Don’t worry about fancy grooming tools or time consuming detangling, but do make regular time for grooming. Ideally, you should spend about five minutes every day grooming your Beagle, just so it becomes a regular part of your Beagle’s day. A daily once-over is the best way to make sure everything is okay.
You’ll see less Beagle hair in the house and on your clothes, and your Beagle will quickly come to enjoy the routine, whether you groom in the morning, or use grooming as a nice way to wind down at the end of the day. If a daily grooming session just isn’t feasible for you, aim for at least once a week.
What you do during each grooming session will vary, depending on how often each chore needs to be done. The schedule works well for most Beagles, but you may want to adapt it to fit your life. This is just a guideline: Four things to do each day, three things to do each week, and two things to do each month. Descriptions of how to do each of the grooming items mentioned follow.
The Once-Over
Once a day, give your Beagle a once-over. Check your Beagle with your eyes and hands to make sure everything looks normal, similar to what your veterinarian does at a check-up. If you do this every day, your Beagle will accept the once-over as just another part of life in a human world.
This check is very important for your Beagle’s health. If you never look at the insides of your Beagle’s ears or his rear end, if you never feel his skin, how will you know if something changes? A daily once-over gives you a baseline idea of what is normal for your Beagle. If you ever do notice any changes – such as a lump or rash or swelling or anything else – you can alert your veterinarian and catch any developing health issues as soon as possible.
The once-over is also a great way to prepare for a grooming session, both mentally and physically. Your Beagle will know just what to expect when you start checking out his ears and eyes and rubbing his skin.
- Move your hands all over your Beagle, rubbing his skin to loosen shed hair and stimulate oil production, as if you were giving him a massage.
- While you are doing this, feel for any lumps or bumps, rough patches, or other skin changes.
- Look at your Beagle’s eyes. Are they shiny and clear?
- Look at his nose. Is it running?
- Check his teeth by lifting up his lips. Do they look clean and white?
- Lift up each ear. How does it look in there? Clean or dirty? Rub his ears and the top of his head.
- Feel the loose skin around his neck.
- Look at and rub his belly.
- Peek under the tail to be sure everything looks clean and normal.
- Pick up each paw, one at a time, and press gently on the paw pads. Wiggle each nail.
- Praise your Beagle!
- If you see anything strange or abnormal, alert your veterinarian.
Beagle Grooming Schedule
Daily: Once-over, brush coat, brush teeth, wash face
Weekly: Trim the nails, clean ears, brush the teeth (if you can’t do it daily)
Monthly: Bathe/shampoo, apply pest control
