Beagle puppies

I agree. All of his dogs have always been highly untrained, but the beagle is his absolute worst. His best training consists of opening the door, yelling 'shut up' and closing the door. Moron. I shouldn't be so hard on his dogs. They are just a product of his neglect. Maybe it's just him I don't like. LOL.

 

How do Beagles do in snow and cold weather?

 

They eat 24/7
Their nose runs their lives (and it's never a good thing unless you are a narcotics cop)
Theiy bark a lot
Their bark is annoying
They whine a lot
Their whine is annoying
Most will run away when they get the chance
They will always beg for your food

Get a lab or a retriever.

 

After a lifetime of owning dogs, several hounds in the mix, I owuld say be cautious. On a 1-10 scale of difficulty for dog ownership, hounds are all 8 and up. That said, they are fantastic animals and loyal to the death! Not usually prone to many health concerns either.

Things you will need to do!!!

Daily rigorous exercise!! It is the only way to keep them quiet. No amount of training in the world will shut your hound up. Just have to wear them out.

They are scent animals so no off leash and they need a secure pen/run/yard or they are gone! And being that they are a slave to their noses runaways are usually found dead on the road as they blindly follow scents. Also an insulated dog house if its going to be outside in cooler weather. They are short haired and not built for the cold.

Good quality food. A must for any dog but more so for hounds as they tend to get fat fast if not run regularly.

Ect ect ect....

For a new dog owner I would not suggest one. If you want a good reliable, loving, faithful dog that is lower maitenance, get a Lab. Great hunting dog to boot. Very smart and great in all weather.

Best advice i can give is RESEARCH before you buy...

 

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/beagle.htm

 

I owned beagles and they are very smart and as stated very vocal, beagles are very great pets though and very great with kids, I miss my beagles but I now own a bassett hound and he is alot more laid back and relaxed, he is pretty much lazy we cant go around the block before he flops down and is ready for a nap.

 

When you guys say space is needed, how much space are you talking? My house sits on .2 acres. Back yard is fenced and about 100' x 25'

 

They just need enough room to be able to run around and get there exercise in, I also would recommend putting up a hot wire for a little while because when a beagle wants out of the back yard they will find a way out, they will dig there way underneath a chain link fence just to get out.

 

Dig under.... My Beagle when I was a kid could climb chain link as fast as I could!!

 

elicitone offers some good advice.

I've raised lots of beagles at one time and they are stubborn and bark/bay--a lot. But they're great pets if you spend the time required to take care of the dog. They are viewed by most as friendly dogs too. BTW, when I say bark, I really mean bay (which is a kind of prolonged bark).

By comparison, labs require quite a bit of maintenance too--at least a half hour a day of hard play/walking/etc. They're not as vocal. They can weigh between 65 and 100+ pounds which could be more than twice what a beagle weighs (I say this because if you plan on traveling with your dog, hotels often say "40 pounds or less" when they tell you they're "dog friendly".

Beagles eat two or three cups of food a day where labs eat around five cups.

Beagles and labs are often used as detection dogs in places where the public will see them because they're perceived as "cute" by the general public. Both are very good scent dogs.

I'd also recommend a trip to the library (or bookstore or even Petsmart) to find a book on the breed and do the research. If there are rescue groups in your area, you can usually arrange to talk with someone not just about rescue opportunities but also about the breed. I would recommend talking to someone about a local vet too. Once you get your dog, you'll want to take them to the vet for a checkup, shots, etc. as well as start the relationship you will have for a while. The vet is a great source of info on medical conditions you need to look for in the breed you choose (labs, for example, can have hip, eye and other problems. Epilepsy is also more common in labs).

Good luck choosing a dog!

 

Hear is my last hound, all 90 lbs of him!! He was a cross between a red bone coon hound and a Black and Tan Coon hound. Taller then most B+T's and thicker then most Redbones. He was a beast!! I decided to speed test him one day so took him for a run, me on my carbon fibre race bike. He could run a sustained 25 MPH barking the whole time and kept beside me for about 1/8 mile at 30 MPH until I gassed out!! Had to give him up when he got too possessive of our female lab. would growl at the wife when she went near the lab. He is leading a 7 dog hunting pack now. This pic makes him look so small. He towered over my Choc Lab. And she is about 75 LBs.

This is what he looked like after 45 minutes of retrieving tennis balls! After we wiped the sweat off him. Friggin bugger never got tired!!

 

This is my lab, after a 5KM run. She unlike her brother does get tired. Dog never gives up though. Her longest run to date is 6 1/4 Miles. Mind you I only run about 7MPH so she is barely trotting...

 

That is what we are talking about now. We both would like a Lab, but really like the size of the Beagle. Decisions, decisions.

 

Border collies/Australian sheppards are nice dogs. Very bright and not too large. Brother has a porchaguise water dog. Sorry about that spelling. Also a great dog. Brilliant bird dog to boot.

All the above are very active dogs. Be careful.

 

A dog is a 10+ year commitment. If you're not going to be happy with a Beagle and would rather have a lab and you are committed to having a dog, then get the lab--I've owned two. Riley is my current and he's a 90# chocolate.

 

If you want a lab like dog, but in a smaller size I would suggest looking into miniature dachshunds. They are much more lab like then a beagle. My parents have had 3 of them all great dogs that love to be outside and play fetch, but don't require extensive amounts of exercise.

 

Another thing to consider is how active are you? Do you want a running companion or a couch potato? Protector or "kisser" (my Zoie)? How much time do you have to spend with the pup/dog?

I hook Zoie (100% lab) up to my bike and she pulls the better part of a mile (don't let her go any farther - don't want to hurt her - she is only 7 months old now). After a short break, she wants a walk (same distance) and a few laps around the back yard chasing Annie and by then she's pretty worn out. Wish she'd chase a ball.... The more she's worn out, the less holes I have dug in my back yard.

Good luck on picking a pup.

 

http://animal.discovery.com/videos/dogs-101-beagle.html

 

I know its been awhile since you last posted in this thread but my fiance and I just got a Beagle a couple months ago. All we ever heard about them was that they like to howl all the time and to always keep it on a leash or else it will instantly run away since they have a very strong nose. Knowing this we started his training as soon as we got him at 8 weeks old. He is now 5 months old and does not run away, only howls when we play with him but stops when we tell him to, and the only time he doesn't respond is when he is really distracted by another dog. The biggest issue we have had is he does not like to listen to my fiance. He knows I am the alpha but isn't so sure about her being the beta. Hope this helps.