Beagles

MrsPteranodon

Any one have one? We're thinking about getting a puppy, and I read they are really awesome family dogs. We have a pretty nice house and decent backyard patio/grass area. We have it fenced but are in the planning stages of putting up a nice cedar fence instead

nanabanana06

They smell, and bark, and fart. My aunt had 3 at one point. Nope, would never own one. They had to bathe them constantly, cuz it's a breed trait. They smell.

Have you thought about a Corgi?? I know a good breeder. 

missyishere

I've heard beagles are very fickel creatures...

MrsPteranodon

Haha I thought about a corgi but we had them growing up and while I do totally think they are amazing. It's not really a dog I want. I have a soft spot for dogs with big floppy ears. Like if I could get H on board with a Bassett hound I would have one right now.

RondackHiker

I've heard that beagles are some of the hardest dogs to housebreak.

What are you looking for in a dog?

MrsPteranodon

Good with kids, medium size, happy dog, hunting capable, loyal, medium intelegence.

We've known a couple people with beagles. They seem to fit those qualities alright. Plus I like how they look.

nanabanana06

I still stand by the fact that Beagles were put on this earth to smell, bark, fart, and pee. I love all dogs, but beagles make my no go list.

 I don't know of too many dogs that are good with kids and floppy ears. Most of the best breeds for kids are herders and retrievers.

Nita2603

I personally dislike beagles. A lot. They are smelly, they are hard to house train, they bark a lot. They are a hound too, so that makes their bark loud and their prey drive high. And they are smelly and stubborn.
My ILs have one. She nearly turned me off dogs for good.

littlestjerry

I feel compelled to chime in. We have a beagle that we got at the pound when he was about a year old. I love him dearly, but...

He's really dumb. And really stubborn. He barks at everyone that comes into our house, loudly and for a long time. I don't think anyone in the world likes him except us and my parents. I think some of it is just that he had a bad life before we adopted him and is, therefore, very fearful. But, we will not be getting another beagle when our dear dog moves on.

 

 

bigbootyjudi

We had a beagle for ten years growing up. We had to put her down a few years ago because of cancer, but she was a good dog. We got her when she was a puppy, my then stepdad was a dog trainer, so she was very well trained. We never had any problems with her, she always listened, and was house trained. She did smell more than our lab, but it was NBD to just spray her down with the hose and some shampoo outside once a week. She was never aggressive and was good with my then newborn sister from the start. She was a very attention seeking dog though and would whine if you did not pet her for an hour...so, it depends on what you have time for.

MrsCodeMonkey

Our neighbors have a beagle and she is super cute, but the bark is out of this world distinctive and annoying.

If you were in the market for a larger dog I would highly recommend golden retrievers. Ours is such a great family dog. He loves DD and lets her get away with a lot. She hugs and climbs him daily.

Have you considered a Sheltie? My husband's aunt had one and it was such a smart little dog. Very loyal and friendly too.

catycate

I would never own a beagle. The are super neurotic- my aunt had to take hers with her everywhere bc he would destroy everything in the house when they were gone and chew at the crate until he bled if they tried that. Then my stepmother had one that would pee every single time she heard a loud noise. 

RondackHiker

I'd say pit, sheltie, Boston, shelter mutt... But take someone good at evaluating scared dogs to the shelter. What seems like a quiet dog may just be frozen with fear and actually a very hyper dog.

Beagles are tricky. You'll get the odd easy one, but they're hounds. Most are stubborn. All five beagles I pet sat for took a year or more to housebreak. Good and consistent owners, just stubborn dogs.

izzourclue

Really challenging breed.  Smart, extremely vocal, and they follow their nose everywhere so they couldn't care less where you want them to go or what you want them to do.  You've never heard a sound quite like a Beagle barking.  It's startling.

MrsGoodkat

My neighbors growing up had a beagle and that thing was annoying. I'm sure they're not all that way but I wasn't sad when he kicked the bucket.

My friend had two Vizslas growing up that used to hunt with her dad. They were really welltrained and calm around kids and other dogs. I don't know much else about them, though.

Amelia4

I have a beagle now and he's wonderful.  Very food motivated so we used that to our advantage and he was house broken within 2 weeks max.  Crate trained very well.  We do put him outside at meal time now that we have a toddler as it's just easier that way. He sits just outside the door and then when we let him back in, he'll clean up any food mess that is left. 

Our beagle doesn't howl or bray--he's done it maybe 5 times in the 9 years we've had him.  He does bark, but not excessively and he sounds like a bigger dog when he does so, which is good for keeping people away from our house.  He was much more playful when he was younger, but he is more tolerant of my LO that we had anticipated. 

I agree it's all in the dog you get, but I wouldn't rule out beagles entirely.

littlestjerry

kiraliz2:

I do. I adopted him from the pound. He is super smart, great on or off a leash, and was very easy to train. However, my neighbors have a beagle who is kind of dumb, bays all the time, and will run away given the slightest opportunity. Go to the pound. Find a dog with the size and temperament you are looking for. Just my two cents.

Haha, are we neighbors?

sjgurl784

My parents have two and they are... moronic.  One runs away at every chance (through an invisible fence set at its highest voltage/zap/whatever) and both bay if the wind blows too hard, never mind seeing another animal.

I suggest pit or Frenchie.

izzourclue

kiraliz2:

My beagle doesn't smell. Well actually he does, like corn chips. Heh. But he's not smelly. I never knew that about them.

I had a greyhound whose feet used to smell like corn chips when she was due for a bath.  Weird. 

JerseyMa27

I've known a lot of people with beagles that had biting problems. I like beagles though, they're adorable. I would keep in mind their "hunting" nature. My aunt's beagle killed my cousin's hampster by trying to hunt and play with it (though most dogs would do the same so whatever).

boggs507

We have a Beagle mix - we got her as a rescue when she was about 4mo old. She's about 3.5 now and I wouldn't trade her for the world!  She's smart and was easily trained.  My DS and her are the best of friends and she has always been really great with him.  Her only downfall is she barks...a lot! So much that DS will go to the window and tell her there's nothing out there and to stop barking

I agree with PP's...go to a shelter and look for a dog that fits size and temperament requirements and take a chance on them.  Shelter dogs are incredibly loyal and I will always be convinced that it's because they are intuitive enough to know they've been rescued from something.  

jorkz821

My friend's beagle ate through her jeans pocket, from the outside, because there was a wrapper of some kind in there. Jeans she wasn't wearing, I mean. They're cute but holy crap hard to train and VERY smell and food motivated.

MrsPteranodon

Big dogs and puts are out of the question. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable with a pit bull in my house. No offense to those that have them and love them but big dogs make me really nervous in general.

I actually am specifically wanting a hunting dog to take duck hunting with me

izzourclue

MrsPteranodon:

Big dogs and puts are out of the question. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable with a pit bull in my house. No offense to those that have them and love them but big dogs make me really nervous in general. I actually am specifically wanting a hunting dog to take duck hunting with me

I don't think Beagles are used for duck hunting.  You need a dog that is designed to go into the water to get the ducks for you.  People usually use retrievers (goldens, labs, etc...), spaniels and standard poodles as PP mentioned.  A springer or brittany spaniel might be a good choice for you.  Spaniels are extremely high energy but they are smaller than labs and good with kids.  I think you should do a lot more breed research though.  Maybe contact some breeders.  Good luck! 

nanabanana06

izzourclue:

MrsPteranodon:

Big dogs and puts are out of the question. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable with a pit bull in my house. No offense to those that have them and love them but big dogs make me really nervous in general. I actually am specifically wanting a hunting dog to take duck hunting with me

I don't think Beagles are used for duck hunting.  You need a dog that is designed to go into the water to get the ducks for you.  People usually use retrievers (goldens, labs, etc...), spaniels and standard poodles as PP mentioned.  A springer or brittany spaniel might be a good choice for you.  Spaniels are extremely high energy but they are smaller than labs and good with kids.  I think you should do a lot more breed research though.  Maybe contact some breeders.  Good luck! 

Yup, this. I like the Spaniels, not Cocker Spaniels though. Retrievers are also great family dogs. I think a Golden would be your best bet. They are one of the best family and work dogs. 

Lilywildcat

Amelia4:

I have a beagle now and he's wonderful.  Very food motivated so we used that to our advantage and he was house broken within 2 weeks max.  Crate trained very well.  We do put him outside at meal time now that we have a toddler as it's just easier that way. He sits just outside the door and then when we let him back in, he'll clean up any food mess that is left. 

Our beagle doesn't howl or bray--he's done it maybe 5 times in the 9 years we've had him.  He does bark, but not excessively and he sounds like a bigger dog when he does so, which is good for keeping people away from our house.  He was much more playful when he was younger, but he is more tolerant of my LO that we had anticipated. 

I agree it's all in the dog you get, but I wouldn't rule out beagles entirely.

 Aww, i love my beagle Maxine! I will say overall she is a good dog, but she has her quirks.Yes she barks, but she very rarely howls, I am not joking, she has only ever done that a half dozen times in her life (she is now 9). She barks when people she really likes come over. For all others, she is just 'meh'. She will come check you out, but if you are my parents/inlaws or siblings, she will go apeshhit because she loves them!

She was tough to train at first, but she is pretty good now. She does pull at the beginning of a walk because she wants to check out all the smells, but after 5 minutes and several repeats of 'Maxine, by my side!" she stops pulling. I agree, they are food driven and like Amelia4, we used that to our advantage during training. She is crate trained and knows when we are going out, it's crate time. She can be stubborn, but i am more stubborn than she is, so i usually win. On the odd occasion where she has got out of the yard, she has followed scents, but the furthest she has gone is up and down our street. I usually get some 'people food' to lure her in and she comes.

She is very tolerant of all kids, especially my own two. My DS used to love to lie on her when he was smaller. She has been known to steal a cookie from my DD, but that's because DD teases her sometimes. She has never bit anyone or fought another dog. I don't think my beagle smells like corn chips, that's the first time i have heard about that distinct smell. I bathe my dogs once a month on average, but alter the schedule if they need more or less bathing. My Beagle does have dry skin and sheds, but she is a dog after all. I brush her when i remember. I have also changed to a better quality dog food and i give her some wet food to mix it up. She does have a cataract and is almost blind in that eye. Other than getting swarmed by bees as a pup and almost dying, the cataract is the only other medical issue she has ever had. She is pretty healthy. She has regular check ups and meds/vax. She has never been a source of stress. I love her and 2 other friends of mine had beagles and they say their beagles were the best dogs ever. No lie.