[nhrapro840]

Before Christmas 2010 i was researching beagles. I liked to rabbit hunt but never used a dog. I looked into getting one already trained to hunt rabbits. I decided not to get another dog because i had two in the house. For christmas my wife got me a 14 week old beagle puppy that came from good hunting parents. We had just remodeled our house about 1 year before. We had a cockapoo that took forever to house train. I worked the midnight shift and got off work Christmas morning at 7am. When i got home everybody was sleeping except the Beagle puppy who met me at the door. She also had just done a big poop on the floor. For some reason the little dog loved me and i named her Suzie. She was a handfull to say the leist. She would chew everything, and go to the bathroom anyplace. When you put her in a crate she would bark and bark and bark. She destroyed a lot in a short period of time. One day in frustration i posted beagles don't make good pets and wrote about why i felt this way. I had chances to give her away but i never did. She was a hunting dog and we were going to hunt. We spent several hours a week in the woods trying to find rabbits and running scent trails. Because she could not be left alone running in the house i would take her places. By summer she was getting better in the house. We were going everywhere together. Suzie always loved me. Sometimes she would jump on my lap with her paws on my chest and look at me like i was the greatest person on earth. She began sleeping with me during the day and i found myself telling her i loved her. She was my little best friend. On 08-24-11 at around noon she was hit by a car and my son and i found her by the side of the road. My son had become active in training Suzie. She got a little far away from me that day. I cried for three days. I loved my Suzie. I called her breader and he still had a male from the same litter. No one wanted this dog because they thought he was not going to be a good hunter. When i saw him he looked like Suzie, but he was very calm. The breeder told me that i could have him. He was going to send him to a puppy auction. I named him Buddy. Buddy and i have been training for rabbits. I think he is going to be a good hunting dog. But he too has turned into my best friend. House training him was easy. He now sleeps with me every day (except today he was very playfull and i was up several times). I take him everywhere. I bought a gps system and now when i run him i know where my dog is. I love this dog. I know this is what Suzie would have wanted. I still get weepy eyed when i think about Suzie and i have called him Suzie several times and i am corrected by my wife. My wife says he sits by the door and whines when i go someplace and don't take him.
I erased my original post and wrote this one. A beagle can be your best friend.

 

[Mom2Beagles]

I am not mad at your post but I politely disagree. My beagles are "house beagles" but they get plenty of walks, car rides, dog park etc etc and they play "seek" games and things like that to keep their noses active. They have never destroyed my house or anything in it. They need training and patience, as most dogs do. I do agree with you that people should research the dog they choose and they need to be sure to let that dog live the life as the dog they are meant to be.

My husband and I work full time but I come home at lunch every day to let them out. We take them with us when we can on outings and we don't go out all the time and leave them alone.

As I type this message Molly is snuggled on a reclining chair and Vazzy is laying by the fire. My angels.

 

[luke]

I think you may have got the wrong dog, not the wrong breed. We just purchased a 1 1/2 year old beagle that has never been inside in hi slife, 60 day later he is house broken. We leave him in a small kennel inside the house when we are gone, 8 sometimes 10 hrs a day. No messes, no problems. He has run of the whole house when we are home, never chews on anything and has not even come close to destroying anything. I have raised and trained border collies to herd sheep for quite a few years, extreamly smart dogs, a little over active, but none the less extreamly smart. That being said, I have had "untrainable" border collies meaning I could train them but left to their own devices and given time to apply them they were nothing but trouble. As I type this, my border collie is under my feet and the beagle is sniffing to find the cat. I also hunt with this dog, he needs more training but having him in the house will make a better hunting dog in the long run. I think beagles are great pets but once agin I think you may have got a dog with ADD....

 

[timbit_love]

yeah I REALLY have to disagree as well. Don't blame all of those things on the fact that it is a beagle as beagles as every animal does, have their own personalitys. My beagle has never destroyed my house. She is 8 now and I have had her since she was 8 weeks old. Best choice I ever made. She lived in an apt for years. Never been crated, always had the run of the house. House broken no problem. Trained simple commands no problem. The only thing I think ppl should understand about beagles is that they arent the kind of dog you can have off leash that will just go along with you or come back. Their scent smelling power prevents that, but I was very dissapointed to read your post and hope that you dont deter people from getting one of the best breeds of dog I have ever had.

 

[Shayhara]

I am in agreement with timbit and mom. Though I compleatly understand where you are coming from. I have raised beagles off and on for the last ten years. We have had our issues, and the three litters of pups we have had in that time, do not go to homes without me first expressing to them and showing pictures, of what can happen when a beagle is left unattended. That being said, all beagles are different. My first beagle came from people who had never done anything with him, he was kept outside in a 4 x 6 kennel all the time, they got rid of him because he was gun shy. I also think he was beaten often. It took a while for him to get to be relaxed around people, and it took us about 2 months to house train him, even then you never left him alone in the house, the one time we tried it we came home to find he had chewed through the trailer door. the plastic, the foam, all the way to the outer plastic, this is one of the pictures prospective puppy owners must see. Our second beagle was gotten as a 6 week old pup, she ate underware, glasses, carpet, furnature, and obedience class was a nightmare, I spent the entire time trying to make her sit, she had the attention span of a fly. We ended up spaying her and selling her to a pet home, where she is much loved, even though she is still a little narotic at times. Our current female, Annie, was gotten at 6 weeks old, went for shoes once, was scolded and given a toy and has never chewed anything but her toys (and anything with catnip in it, poor cats don't get toys anymore, lol) she was housetrained by 3 months old and we can leave her loose in the house all day (6-10hrs) and she will only very rarely get into something she shouldn't. She is 2 now and we are looking forward to a litter of puppys from her this summer, we will see if her personality is passed on or not.
I know you don't want advice or suggestions, but one thing to remember is they are so much easier to train if you can make them realize why you want them to do whatever it is you want them to do. They are not the kind of dog that will do something just because you want them to. They look at us as companions not bosses I think. Annie did wonderful in obedience, except that she was always wanting to go sniff something, and though we hadn't intended it, she is a wonderful rabbit hunter and loves to go hunting with my father in law and his beagle.
Good luck with your dog, I hope everything works out okay.

 

[kutyuska]

Agreed with timbit 100%.

 

[nhrapro840]

shayhara i have some of the problems you have had. but my dog is not gun shy or people shy at all. i have trained her to sit and she comes to three blows from a ref's whistle. she is very loveable, but if you are not paying attention to her look out. she will scratch doors until they are dug up, she will chew and eat anything, she will pee or poop in the house if she feels like it. you cant leave her unattended. there are times she has to be in the crate and if she dont want to be there she will bark non-stop until she passes out from exhaustion. i am going to send her to a professional dog trainer, and i have some plans for more hunting training. she has been at a friends house for three days while my wife and i try and fix the house from the damage. i love the dog and i miss her but it has been peacefull around the house and relaxing. i have not been relaxed in 3 months since i got her. i hope things get better.

 

[kutyuska]

I had a dog like yours and it was not a beagle but an English Cocker Spaniel. She grew out of it with good training. Since I had two beagles. I never crated dogs. I had no problems with the beagle's house training, they roamed and roam the house free and never destroyed anything after they were six months old and trained. I'm not retired and have a job. What happens with beagles is boredom. They need minimum 2 hours intensive exercise every day.

I think it's better if you try to find a beagle loving home for your dog soon enough, good for the dog and good for your blood pressure.
Finally, you assumed very well, I'm very mad at you!

 

[nhrapro840]

kutyuska arnt you the judgemental. "find a beagle loving home". this dog eats off my plate and sleeps in my bed. all my animals are loved. if i gave this dog away it will probably end up living outside. guess i am not perfect like you.

 

[kutyuska]

nhrapro, you generalized and that is my problem.
Furthermore it feels from your post you don't have and never had problem with your other dogs , only with your beagle.
Unfortunately I'm far from perfect, so if you have time or you want to ,go to the ourbeagleworld web site and look @smeagle's postings, there you can see a well trained and perfectly behaved beagle and the methods used.

 

[Smeagle]

nhrapro, you've clearly gotten the wrong dog and wrong breed for your lifestyle - that is not a reflection on the breed or how responsibly someone else could own one.

I live in the inner city and my beagle is a joy and pleasure to live with and own. She needs regular training but we compete in dog sports so she gets all the mental stimulation she needs. I don't have any of the problems you do despite my beagle's high scent drive and temperament. The breed makes a great pet for the right household

 

[Smeagle]

nhrapro, you generalized and that is my problem.
Furthermore it feels from your post you don't have and never had problem with your other dogs , only with your beagle.
Unfortunately I'm far from perfect, so if you have time or you want to ,go to the ourbeagleworld web site and look @smeagle's postings, there you can see a well trained and perfectly behaved beagle and the methods used.

Hey Kutyuska thanks so much for your lovely compliment

I got our message on the beagle world forum BTW - will reply when I have a spare sec!

 

[nhrapro840]

this past saturday i took my beagle along with an experienced houndsman and two of his several beagles. he was impressed with how my dog acted and hunted with his two dogs. he was also impressed with how my beagle came to me when i blew my whistle three times, and that she is not shy at all. i work with her at leist 3 times a week trying to find rabbits or trailing a scent trail i made with rabbit scent. that night i took my dog to a place in town where there are rabbits. it was late and there was no traffic or anyone around. she chased a rabbit and opened up. monday morning we went to the woods. she worked the brush hard non-stop looking for a rabbit. it was the best she has hunted so far. we were unsuccessful in finding a rabbit but she worked hard. monday night i took her to another place in town. a fenced in area where the local college football team practices. the rabbits come and go throught holes in the fence. there are weeds in places around the parimeter where rabbits hide. i had spotted a rabbit with my flashlight. the rabbit ran away as we approached but when my dog got on the scent trail she opened up. she has never opened up without sight chasing. i was very excited. she then found a rabbit and chased it. she opened up the whole time. she lost it to a hole in the fence. the next night we went back to the same area. again she opened up on fresh hot rabbit trails. she jumped three rabbits out of some weeds and chased one across the practice field. when that rabbit made it throught a hole in the fence that she could not fit she began looking for another rabbit. within a few minutes she was on another trail to the other side of the field where she found a rabbit. we ran this rabbit down a caught it by the fence. my son picked her up and she had the neck of the rabbit in her mouth. we were able to get the rabbit away from her, and the rabbit ran off. i think she was going to kill the rabbit. i think the light bulb has lit in her head. i can't wait to get her back out to the woods and see what she will do with her new information she has learned. we still have a big problem with her house manners. she is adorable when she sleeps, but she is a monster when she is awake. i do believe she will be a very good rabbit hunting dog.

 

[RoseStars]

I think Beagles make wonderful pets and have loved my beagle for 14+ years. They are not for everyone, so I have to agree with others, that, perhaps, you should find your beagle another home. You really should not be offended as you come to a Beagle Forum where beagles are owned by so many, and announce "Beagles don't make good pets." YOU just don't think a beagle is a good pet for YOU.
“You don't have to train a dog as much as you have to train a human. During the show you see dogs that are super trained ... but they have issues. They attack humans or they have psychological issues. They're trained but not balanced.”
Cesar Millan quote

 

[BadgersMom]

Wow! Quite the post. I must say I agree with Smeagle and Kutyska. Beagles need exercise and they need to be challenged. I have had my Beagle from a puppy and he is now 2. The first few weeks were hard for me, I was stressed and I had a hyper Beagle on my hands. I then sought out other Beagle owners and started exercising my dog and challenging him. He gets 2 hour long walks a day once in the morning and once at night. I work 9 hours a day and I take him to a dog place during the week days so he can run around and play with other dogs. On weekends I rollerblade, bike hike and take him to dog parks. Yes it's a lot of work, but at the same time I enjoyed it and my waistline is slimmer too! and I have a peaceful dog. I must add I live in a large top floor condo. I have never once had a complaint about him and everyone says they can't believe how quiet he is.

The breed is not for everyone, but if you want a happy Beagle she needs to be exercised and challenged.

 

[MWozny02]

I've had 3 beagles... all with completely different personalities. 2 of the beagles never barked or howled unless they lost a toy under the couch or someone they didn't like was walking by the house. I also lived in an apartment with 1 of the beagles and she never caused any problem for the neighbors. 1 of my beagles is hyperactive, but still does not cause problems for the neighbors (or my house). Which by the way... I LOVE my house. It's gorgeous and NONE of my beagles have done anything to disrupt the house. I have a screened in patio where 1 of my beagles loves to chase lizards around. Every once in a while she'll take some bark out of my orchid planters to chew on, but besides that there is no destruction. As long as they are exercised properly they are fine. Oh and by the way... I am also in nuclear medicine and often work night shifts, on call, or day shifts at the hospital. My beagles are fine for up to 10 hours by themselves (I have 2 together now). They have the run of the house and cause no problems. Beagles are some of the best dogs I've ever had in my life. They are great apartment dogs as long as you take care of them correctly. They are perfect size and VERY loving dogs!

I am a single girl and my beagles are the best ever! They are fine being left home alone as long as I walk them before I leave. Working in a hospital means my hours are variable and I've never had a problem. Beagles are not a problem breed. It may be just the beagle you received, but my 3 rescue beagles that I've had over the last 8 years have been amazing dogs! I hope no one is turned off from the breed or discouraged by your post. While they do love hunting and are perfect dogs for that, mine have made great apartment and house dogs.

 

[burtie]

nhrapro840, don't lose heart! I have two beagles and always stress to people to never commit to a beagle without doing very, *VERY* thorough research about their behaviour and whether they're prepared to put in the effort to train and care for them. Winston (my now 2 year old boy) was probably one of the most challenging pups I have ever had (he was my first beagle). I was lucky because I was prepared- I did *A LOT* of research beforehand and knew what I was getting myself into. Obviously your wife took the decision out of your hands though (with the best intentions, of course). I have never crate trained my beagles (I eventually adopted Winston's mum when the breeder was done with her) but I was lucky to have a yard with excellent fences to leave them in when I wasn't home- once, when he was around 5 months old, I left him locked inside and I swear it looked like a tornado had whipped through when I got home! He started calming down when he got to about 12 months and is far better now- I can leave him locked inside when I'm not home and he doesn't touch a thing. He still absolutely needs a walk every day though (I currently do about 45 mins, very briskly, each morning). He only ever chews on something now when if I happen to (rarely) miss his walk for a couple of days in a row, other than that, he's way better than when he was younger. Lily, his 6 year old mum would probably be content to sleep all day long- she never barks or does anything wrong- though that would probably be out of depression from being stuck in the house all day more than contentment. I hope you can soldier through the tough years of his life so you can have an awesome, gorgeous natured pet when she is a bit older. But definitely keep telling people to think twice before they go out and get a beagle- you need to have a lot of patience if you get a live-wired puppy like the ones we adopted!

 

[nhrapro840]

the dog really loves me. anytime i come home she freaks out and jumps all over me and runs around. if i am outside mowing she will sit in the window and watch. she will sleep right next to me with her head on the pillow. she has to always be with me. she has calmed down some. people on here are going to go nuts when i say this, and they are going to think i am the most horrable person in the world, but i have yelled at my dog and have given her a spanking. it has worked. when i catch her doing something wrong i yell and give her a swat on the rear. this has curved behavior such as dragging trash all over the house, jumping up onto the kitchen counter and eating our dinner before we can, peeing on the carpet etc. i think she is going to be one of the best rabbit dogs around. she really loves to go train and chase rabbits. we went yesterday evening and she knew what we were going to do and i had a hard time putting my boots on because she was so excited and jumping all over me.

 

[Bauer]

Regardless of breed some dogs do not make good pets, and regardless of breed some people should not have a dog. The reasons are many and varied.

 

[BeagleBaby]

Okay, Beagles make great pets. I had 3 beagles and they were hunting dogs and they listened and came when you called. I think they are great pets.