First dog... Is a Beagle a good idea?

I love the video, it’s spot on! That beagle barking, or rather letting out that "awooooo" for no reason, and then never barking at home... mine is exactly the same. People tell me "oh, it’s great he doesn’t bark", but that’s before they see him outside in the evening, as he only ever does that howl at night, never when we're out on a walk... I also love the crossbreed beagle on the lead; you can see he’s pulling like mad. At the same time, the one off-lead still looks quite young, maybe too young to do a runner, and an hour is quite a long time if he’s still a pup? He’s dead busy sniffing everything—that’s a beagle through and through. I find these myth-busting videos really interesting; I can’t wait to watch more. But sorry énergie solaire, I think these beagles are actually pretty good examples of typical beagle traits.

I've been doing a bit of philosophising lately about the whole situation... It's fair to say that for a good while now, there’s been a growing trend of people getting their information from unreliable sources, like forums or pet sites like Wamiz. Compared to the rest, we’re small fry here. Most people are consuming more and more news on Facebook—proper news. TV channels with their news bulletins and the more traditional media outlets (even digital versions) are taking a proper hammering. They're losing out on ad revenue while Facebook rakes it in. The trouble is, the info on Facebook isn't fact-checked in the slightest. But people are getting used to it. Information is often spread virally, and we’re the ones acting as the virus. These are just my own personal reflections, for what it’s worth. It’s made me realise I need to pay more attention when reading posts from people looking for help. I often skim-read, get the wrong end of the stick, and I could end up leading people astray. Please, don’t take these thoughts the wrong way.

I think there’s a bit more to it than that. And I’m guilty of parroting these ideas myself, or well, I suppose we don't really have much choice. Because we’re well-informed people. We know what a dog is capable of. And we tend to present them that way—what they could be or, okay I’ll give you that, what they would be like "on average". At the same time, I try to make myself believe in those "challenging" breeds—Shibas, Beagles—living with families who will never truly understand their dog, yet somehow it still clicks. Is that the case for the majority of people? Maybe it is, you know... What are the chances of achieving harmony with just one hour’s walk a day (strictly adhered to, mind you) with a Beagle, a Husky, or a Border Collie? I think it’s a question we have to ask ourselves. Actually, I’d love for some scientific research into this. For it to give us a large-scale overview so we can get a reliable average. I CANNOT imagine Sana with less than 2 hours a day, but maybe my perception is skewed? To be honest, I don't know many people who go out for 3 hours or more. One woman I know used to do it with her Doberman. 4 hours, sometimes 5, never less than 3. His heart gave out when he was five and a half. I KNOW it’s not necessarily linked, but well, that’s just how it happened.

I always ask owners about their dog’s behaviour. These "myths" are just a summary of the most common responses, you know.

Actually, no, that’s a really bad idea. You’ll find plenty of threads on here about Beagles and the difficulties of keeping them as pets. The main issue was brought up again just this morning: they have a massive need for exercise, but it’s almost impossible to let them off the lead because they have no recall once they’ve picked up a scent... The result: you either have a dog that pulls your arm off on the lead (and isn't exactly happy about it), or you have a dog that bolts into the wild and completely ignores your calls. Unless you’re a hunter, I wouldn't recommend a Beagle to anyone. I don’t entirely agree with you, but they are a breed that requires work, a certain knack, and ideally—for the experience to be enjoyable for everyone—a real passion for scent hounds. I’d love to have a Beagle. *I* would get so much out of it because I love watching a dog use its nose and be 100% invested in what it’s doing. As for having a Beagle off the lead? I haven’t the slightest doubt about it, provided you start at 10 weeks when you first get them. We have several Beagles in our little community, and they can do it just like any other dog. The ones I know are actually real "velcro dogs" once they’re past 3 years old. Much easier than my dog, Sana. But. The Beagle’s biggest flaw. Even for someone like me who is obsessed with dogs... I’m not sure I’d be able to stop one from barking. So, if you leave it alone often, or if your work schedule means you have to head out early—oops, no time for the Beagle this morning, oops, it’ll have to wait until tonight—it’ll end up getting neurotic, and when it barks, it really BARKS. There’s nothing cute about it. It’s powerful. They were bred for it. They aren’t just trackers; their role when they track down a boar or whatever is to stay back and bark their heads off. It’s to signal their position because it takes the others a while to catch up; no one can keep up with them. It’s mad. And it’s well known—socially they’re fine, but the whole "pack" thing isn't really their business. They just want to sniff. They can be a bit odd with other dogs; they’ve only got two things on their minds: sex and sniffing. Maybe their superior sense of smell makes them "connoisseurs" of pheromones, I don’t know. Sana does have a few regular Beagle friends though, especially Elvis and Neptune. They’re lovely and never try to mount her. Mind you, you’re not exactly your average owner! ;-) It’s obvious you’re prepared to put in way more effort than most people looking for a pet dog.

No problem for Atila since he lives in the quiet countryside—you only see a house every three or four miles out there... On the other hand, if you're in a flat or even a housing estate, I’m not sure the neighbours would be too happy about it. That kind of baying is almost a core need for a Beagle, right up there with scenting and tracking. So, I reckon getting a Beagle only to force it to keep quiet isn't exactly fair on the poor thing. Spot on. And in that situation, it’s down to the owner to make sure the dog is mentally stimulated and balanced, to stop them from wanting to bark for no reason. With something like a Goldendoodle, you can curb the barking. It's not ideal, but at least they don't bark by instinct. But a Beagle? Blimey. In my opinion, that’s the biggest risk of keeping a Beagle in a flat: ending up being evicted, slowly but surely.

It’s no problem for Atila since he lives in the quiet countryside where you only see a house or two every 3 or 4 miles... But if you’re in a flat or even on a housing estate, I’m not sure the neighbours would be too happy. That kind of barking is almost a basic need for a beagle, right up there with tracking and so on, so I reckon getting a beagle and forcing it to stay quiet isn't great for the poor thing really.

There’s no doubt you’d be a brilliant owner for a high-energy beagle, seeing as how well you take care of your lovely Sana and all the time you dedicate to her well-being. Yeah, it’s true that beagles bark quite a bit, and often for no reason at all. Every evening in the garden, I’m treated to a concert of "woof woof woof wooooooof". It’s strange, like a rallying cry, and all the other dogs in the neighbourhood join in, even the ones that don't usually bark much. People curse me because you get all the moaners opening their windows, absolutely fuming: "Can't those bloody mutts just shut up?" Some have even bought anti-bark collars for their dogs because of this evening concert. I have to admit, I just let him get on with it; we’re in the countryside and it’s at a reasonable time of night, let’s not overreact, he’s allowed to express himself a bit... while the neighbours are screaming "Shut up, Fido!". I really am a terrible neighbour... 😁 Ha lol, that’s exactly what Atila does—the beagle I was telling you about yesterday—a proper barking match with all the other local dogs. The worst part is that he WANTS it. That’s the whole goal. The beagle starts it off, lets out a howl, and he WANTS to hear the others joining in. Personally, it wouldn't bother me, as long as it doesn't annoy the neighbours too much. We have a beagle in the neighbourhood, and it doesn't bother us too much. He doesn't go overboard. Yours doesn't seem to go too far either, @Encia

I’ve no doubt you’d be a great owner for a high-energy beagle, seeing how well you look after your lovely Sana and how much time you dedicate to making sure she’s happy and fulfilled. Yeah, it’s true that beagles bark quite a bit and often for no reason. Every evening in the garden I get treated to a concert of "woof woof woof woooorf"—it’s strange, like a rallying cry, and all the other dogs in the neighbourhood join in, even the ones who don’t usually bark much. People really have it in for me because all the grumpy neighbours open their windows, absolutely fuming: "Will those mutts just shut up?" Some have even bought anti-bark collars for their dogs because of this evening chorus. Personally, I have to admit I just let him get on with it. We’re in the countryside at a reasonable hour, let’s not exaggerate, he’s allowed to express himself a bit! Meanwhile, the neighbours are constantly yelling, "Shut up, Rover!" I really am a terrible neighbour... 😁 Ha lol, that’s exactly what Atila does—the beagle I was telling you about yesterday. He has a proper barking session with all the other dogs nearby.