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The doghouse

Talk to me about Beagles

12 replies

madoldbird · 05/07/2012 15:19

Hi, we have made the decision to get a dog at some point in the next few months. We have been researching breeds, and what would suit our family. We have two teenagers, and two 3 year olds. We also have three cats. So basically it needs to be a breed that will enjoy an active family life, and will get along with cats.

On the whole we prefer bigger dogs (DH has said he will only have a "proper" dog - which to him means a reasonable size and certainly not a toy breed). However we also want to be careful as one of our 3 year olds has additional needs, and is also around the size of an 18 month year old, and only growing slowly. I feel that some of the more "obvious" breeds for a family such as a lab or retriever would just be too large and liable to knock my DS over easily.

I've fallen in love with Beagles - they seem just the right size, a good temperament, and great fun. The only negative thing I have read is that they have a tendancy to disappear when off the lead, and that hasn't put us off.

Can anyone share their first hand experience of Beagles, or give their opinion on whether it is potentially the right breed for us?

Any help much appreciated!

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quoteunquote · 05/07/2012 18:51

they need a lot of walking, miles and miles,you are better off cycling with them, they need to be kept occupied, and enjoy constant company.

very busy dogs.

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50ShadesOfSaggy · 05/07/2012 22:17

They are hounds. Hunting dogs. They can run for miles, I've seen beagle puppies climb chain link fences, and give them a sniff to follow, and you won't get their attention whatever you do!
They are gorgeous dogs, but I wouldn't have one. Your teenager will take it for a walk, let it off the lead and you won't see it for dust!

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50ShadesOfSaggy · 05/07/2012 22:18

I'd recommend a cocker, we got ours when dd was 18mo, or something like a small greyhound, lurcher.

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quoteunquote · 05/07/2012 22:21

What was it that appealed to you about beagles?

I've been out with beagles for over 12 hours, and they are still good to go,

If you could define the characteristics that are on your must have list, it would be interesting to look at alternatives.

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wildfig · 05/07/2012 22:41

I like beagles - they are lovely little hounds, very sweet, funny and good with people - but I don't think I could ever own one, because i just don't have the time to wear it out enough to stop it being naughty. But maybe you do! I'd recommend talking to someone from the breed club, and maybe consider rehoming an adult beagle from Beagle Welfare - they'll give you the honest truth about owning a scent hound with limitless energy and limited trainability. A beagle from show stock might be slightly less of a handful than one from working stock, but even the show beagles I've met have been adorable bouncy balls of energy.

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bigbadwritersblock · 06/07/2012 13:28

Our beagle is fab, great with our two year old (we got our beagle a week before I found out I was pregnant) she had a huge leering curve and has coped very well. She gets a couple of decent walks a day though we'd like them to be longer, she never ever runs off and has fantastic recall and is very well behaved. The only problem we have with her is that she loves company so tat when I take dc to a long toddler group or out for the day I have a dog walker take her. She still really misses us. If I do decide to return to work I'd worry more about how she would cope then my dc! I would say compared to other beagles we have been very lucky and I'm not sure I'd get another one - that said don't regret having ours one bit

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madoldbird · 06/07/2012 15:29

Thanks all. From the responses here, perhaps we do need a bit of a rethink!

quoteunquote on our must have list:

good with young children
good with cats
medium sized
enjoy a decent walk
generally enjoy and join in with a busy family life
short coat / easy to groom

We have a medium sized garden, and a huge park over the road. DH is a SAHD, and i work from home, so it would have lots of company / attention.

I think i have fallen in love with Beagles because they seem to fulfill our criteria, and i think they're beautiful dogs. However we want to make sure we get the right dog for us, so any other suggestions would be gratefully received!

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wildfig · 06/07/2012 15:35

That does describe a beagle though! But you might have to multiple the 'decent walk' a bit. Have you met any in real life?

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50ShadesOfSaggy · 06/07/2012 15:36

I'd buy a cocker spaniel and a decent set of clippers!

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LadyTurmoil · 06/07/2012 15:57

Beagles are gorgeous, especially when puppies but I don't think they would be my top choice for family dog. A neighbour across road has one and it does bay quite loudly (may not bother you), have heard they can be more difficult to housetrain and recall is difficult because of their hunting instincts. The neighbour's dog also seems quite slow now even though it's only about 5 (don't know if this is typical of breed). I would talk to friends, google local rescue centres etc. Also try many tears.co.uk (based in Wales but fostering all over country). They have loads of dogs including puppies and seem to give honest write ups about their dogs. I would also recommend cross breeds. Also, i have noticed on various websites and from friends that men seem to always say they want a "proper" dog but I think it's more important to find one that suits your lifestyle, rather than going for a particular breed because you like their looks.

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LadyTurmoil · 06/07/2012 16:07

www.facebook.com/SOSAnimalsUK have Porthos and Aramis for adoption, small but still quite macho looking (might please husband). Also, Dorset Dog Rescue has cocker/Weimeraner puppies

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WitchOfEndor · 06/07/2012 16:08

What about Labradors or a Springer if a Lab is too big? Having had both they are both great with kids and although they need a good walk to get them nice and tired they are easier to train to recall as that is part of their breed characteristic. Lots of gun dog types to choose from who won't run off like a beagle will.

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