Beagle Tips Sought

The Urban Spaceman

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In a little over a month, I'll be bringing home a brand spanking new, freshly minted beagle puppy. She'll be about 9-10 weeks old when I get her, so naturally, I'm turning to my fellow writers who may be beagle owners for any tips on beagle training and ownership.

I'm not new to dog ownership; my last dog, a Bernese Mountain Dog, was sadly put to sleep 2.5 years ago. She was the gentlest, most placid and sensible dog you could ever hope to meet despite some considerable health problems. I've purchased a book on beagles and devoured online resources about the breed too, but I'd hoped to hear about the trials and humourous anecdotes from owners of the dogs.

I'll be crate-training, with toilet training done in a designated astro-turfed 'toilet area' in the yard, and there's a spacious garden for exercise and play. She'll be in a house with an 8 month old Mal-shih pup (also for play), and a grumpy 20 year old cat (definitely not for play). I've bought the toys and the bowls and all the usual accessories, and I've got plans to do scent training to keep her mentally stimulated.

I've heard that beagles are generally intelligent but stubborn, and most of them not too reliable off the leash unless they've got exceptional recall. Any tips on introducing new puppy to other dogs and cat, plus discouraging play with aforementioned cat, and any other tips you can offer, would be muchly appreciated.
 

MaryMumsy

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Intelligent but stubborn and unreliable off leash are spot on descriptions. They are also very loving and affectionate and high energy. They need a strong alpha. I grew up with a string of beagles. Mom was always the alpha, and the dogs knew it. My parents lived out in the woods. There were no fences. Charlotte got her chain unhooked from the stake it was on and followed her nose through the snow out into the woods. Mom was annoyed (actually she was pissed). She just waited a while to hear the bugling from off in the woods and followed the sound. Charlotte had gotten the chain she was dragging tangled in a downed tree and was stuck. We lost Charlotte to old age in the early 80s, but the stake is still there at the corner of the porch. I smile when I walk past. The cat will probably take care of itself, either through swats on the nose or getting on a surface too high for the puppy to reach him/her.

Good luck. There is not much cuter than a beagle puppy.

MM
 

The Urban Spaceman

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I'm counting on high-energy: I have a whole schedule of walks planned for when she's matured enough to physically handle long walks. Dog tracking through snow is just too funny, though! ;)
 

Cobalt Jade

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Be careful of their feeding. Beagles have a tendency to get fat if too indulged.
 

veinglory

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They are hard-headed but very adorable. Consistency is very important in training, if you let them get away with things they will. Congrats on the puppy.
 

ElaineA

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I don't have a beagle, but I do have an "intelligent but stubborn and unreliable off leash" hunting breed terrier who will follow her nose into any dire situation imaginable. Once she catches a scent, recall goes out the window. Long way of seconding using care off-leash until you're really certain of her recall.

Not sure where you're located, but there might be field dog training and events in your area, which are great for beagles. Good luck and have fun!
 

Ketzel

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I'm not sure I'd be comfortable expecting a twenty-year-old cat to climb fast enough to get away from a puppy! There's a lot of information online about introducing a dog to a cat. You might want to look at what Jackson Galaxy, the cat behaviorist, has to offer on the subject.
 

dolores haze

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Adore my beagle boy, but that nose of his keeps getting him into trouble. Silly boy would follow it through an electric fence. We'd just go in the direction of the hooting and hollering and save him from himself. He kept doing it, so we had to turn off the fence. Stubborn little cuss, and completely deaf when on the trail of an interesting scent. My guy was a rescue so I'm not sure if this applies to other beagles, but he chewed his way out of a plastic crate. That distinctive bark/howl is extremely loud and disorienting in the middle of the night when he is trying to alert me to a noise outside. He's the sweetest, most affectionate guy, and an absolute pig when it comes to food. A bottomless pit.
 

cornflake

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What're you planning to do with the rest of the beagles?

:cry: :gone:
 

The Urban Spaceman

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Not sure where you're located, but there might be field dog training and events in your area, which are great for beagles. Good luck and have fun!

Yeah, I've had a look at field events already, but most of what's available is for pointing and retrieving breeds. For example, I've seen classes for spaniels, retrievers, and pointers (also something else that I can't remember) but nothing for hounds. The ones I've researched are also paid-for events in which you pay a small fee and go into a 'group' from which a selection of dogs are chosen to perform. So even if you pay, you've no guarantees of being able to undertake the contest.

But there's plenty of green space around me, so I intend to do a lot of my own scent training.

Thanks for the tips, folks, and I'll be sure to check out that cat behaviourist too. My cat's too old and arthritic to be running and jumping to safety: his method of looking out for himself involves batting with claws out, and I'd rather not have my dogs blinded like that.

What're you planning to do with the rest of the beagles?

:cry: :gone:

I don't have any more beagles, so I guess that's up to the new puppy owners.
 

cornflake

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You just want the tips.... :cry:
 

veinglory

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When I lived in rural Scotland I was often recruited for animal search parties. Mainly donkeys and beagles. Once they go off on a tear they don't bark to let you know where they are. They'll be just the other side of a hedge and not say a thing. One of those collar-mounted GPS things might be a good investment.
 

MythMonger

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Our long-legged beagle once climbed over his puppy gate. Pushed it until it formed a wedge that he could shimmy up, then flung himself over the side. He'd been doing it for weeks, we had no idea how he got out from his caged area until we caught him in the act.
 

The Urban Spaceman

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When I lived in rural Scotland I was often recruited for animal search parties. Mainly donkeys and beagles. Once they go off on a tear they don't bark to let you know where they are. They'll be just the other side of a hedge and not say a thing. One of those collar-mounted GPS things might be a good investment.

I didn't know there was such a thing as collar-mounted GPS! Thanks, I'll definitely look into that.
 

mrsmig

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Thread title: Beagle tips wanted

What're you planning to do with the rest of the beagles?

I don't have any more beagles, so I guess that's up to the new puppy owners.

You just want the tips.... :cry:

Well, uh, yeah, hence the title. But fun anecdotes are always very welcome! :)

Nothing worse than a joke that falls flat and must be explained - unless it's when the explanation itself also falls flat. :flag:
 

Jason

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My only advice on dog walking is not to push them too far too soon - their paws are very soft and need to grow accustomed to it.
 

The Urban Spaceman

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My only advice on dog walking is not to push them too far too soon - their paws are very soft and need to grow accustomed to it.

That won't be a problem: too much exercise is bad for the bones and joints of young dogs, so she won't be heavily exercised until she's a bit older. She'll have both a yard and a garden to play in, so she gets used to both surfaces. When she's had her final set of shots she'll get 2 or 3 short walks per day (5-10 minutes each, with the duration gradually increasing). She'll go to obedience classes too, for general training and learning how to socialise with dogs and people. She'll do scent training when she's young, which will be slow and moderate exercise as well as mental stimulation, and depending on how active and nimble she is, might do some agility when she's older.
 

GregFH

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So how are things going with the beagle puppy? Am curious, partly as a dog lover, but also as the owner of two dachshunds, which, like beagles, are notoriously stubborn and nose- and food-driven. They're eight years old now, and it's water long over the dam, but one regret I have is that I wish I had taken them to obedience classes and gotten them better socialized with other dogs and children when they were puppies. It has taken some effort to work through a couple of challenges that might have been avoided, and they're still a problem with children. That being said, they are loving, loyal, quirky companions who make me laugh every day, which probably means I'll live longer.
 

The Urban Spaceman

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Going good, thanks! Beagles are generally very social dogs, and she's no exception. She loves people, especially children and is friendly with other dogs--pretty submissive when big dogs come up to her. Obedience classes are going well, everyone remarks how well behaved she is, but I think that's more because she loves her treats and is a fairly laid back, low/medium energy dog. She loves going out for walks through the forest, but she's just as happy sitting at home on my lap. She's also a complete diva, and will never sit/lie on the floor if there's a cushion or a sofa or pretty much anything other than floor to sit/lie on. And she hates puddles and streams, so although she does go through mud, she avoids getting wet. She does love meeting other beagles, though. Her favourite dog at obedience class is another beagle, the way she acts around her is different to the way she acts around other dogs; more playful and keen to get involved.

On the other hand, I also have a hyperactive Mal-shih terrier who hates being touched by strangers, will growl if anyone tries, doesn't like kids and is wary of other dogs. She loves swimming, getting wet and rolling in every type of poop she comes across, and would rather lie on the cool floor than a fluffy cushion. So really, they're complete opposites, and I'm actually finding my beagle easier to train in some regards than the mal-shih, as she's not as clever (the other one is wicked clever and knows how to find loopholes to exploit).

They're both good fun. Sounds like you have you hands full with your dachsies :snoopy: