Beagle owners - ***Photo added***

[Liberty Belle]

I know every dog is different, but does the breed generally tolerate children? We're considering getting a beagle, but I know my six year old will want to pick him up, make him sleep with him, etc. Would this be a good match?

*****UPDATE - page 3

 

[Piglet]

We have a pug/beagle mix and he is great with kids. My DD3 just loves all over him and he just loves her right back. Start when the dog is a little pup and I don't think you will have any problems.

 

[ckay87]

I have only ever known beagles to be loving, adventurous and loyal. I don't think they have a tendency to be aggressive or impatient unless neglected or abused. Our beagles never loved being picked up though. Our current one hates it, but you could pick her up by the ears and she'd never try to bite you. Such a sweetie. But they are kind of big (full grown) to be picked up by a 6 year old, don't you think?

I'm sure the doggie would be thrilled to sleep with your DS, but beagle hair tends to be wirey and really stick in things. Washing machine will get it out, but on a sofa or chair it can be a real pain.

I'd always recommend a beagle to anyone looking for a really sweet family pet. Have fun!

 

[Liberty Belle]

I have only ever known beagles to be loving, adventurous and loyal. I don't think they have a tendency to be aggressive or impatient unless neglected or abused. Our beagles never loved being picked up though. Our current one hates it, but you could pick her up by the ears and she'd never try to bite you. Such a sweetie. But they are kind of big (full grown) to be picked up by a 6 year old, don't you think?

I'm sure the doggie would be thrilled to sleep with your DS, but beagle hair tends to be wirey and really stick in things. Washing machine will get it out, but on a sofa or chair it can be a real pain.

I'd always recommend a beagle to anyone looking for a really sweet family pet. Have fun!

So their hair is similar to a lab's? We have a lab now and I'm sure he'd love a little friend.

Hmm...I was thinking they were a small to medium dog. Do they ever get bigger than 30 pounds?

 

[dawson5]

we have a beagle mix also. Love him dearly, he's never bitten anyone or done anything like that. I second the hair issue though, they shed enough for two dogs. We get him shaved a few times a year, doesn't cut the shedding but seems to make the hair less "visible." And the breath is another thing, his breath is worse than other dogs we've become close with. As for size, he's about 37lbs (not our choice, he's a garbage digger and my brother in law spoils him rotten with treats). His head is just above my knee (I'm 5'2"). They are gluttons too. They will never say no to food, unless it's dog food. Don't be fooled by his size either. As small as he is, he has figured out a way to get on top of the island and has stolen chicken and steaks up there. I push things in the middle so he can't, he just goes out of his way to prove me wrong. They are good dogs, smart and tenacious too.


edit:
Not my dog but just to give you an idea how crafty they can be. Don't underestimate them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLssW7lyzxw

 

[Frye7127]

Spare yourself some heartache and grief by making sure there are no strong hunting dogs in her family history. We got the sweetest beagle last summer about this time and took her to training, she was amazing with our family; however, everytime she went outside she was tracking rabbits and mouthing when she hit a scent. When we came in, she was at the door dying to go outside. That dog was born to hunt rabbits. Luckily, we found the most amazing family to take her and the run her everyday on rabbits. She loves, loves, loves it. He sends us pictures of her and we know that she is loved as much as she was here. She even competed in her first field trial at 8 months and won third place - she is something special. Just not a inside family pet, like we thought we were getting.

 

[Liberty Belle]

Spare yourself some heartache and grief by making sure there are no strong hunting dogs in her family history. We got the sweetest beagle last summer about this time and took her to training, she was amazing with our family; however, everytime she went outside she was tracking rabbits and mouthing when she hit a scent. When we came in, she was at the door dying to go outside. That dog was born to hunt rabbits. Luckily, we found the most amazing family to take her and the run her everyday on rabbits. She loves, loves, loves it. He sends us pictures of her and we know that she is loved as much as she was here. She even competed in her first field trial at 8 months and won third place - she is something special. Just not a inside family pet, like we thought we were getting.

Thank you. I wouldn't have thought to ask about that.

 

[KimD]

We have a 4 year old beagle named Sierra and she is the sweetest and most loveable dog! Beagles are actually rated one of the number one family dogs. We actually just tivo'd Dogs 101 (I don't remember what channel) but there were quite a few breeds and the beagle was named #1 family dog with children. They love their pack's and make wonderful family members. Sierra's best friend down the street is a yellow lab named Jersey. She LOVES Jersey so much, they get SO happy to see eachother. It's really cute.

I have an 11 y/o dd who smothers this dog with effection and love and Sierra tolerates A LOT, LOL.

Agree about the food. She loves her some food! So we just have to watch her carefully with leaving stuff too close on the counter edge.

Sierra weighs about 28 lbs so she could probably lose a couple but she's just such a wonderful girl and I don't know what we'd do without her! My parents actually have her brother Huckelberry Hound. He is also the most sweetest dog ever! So I'd definitely have to give a

Good luck!!

 

[Liberty Belle]

we have a beagle mix also. Love him dearly, he's never bitten anyone or done anything like that. I second the hair issue though, they shed enough for two dogs. We get him shaved a few times a year, doesn't cut the shedding but seems to make the hair less "visible." And the breath is another thing, his breath is worse than other dogs we've become close with. As for size, he's about 37lbs (not our choice, he's a garbage digger and my brother in law spoils him rotten with treats). His head is just above my knee (I'm 5'2"). They are gluttons too. They will never say no to food, unless it's dog food. Don't be fooled by his size either. As small as he is, he has figured out a way to get on top of the island and has stolen chicken and steaks up there. I push things in the middle so he can't, he just goes out of his way to prove me wrong. They are good dogs, smart and tenacious too.


edit:
Not my dog but just to give you an idea how crafty they can be. Don't underestimate them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLssW7lyzxw

Woah! Ok, when outside, he'd be inside a chain link fence. Do they all tend to climb like that? We have a lot of rabbits (wild) in our neighborhood, too.

 

[GeorgiaPeach8]

Agree with pp...don't pay big bucks for one. You'll probably get more of a hunter than you want. Be sure to tell the breeder that it is pet only. It will make a difference how much they charge you and which puppy they recommend.

I had a beagle as a child...LOVED it. She was our baby. Very gently. I agree with shedding mentioned in pp. I have a lab and I would say beagles are a bit worse. Also, they can be a bit difficult to train. Really go textbook on the training and be diligent! And be prepared for some barking. Most aren't that bad but if something sets them off they are howlers. Storms set off my beagle. We just laughed!

 

[*NikkiBell*]

We have a female beagle we got from a rescue place and she is excellent with kids.

 

[Liberty Belle]

That video has me worried. Are most capable of climbing a chain link fence? Like I said, we also have a lot of wild rabbits in the yard (outside of the fence).

 

[dawson5]

I don't know, I really think that is extreme circumstances. Looks like that little guy did not want to be in there. Like any pet he wants to be able to roam and not be locked up in a pen. Ours is a house dog, goes out when he needs to and to visit the neighbors dogs (they come to our yard, we have invisible fence). Other than him figuring how to food off of the island (and table and the trash--another story. I now have a baby lock on the trash, my boys are 11-16, didn't think I needed those anymore.), they are great family dogs, great natured, sweet, loving. I think with any dog you will have to worry about certain things. Our neighbor's daughter has two yorkies, they got a mouse right in front of me I never expected that from them, didn't know they were ratters.

edit: we have rabbits around here too. I think I have some living under the deck. Mine couldn't be bothered with them--to eat--he would love a chance to sniff them though.

Try petfinder.com

 

[Liberty Belle]

I don't know, I really think that is extreme circumstances. Looks like that little guy did not want to be in there. Like any pet he wants to be able to roam and not be locked up in a pen. Ours is a house dog, goes out when he needs to and to visit the neighbors dogs (they come to our yard, we have invisible fence). Other than him figuring how to food off of the island (and table and the trash--another story. I now have a baby lock on the trash, my boys are 11-16, didn't think I needed those anymore.), they are great family dogs, great natured, sweet, loving. I think with any dog you will have to worry about certain things. Our neighbor's daughter has two yorkies, they got a mouse right in front of me I never expected that from them, didn't know they were ratters.

edit: we have rabbits around here too. I think I have some living under the deck. Mine couldn't be bothered with them--to eat--he would love a chance to sniff them though.

Try petfinder.com

I've been looking at petfinder, but these are on craigslist. I would never buy an animal off of craigslist (because of backyard breeders, etc), but these are free. They say they are full blooded.

 

[dawson5]

I would ask them. See if you can go and see them in their home element. Maybe how the parents behave. Like one of the pp's said, with some it's just in their genes.

I know that their are some breed specific rescues through AKC, but I doubt they would be free but would be neutered and up to date on shots. I don't know if they would be hunting dogs though.

If they are near, just go and see. Especially if the parents are on site too. Before we got our Brent we were at one of the adoption events and their were these cute, fluffy, balls of fur puppies. The lady had the mom there and was trying to tell us that they wouldn't be that big (

suuuuuure) Mom was the size of a german shepherd and the paws on these little guys paws were huge. I'm sure on a pc screen they would be just darling, but in r/l you just know they will be huge. Brent wasn't anything great online, but in person he was just a wanna-be lap dog. (the kind that wants to get on your lap to steal your hamburger lap-dog, but a lap-dog none the less

).

Good luck.

 

[KimD]

That video has me worried. Are most capable of climbing a chain link fence? Like I said, we also have a lot of wild rabbits in the yard (outside of the fence).

My parents backyard butts up to a creek with a school on the other side and it's lined with a chain link fence (with some ivy). Neither Huck or Sierra have ever tried to scale that fence. If there was a hole then they might try to squeeze through (like many other breeds) but I've never seen either one of them try to climb that fence. Huck will bark at squirrels though and chase them along the wire until they disappear but never has even attempted to climb it. They do love to sniff!!

I agree with what Dawson5 has said and our beagles are very much like what she describes. Total house doggies (or babies depending on how you look at it )

 

[dogluva]

My beagle was not good with my kids at the beginning. We got him at two. He has since calmed down. He never bit them but would growl and bear his teeth if they bugged him. He still gets angry and in bad moods but is for the most part tolerant of the kids (the youngest are six, nine and ten-it is really the the six year old that bugs him). He is not a lap dog and hates being picked up. My oldest son does it and he hates it!

My beagle is loud. He barks, barks and barks. In or out. He is very loud. Loudest dog I have ever met. We do love him.

My mutt is the best dog. She just sits there and lets the kids do whatever. THey don't sit on her or anything mean but she would not hurt a fly.

 

[justhat]

So their hair is similar to a lab's? We have a lab now and I'm sure he'd love a little friend.

Hmm...I was thinking they were a small to medium dog. Do they ever get bigger than 30 pounds?

My mom has a beagle, purebred, and he is huge! The vet just thinks he got some kind of freak gene as the rest of his litter was half his size when we picked him out. My mom thought he looked big and healthy, little did she know that's cause he was an anomaly. The vet assures us he's the exception to the beagle world, at nearly 50 lbs and very tall.

Other than that, he is a great, great dog. My kids mess with him all the time, my daughter has dressed him up and stuff, and he never so much as raises a lip. And he doesn't even see them that often to be really used to them as if we lived there.

His hair is very much like a lab's, always stuck in the carpet, couches, etc. That is sort of annoying, but we did know that before getting him.

The only thing to consider carefully is that they howl. We did know this in advance too (we did a lot of research, spoke to many breeders, etc.), but had no idea how bad it could be. If my mom's beagle smells/hears any animal anywhere near the house he howls like a maniac no matter what you do to stop him. And usually we don't even see the animal causing him to howl. My mom has a fenced yard and would love to just let him out there early in the morning, late at night rather than walking him when it's cold, rainy, whatever, but he howls like a maniac then too and disturbs her neighbors.

ETA: About the fence, my mom's dog has never climbed the fence, but she had to get metal poles along the ground at the bottom to keep him from digging under.

 

[dawson5]

I don't get howls but lots of barks. You ring the doorbell, he barks. And he doesn't like labs. For the longest time I thought it was the same dog but then I realize that we have 3 different chocolate labs in the neighborhood and he barks at every single one of them. he doesn't bark at all dogs but quite a few he does. What really gets us is when he sleeps on the 13 yr old's bed, he is eye level with the window. Once or twice he's woken us up because he saw something outside in the middle of the night and decided he needed to tell them all about it. He's lucky we love him.

 

[KristineN]

the people 2 houses down have 2 purebred beagles.....by far the loudest dogs I have ever lived near. the barking and howling is enough to put me over the edge. granted, I blame the owners...however, because I hear this barking and howling continuously...I would NEVER own that breed of dog.