Do I want a BEAGLE?

i had a beagle it was raised with a lab and adopted lots of the lab traits. it was a very affectionate dog and we still miss him many years later. he did howl but not too much. all in all a worthwhile dog. loved everyone
 
We’ve got a 15 year old Beagle in retirement, was a dead natural on rabbits and birds literally no training required. No other breed I’ve run into has it that built in, I’m sure some pointers are comparable but never had one.

Ours is quiet, but we trained her to be. Not a smelly dog at all either, and the hair’s not bad at all, that’s a complaint I hadn’t heard about Beagles before. But she will follow her nose, she’s a hunter. And a beagle is unlikely to tolerate being cut out of the family areas much of the time, at least ours wouldn’t. But she does stay off furniture and know the boundaries.

I respect that about them, they think for themselves, and know what they need. They make good friends and hunting buddies, it will take some training to be able to off leash. The hunting comes naturally, the coming back and calling it off on command takes work.
 
I don’t mind the small things, but the not coming back thing is the worst.. lol
I just open the door now and let her run, but the wife is all worried about the hawks.

Waiting for some BolonyView attachment 718629
 
Beagles are an advanced breed. A beagle I had, pushed a chair to the kitchen counter, got up on the counter for a unopened can of cat food. Another time it got and ate an entire lb of frozen bacon. Hard to train, self willed, high prey drive, destructive, escape artists.

Miss that dog.

Hahaha, great post. Makes me like beagles even more, had a beagle cross that was a total character. Will for sure have another, they’re such rugged little dogs.
 
We had one over 30 years ago when I was a kid, dad got me her as a Christmas present puppy. I don't recall her being loud or stubborn. Having said that, I only had her for 6 months, poor girl chased a rabbit onto the road and got hit by a car. I maybe didn't have her long enough for her to start displaying those tendencies. We didn't get another beagle but did get a Jack Russell, another breed that some might call troublesome but I had Lady for almost 18 years. Perfect dog.
 
Ours as a younger gal. We’ll get another I’m sure, look forward to uplanding with a Beagle again. Duck Tollers and Beagles have been my favourite dogs.

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Ohh, what kind of Beagle is that? Is that a recognized beagle breed, I mean the dogs in the pictures? Very interesting...
 
There‘s only one breed, just Beagle, albeit some are bred more show and others more field. I think the fancy dog owners recognize two sizes, same traits and temperament. She’s just a local breeder’s stock, we didn’t put any effort into finding a particular shape or type of beagle. Trained her not to howl as a pup, and she’s calm and reserved. Can trust her implicitly with any kids, they can tie her ears in knots and she just sits with them.

They have an incredibly strong prey drive / hunting instinct, that’s the hardest part to train and keep under control, but also their best attribute of you’re a hunter yourself. Smart, strong willed as per the chair story above. Like many breeds, they have to be properly trained, not a dog to just buy and leave to the kids to raise. Frankly, she has been very little work.
 
My neighbour bred beagles when I was young. He kept them in a cage out back. They did howl a lot.

Aside from that, most other people I knew with beagles kept them as pets. I haven't spent much time around them, which is why I am curious. Labs, I know. Beagles, not so much.
 
My parents were big time beagle lovers and beagles were our first 3 dogs. They were at that time the most popular pet breed in North America and we never had a problem with them, beyond the last one that was rabbit crazy and would go off on her own to die in in some mother####er's leg hold trap (as I found out 20 years later when it was too late to kill him). But forget that, they are affectionate, good with children and as I recall easily housebroken. Watch out for hip dysplasia and all the other things affecting the popular breeds these days.
 
Damn beagles are one of the cutiest puppies out there.

That's how they get ya, But ones from strong hunting lineage can be a hassle, Need an off switch for a hound, Turn his nose off so they don't have the urge to follow it or bark and howl non stop when they smell something.

My walker coonhound spotted a coon this summer I figure, As he climbed his 8foot high chain link fence and got out and I spent 4hours looking for him after i realised he was gone. Caught him in a 200 acre corn field finally after he lost it and was running back and forth trying to figure it out . He seen and heard me for at least an hour but didn't want to be caught. That's what having a hound is like. Lol
 
Many on here say they're great dogs if you train them but the default truth is that the majority don't ever get trained. Good intentions that never get done - too expensive, no time, lack of interest, he dosen't howl... all that much etc etc etc.

Just a grin from your neighbour and a shrug is about all you can expect.

There are better breeds. Easier for you and the neighbour to live with.
 
There‘s only one breed, just Beagle, albeit some are bred more show and others more field. I think the fancy dog owners recognize two sizes, same traits and temperament. She’s just a local breeder’s stock, we didn’t put any effort into finding a particular shape or type of beagle. Trained her not to howl as a pup, and she’s calm and reserved. Can trust her implicitly with any kids, they can tie her ears in knots and she just sits with them.

They have an incredibly strong prey drive / hunting instinct, that’s the hardest part to train and keep under control, but also their best attribute of you’re a hunter yourself. Smart, strong willed as per the chair story above. Like many breeds, they have to be properly trained, not a dog to just buy and leave to the kids to raise. Frankly, she has been very little work.

Only if untrained and it isn’t hard at all, I read some of this Beagle commentary and can’t reconcile it with the dogs I know.

Are you trying to sell "Cross Jacks" as beagles now?
 
Never had one, wouldn’t know. Just a toller, a beagle, and a mutt. Haven’t had a bad dog yet, perhaps we’re lucky. I think it’s just training however, any working dog requires it, no free lunch in my opinion. And contrary to what seems the prevailing opinion, training a beagle isn’t hard, it’s just got to be done as a pup.
 
Haven’t had a bad dog yet, perhaps we’re lucky. I think it’s just training however, any working dog requires it, no free lunch in my opinion. And contrary to what seems the prevailing opinion, training a beagle isn’t hard, it’s just got to be done as a pup.
Working dogs need to work to be happy and all dogs need to be trained by a competent individual. Most dogs I see train their masters creating unhappy conditions for all.
 
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