Grooming your dog is a significant part of pet care. Dog grooming not only helps keep your dog healthy and fresh, but it also provides sufficient time to improve bonding between you and your dog.

Dog owners may find pet grooming difficult, but this is not the case for all dog breeds. Being a beagle owner myself, I can tell you confidently that beagles are not that difficult to groom, especially compared to breeds with longer hair.

Beagles have an easy, short and dense double coat which is not that complicated to groom. However it still requires some effort. Their coat can get pretty dirty fairly quickly, as beagles love to play and dig in dirt. Their short, coarse coat can pick up a lot of debris, so regular grooming and washing is vital to keep their skin healthy, and to keep your home clean.

What Does Beagle Grooming Entail?

People usually think that grooming involves only brushing your dog. Actually, this is not the case. Grooming actually involves taking care of most of their body, including their teeth, tail, nails, nose, ears, paws, and of course their fur.

The first step in grooming your beagle is giving them a good bath. Beagles must be given a bath with warm water that is not too hot or cold.

You must use a dog-friendly shampoo in order to avoid irritation, and you’ll need to pay attention to how their skin reacts in case they’re allergic to any of the ingredients.

During a bath, you should occasionally place cotton pads in their ears to prevent water from running down the ear canal. Using a soft bath brush also helps in cleaning every bit of the body. Always dry your Beagle’s body with a soft towel after the bath (mostly to protect your own furniture).

Another very important part of beagle grooming is frequent and regular brushing with a quality bristle brush. In the case of my beagle, I have noticed that brushing not only helps improve my dog’s demeanor and attitude, but it also keeps a lot of dirt out of my house. Beagles have double-layered coats, which is great for keeping them warm in the winter, but unfortunately they can contain a lot of dander and dust, and they can shed like crazy if not groomed regularly.

Beagles also require good care for their long ears once every week or so to prevent infections and wax-buildup. Beagles have long flappy ears, and you’ll want to make sure nothing gets caught inside them for extended periods of time.

I use a few drops of a mixture of one-part water and one-part apple cider vinegar. It helps keep my beagle’s ears clean and free from infection.

Your Beagle’s nails need to be cut every 5-6 weeks as well, because they can become long and ingrown, which can be very painful for the dog. Beagle’s are unable to clip their own nails, even with their sharp teeth, so you’ll want to pay special mind to this about once every month and a half.

For the nose, you can use a nose balm to keep it from becoming dry. Use soft eye wipes to clean their eyes as well. Beagle eyes are notorious for being red and watery, so you’ll want to pay special attention to them to make sure they haven’t developed any infections.

For teeth cleaning, you can use a soft toothbrush specifically designed for dogs that are gentle to touch. Leading vets recommend brushing your dog’s teeth two to three times per week, and scheduling a professional check up on your dog’s dental health at least once per year.

Being short-haired, beagles usually do not require regular trimming, but occasional trims can be helpful as their fur can grow in uneven patches over time.

Why Is Frequent Beagle Grooming So Important?

Beagles are usually clean dogs but like any breeds they can get smelly and messy due to their habit of playing outdoors. That is why frequent beagle grooming is very important to keep your dog healthy and free from infections and disease.

Grooming my beagle has also helped me establish a bond with my beagle, allowing them to view me as a caregiver and leader of the pack. I’ve found that my beagle is more obedient, and caring, knowing that I can groom them and keep them safe.

Grooming can be the first line of defense for a lot of medical problems as well. It allows you as an owner to do regular check ups on your dog’s health, and you may catch something that would’ve taken months to find out while waiting for a vet appointment.

How Often Should Beagles Get Baths?

As a breed, beagles are easy to care for compared to other long-haired breeds. Their short and thick coat does not get too dirty easily. That’s why your beagle’s coat may look clean most of the time and you may think it doesn’t need a bath.

However, that is not always the case. With my experience, I can tell you that beagles have oil-producing pores all over their body, and in just short amounts of time, dirt and dead hair can easily accumulate in their coat. While it may be hard to detect on the surface, the smell will definitely start to get noticeable after a couple of weeks without a bath.

For this reason, beagles need a bath every 3-4 weeks to keep them healthy and free from infection. However, the frequency of bathing depends upon the activity levels of your beagle. You may have to bathe your beagle more than once a month if it likes to play in the dirt and is fond of digging and running around in the mud.

How to Prepare and Train Your Beagle for Grooming?

I found it very difficult to train my Beagle for grooming because I did not start grooming when it was a puppy. That was a mistake.

You should start grooming your Beagle from the start when he or she is a puppy for the best results. You will see that it not only makes grooming easier for you, but your beagle will also become used to the entire grooming process and may even begin to enjoy it.

Moreover, beagles are sweet and loving dogs, and will likely enjoy all of the extra attention you’re giving them while brushing them.

To prepare your dog for grooming you should consider the following steps:

Start a regular and balanced grooming routine just from the time your dog is a puppy.
If your dog is afraid of running water, then you should fill the tub with water before bringing your dog to the bath. In that way, he or she will feel less frightened.

Treats are what keep your dog happy, and beagles are especially food motivated. I reward my dog with treats for remaining still by bathing and letting me touch his nails, paws, and ears.
Keep a well-organized grooming kit. It allows you to keep everything you require for grooming in one place which makes pet grooming so much more convenient and easier.

Recommended Items for Your Grooming Kit

Keeping a grooming kit has made grooming my beagle so much easier and less time-consuming. That is because I have everything I need while grooming in one place and do not need to rush and find things. Here is a list of things I keep in my eagle grooming kit, and recommend for you to include in your kit as well:

A good quality soft bristle brush. The brush size depends on the size of your dog, small if it’s a puppy and medium or large if its an adult.
A de-shedding tool or grooming mitt. This is important to keep for the removal of dead hair which otherwise will fall into the dense coat and clog pores.
A good quality bath brush. This required to brush through your Beagle’s wet hair while bathing. It must be soft to be able to use in sensitive areas as well.

Dog-friendly shampoo and conditioner. Good quality shampoo and conditioner specifically manufactured for dogs is essential. It must not be harsh or irritating to the skin and should leave a pleasant scent after bathing.
Eye wipes. Soft and high-quality eye wipes are needed to remove eye boogers and stains around the eye area.
Ear cleaning solution. A store-bought or homemade ear cleaning solution is an essential part of your grooming kit to prevent infections and wax buildup.

Nail clipper or grinder. I recommend using a nail grinder instead of a clipper. This is because it is comparatively easier to file your Beagle’s nails than clipping them.
Nose Balm. Nose balms are necessary to prevent your dog’s nose from becoming dry and cracked.
Wax for paws. This is essential to keep in cases where your dog plays in the outdoors more often. Heavy outdoor play causes dog paws to become too rough and dry. A good paw wax will help to keep them moistened and clean.

Dental products. A good quality 3-sided toothbrush and a canine-friendly toothpaste are essential components of your kit.

Final Thoughts

Grooming is an essential part of pet care. It not only keeps your pet clean, healthy and energized but also makes you feel more connected and aware of your dog’s habits. As discussed above, beagles require less grooming as compared to other dogs, but regular grooming is essential for good hygiene and health.

Grooming my beagle has enabled me to strengthen our bond. At first, it seemed difficult but now it has become more of an enjoyment and playtime activity for me and my beagle.

You will find it easy too if you begin grooming your beagle from a young age, and with time it will feel like more of a regular playful session rather than a hard and burdensome task.

How Often Should You Groom Your Beagle?