Beagles?

[katiejaye]

Can anyone tell me a little about their temperament and requirements? My hubby and I are planning to get a dog as soon as we move into our house and we have always had a BIG soft spot for beagles. I am interested to know how easy/difficult they are as a breed and how sociable they are (especially with children as we are planning a family in nearish future). Any information apreciated.

 

[AmyMay]

Wonderful animals - NOT FAMILY PET though IMO.

You can NEVER let them off the lead as they will be gone.

Friends of mine have had several. They said never again after they disappeared yet again - to be found on the central reservation of the M4!!

You have to watch them like a hawk - and wouldn't be on my list of dogs to have as a pet im afraid.

 

[katiejaye]

That's really what I had always thought. We really want to make sure we get the right family dog. I've always had terriers and love them to bits but they are not fantastic with kids (have lots of jealousy issues!) and can be a little cheeky! Having only ever had terriers I don't know an awful lot about other breeds so am trying to research as much as I can at the moment. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

 

[AmyMay]

To be honest - I would go to a rescue centre. There are so many unwanted animals out there. And a little heinz 57 variety can make a wonderful pet.

Other than that - love Boxers, German Shepherds, Staffy's, spaniels..........

could go on forever

 

[katiejaye]

I agree and have had rescues but I'm just worried with having a child around a rescue. All the ones I have had have been lovely but had problems. I will def rescue though for my 2nd dog when I have slightly older children. LOve big dogs but unfortunately we need to stay smaller.

 

[EllieBeast]

http://www.petplanet.co.uk/select_a_breed.asp
try this site, it can give you a vague idea of the breeds that meet your requirements. take it all with a slight pinch of salt though! (however, i did it and it told me to get a Rottweiler - the breed that we have owned for over 20 years!)
Sarah xXx

 

[AmyMay]

Ooo it just suggested a Finnish Laphound for me.

Looks like a lovely, lovely dog.

 

[katiejaye]

oh it recommends a Lakeland terrier for me...really lovely looking and I love terriers!

 

[EllieBeast]

Aw, everytime i do it, they just keep reccomending the rotties! shame LOL
its not a bad site actually, when our last Rottie passed on we looked into other breeds for quite a while, but still ended up with another one. i think they just suit us down to the ground. obviously not a breed for everyone though.
Good luck
Sarah xXx

 

[luie123]

We had a beagle, and she was great. BUT they are terrible scavengers, and need lot and lots of exercise. You could let her off the lead but she was very well trainied. They are very social and kind. I would only reccomend them for someone who has lots of time for walking and pupply training!

An ex racing greyhound might be an option?

 

[kbt2661]

Old English Sheep Dog, must admit that is probably a bit extreme even for me, tend to go for GSD, Rough and border collies, bit surprised at that one.

 

[monica123]

i love beagles but they smell!!!

 

[prose]

Get a Boston Terrier.

They are fantastic with kids, other dogs and are so playful (you watch one shift after a tennis ball -- beats a Jack Russell any day). In short they are a real sweet-natured breed that wants nothing else but to be your devoted companion.

They display some terrier traits (wilful; active; mine is a squirrel fiend) but they were originally bred from bulldogs and are therefore much more laid-back. Mine cuddles with children of all ages and is very tolerant.

Here's my three-year-old girl. (And just in case you were wondering, they are a natural bob-tail breed.)

 

[claire1976]

We have an english springer spaniel and 2 rescue dogs. The ESS is our first pedigree and whilst I always rescue dogs I have to say the ESS has exceeded my expectations as a family dog. She adores my 4 year old and they constantly play together. She is quick to learn, laid back, patient and trustworthy around all children. I would highly recommend them as a family pet providing you can give them plenty of exercise as they are full of energy!

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
She adores my 4 year old and they constantly play together

[/ QUOTE ]
My next door neighbour has one - and a 5 year old daughter - and they are exactly the same.

The little girl dresses the dog up regularly as a cowboy, and they are just wonderful together.

 

[Nic]

I have two rescue dogs that although jumpy near adult men they do not know are fantastic with my 2 wee neices 2 1/2 & 8 months.

You can get rescue dogs as puppies so that you know they have never been abused and possibly had a better start than many breeders would give them.

I would definitely have another rescue dog again.

 

[druid]

As I spend my time returning the local 2 to thier owners when they escape and stray...NOT a pet imo...

 

[JAK]

Lovely dogs, lovely temperaments, very good around people usually like most hound breeds......however.......!!!

!. Do you like standing for hours in the pouring rain & increasing darkness, whilst a small hound waffles merrily up & down in the next field, tail up, nose down, (or more likely, has long since disappeared over the far horizon!), oblivious to your calls, well, oblivious to pretty much everything really, except what its nose is telling it!

2. Would you like a dog that, although intelligent & more than capable, is virtually impossible to train in even the basics (well train to be reliable anyway, ha ha!), retains only that information it feels it needs to (i.e. none) & who will quite possibly embarrass you horribly at any dog-training class, bouncing round affably with a wagging tail whilst refusing to comply to its frustrated owners requests to concentrate! (Or worse, is good as gold at training but as soon as it's 'outside' with 'smells', has a total brain malfunction & turns instantly into 'hunting dog extraordinaire'! See point 1. above! LOL)

OK, so beagle lovers will all hate me now but even after decades of experience in dog-training, instructing etc., there are still a handful of breeds that (despite being frequently lovely individuals!) make me cringe & think "Oh no, please, mercy!" when they walk through the door.......& one of them is definitely the beagle!

 

[summer]

I would also like to say how wonderful springer spaniels are.

As long as you have time to give plenty of running around exercise they have a great temperament, are lovely looking, loyal, constant companion, very trainable (be consistent and start as a puppy) and I couldn't have asked for a better dog with my children. I had my springer for six years before I had my first child and was a bit worried about how she would react - but she was great. She would lie beside the moses basket (yes I know people say you shouldn't leave dogs and babies on own together, but I used my instinct on this one!) and actually come to get me the minute my son started crying. As children got older and more curious she would go into a quiet corner if she had had enough poking and also she didn't mind when they would constantly try to cuddle up in her bed with her!

Cannot praise them enough. Know other Springers with similar temperaments... They also do silly things too such as when a puppy, pulled down a (cold) deep fat fryer from the worktop and licked up all the oil, many poooos and shiny coat later.....! she was fine LOL!

Forgive me for my obvious adulation, a small tribute to my wonderful Springer who unfortunately had to be PTS two years ago and who I miss every day..

 

[mrdarcy]

I'd suggest a Tibetan Terrier or a wirehaired dachshund as I've got one of each and both have fabulous temperaments. The TT is very lively but 100% with people and other animals. They do like to jump though and he can be quite vocal (he yodels when he's exicted). TT's are more like half dog half cat.

The wirehaired dachshund has the sweetest most loving temperament of any dog I've ever met. Everyone who meets her falls in love with her - she's fantastic with kids and loves spending time with them. You can do anything with her or to her and she'd never ever snap or even growl. Even as a hound with terrier blood she's reasonably well-behaved... I can let her off the lead out wherever we are and she never goes out of view. I'd highly recommend one to you - plus you can get away with as much or as little exercise as you can manage.

Here's their mug shots:

Dachsie:

TT

 

[Bess]

When I was a kid my family had many dogs, the only one that was completely untrainable/unmanageable was a beagle called Bobby. Lovely nature, very loveable, he would sleep in the ashes of the fire at night so he was usually singed on one side. But during the day he would take off over a 5' stone wall with another 2' wire on top. He went up to a local chicken farm and was a complete pest. He was 'rehomed' eventually, only in my later teens did I realise what that meant. Bobby had been given many chances and every preventative measure had been taken, but I realised that it had been bye bye Bobby. He was a lovely dog but not in any way able to live in a normal home, even though we had miles of fields behind the house. Still sad about it 30 years on.

 

[JAK]

Aww, a sad tale but yes, they can be monstrously difficult, can't they? Lovely little dogs but a real 'hound' at the end of the day! You need the patience of a saint & then some to be a beagle owner I reckon - I would never get on with one - I'm not a hound/terrier person at all! LOL