Will a beagle make a good house dog?
My mom had a beagle mix that was a rescue. All he wanted all the time was love, and boy did that make him easy for me to train, even as a teenager. The only problem you will run into – or at least that I did, is that until they’re quite older, you can never, never, never trust them off the leash. Beagles are tracking dogs and they will follow their nose wherever it takes them. Including across streets, into other people’s yards, or until they aren’t quite sure where they’ve gotten themselves. I strongly suggest getting it micro-chipped. They are also prone to obesity – they will eat anything put in front of them. Make sure you talk to a vet about the appropriate amount to feed them. Although their greedy little tummies also help make it easier to train them. And even though they are a short haired breed – we always had stiff hair stuck in our furniture – not because there was a ton, it just wasn’t especially flexible and was hard to get out of the porous fabrics. Check out akc.
Beagles make wonderful pets inside, they are smart and reasonably easy to train, they do need a play area to run, either a fenced yard or a puppy park. I have several beagles, and my neighbors only live about 75 feet from my kennel area, I have lived here 10 years and have never had a complaint about barking or anything else for that matter. We had one beagle live to be 15 and another who was almost 15. Do not take your beagle outside without a leash they do have a very powerful sense of smell and get totally absorbed in following scent.
Beagles live on average 12-15 years. Be sure you’re ready to make a lifelong commitment to your pet. Don’t forget dog food, toys, treats, bedding, routine and emergency veterinary care, and kennel expenses if no one will be able to care for your dog when you go away. Be prepared to spend at least $500 per year on your beagle. Beagles are high energy dogs and need daily exercise to burn off that excess energy. And, being scent hounds, they need to “get out and sniff”. Beagles are very clever, but they are inherently stubborn and can be mischievous or even destructive when it comes to acquiring food (beagles are notorious “chow hounds”). But they respond well to diligent and consistent training, particularly if a positive approach with food rewards is used. This is true for puppies as well as adult dogs. Beagles are very clever, but they are inherently stubborn and can be mischevious or even destructive when it comes to acquiring food (beagles are notorious “chowhounds”).
Beagles make wonderful pets. When I was a kid that was my first dog, loved her!! Training is usually not a problem with beagles, but being a hound SOMETIMES they can be stubborn about house breaking. Their lifespan is usually pretty long, my Beagle lived for 13 years. Yes they shed, but, proper brushing(couple few times a week) should get that down to a minimum. Good luck with your new dog!! Beagles are a GREAT family dog!!
