For a few years now, my parents, my little brother and I have been thinking about getting a dog. Since both my parents grew up with dogs, they were quite concerned about how much we would actually get stuck in and help out.
This year, they’ve given me the green light to adopt my first dog, on the understanding that I'll obviously take it with me when I move out.
So, I have loads of questions!
Would a Beagle – a breed I’ve really set my heart on – be a good choice for a first-time owner?
Is it a good idea to get one now, given that its environment is likely to change in about a year or 18 months' time?
Is it better to get a boy or a girl (or is it just down to personal preference)?
Would they be able to live with two guinea pigs?
I’ve already done a bit of research on the breed; I know they need plenty of walks and that they can potentially live in a flat (just to clarify, I currently live in a house with a garden). But I’d really love some real-life opinions ^^
Thanks in advance! 0/
Translated from French
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Mind you, a 1,500 square metre garden is lovely for playing in or having a few drinks in the sun.
But what does that really mean for a Beagle, or any other breed for that matter? Not much, really—it’s just like having another massive room in the house that's handy for the zoomies or having other dogs over.
Do you actually take him out for walks besides that?
Whatever you do, don't get a beagle as your first dog! We had a Lab who was with us for 12 years, and we were absolutely heartbroken when we lost him. After a year without a dog, we decided to get another one, but something a bit smaller. We thought a beagle would be perfect—affectionate, playful and small. What a mistake, lol!
Nala is a young 1-year-old beagle, and she’s a total live wire. The only time she’ll actually have a cuddle is in the evening when she’s asleep, lol. She snores like a chainsaw, too. She has a huge garden (nearly a third of an acre), but she’s a constant escape artist. She eats absolutely everything and anything—pencils, shoes... you can't leave a single thing lying around the house or she’ll devour it. And it's not like she's hungry, she eats plenty! She’s a proper little thief; we have to keep the kitchen shut all the time because she’ll climb right up onto the dining table.
She loves other dogs, but she won't stop chasing our poor cat, who was here long before her. The poor thing has been living in a state of constant stress since she arrived because she just pounces on him and squashes him. It’s actually resulted in several trips to the emergency vet because of her. In short, she’s beautiful and can be affectionate, but she is so incredibly stubborn. Training is a nightmare; she just doesn't take anything in. She’s over a year old now and she’s still not fully house-trained—she only goes outside when she feels like it, maybe once out of every six times. She’s definitely not a dog for a flat, and we never leave her home alone anymore. We made that mistake once and she completely trashed the house (ripped down the curtains, chewed up the kids' toys even though she has plenty of her own, had accidents in the children's bedrooms...).
Sometimes we really regret choosing a beagle. It’s true that our Lab was much more gentle and obedient... We’re just hoping Nala settles down a bit as she gets older 🤞🤞🤞
I completely agree. I’ve got a three-year-old Elizabeth Beagle. She’s never destroyed a thing at home, but I think that’s down to the walks where she literally tires herself out. It’s incredible to watch; she’s constantly on the go during walks, never stops, and bellows loud enough to alert the whole neighbourhood if she catches the scent of any game. I do a 3-hour walk every morning plus another one for about 1 hour 30 minutes in the evening. My partner and I split the walking duties.
In short, you need heaps of patience with a Beagle. We walk her off-lead, so I bought a GPS tracker because she goes off on a wander quite regularly. At the start, I’d sometimes wait over an hour because I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to find me. I’ve realised now that she has an exceptional nose and instinctively knows where I am. I’ve also got an ultrasonic whistle, just in case. Of course, she doesn’t come when she’s called—she’s a Beagle! I’ve nearly reached breaking point plenty of times.
Nowadays, I don't wait anymore. I just keep walking and she catches up with me by taking shortcuts. She doesn't take unnecessary risks; her tracking is spot on.
It would break my heart to keep her on a lead when I see how much of a blast she has out there. She’s a super sociable dog, lovely with people and other dogs, and always in a good mood. But you need loads and loads of patience and have to give her plenty of freedom for her to be truly happy. As a result, she stays nice and slim, whereas Beagles kept on leads are often overweight. She sleeps like a log after her walks.
I’ve never lost her; at worst, she’s been waiting for me back at the car.
That’s daily life with a Beagle for you. I know I’m taking risks, but it’s either this or handing her over to a hunter.
Time for a walk now. Off we go for two or three hours! The plus side is it keeps you fit and lets you discover loads of great hiking trails.
I completely agree. I’ve got a three-year-old Elizabeth Beagle. She’s never destroyed a thing at home, but I think that’s down to the walks where she literally tires herself out. It’s incredible to watch; she’s constantly on the go during walks, never stops, and bellows loud enough to alert the whole neighbourhood if she catches the scent of any game. I do a 3-hour walk every morning plus another one for about 1 hour 30 minutes in the evening. My partner and I split the walking duties.
In short, you need heaps of patience with a Beagle. We walk her off-lead, so I bought a GPS tracker because she goes off on a wander quite regularly. At the start, I’d sometimes wait over an hour because I wasn’t sure if she’d be able to find me. I’ve realised now that she has an exceptional nose and instinctively knows where I am. I’ve also got an ultrasonic whistle, just in case. Of course, she doesn’t come when she’s called—she’s a Beagle! I’ve nearly reached breaking point plenty of times.
Nowadays, I don't wait anymore. I just keep walking and she catches up with me by taking shortcuts. She doesn't take unnecessary risks; her tracking is spot on.
It would break my heart to keep her on a lead when I see how much of a blast she has out there. She’s a super sociable dog, lovely with people and other dogs, and always in a good mood. But you need loads and loads of patience and have to give her plenty of freedom for her to be truly happy. As a result, she stays nice and slim, whereas Beagles kept on leads are often overweight. She sleeps like a log after her walks.
I’ve never lost her; at worst, she’s been waiting for me back at the car.
That’s daily life with a Beagle for you. I know I’m taking risks, but it’s either this or handing her over to a hunter.
Time for a walk now. Off we go for two or three hours! The plus side is it keeps you fit and lets you discover loads of great hiking trails.
I love the video, it's spot on! The Beagle barking—or rather, that classic "awooooouh" howl—for no reason, and never barking at home... it's exactly the same at my house. People say to me, "It's great he doesn't bark," but that's before they see him outside in the evening, because for me, he only really barks like that at night, never while out on a walk... I also love the Beagle they met on the lead; you can see he's pulling like a maniac. At the same time, the one off-lead looks quite young, maybe too young to bolt? And an hour is pretty good going if he’s young, isn't it? He’s totally focused on sniffing everything—it's a Beagle in all its glory. I think myth-busting videos are really interesting, I can't wait to see more. But sorry @énergie solaire, I think these Beagles are actually pretty good representatives of the breed's characteristics.
Well, we're trying, but we're a long way off yet LOL!
By the way, the off-lead one is at least 4 years old, I’d say closer to 5, from memory—I asked about him ages ago. Pretty incredible, isn't it?
In all honesty, I've come across 8 so far that I've had enough interaction with to form an opinion. Three of them—Neptune, Elvis, and that one (I forget his name)—were at Summit, so all off-lead. Out of that group, I interviewed Neptune and Elvis's owners (as well as the lady).
Elvis gave his owner a real run-around, but it's almost as if nobody had ever explained to her that the dog "couldn't" do it. So she stuck at it. He's just over 3 now, and he behaves brilliantly off-lead. Acts like a typical poodle. Neptune’s human is a man in his 50s, very laid-back. He spent part of his life in South Africa. Same thing there. He wanders a bit more, goes a bit further away. But the owner didn't think twice about taking him out after dark.
I’m not a fan of any of the ones that visit our enclosed dog park. And the one who lives right near me, three houses down—he definitely barks at home, that's for sure. But his owner doesn't look after him properly; he's a bit neurotic. The last one is this one:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utufF3FlQek]
And blimey, was he pulling on the lead (he was 6 months old in that). But I bet he doesn't pull now, as the owners kept up with their training classes. They’re in good hands. In my opinion, it’s all sorted now. But it’s a lot of hard work.
There’s plenty of information out there about Beagles, and we see them out on walks often enough to get a good idea of what they're like. On a lead: mission impossible. Off-lead: extremely difficult. Is it really the perfect dog for a 21-year-old student leaving the nest to move into her first flat? Definitely not.
If there’s one myth that needs busting, Énergie, I think it’s the myth of the medium-sized dog with a cute face that people adopt for that reason and nothing else. Because the Beagles currently filling up the RSPCA and local rescues weren't chosen for their amazing hunting skills, believe me.
The myth is those "Beagle eyes" and the absolute rubbish you see in so many breed descriptions: "of course, a Beagle can live in a flat as long as it's walked every day", "he’ll know how to give you puppy dog eyes so you'll forgive his mischief", and other such nonsense.
Anyway, I’ve noticed that most people who fall for Beagles have simply never actually spent any time with one. I say: go and see for yourself!
