I think it's a blessing in disguise. Any trainer who is willing to discount a dog solely based on their breed isn't worth your time and money. I'm sorry that you had to wait until Winston is 6 months old to start training too. We started classes with Jersey when she was about 10 weeks old, just after she got her last round of puppy shots. We did the Petsmart classes and I was really happy with them. Jersey, Mike and I all learned a lot. It was a very positive experience. I'd like to take a video of Jersey and all the things she can do and send it to that trainer who thinks Beagles are un-trainable.