Dogs are by far one of the most popular pets to have, not only in America, but around the world. They are very lovable and have an unconditional affection that fits well with many families. However, not all dog breeds are the same. Every breed is inherently different, and will react different depending on the living conditions in which they live. You obviously don’t want to buy a big dog, if you live in a small space.

Below is a list of the top 10 most popular dog breeds in America, according to the American Kennel Club.

1. Labrador Retriever

The Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog in America, not only because it’s a beautiful dog available in a variety of colors, but also because it’s a great family pet. Labs also make great hunting dogs, as well as a bird dog. Parents love that they are easy to train, have a calm temperament and are very friendly with kids. It should be no surprise to anyone why labs are one of the most popular dog breeds.

2. German Shepherd

The German Shepherd breed has a very strong following. They make great service dogs for the police, but are also family-friendly watch dogs. They are a bigger breed, but very intelligent and easy to train. A well-trained German Shepherd will be one of the best dogs you will ever own.

3. Yorkshire Terrier

The Yorkshire Terrier is a stylish smaller breed, that is a popular one at competitive dog shows. Many people like th Yorkshire terriers because they have a style that separates them from other popular breeds. They are smaller, and make great house pets for the elderly.

4. Golden Retriever

The Labrador Retriever may be the most popular dog breed, but it’s not the only retriever people like. The Golden Retriever is also a very popular breed. Its main distinction is the beautiful golden coat that appeals to many people. Golden retrievers are also very smart and easy to train, which make them a great choice for a pet.

5. Beagle

The Beagle is another popular dog breed. They’re small, lovable dogs that make great hunters of small game. While the history of beagles is complex, they are more recently becoming a perfect addition to families that have a little less active lifestyle. Training a beagle is also very easy to do and they make great family pets, especially lemon beagles!

6. Boxer

Boxers are a strong, stocky breed that originates in Germany. Like many German dogs, Boxers have numerous qualities that appeal to many families.

7. Bulldog

The Bulldog, sometimes referred to as a British Bulldog or English Bulldog, is another popular breed in the United States. This affectionate dog has a low-key demeanor that hides what can sometimes be an aggressive streak. Many people find this dog a great choice because of its look and personality, however, they often have health problems that may contribute to a shorter lifespan.

8. Dachshund

The Dachshund is another popular breed with families and the elderly. Sometimes called wiener dogs because of their long body and short logs. For a family looking for something a little out of the ordinary, dachshunds can be a great choice.

9. Poodle

Poodles are another popular dog breed that is commonly associated with older, rich women, but in reality, they can make great family pets. Its most popular form is a miniature poodle, which has been “bred down” over years and years of breeding. They are small and cute, but their intelligence is debatable amongst dog lovers.

10. Shih Tzu

The Shih Tzu is another show dog. This breed originates from China, and is one of the oldest dog breeds on Earth. Their small size and hypoallergenic coats make it a very good choice for families or anyone that suffers from allergies.

If you do discover your pup has fleas, then you need to not only get them off of your dog, but also need to sterilize the areas around your house that your dog spends alot of time in.

For example, if your dog has a bed they often sleep in, you should make sure there are no more fleas, eggs or larvae living in the bed. The same goes for your carpets, furniture and anywhere else your dog may visit on a daily basis.

The good news, is that there are many treatment options for fleas on dogs. There are, in fact, many things you can do to sterilize your dogs living environment and body. Below is a list of ten home remedies for fleas on dogs.

1. Use a Good Flea Treatment Shampoo

Make sure to give your dog a bath using a good flea treatment shampoo. Make sure to lather it in and allow it to stay for at least five minutes, or whatever is recommended on the shampoo label. Use warm water and throughly rinse your dogs coat. Make sure all of the shampoo is out of its fur, or it may cause your dog to itch.

2. Use Flea Control Ointments & Liquids

Talk to your veternarian about what flea and tick control products they would recommend. There are many products that you can put on your dogs coat to help deter fleas and ticks from making a home. Ask him what he would recommend for your dog, before you just simply buy the first one you see at the grocery store. Frontline is currently the one that I use on my dogs. It works great!

3. Add Eucalyptus or Neem Oil to Shampoo

Adding a small amount of neem or eucalyptus oil to your dogs shampoo, is another natural remedy for fleas. Mix a very small amount into the shampoo, and use as you normally would. This will help create an environment that deters fleas from living.

4. Vacuum Your House Regularly

Vacuum your house frequently and on a regular basis. This will help pick up any eggs or larve that may have fallen off your dogs coat. Go over every area of the house that your dog spends time in, such as the furniture, carpets and rugs.

If you let your dog sleep in the bed with you, be sure to wash your sheets and pillow cases, as well as vacuum your mattress and pillows.

5. Clean the Doggie Bed

If your pup has a bed they spend a lot of time in, be sure to give this a deep wash in hot, soapy water to kill off all eggs or fleas living in the fabric. Maybe give it a second wash, if you observe a heavy infestation. Once it has been cleaned in water, put it in the dryer and turn up the heat. This will ensure that you kill off all organisms living in the bed. You can also get a flea spray, and spray down the bed, but this method isn’t as effective as washing the whole bed.

6. Keep Your Yard Maintained

If your beagle spends alot of time outside, be sure to keep an eye on your yard. Keep the grass short. Clean up any piles of sticks, leaves or other debris that your dog may get into. Try to prevent them from digging or rolling around in the grass, if possible. I can personally attest that this is hard to do with beagles, or at least my beagle.

7. Groom Your Dog Regularly

If your dog has long fur, it is recommended that you groom your dog on a regular basis. By keeping the fur short, you will help create an environment that is not favorable to fleas.Of course, every breed will need regular grooming, because they have short fur. Beagles, for example, generally have short, straight hair that doesn’t need regular grooming.

8. Make Your Own Herbal Flea Dip

Here is a recipe for making your own all-natural, herbal flea dip that you can use after giving your dog a bath. Simply get at least 3 cups of rosemary, and soak in three pints of boiling water for at least 30-40 minutes. Then, strain the leaves from the water, and mix with one gallon of warm water. After giving your dog a bath, then pour the rosemary water on your dogs coat. Do not rinse it off of your dog, just let it dry.

9. Make Your Own All-Natural Flea Control Spray

Here are a couple of ways to making your all-natural, homemade spray that will help give you a little more control over flea infestations.

• Lavender – Buy a small spray bottle, and fill with warm water. Add two drops of lavender oil and shake well. Simply spray a small amount on your dogs coat to help deter fleas from living there. You can spray this mixture on them a couple times a day if needed. Be sure to avoid spraying it in their eyes.
• Lemon – Cut two small lemons into eight pieces each, and add to a small jug of boiling water. Let the lemons steep for at least 24 hours. When it is ready, strain the water and add to a spray bottle. Spray liberally on your dogs coat, especially around their head, ears and tail. Try to avoid getting it in their eyes.

10. Give Your Dog Small Amounts of Garlic

Not Recommended: If you feed your dog a small amount of garlic on a daily basis, this will help treat fleas. The garlic aroma will come from the dogs skin, and will help create an environment that is not favorable to fleas. Of course, this should be one of the last remedies you try, because like the fleas, you may not find your dog smell to be that pleasing. Large quantities of garlic can be poisonous to a dog, so use this home flea remedy with caution.

Flea Products That Work:

1. Snoopy

Coming in number one on our list, Snoopy, is arguably the worlds most famous beagle. Created by Charles Schulz, Snoopy made his comic strip debut in 1950 as Charlie Brown’s pet dog.

According to Wikipedia, his original name was supposed to be ‘Sniffy’, but there was another comic strip already using that name, so Schulz went with the name ‘Snoopy’ because his mother said thats the name she would give to the next dog they got.

After sixty years of the limelight, Snoopy still makes appearances in comic strips and numerous televisions specials.

2. Odie

Coming in at number two for famous beagles, is Odie from the Garfield comic strip. Created by Jim Davis, Odie made his comic strip debut in 1978 as the pet of Jon Arbuckle’s roommate.

Originally named ‘Spot’, Davis changed his name to Odie because a fellow cartoonist already had a character by that name. Instead, Odie got his name from a commercial Davis wrote about a car dealership, which featured “Odie the Village Idiot”. With his unusually large tongue and pools of slobber, Odie is portrayed as the goofy best friend of Garfield.

Oddly, in the live-action movies, Odie is not portrayed as a beagle, but is actually a dachshund.

3. Underdog

Underdog is another famous beagle that got his animated start in a TV series that debuted in 1964 on NBC. The series ran for 124 episodes before going to syndication in 1973.

The series was basically a parody of Superman, with the premise being that Underdog was an undercover superhero living as ‘Shoeshine Boy’. Like superman, when needed, Underdog quickly changes in a phone booth and has the ability to fly, possesses super strength and is not affected by normal weapons.

4. Gromit

Gromit gets his fame from the animated series ‘Wallace and Gromit’. Filmed entirely in stop motion clay animation, Gromit is a silent beagle that only communicates through body language and facial expressions.

For a dog, Gromit is quite intelligent. He has a degree for Engineering for Dogs, he likes to knit, cook and read the newspaper. Interestingly enough, the folks at NASA were inspired enough to named one of their Mars explorer prototype robots Gromit.

5. Mr. Peabody, from Rocky & Bullwinkle

First appearing in the 1950’s, Mr. Peabody was a regular character on Rocky & Bullwinkle. Always appearing with ‘Sherman’, a naive young boy who was also his owner, Mr. Peabody was a genius dog that built a time machine that they used to travel through time to witness famous historical events.

Sherman and Mr. Peabody would discover that these historical events never went down as they were described in modern day, so they would try to change the course of history, in order to have the events happen as we all know it.

6. Poochie, from ‘The Simpsons’

Our next famous beagle is Poochie, from the Simpsons. He had a short-run career in “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show“.

Poochie made his first appearance on ‘The Simpsons’ in 1997. In the episode, Krusty the Clown wants to boost his ratings, so to they decide to shake things up with a new character on ‘The Itchy & Scratchy Show’. Homer ends up voicing the character, but nobody likes the new addition, so Poochie is killed off shortly afterwards, despite Homers attempts to keep the character alive.

Honorable Mention – The Beagle Boys

You may know ‘The Beagle Boys’ from DuckTales. We have them listed as honorable mention, because, frankly, we’re not really sure if they are beagles. They are referred to as beagles, but they don’t really resemble the characteristics of the breed.

Referred to by their prison numbers, there were seven ‘Beagle Boys’ that made appearances in many Walt Disney productions, even though they are most commonly known from DuckTales. Ma Beagle was the head honcho and matriarch of the group, who would do anything she could to help her sons escaped from jail.

Odd fact: There is an Italian punk band that is named after the Beagle Boys. They go by Banda Bassotti.

Related Articles:

• The History of Beagles
• 4 Important Training Tips for Beagles
• 3 Basic Skills for Training a Dog [VIDEO]
• Lemon Beagle Picking on a Pit Bull [VIDEO]

In case this video doesn’t do it for you, here are some more beagle training tips that may come in handy.

More Videos of Beagles:

• Lemon Beagle picking on a Pit Bull
• My Lemon beagle helping me do the dishes
• Bingo, a three month old lemon beagle puppy
• Bingo, four month old beagle puppy playing with her toy

Training your beagle is not only important, but essential for running a happy home.

Obviously you don’t want a dog that is so out of control that they go to the bathroom everywhere or is destroying your home and valuables. Here we will discuss some of the most important training tips that will help you raise your beagle to be the perfect pet and roommate for your family!

1. Be Patient & Fair

It is important that your Beagle has an understanding of what you are asking, before you correct or punish him (or her) for not following your command correctly. With that said, it is also important that the punishment fits the crime. You should never correct or punish your dog just to release anger or clearing out the built-up emotions by unloading them on your beagle.

Instead, keep the lines of communication open, send them the message that they did wrong, in a stern, strong voice, but still let him know what role he plays in your family. Remember, the way you punish and/or correct your beagle, is another way to strengthen (or weaken) the bond you have. Think of it this way, ask yourself if you’re being fair BEFORE you react in the wrong way.

2. Be Positive, No Matter What Happens

It is very important to have the right attitude while training your beagle. While this shouldn’t even be said, there are many pet owners that give up or punish their dog for not catching on right away. It is essential for beagle training, that you praise your pup at the right time and in an appropriate manner.

Praise is free, so use it to your advantage! Praise your beagle when you can see that they are TRYING to get it right. Use praise when you can see that they are focusing on the task and giving you their attention, because that is the first step. When they succeed, shower them with your love and affection. No matter what, it is important for you to communicate the message that you’re proud of your pup. If they can understand that you’re proud, you will have no problems training your beagle.

3. Play on the same team

When training your beagle, another essential tip, is to remember to play on the same team. Training your beagle is not a “You vs Your Dog” effort. It is more like you both are playing on the same time, but in different positions.

More accurately, think of yourself as the quarterback that makes all the play calls. Your dog is more like your running back or your wide receiver, that finishes the play you started. If they don’t finish the play, you can’t win. Like playing football, training your beagle is a team effort. Of course, before you can “play the game” your pup must learn the plays first.

4. Spend Time With Your Beagle

In order for your beagle and you to be on the same team, you must spend an adequate amount of time with him. Teaching your beagle the tricks and commands you want, will not be an overnight endeavor. It will take a little bit of time and dedication. Try bring him into more aspects of your life. Let him sleep in a crate or doggy bed next to your bed. Practice the simple commands on a daily basis. Going at a slow pace is a good thing. It will provide you with more opportunities for interaction and practice, which will ultimately improve the reliability of your Beagle.

Beagles are a very intelligent breed. If you show your pup the things he needs to learn and teach him how to complete your commands, but most importantly, stay positive and loving, your dog will be the most obedient on the block.