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The smallest of the scent hounds, it is believed they may have existed in Britain even before the Roman occupation. They were popular among much of the British monarchy and were used for hunting rabbits and hares for both food and sport. The early Beagle was diminutive, referred to as the Pocket Beagle or the Glove Beagle. Since speed was not their finest attribute, hunters began breeding larger dogs. Today there are two sizes of Beagles recognized by the AKC - 13” and 15” (measured at the shoulder). Beagles are shown in conformation, agility, tracking, and obedience competitions as well as gundog field trials. Beagles are scent hounds meaning they hunt using their superb sense of smell. Once on the trail they begin to bay (or “sing” as Beagle aficionados prefer to call it), alerting the hunter that their quarry has been found. Rabbits generally “go to ground” when being trailed. An alert Beagle will be prepared for the rabbit to leap out of its alternative escape hole. Rather than going to ground, hares tend to backtrack, circle around, and run parallel trails, requiring a really good “sniffer”.
It’s Flea and Tick Season Again (and Heartworm Season Too!) Our doctors have chosen to carry these flea, tick, and heartworm preventive medications based on their efficacy and safety. These are the best products available for preventing infestations in dogs and cats.
Please consult with our staff to determine which product is best for your pet(s). Visit our April 2002 newsletter to learn more about fleas and ticks or heartworms. Two New Weight Management Graduates! 
Chloe Franks is the fourth cat to graduate from our weight management program. She was enrolled in the program in December 03. Although she only had slightly less than one pound to lose, it was difficult for the family to get her down to her ideal weight of eight pounds. Over the next 15 months Chloe very slowly lost that excess 10% of her weight and in April of 05 she graduated from the program. We’d like to congratulate Chloe’s family for winning the hard fought battle! Just What is Pet Portal?
And much more including lots of great pet health information articles. Sign up today! Goodbye Bob
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Charlie
Brown’s little dog Snoopy is probably the world’s best-known Beagle.
Although most of the Beagles we see everyday spend
little time pretending to be a WWI flying ace,
they truly are devoted companions. They are
friendly, active, and intelligent. Their good-natured
temperament makes them an excellent family pet.
Their great sense of smell is even being used by the federal government. The US Department of Agriculture has a program called the Beagle Brigade. These dogs are trained to sniff the baggage of international passengers as they proceed through the customs area. When the dogs sniff prohibited agricultural items in passenger luggage or packages, they alert their partners. The officers then check the passengers' bags and confiscate any prohibited items. Scented personal care items sometimes create quite a bit of confusion!
As house pets, their natural hunting instincts occasionally gets them into trouble. Beagles can become roamers as they follow their nose. A well-fenced yard is an absolute necessity. The Beagle is a sociable dog and does not like to be left alone but they are gentle, curious, and loving and truly devoted to their families
By the time this article goes up on our site we should be well into warm weather, and the parasites that come with it. Fleas and ticks are survivors and very good at making more fleas and ticks. In the past our pets have suffered severely with flea infestations, but today we have a great arsenal of products to gain control. 
As you can see, Amber Johnson is a Dachshund. Because of their build Dachshunds often have problems with their backs. Imagine having a bad back, standing on all fours, and weighing nearly 20% more than you should. Luckily for Amber her family recognized that she needed to get back down to and maintain a healthy weight in order for her to avoid back problems. They worked with her for about 10 months in order to achieve her goal weight of 9lbs 12oz. Good job Amber and family!
If we have your e-mail address on file you probably have already received an invitation to check out Pet Portal. (If we don’t have your e-mail address yet you can sign up simply by clicking on the Pet Portal link on our front page.) What can you do with Pet Portal?
We are saddened to report the death of Bob, our clinic hedgehog. He died of natural causes on Monday, March 28th. His long life brought smiles to everyone here at the clinic. He will be missed.