[bloodred_stallion]

Hi all!
Now, before I start I want to let you know yesterday i signed up on a dog forum and asked for help on the same subjet but those tools misunderstood absolutly everything I said so I ended up with one person telling me my mom's stupid, dosnet know squat about dogs, im stupid, my mom dosnet even deserve a goldfish and that im a cruel person and any dog brought into my house must be so sad. obviously those pople were tools, PLEASE dont give me any hard time here. I am getting a beagle puppy and I just want some people that own beagles to give me some tips on how to do things and what i should watch for.

Now, about my family. We live in a fair-sized house on an acre of land with fields all around us. The neighbour that owns the fields on the north/west size of us allowws us to go into the field and walk or play with the dog as long as we dont flatten all his crop(its only hay but still).

My family currently has my mom, a stay at home mom in search of a job. my sister whom i despise and will be leaving in a year for college. An 11 year old aussie/irish setter that my mom owns(the most amazing dog you could ever meet). Two cats, ones an annoying poofy one that watches me while i sleep and belongs to my sister and the other is a fat, stupid, bratty, mentally challenge, orange tabby that belongs to me. Then we have a rabbit whos always fully penned in my room and gets to curious about everything(one time she had one of her ears stuck in the vacum cause she wanted to know what it did).

about me, I'm 15, im going into grade ten next year, i excell with all my school courses and next week ill be getting a job at every canadian's(except me >_>) favourite coffee shop so all the money from that will go towards buying a puppy.

as for the puppy, I wouldn't be getting it untill december 2007 or june 2008. Preferabley june so id have 2 full months off high school to get it house broken and go to OB classes with it. I would either be looking in the toronto star newspaper for beagle ads to get one of those dogs or find a repuable breeder near-by and get on the waiting list for next summer as soon as possible. Note to those of you that think I'll go to a backyard breeder: I will REFUSE to buy the puppy if i am unallowed to see the dogs kennel, the parents and i wont buy the dog without a vets check certificate or something that gives me insurance about the dogs health.

I lready know that beagles like to follow thier noses and will dig under fences, I plan to save up to get a low fence dug into out front yard and the east side of our property, the west has about 20ft deep of trees, rocks from old fences, sheds and an electric fence on the other side for the cows, no dog that comes here ever takes an intrest in that side, although i will take the proper precautions to make sure the lil tyke dosent try to get at the cows. The back yard has a "fence" of cdar trees which is kinda like the other one and we arent so worried about it going back there, again we will take precautions though.

I will let you know now our dog Millie is not, and never has, been left outside by erself all day, once in a while someone might open the dog to let her go do her business outside and will come back to the doorstep and sit there as long as it takes for you to notice her, if you take your time she'll start barking at yu though. and Millie is always where the people are so thats how it will be with the beagle, stress on this is the dog will never be unsupervised unless someone needs to go out and leave it, then we'll have a pen or something untill it's old enough to free-roam the house like millie.

And please dont lecture me on how Millie will feel forgotten. Theres three people in my family, not all three of us will be with the puppy at every waking moment. Only one person needs to watch it and one person needs to be in earshot for back up.

So, does anyone have any tips of good breeders in southern ontario(canada) or have any tips for when i pic out my dog, i can use any information, form life expectancy to annual costs, to the brand of foods youd suggest to the size of collar i should get... I want to have the "crib" prepared perfectly before the "baby" arrives.

Thanks so much,
Bloodred

 

[Joe Johnston]

Sounds like you have given this some thought. Preaty mature for 15.

Some thoughts and suggestions. Stongly encourage the fence be in place before bringing home a Beagle pup. At 14 weeks old, Vinny, current Beagle took off like a jack rabbit one day. They are curious and will follow a scent.

I assume Millie is dog friendly and puppy friendly. If not, how will the two get along?

Last thing I would say. Beagle pups bring much joy and happiness. They also are very needy and do require alot attention. In fact a Beagle pup does not really get out of that dependancy completely until 15-18 months old. Make sure the family is commited to caring for the pup when you are not available.

Good luck

 

[flucky07]

I agree.

I just want to add, they are expensive too. Between the fixing, food costs, startup costs, its over 1000.00 dollars.

I can not stress this enough. My wife and I are 24/22 Im 24 she is 22. We went from doing whatever we wanted anytime to having way to much to do. We get up at 615 every morning, take puppy out, and so on. We go to bed at 11pm and its really another job. I definitly wont get another one at 7 weeks.

Eric

 

[jassy]

I agree with the previous comment about the fence. We didn't fence until after we got Maggie and it was really tough to keep her on leash all the time. Also "puppy proof" your home as much as you can. Maggie ate anything that was left out..paper, plastic, the magazine rack etc. As far as food, there are a lot of opinions. With the recent pet food recall there has been much discussion on the internet and you should be able to find some good articles that will help you find what is best for you. My own choices are Honest Kitchen, Nature's Variety Praire Raw Instinct, and Orijen. I am trying to stay grain free as much as possible. I believe the Orijen is made in Canada. You might also want to do some reading on crate training and see if that seems like an option for you. Good luck!

 

[rjdmtb]

sounds like a tough crowd at the other board.

just out of curiousity, why a beagle??

As joe & vinny said, make sure everyone in the household is in agreement or else is could turn into a very bad situation very quickly.

Question: Have you though about what you are going to do when you leave high-school?
College, stay at home, etc?
Just something to think about with having the puppy as you'll probably have him for 14ish years or so.

Just keep doing some research and read as much as you can. Sounds like you're doing a great job already :thumbup:

 

[BookerMoose]

I agree that you are certainly going about getting a puppy the right way - thinking it through well in advance and planning it all out, rather than doing it on impulse. I suspect few people do as good a job of that as you are doing.

We have three beagles but we adopted them all as adult rescues and therefore I don't have any puppy experience to share with you - although I know that lots of the others on BeagleWorld will be able to help you out there. As for Canadian breeders, maybe check out the Canadian Kennel Club - I suspect that they have links to reputable breeders.

We also live in downtown Vancouver and therefore I don't have any helpful hints about fences and the like - our gang would love to have the chance to escape from a yard but they are on leash 99% of the time so that isn't something we have encountered...

As for life expectancy of beagles, most things I read say about 12 or so years - but lots of beagles seem to live longer and, sadly, some don't even make it that long. And for size of collars, etc. - when fully grown beagles tend to be "medium" for most doggy things (unless they eat too much, then they have to go up to "large"), but I guess with puppies it depends on how old he/she is.

And I like Tim Horton's but since they started serving so many non-doughnut items (bagels, muffins, cookies, etc.) I find that their selection of doughnuts has become quite restricted - I haven't seen a Peanut Crunch in years, for example!

Good luck and welcome to the world of Beagles!

 

[brandyb]

So you're getting a job a Tim Hortons? Good for you! I love Ice Caps!

Anyways...about the beagle, I agree that you definately need a fenced-in area. They are guided by thier nose and once they catch a scent they are off and running! A puppy is a full time job and they are expensive. It's wonderful that you are researching this now. Obedience training is a must. Beagles are very smart but stuborn too. Caesar is like the ADHD kid in school, easily distracted. (I mean no offense to anyone with ADHD) But he is excellant at being bad too. He chews everything. You must puppy-proof your house. Anything on the floor is chewing material, and that includes your feet. Get something like Bitter Apple which is a chewing-detterant spray. What are your plans for after you graduate? Are you going away to college or going somewhere close so you can still live at home?

If you can stay patient and consistant you will raise a wonderful loving dog. Good Luck!

 

[bloodred_stallion]

I must say you guys are amazing, You make people feel so welcome compared to that other place

Joe & Vinny- Yup, I'm definatly saving to get a fence put in before the puppy comes home, and I won't bring the puppy home till it's protected, I'm seriously the most parinoid person ever about my pets, I made a habit to grab the screen door and pull it in ight everytime i pass the door because one of our cts likes the outside world, I always get really aware when we bring millie out and people start petting her, when I have my rabbit outside on my leash I never look away for a second cause im worried she'll squeeze out of her harness, so yes, puppy will definatly have a fence and a cozy-fitting collar at all times. and the 15-18week thing is why I don't want to get my puppy till late june 2007, if i picked it up around examtime next year I'd have approximatly 10 weeks to give it a boost on it's road to maturity and then for the last 8 it would be getting into the normal rutine of when's lone time and when people get home.

Eric- Another reason why i'm getting a job now and waiting till 2008 to get it . I've calculated out that if I can hold tight to my job and get them giving me good hours all summer i should be able to get over 1000$ by next june. and again, I wont get the puppy till i'm sure ive got the financial pillow with me.

Jassy- When we first got millie we had her "corraled" in a pen in the living room by the TV so we could watch movie and the puppy at the same time and break her of any bad habits we caught her doing. The reason i'm asking about prefered food brands from you guys is because my other dogs already on a bunch of herbal remidies and old dog stuff so id need to invest in buying myself dog food since seniour stuff isn't for babies.

rjdmtb- I have always loved beagles since I was really little and have always wanted one, but, i have never been ready for one, the past few months i've been working on my own home-habits and getting more active around the house so I finally am sure that i can take care of one ^_^. Also, when I go to college I'm already determined to bring my rabbit with me so I'll probably be living off-campus in an apartment, right now i take my rabbit outside on her leash and sit in the shade and study so if i do that with puppy when i move out it should be able to get the right amount of excersize and not bug my studies, my moms also been thinking aobut moving to guelph(the place wiht the U im going to try and get into) so if she ends up moving there too ill still be at home technically.

BookerMoose- Ya, my mom buys me the "dogs in canada annual" book every year and they always have a directory of breeders in the back so I've been looking in there for breeders near-by, theres also the beaglepaws canada rescue i could try out before i completely decide on a puppy but my mom said she'd prefer if i got a puppy. I find it amusing you could tell I was talking about Timmy's LOL

EDIT: missed someones post hehe.

Caeser's mom- The dog I have now is pretty hyper for her age, most people i know with dogs even a couple years younger then Millie think she's so active, and she back-talks too! In her old age she's forgotten her maneers and now if you tell her to sit she'll grumble about it to you and then do it once you tell her grumbling is not sitting .

Someone asked about Millie getting along with the puppy, Millie's good with other dogs, she will get jealous but she gets used to it, a few months ago i was watching a boston terrier for a friend for about a week and millie eventually got used to the fact that Lilly got the sit on my lap at the computer, lilly got to sleep on the couch with me the one night and the fact that lilly was there. I'm sure she'd be fine with a new puppy.

 

[BookerMoose]

Quote:Originally posted by Bloodred:
theres also the beaglepaws canada rescue i could try out before i completely decide on a puppy but my mom said she'd prefer if i got a puppy.

It is interesting that you mention BeaglePaws - they are a great rescue organization (and there are even some people from there here). We adopted our third beagle from BeaglePaws in 2005. I highly recommend the rescue route since there are sooooo many needy beagles out there at all times. BeaglePaws does sometimes have puppies and young adults, too, so it doesn't necessarily have to be an either/or decision between a rescue and a puppy...

And what Canadian doesn't know where you mean when you say you are going to work at every Canadian's favourite coffee shop!?!?!

 

[bloodred_stallion]

Oh really! wow, might need to talk with a few of them at some point and ya, I have yet to met a canadian that has never eatten at Timmy's.

the timmy's I'm applying at is getting it's self a bad rep for being slow, they have 26 staff and they are supposed to have a 40 people staff minimum and I've worked for a caterer before so there's a giganticly huge chance I'll get the job. and there's also a pet shop in the same plaza as the tim's so if I work there I can sometimes walk over and grab dog supplies, i'm planning to slowly assemble everything I need. I want to start by getting a create, a bed of some sort(it will end up sleeping with me but it's nice for puppy to have its own safe spot because I'm a violent sleeper so if i acidentally bop/push it in my sleep it can go be safe on it's bed . I'm just overall keeping my eyes out for dog supply sales so I can grab stuff while it's on sale and save some money.

 

[Laxmobster]

First I do want to commend you for being so mature at 15 and thoughtfully planning this amazing adventure of being owned by a beagle. Secondly, I love the fact that you used the word "tools", it is hardly ever used anymore unless by me...Thirdly, those people on the other site were tools for acting that way. You're lucky you found us, never have we had any incident where people are rude to each other. We just bask in our love( err, I mean obsession /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif ) of beagles together!

I know your heart may be set on a puppy but you really would save yourself time, effort, and cash if you go the rescue route. When you adopt a beagle through a respectable place, the dog will most likely: be neutered/fixed, have all the shots, and have a clean bill of health (hopefully). So really when you spend the X amount on the adoption fee, you're get a package deal. I know the allure of a beagle puppy, but as a first time beagle owner myself I was happy I went the adoption route. There's also a matter of obedience as some rescues have a bit of training in them before being adopted. I advise you to take your time and find as much info as you can.

Good luck and please keep us informed as to your decision!

 

[bloodred_stallion]

laxmobster- ya, a few posts ago i mentioned something about beaglepaws rescue. I'm pretty sure I'll call someone on their team when i'm about ready to go on a puppy reserve list and ask them first about getting a dog from them, if they wont let a minor adopt/let my mom adopt for me or dont have a dog that would be suitable with millie, then ill go the puppy route. I was actually planning to try and adopt a beagle the toronto humane society has here but my mom said i cant get one from a shelter... key word.. shelter... nothing said about rescue orgs. *sneaky*

 

[K & G]

I think it's great that you're doing so much research before you get the dog. Rjmtb brought up a good point about college, which you responded to and which show's you've been giving this lots of thought. This would still be my main concern though. Have you given thought to whether or not you'll be able to afford to care for the dog, along with the costs of college?

While lots of beagles can live in an apartment, without problems, a lot cannot. There are several posters here who've had trouble because their dogs yelp or bark out of loneliness and anxiety during the day and it disturbs the neighbors. This isn't a habit that can easily be trained out of a dog.

The college years aren't always the most stable years, with all the classwork, costs, moving etc, and I don't believe that I, personally, would have had the extra time, money etc. for a young dog during that those years. Especially a dog who craves attention like a beagle does. Some people would be fine, of course, but I wouldn't get a dog when I knew so many life changing events would be happening relatively soon.

 

[bloodred_stallion]

Ya, I'm a little bit unstable with the dog thing while I'm at college but the only person in my family who actually likes it where we live now is my sister and she's moving out as soon as she can so me and mom will probably do some hard back-breaking work to get the house ready for sale and possibly move to guelph where my school would be in the next few years. I have three options for when I move to the university:

1. move off campus and keep the dog in an apartment with me. down side of this one is the lonelyness barking but I could probably figure something out for that, for say if puppy did it everytime i left the house here i could figure out a way to "pretend" im leaving and then when he starts howling find something to do to stop him... although that stratagy would need some fancy footwork to figure out what I'd do to stop him. maybe find him something to do all day rather than worrying about his people.

2. Mom moves with me, mom really wants to move to guelph but theres the problem with getting this house ready for sale or if mom actually decides to go threw with moving.

3. Live on campus and leave my dog with mom, I absolutly do NOT want to go this way but if puppy barks in the apartment and mom cant move with me i'll have to leave him and make a habit of coming back on weekends to visit him.

 

[Laxmobster]

Oops, sorry Bloodred, I have a problem with not reading all the posts beforehand... Anyways good call on the adoption route.

Having a dog in college is hard IF you let it become hard. I didn't have my own dog but I certainly cared for the dog as much/if not more than the owner. All the while still enjoying my time at school and getting my classes done. Now I know you're all going to say, "but it wasn't your dog", it was my roommate of 4 years so he practically was my dog. That being said, the money will be the biggest issue for you. So save up and you'll be fine.

The barking when you leave is caused by separation anxiety which my Fin has in a bad way, BUT not all beagles have that so you could get lucky. It's all in the training so start the minute you get the dog and you'll have no problems. Except for the massive log taking your covers and pillow every night... I know I'm not the only one, hehehehe /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

[Laxmobster]

One thing I forgot to add is, why is there a stigma about shelters? I for one would love to adopt every shelter dog out there. I read this article about how the majority of dogs in shelters are owner turn-ins, so basically the owner just didn't want the dog anymore and sent him to the shelter. Some are strays which is probably what you're mom is thinking about, but give all your options a try. You never know what you'll find in the shelter, plus they are very adamant about the animal being fixed and vaccinated before leaving the facility so you will get a dog that is healthy. Just another thing to think about. I'm not at all coming down on your shelter comment because I know lots of people who feel this way.

 

[bloodred_stallion]

That's alright, I wouldnt hve read them either if I was you, big long evil posts of doom are intimidating for the brain. hehe.

Yup, saving is exactly what i'm planning on doing. Love the timmy's <3. My current dog has seperation anxiety, not like drastically but if mom leaves the house she'll cry untill she realises moms not coming back for a bit. the way it started with millie is we got her what she was too young to be taken from her mother, the owner had a free ad in the peper and when we went to talk with them they said the pupies were 6 weeks old and were going to the pet shop if they werent adopted that week, so of course we couldnt leave the little pudgy pup there to suffer the "puppy in the window" fate. so since millie was very young she was always scared and wanted company so mom would sleep in the hall by the dog crate and gradually moved away from the crate each night but millie gained the SA from that.

As for the shelter thing, I think my moms kinda worried I'll pick the one dog she dosent like or the one dog with a brain problem or something. Then there's the fact that the shelters around here are mentally challenged, the local shelter will call an obvious german shepherd/rottie a husky or an obvious shnauzer a sheepdog mix... im serious too, they are that stupid. I really don't know what exactly her problem is about shelter dogs but I think she thinks ill have better luck molding a puppy into the dog I want then getting a adult from a shelter, but again i'm checking with Beaglepaws before I completely decide on a puppy.

 

[BookerMoose]

I can understand where your mother's concerns about shelter dogs come from, and there are many shelter dogs I would not feel comfortable adopting because I just don't have the skills to help them out. But there are, also, unfortunately, lots of other dogs (beagles included) that end up in shelters through absolutely no fault of their own - two of our three rescues ended up at shelters before we adopted them and yet they are the sweetest, wonderful dogs you could ever meet (well, I might be a BIT biased, but they really are...).

You can check out petfinder.com at any time and find scads of beagles of all ages there (just like the BeaglePaws beagles). I did a quick search on Petfinder just now for Ontario beagles, and as always there were pages and pages of them begging me to adopt them - check out Wiggles and Breeze in particular... oh, if only we could have a fourth beagle!!

 

[bloodred_stallion]

I've never really tried petfinder before, I have adial-up on my computer and my computer just overall hates me and likes to freeze when im looking at important stuff(i cant go anywhere near face book or myspace or my computer has a sezure and dies) But I'll try that out too. Thanks ^_^ By the sound of it I might be able to find a pleasant adult or a lil pup there that i wouldnt have to drive hours and hours to pick-up(curse these gas prices)

 

[we3beagles]

Did someone say beaglepaws???? It sounds like you are very mature for your age and have thought this through quite well. By next end of winter to spring we usually get quite a lot of beagles and puppies. If you do decide to go the adoption route just go to the website and fill out the pre-adoption application. The whole family would be interviewed and they will find a good match for you. They found 3 great beagles for me!!!

I like Origen for food and a good flat buckle collar with a 6 foot leash. A crate or playpen is definitly a good friend. Good chew toys like ropes and nylabones are a necessity for teething puppies.