How to Groom A Beagle: 10 Tips & Tricks

Beagles make great family pets. They are loyal and loving, as well as fun. They get along with most family members, including other pets, and are especially happy when they have plenty of time to play outside.

They will dig, charge headfirst into bushes, and will probably give chase often. As such, they can accumulate a lot of dust, and while they have short hair and don’t tend to smell too bad even after a long day of hunting, they do still need regular grooming.

Grooming helps keep your Beagle healthy, comfortable, and happy. Below are 10 tips to help make Beagle grooming easier and benefit both you and your dog.

The 10 Tips to Groom A Beagle

1. Start Young and Groom Regularly

Effective grooming requires putting your dog in the bath and also sticking things in their ears and mouth while wielding scissors or clippers around their claws. If you wait until your Beagle is fully matured, you might find he is resistant to some of these things. If you start when he’s a puppy and make grooming a regular activity, he will be more likely to accept it and will know how to behave at grooming time.

Obviously, if you’re adopting an adult dog, this may not be an option. In this case, start slowly and stay calm.

2. Use Treats

If your dog is resistant to grooming techniques and starts to stress out, you can try using tasty treats as a means of taking his attention away from what you’re doing. In most cases, this will work at least for a short time.

You can also use this as a training exercise. Reward your dog when they sit still or when they let you fuss with their paws and check in their ears. You won’t have to give a treat every time, but you do need to make sure that you aren’t overfeeding them.

3. Desensitization Training

Some dogs are OK with having their owner clean inside their ears or clip their claws. Other dogs get stressed and anxious, either picking up on their owner’s anxiety or simply because they don’t like the sensation. If you’ve ever accidentally cut your dog’s claws too low and cut the quick of the nail, it will be more difficult for them to accept the practice in the future.

If your dog is highly resistant, try desensitizing them to the process. Start by simply holding their paw for a minute. Do this a few times before holding it a bit longer. Then hold the paw with clippers close to the nails but don’t make any cuts. Once your dog is used to this, you can touch the claw with the clippers before moving on to clipping one or two nails. Eventually, your dog will get used to the process.

4. Grooming Kit

Have everything you need on hand before you start. If you have to keep disappearing to find the shampoo or to get ear wipes, it not only gives your dog a chance to make a quick getaway but also gives them time to get anxious.

Ideally, keep everything in a bag or pouch because some dogs will start to recognize things like dog shampoo bottles or nail clippers. And when they see one item, they will know what’s coming.

5. Bathe Them Monthly

Beagles have short coats, and their fur does a very good job of repelling dirt and water. It can make it difficult to spot when your Beagle is getting dirty, but even if he looks perfectly clean, he is accumulating dust and dirt.

Bathe your Beagle every month or so to keep them clean and to avoid having to give a deep clean when it does come time to get rid of any poo or mystery items they may have rolled in.

6. Protect the Ears

Your Beagle’s ears are sensitive and large. They are used to direct scents toward their nose. They are also prone to getting infected, and it can even be uncomfortable if you get soapy water in there while bathing.

Use untreated cotton wool and loosely place it in your Beagle’s ears before you start bathing. This will help prevent water from getting in, which can make the entire experience worse.

7. Use Eye Wipes to Wipe Tears

If your dog suffers tear stains, you should consult a vet because it can be a sign of a potentially serious problem. In the meantime, you can clean the tears away, but you should avoid using soapy water from the bath.

Instead, buy sympathetic wipes that are designed especially for the job and use these to gently rub the stains away. If you leave them too long, they become much harder to remove and wash off.

8. Cut Nails Every 6 Weeks

How often you need to trim a dog’s nails comes down to a lot of different factors, but especially down to the type of surface you walk them on and how often. If your dog gets a lot of walks on concrete or another hard, abrasive surface, they might not need to have their nails clipped as often. Generally, though, you will need to trim a Beagle’s claws roughly every 6 weeks.

9. Check the Ears Regularly

Beagle ears are somewhat prone to infection, and you should check inside regularly. As well as checking when you bathe your Beagle, try to remember to check every week. If you see that your dog is scratching or fussing over its ears, have a look inside.

If the problem persists or if there is a funny smell from the ear, you may need to have a vet look in there to check for signs of infection.

10. Stay Calm

Bath and grooming time can be a stressful experience not just for your dog but also for you. This is especially true if your dog detests the experience. However, remember that your Beagle can pick up on your emotions. He will be able to sense if you’re worried or anxious, and he will likely feel anxious and worried too. As such, if you can stay calm, it will encourage your dog to stay calm as well.

Final Thoughts

Beagles are great family pets, but they do enjoy spending time outside. They like to run around, roll around, and may even enjoy chasing leaves in puddles. The result is a dusty, potentially dirty dog that needs some level of bathing and grooming to ensure comfort and good health.

Use the 10 tips above and, if you find it difficult to give a good bath or clip the nails, consider using the services of a professional groomer to do the jobs you can’t.

Featured Image Credit: Aleksandra_Iarosh, Shutterstock