Beagle adoption advice

[72doug2,2S]

I have an opportunity to adopt a three year old spade male beagle. He looks like he could loose a few pounds and does need the anal gland clean out every few months. He is friendly and good with kids.

Any one have advice on beagles. These are the only pics I could get.

[gassy]

Cute dog. Be prepared for the barking tho.

[71T Targa]

Beagles are hounds, but you probably already knew that. I didn't realize it when I got mine and found that she loved to run, and bark, and run some more.

[stomachmonkey]

Beagles are great dogs and make great family pets.

Just remember they are hounds.

[72doug2,2S]

Although I know they're hounds, I've never owned a hound. How much exercise should I expect?

[Nathans_Dad]

Beagles are generally fairly high strung dogs. They need lots of exercise to avoid being annoying. They do bark quite a bit (as do all hounds). Great disposition, just be prepared to walk them daily at least.

Here's more info:

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

Pronunciation
Beagle

Description
A hardy, sturdy squarely-built, small hound. The Beagle has a sleek, easy-care, short coat, which can come in any hound color, for example, tri-color, black and tan, red and white, orange and white, or lemon and white. The coat is close, hard and of medium length. The beagle looks like a small English Foxhound. The skull is broad and slightly rounded, and the muzzle is straight and square. The feet are round and strong. The black nose has full nostrils for scenting. The long, wide ears are pendant. The brown or hazel eyes have a characteristic pleading expression. The tail is carried gaily, but never curled over the back. Beagles have a distinct howl / bay of a bark when they are on the hunt. Video Clip of a Beagle's Baying Bark

Temperament
The Beagle is a gentle, sweet, lively and curious dog that just loves everyone! A happy little tail-wagger! Sociable, brave and intelligent. Calm and loving. Excellent with children and generally good with other dogs, but should not be trusted with non-canine pets, unless they are socialized with cats and other household animals when they are young. Beagles have minds of their own. They are determined and watchful and require patient, firm training. This breed doesn't like being left alone. Consider buying two if you will be gone a lot. A Beagle has a loud baying cry that was a delight to hunting horsemen, but can be disturbing to family and neighbors. Beagles have a tendency to follow their own noses. They may take off on their own exploration if let off their leash in an unfenced area. Be careful when selecting your Beagle. The breed is being over bred and in some lines, the dogs temperament is suffering because of it.

Height, Weight
Height: Dogs 14-16 inches (36-41cm) *****es 13-15 inches (33-38cm)
There are two height classes, 13-15 inches (33-38cm) and under 13 inches (33cm).
Weight: Dogs 22-25 pounds (10-11kg) *****es 20-23 pounds (9-10kg)

Health Problems
Some lines can be prone to heart disease, epilepsy, eye and back problems. Also prone to chondroplasia, aka dwarfism (warped front legs, like a Basset's). You can see an example of his condition by looking at Bently's photo.

Living Conditions
Beagles will do okay in an apartment if they get plenty of chances to be outdoors. They are very active indoors and a small yard will be sufficient.

Exercise
Energetic and possessing great stamina, the Beagle needs plenty of exercise, including a brisk daily walk. It should have a fenced yard of reasonable size to romp in. Always use a lead when walking this breed or you will be running the risk of it disappearing in search of wild game.

Life Expectancy
About 12-15 years

Litter Size
2 - 14 puppies - Average 7

Grooming
The Beagle's smooth short-haired coat is easy to look after. Brush with a firm bristle brush, and bathe with mild soap only when necessary. Dry shampoo occasionally. Be sure to check the ears carefully for signs of infection and keep the nails trimmed. This breed is an average shedder.

Origin
The Beagle is one of the most popular scent hounds because of his energy, willingness, and merry, sweet disposition. The breed probably originated as a cross between the Harrier and other hounds in England. The Beagle has been used in packs, alone, and in pairs, for hunting hare, pheasant and quail. He has also served as an excellent narcotics detection dog and makes a fine family companion. Unfortunately, because they are fairly uniform in size and small, Beagles are often used for medical experimentation.

Group
Hound, AKC Hound
Recognition
CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, KCGB, CKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR

[the]

I think Beagles are the most misunderstood dog out there, leading to the most disappointed owners (which is not the dog's fault!)

[Rikao4]

Rick covers it well.
How much excercise. , well they run with those horse's, and they are in front.
ALWAYS on the leash, once they scent on something of interest ,WATCH OUT.
Tubby once trim could be fun, looks like a fat security guard at the moment.
A tired dog is a good dog.
Rika

[teenerted1]

exersize is a must too keep trim and the baying down. also they are diggers. so watch that fenceline for any posible escape routes. they are great dogs and mine lived to 16. your lil tike will have a buddy for many years to come

[unclebilly]

Any animal lover would do the right thing... get a rescue dog. Paying big dollars for pure bred dogs encourages inbreeding which leads to stupid dogs that will destroy your house and worldly possesions.

This dog is obvioulsy not a puppy so adopting it rather than getting a pup is the right thing to do. Dogs need routine, and time.

[Gogar]

A neighbor about 4 houses down has a beagle.

Never met them, though. Never really seen the dog, either; but I know he's there.

[t951]

We have 2 beagles. Things you should know about beagles:

When young they want to wander real bad. This starts to slow down as they get older. (but not by much!)
They are prone to being fat. Beagles are ALWAYS hungry.
They are convinced that they are people and want you to recognize them as such.
They do love to bark. Ours do bark, but I find that if you pay attention to them, it makes it go down alot.
They are great with people.
They love to snuggle.
They are awesome.
We will always have beagle in our house. The best thing we did for ours was to get him a another beagle for him to play with.
No matter how long your leash, is they want another 3 inches.
Never leave them tied up outside. This will turn them into destructive howlers. Ours are content to be where-ever we are and will usually just chill with their noses into the wind.
The only thing better than 1 beagle is 2 beagles!

If you have any questions on them, just let me know. Our oldest is 12.5 and the other is 10. We also have 2 labs which play with them.
Oh, beagles hate swimming. Ours won't go out in the rain, and the girl beagle prefers sidewalks to grass.

[artplumber]

When my sister would come home after work it was a 1-2 minute howl. When she went on vacation - 10 minutes, without a breath.

[aigel]

Don't do it. There is a reason they are getting rid of the dog. We had rescued and fostered a beagle and that was the worst dog I have ever spent time with. Much for the reasons listed above.

It was one of the happiest days of my life when we found a permanent home for it. I am not sure why Beagles have become pets. They have their place if you hunt with hounds and keep them in kennels.

Why not go for a breed / mixed breed that has been developed with companionship in mind? If you are willing to adopt a pet, you have a lot of choices.

Just my two cents,

George

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by the

I think Beagles are the most misunderstood dog out there, leading to the most disappointed owners (which is not the dog's fault!)

I agree 100%. We have two beagles. They are fantastic pets, very gentle and lots of personality... but they are "special needs" dogs. If you don't give them the training, discipline and exercise and they need, you will be miserable. They are NOT like having a lab.

For example: We just went away for 2 weeks. My father in law "dog sat" for us. Our dogs rarely bark, and never pee in the house as long as you make sure they get out enough.

When we got home, my FIL was at wits end. The dogs barked incessantly and there was pi$$ everywhere. He didn't bother to read the Special Instructions we left him, and he paid for it.

FWIW, Lubmaster had a thread about adopting a beagle a couple months ago. Lots of good info there

[notfarnow]

What About a Couple Beagles for the Kids?

[Mo_Gearhead]

Life in the day of a Beagle:

Wakes up ...BARKS!
Sees you ...BARKS!
Smells Food ...BARKS!
Sees a leaf blow by the window...BARKS!
Runs outside ...BARKS!
Smells ANYTHING! ...BARKS!
SEES ANYTHING!...BARKS!

...must I go on?

[notfarnow]

Originally Posted by Mo_Gearhead

Life in the day of a Beagle:
Wakes up ...BARKS!
Sees you ...BARKS!
Smells Food ...BARKS!
Sees a leaf blow by the window...BARKS!
Runs outside ...BARKS!
Smells ANYTHING! ...BARKS!
SEES ANYTHING!...BARKS!

...must I go on?

Mine don't bark like that. Well, they do if we don't walk them and the go cabin crazy

Originally Posted by t951

They love to snuggle.

ha! true

Originally Posted by t951

They love to snuggle
We will always have beagle in our house. The best thing we did for ours was to get him a another beagle for him to play with.

True, getting a second beagle made a huge difference for us too. Much more mellow. They keep each other busy (like when they learned to open the fridge)

[Stutgart46]

We have a Beagle that is almost 4. We have had him since he was 8 weeks old. The first couple of months were tough but after that he has been the best dog we have ever had. He is very easy to train and he is great with my sons and any other person that comes to the house. He doesn't bark, unless he is provoked. We were scared to death that he would be barking all the time based on what people will tell you but I think if you train him and pay attention to him, he'll be just fine.
These dogs aren't for everybody, in the same way that Porsches aren't for everybody. You have to show him some love every once in a while.
Best of luck to you.
Chad

[72doug2,2S]

OK thanks guys this is great info. A lab is want I been looking for, but this came up suddenly yesterday. I think if it falls through I'll be back on the lab lookout. We have plenty of room and only one neighbor within 600 feet.