ALL ABOUT DOGS: All puppies are 'cute' but ownership requires an unemotional commitment

Question: I think beagles are such cute puppies and I've always wanted one. What kind of dogs are they and do they make good pets?

Answer: Beagles are adorable puppies, but when it comes down to it, all puppies are adorable. You can take the ugliest dog in the world ... but when he was a puppy, he was precious.

And I know, for the most part, how a dog "looks" is what mainly dictates the type of dog we get. And I'm certainly no different. I'm "breed loyal" to Australian shepherds. Tillie is my fourth, and part of my affinity for Aussies is certainly that I like the way they look. I will also assert that countless dogs find their way to a shelter because someone fell in love with that adorable little puppy and really didn't know what they were getting themselves into.

If your decision to own a dog is not based on something more than an impulsive, emotional feeling, you're asking for trouble. Dog ownership requires a serious commitment.

Now, stepping off my soapbox and getting to your question: There appears to be no reliable documentation on the absolute origin of the beagle, according to the AKC. That said, dogs of similar size and purpose can be traced to ancient Greece around the fifth century BC. Ancestors of the modern beagle were in England before Roman times. Queen Elizabeth I had a handful of little dogs called "pocket beagles" that were small enough to carry along on a hunt in a saddle bag. When the larger hounds ran the prey to ground, the smaller dogs were released to continue the chase through the underbrush.

In the southern U.S., there were also little hunting hounds called beagles. But the real turning point for the breed in America came in the 1860s with a purebred beagle strain that was brought here from England. In 1888 the National Beagle Club was formed and held its first trial.

Beagles have always been popular here in the U.S., and in 2008, a beagle won Best In Show at the Westminster Kennel Club for the first time ever.

Beagles are generally 13-to-18 inches tall and weigh between 18 and 35 pounds. They can come in a number of variations of the the standard tri-color brown, white and black. A white tip on the tail called a "flag" has been selectively bred so hunters can maintain visual contact when the dogs have their head down following a scent. Beagles generally have large brown eyes and I have always found them to be a fairly merry little dog.

Modern beagles are used for a multitude of tasks because of their extremely keen sense of smell. They're tenacious little dogs and are used for search and rescue and detecting drugs. Beagles have even been used to detect cancer and termites. Because of their gentle nature and an unimposing stature beagles make good family pets and are popular as therapy dogs. Additionally, they require a little grooming. Beagles usually get along well with other pets and I worked with one awhile back who really loved cats.

Since they were developed as hunting hounds, beagles need more exercise than most people realize, which is why you see so many plump beagles. They are prone to wanderlust (because of that nose) and can be adept climbers and diggers. In other words, sometimes they're escape artists. Beagles left outside alone can become bored and may start howling and digging.

At the end of the day, this breed can be developed into a wonderful pet when furnished with a stable pack that includes appropriate rules and boundaries by virtue of consistent leadership. Just like all dogs, really.

Originally from Louisiana, Gregg Flowers is a local dog trainer who “teaches dogs and trains people.” Contact him at dogteacher7@aol.com or dogsbestfriendflorida.com.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: GREGG FLOWERS: Dog ownership requires serious, unemotional commitment