beagles -  Beagle Rescue, Education and Welfare of Northern Virginia, Inc.
2. Dogpage - Beagle Dog and Puppy Central.
3. Jazzin Around Rescue - Adopting.
4. Petfinder - homeless beagles puppies up for adoption in California and other states.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) does not miniature beagles as a breed. The term itself is rather a marketing gimmick developed by sellers and breeders to attract potential buyers that think of smaller dogs. There is an over thirteen inches high class and a less than thirteen inches high class. 

Beagles, including miniature Beagles, are usually very good with children. They're popular as family dogs because of this reason. Highly trainable, they need attention on your part, so be prepared to spend some time with them walking and exercising. 

Miniature beagles are popular among fashionable crowd that chases to get small dogs like Paris Hilton does. The demand for beagle puppies is the reason why dishonest breeders began producing these sweet little dogs en masse. They sell puppies online, but even pet stores sometimes are duped into buying beagles of a shady origin.

Puppy farms breed miniature beagles in cramped conditions, in overcrowded cages, with little or no veterinary care. Insufficient nutrition and exercise, lack of human attention, inherited genetic diseases make beagle puppies suffer from diseases from the very first day of their lives.

Buying a puppy from such farms not only entails an array of problem for the new owner of a poor dog, but also serves the main purpose of dishonest greedy breeders: getting profit. When they're unable to sell, they will quit this illegal business.

Ads of this type literally abound. All kinds of scammers, dishonest sellers are after "quick bucks" and know well how to attract attention of pet lovers.

But in case with newborn beagle puppies pitfalls are everywhere. There's however a good chance to avoid being fooled if you remember this:

Quality beagle breeders generally do not seek for buyers because buyers come on their own.

It is a time-consuming process that needs a lot of professionalism, knowledge, experience and dedication to breed healthy beagles. Every female and male beagle have to undergo a series of medical tests and examinations to ensure a healthy litter of puppies can be produced. Newly born puppies are kept in comfortable conditions where they get professional veterinary care and balanced nutrition.