O/T Beagles

Jordan Bergsma · Dec 30, 2011

I had to have my friend (lab/ rottweiler mix, the friendliest dog you'd ever come across, and I find myself tearing up as I type this)of 13 years put down today, so now it's time to start looking for a replacement. I've read up a lot on beagles, and was wondering what people's thoughts on them are. Do they really wander off as much as people say they do? I'm willing to put in the time to train and play with a dog to get all that energy out, but I am in school from 8-5. Thanks!

bo · Dec 30, 2011

Don't get a beagle. You won't have the time for him and he'll find something to do...like eat your house. I've had beagles. The best. But, they need to be run...hard. They do wander off..they don't run away..they follow a scent because it's interesting and when they finally look up...they don't know where the heck they are. I love their bay.....great little dogs...one ate a 5 lb roast...the whole thing. Another couldn't stay out of the garbage pail no matter how much you train...one ate 2 sponge cakes in one sitting...all were escape artists and we loved every one of them that's why I didn't kill them.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 30, 2011

We have a dachshund and it is the best dog we ever had .she
trained her self and think she is human best guard dog but is
so loveing great with kids and no dog smel

agonair · Dec 30, 2011

I love a beagle. We have had one for four years. Got her as a pup and had her spayed as soon as she was able. She is a small frame beagle and is not an inside dog. We have a large kennel she stays in when she is not out and playing. Depending on where you live. If you live in the country and can get let them run. They will do great. We had them for years. In town, you need to keep them inside a fenced in area or in a kennel. They will take off on a scent. Nose is always down and they don"t pay attention where they are going. They love you unconditionally and are a very affectionate dog. Little kids love them...their personalities are similar. They love to eat and are always hungry!

JDNewbie · Dec 30, 2011

I have a beagle. Brought her home 13 years ago as a birthday present for my wife and I've kicked myself since. This is the only beagle I have ever had, and will probably be the only beagle I'll ever have, but from what I read she is not a stereotypical beagle. We had a lab first and she was so easy to train, I thought we could certainly handle a beagle. It took some time, but she has trained us well.

She was a full on puppy for 2 years. Chewed everything she could find to chew. She took forever to house break because we couldn't get her to bark at the door when she wanted out. I read you can't train a beagle to "speak", but she will stand at my chair and bark until I feed her, but not to go outside. She will still make a mess if you aren't fast enough at the door.

I thought for a long time she wouldn't listen, but I think she just pays more attention to her nose than anything else (eyes, ears). Just to see what they would do, I went and hid in the dark one time from our lab and the beagle. The lab watched were I went and ran right to me, but the beagle put her nose on the ground and followed my path until she ran into my feet and looked up at me.

She also will not chase a rabbit. I watched her sit on the back porch and watch run not but 2 feet in front of her while she sat there and watched it run by TWICE.

She is on her bed in the corner snoring right now. We have learned to live together. I'll take care of her and give her a good home until she dies, but she will probably out live me just to spite me.

Piddletime_SC · Dec 30, 2011

A beagle"s nose is like cocaine to a rock star. They have to follow there nose even if they don"t want too and they know it will result in them getting a whoopin!! They will come back when they wander off but it will be very slowly. Not trying to discourage just confirming what you have heard. Good luck!

omahagreg · Dec 30, 2011

We have a six year old Corgy/Beagle mix-best dog ever! He is alittle quick to growl at you-most times for no apparent reason. I have had to get after him hard for snapping at my feet-he would fall asleep at my feet, the first sign of those same feet moving and he would snap at them. Decided that was not tolerated-he caught on quick and has changed his ways!

jd b puller · Dec 30, 2011

I feel your pain. We had to put our Beagalador (that's my fancy name for a Beagle Lab mutt) down this Summer. She was 15 years old. She was absolutely the worst puppy I've ever had. She would chew everything. Shoes, papers, books, whatever she could find. One day we came home and said, "I wonder what Maggie destroyed today"... She had ripped the carpet from one end of the room to the other, and chewed up the foam pad underneath. On the bright side, we found out we had great natural hardwood floors underneath.

I yelled and pointed at that dog for a solid hour. My neighbors probably thought I was nuts, they had to hear me. That's when she "got it". She was almost 2 years old at this point. After that, she was the best dog I've ever had. Loved the kids, loyal, loving, played ball and frisbee. i cried like a school girl when we took her to the vet for the last time. I'd take a dozen of her.

oldtanker · Dec 30, 2011

(quoted from post at 20:28:35 12/30/11) I have a beagle. Brought her home 13 years ago as a birthday present for my wife and I've kicked myself since. This is the only beagle I have ever had, and will probably be the only beagle I'll ever have, but from what I read she is not a stereotypical beagle. We had a lab first and she was so easy to train, I thought we could certainly handle a beagle. It took some time, but she has trained us well.

She was a full on puppy for 2 years. Chewed everything she could find to chew. She took forever to house break because we couldn't get her to bark at the door when she wanted out. I read you can't train a beagle to "speak", but she will stand at my chair and bark until I feed her, but not to go outside. She will still make a mess if you aren't fast enough at the door.

Go do some research! Beagles were not originally bred for rabbits! We had 2 when I was a kid. Great dogs! Wouldn't hunt rabbits at all but were great bird dogs!

Rick
I thought for a long time she wouldn't listen, but I think she just pays more attention to her nose than anything else (eyes, ears). Just to see what they would do, I went and hid in the dark one time from our lab and the beagle. The lab watched were I went and ran right to me, but the beagle put her nose on the ground and followed my path until she ran into my feet and looked up at me.

She also will not chase a rabbit. I watched her sit on the back porch and watch run not but 2 feet in front of her while she sat there and watched it run by TWICE.

She is on her bed in the corner snoring right now. We have learned to live together. I'll take care of her and give her a good home until she dies, but she will probably out live me just to spite me.

Larry Wallace · Dec 30, 2011

Everything written below is true as we experienced all of that and more with the beagles we raised. They are like billy goats, they will eat just about anything. Seen a female swallow in one gulp a large piece of balled up tin foil that had been covering a roast. It came right back up after a few minutes. She was constantly in the trash can. Never was house broken. The absolute funniest thing I ever saw was when she thought the wife was squirting pudding in the door of the dishwasher to wash the dishes. She came flying up to the inside of the door and took as big a slurp of that liquid dish soap as she could. I about busted a gut laughing as I watched that dog turn green right through her fur. Served her right. Beagles are some of the dumbest dogs to have. Very loving, loyal, and enthusiastic about anything but dumber than a rock.

Larry.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 31, 2011

Get you an Australian Sheperd and don't look back... Get a real one tho and not a mini or toy.... Or if you can find a nice rottweiler again....

GVSII · Dec 31, 2011

(reply to post at 01:49:18 12/31/11)

Fantastic dogs BUT 99% are bums. They can't help it -- that nose/keen sense of smell rules.

yallardeere · Dec 31, 2011

get a Shepard Akita mix loyal dogs

Ultradog MN · Dec 31, 2011

Beagles bark a lot and their voice carries a long way. That's partly bred into them of course - so hunters could follow their barking on the hunt
I've never owned one but have been around a couple.
One of my neighbors had one. When they let him out of the house he would bugle constantly, about every 15 seconds at nothing - till they let him back in.
Also, one of my tennants had one and when I would stop by to mow or do some work in the garage he would bugle non stop as long as I was there.
Granted, that's partly why you get a dog as they make a racket when someone comes by. But you want them to chill out after a few minutes too.
Beagles I've known just kept barking.

John M · Dec 31, 2011

Oh boy! Going through it right now woth a pup, little more than 4 months old!!! We had beagles when I was growing up, but they stayed in a pen outside, of course we made provisions for them and kept the pen neat! We used them for rabbit hunting, great dogs for that. We also had dachshunds, wondeful dogs for kids. We now have one of each, the dach being the oldest going on 14 years, is accually helping beieve it or not to potty train him, so thats going OK. BUT, he is a puppy, and LOVES to run, jump, and play, and yes wander off some. It takes LOTS of patience to train one, but the benefits are very rewarding, especially the hugs from my youngest boy for getting what he wanted for a change!!!

ss55 · Dec 31, 2011

Beagles are bred to hunt and howl. They are very noisy. Their deep bark carries for a long distance, especially at night and early morning. If you have neighbors close by be ready to do something to reduce the noise complaints.

A friend had to get rid of his beagle in town. He always said she didn't bark that much followed by "for a beagle".

If you are in school you probably have plenty of friends and activities already. When you leave school your life will change a lot. Why burden yourself with a big pet now? Wait until you are settled before committing youself and your roommates to a dog. At the minimum, do some more research to find a breed or mix that suits your situation better.

Good luck.

Duane(Pa) · Dec 31, 2011

I'm sorry about your friend. I have been through that, most gut wrenching thing I have known. The only thing with a harder head than a beagle is a coon dog. They have been bred over eons and have a one track mind. There have been plenty of negitives mentioned, and for the most part they are true. There are exceptions. Do you feel lucky? Finding a house dog beagle is like hitting the Power Ball lottery. I love them, but if you're not a "Dyed in the wool" rabbit hunter, I would look elsewise for a companion dog.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 31, 2011

I feel for ya, I just lost my Golden Retriever of 13 years and we miss him much - best family/hunting dog I ever had - starting to look for another and cannot believe the prices. I had a beagle years ago for hunting - great hunter but hunted for herself - not the gun, so I had to hunt with her as opposed to her hunting with me. Got pretty frustrating sometimes especially when it came to property lines. Said I never have another. Well daughter got one when she was in college and before you know it it lives with us. Beagles can give a lot of love but they are arrogant.

greygoat · Dec 31, 2011

A Beagle will pass up a t-bone steak for a
chance to raid a garbage can!!!!!!!!!!
We've had 3 beagles, all nice "Kids Dogs", all
would run away whenever they could, all came home eventually, at supper time. We had a pregnant female get out of the pen, and run for
3 days. We could hear her running rabbits, but
couldn't catch her. Finally, a neighbor got her,
that night she had 5 beautiful pups. 3 days later
while nursing new pups she got out again...ran rabbits for 4 days..we had to bottle feed pups!
This was all 30 years ago. We love beagles but
won't have another!

Anonymous-0 · Dec 31, 2011

They're great! As long as you have plenty of land for them to run you don't mind ensessant barking, and you have enough energy daily to keep up with the equivelent of 4 two year old children.

O/T Beagles

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