a beagle would be perfect! really?

[AJ & Kiz]

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/106882618/wanted-beagle-puppy-8-wks.html

x

 

[HeatherAnn]

???

 

[Snoozinsusan]

This is Barney, now 11 weeks but arrived at 8 weeks.

We've had Springers for the past 20 years, and then a sprocker pup last year.

When the old dog died we researched various breeds and settled on a beagle. Seemed a good idea at the time!

This is him at his best - sleeping!

We thought the springers were hard work but he beats them all! Started puppy training last night so things can only get better.

Don't get me wrong, we love him and don't regret getting him. But we do look forward to when he falls asleep!

 

[AJ & Kiz]

thats exactly what I mean Susan , I long for the day when I am experienced enough for a beagle as they are such beautiful dogs but they arnt easy my friend has 2 and they are gorgeous she has done a fantastic job with them both but if anyone else walks them they wont come back with a recall but they will to her x

 

[Ginger_2002]

I love these dogs and long for one, have heard theyre such hard work i just dont have the time for one to get it right - he is beautiful though

 

[Dobiegirl]

Barney is beautiful, my mum used to have one, we got her from a girl who I used to work with whose marriage had broken up and she was described as a pocket beagle.We were really surprised at how thick she was compared to our previous dogs but she had a lovely affecionate nature and she was much loved.

 

[TrasaM]

Am I right in thinking that at some point he will learn to "sing" Lol... He's really cute.

 

[cellie]

Think very hard before you buy a beagle, my son has one hes 9 mths old and good friend had one,to say they are characters is understatement.I love him dearly but after having highly intelligent dogs I am always happy when he goes home.I have australian shepherd and hes bullied him unmercifully although they adore each other. Hes eaten sofas ripped curtains you name it.Hes like a child with adhd ,even walked 3 times a day he is looking for something to do all the time.Its amazing what he can destruct in under a minute .
We call him the beast lol hes the most stubborn dog ever but completely adorable.He has been to dog training and has had right training just different type of dog than collie /spaniel types and its been a education in itself.Still work in progress

 

[cellie]

thats exactly what I mean Susan , I long for the day when I am experienced enough for a beagle as they are such beautiful dogs but they arnt easy my friend has 2 and they are gorgeous she has done a fantastic job with them both but if anyone else walks them they wont come back with a recall but they will to her x

Funny you should say that my sons will only come back to about 3 of family and if his tail goes up and he gets scent of his friends on beach then hes off.

 

[TigerTail]

I think you need to be a VERY VERY VERY experienced dog person to have a beagle and also need a few other dogs with it who wont be bossed ( ie a jack russel )

We had one and tbh I dont think id have another! A Lot of that was down to my dad being useless with them, ie feeding titbits so the beagle used to sit and howl at him every meal and dad just let him his party trick was getting sanitary towels out of the bin and eating them..... along with anything and everything else in the bin.

Food cannot be left anywhere unless locked away - and when I say locked i mean with child locks on fridges etc....

He used to make the glass in the cabinet ring with his bay its was earsplitting.

I trained him to come to call, sit stay etc and was 99% ok but a deer scent in the wolds and he was gone.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I think, as with most dogs, when people are thinking of buying them, they need to go back and look at what they were originally used for, then think if that is the ideal dog for them, which very few people seem to do these days and go on looks and cuteness instead

 

[TrasaM]

I used to visit our local RSPCA kennels and there was a beagle x rottie puppy there once. It looked lovely..Rottweiler coloured ..all the other little dogs were barking but beagle x had inherited the beagle voice and boy, could it bay! Pity whoever got it

 

[Jericho]

oh dear my friend has just bought an 8 week old one. She lost her 1 yr old chocolate lab only about a week before due to a sudden heart attack and I think made a snap decision to get a new dog to help the heartache - not sure why she wanted a beagle, I think she thought they looked nice family dogs :-( Unfortunately the poor little thing is full of worms, underweight and has kennel cough.

Any advice I can give her on how to work with beagles?

 

[CorvusCorax]

They're a pack dog, bred to hunt.
They have the urge to run (all day, with their noses on the ground) dig, and howl. It's in their genes. They're also very foody. Please tell her to be very careful as Chrismas means there will be lots of food, small edible things around, lots of hustle and bustle and stress, not the best time to get a pup.

So...they need ground rules, they need company, they need a LOT of exercise (when old enough, not when baby pups) and she needs to realise that recall with a Beagle is usually an optional extra. This will be the time to make her the centre of the puppy's universe, all food and attention and toys should come from her, this will help with recall later.

Having said that, sounds like she went straight to a puppy farm/backyard breeder (dog ready for Christmas and full of parasites and an infectious condition ) so the hunting genes may not be that strong.

 

[nonstop]

I think, as with most dogs, when people are thinking of buying them, they need to go back and look at what they were originally used for, then think if that is the ideal dog for them, which very few people seem to do these days and go on looks and cuteness instead

Well said.

--Beagles need several hours of off leash exercise a day to keep them worn down. They have to work their noses to be happy.

--They need to live with at least one other dog, preferably a hound.

--Most beagles are easy keepers, so you constantly have to monitor their food intake.

---Like other hounds, beagles will only work for you if they decide to do it; they don't see the point in doing something just because you tell them to. Hounds are a lot like mules in that respect. Once you win them over to your point of view, they will try their hearts out for you. If you boss them, they will literally lay down and quit on you. They're smart dogs, but we are meant to follow them to the game, so when we ask them to do things, their first reaction is, "Why? What's the point?"

--Beagles and other hounds aren't going to be interested in catching a frisbee, retrieving a ball, doing advanced obedience or dog sports, or doing tricks. Beagles want to do one of three things: (1)follow their noses; (2)sleep; (3)eat.

Most people find it boring and/or frustrating to have a beagle or any type of hound, really. They take up a lot of time and require a lot of room to run. They seem to work out best for lazy people like me who like to ramble around outdoors, lie on the couch, and have a nice dinner. I can't imagine owning a dog that needed me to constantly provide stimulation or keep it occupied. The rabbit dogs we've had are as relaxed in the house as the ones who never hunted at all, or who formerly hunted. Have never owned one from pet lines, so they might be very different. I honestly can't recommend one for most people.

 

[Birker2020]

We have one who was 'rescued' from a hunt foot pack (photo in siggy aged ten). She is now 12. She was a little monkey when she was a pup but lived in an ideal environment for such a dog, she lived at a large equestrian competition centre for ten years of her life and for the last couple of years would roam around 250 acres, free to come and go. My partner was the groundsman and lived on site there.

When she was young she wouldn't tolerate being left for more than a couple of hours at a time, despite having bones and toys to play with. She used to chew everything in site, and destroyed to sofas and chairs. Eventually we decided to try a dog flap and it resolved itself overnight. As she could go in and out of the house to her hearts content she loved it.

Beagles are very hard work and need a lot of training. When the get on the scent of a fox or rabbit and they 'speak' the noise they make when on a scent - there is no calling them back unless you have this training in place. They are very active dogs and best suited to a large house/garden or stable yard. They need a lot of exercise and stimulation and training, but are hardy too. They can suffer with being overweight and also have a problem with there eye which can be inherited called 'cherry eye'. They can also suffer with a thing called reverse sneezing but this can also manifest itself in other things like our dog, allergic rhinnitis.

In short a very active dog who needs firm handling, good training, plenty of stimulation and exercise.

 

[SusannaF]

When I first moved here (centre of a VERY doggy city) the local vet had a poster up asking for homes for former laboratory beagles. I didn't get one, but have thought about it often since. However whenever I see one out and about in the neighbourhood they are usually on a lead (not at all common here as the hounds are all so well trained) and straining away (again, not a common sight here)... Reading this thread I realise I had a lucky escape, as did any beagle who would have ended up with me!