Beagles as pets

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burtie

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Both me and my OH would secretly love a Beagle, but other than the one belonging to livery at the yard and the local hunt ones, I don't know much about the breed.

Do they make good family pets and what are the main things to know about this breed?


Thanks
 
They eat... anything. Tables, chairs, knickers...

They're hard to train.

They're incredibly daft.

Oh and they're noisy.

They're cute to look at but I would not have one if someone PAID me to have one.

Only get one if you're very experienced with dogs and have no neighbours.

ETA: all said with the very best of humour and intention
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they make excellent pets
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i have one and he has been fantastic
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he dosent mind children pawing all over him, loves his food (although a little too much
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) and is a very good "guard dog" ie. all bark and no bite
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mine cant be let off the lead though - he would be off hunting rabbits like a shot!
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and also beagles are notoriously difficult to train
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they arnt noisy! and mine is very intelligent
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and they dont eat everything - thats just basic house -training!
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mine is now 9 or 10 and has been very well behaved
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Beagles are a very intelligent dogs. They can have a mind of their own due to them being bred to hunt. They get bored easily so need plenty of stimulation. We give our nine year old beagle lots of ongoing training, and we hide bits of treats around the house for her to sniff out so she is using her nose which is what she was bred for. She can get distracted if picks up on a scent but my Dad trained her to come back to him which she does very well. She has got a bit fat so we are trying to get her to slim down a little. She lives with my partner on a 220 acre riding centre (he is groundsman) so gets to run around the grounds every day and she loves tearing around the arena when he opens up in the morning. She used to get very bored and tear up the furniture whilst my OH was at work despite having bones and toys to play with and not being left for more than 3 hours at a time so we got her a dog flap so she could go in and out the fenced garden at will which she loves. She is friendly and gentle and would never bite. She loves playing with you even at the age of 9. The one disadvantage with beagles is that they are prone to weight gain and they also have a genetic trait (as do most dogs) - they suffer with a problem with the palate in their mouth so some times they have a problem breathing and struggle for air. This is quite alarming but is potentially not fatal. The vet has told us to cover her nostrils and tilt her head back which makes her gulp in air which helps her. This is more evident in dogs that are slightly over weight as in Candy's case. There are different types of beagle - some are American beagles which are bigger than the british beagle. Candy is very tiny as she was rescued from a hunt kennels complete with dew claws removed and ears tatooed. She was going to be shot as she was two inches to short at the shoulder and wouldn't have kept up with the rest of the pack. I certainly woudln't recommend getting an older rescued park dog as they wouldn't adapt very well, but in her case she was only a few months old so adapted to life outside the pack very well. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the beagle so long as you are consistent in training, can provide plenty of stimulation and are not a soft touch when it comes to giving out titbits!!
 
They are fantastic pets! I have a two year old Beagle and though I won't claim he is the easiest thing to train I have never looked back! I love him to bits. They need strong boundaries but they are so loyal, loving, kind, intelligent.... I don't completely agree with Charlie - though I would only get one if you have the time, patience and commitment as they are not the easiest dogs in the world - they are independant, and can completely ignore you at points!...
 
I wouldn't hesitate to get a beagle as a pet, I've had a lot of experience with them and they are such loving and tolerant dogs, and very trainable. Quite food orientated tho bless them
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My dad bought my mum one when they were first married - they left her alone for two hours and she chewed the entire door frame off to escape. She also ate one of every pair of my mum's shoes.

In the end they had to rehome her because my mum was in the middle of a difficult pregnancy and a beagle just needed too much attention.
She then went to live with a lady whose v valuable stamp collection she ate within the first week!

I think they can make suitable pets by all accounts, they're just not the easiest of dogs, and suit a certain type of household - preferably an experienced one, with lots of time.
 
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