[Guest]

I have some general questions.

1) My girlfriend and I will be getting a puppy in a month or so and we live in seperate apartments. Will this make training and housebreaking even tougher?

2) Does anyone feed science diet to their beagles? I've heard that it's pretty good and it is readily available.

3) How did you all find good breeders? In local ads there are only few beagles available in the cincinnati, ohio area.

I have plenty more questions, I am just happy to finally get my registration approved. lol I have been lurking these forums for quite some time now. haha

 

[Genie]

Hi and welcome to Beagle World!! Congratulations! You're gonna love being a beagle person (or beagle people.)
1. About your first question: as long as you both use the same method for housebreaking, I imagine it would work out okay for you to have "joint custody" of your new little babe! Other people can probably advise you better on this.
2. Science Diet is a good brand, just be forewarned that I've heard of some dogs who really didn't like it. I remember when one of our cats was very sick and had to have a special variety of science diet, he wouldn't eat it. I feed my Shiloh Beneful, and she seems to like it okay. You might want to check the list of pet foods that have been recalled this week if you're planning to feed canned.
3. We found Chiloh in the classifieds. A Backyard Breeder, parents not available to see--I did it all wrong but got a winner anyway. (She turned out to be part bassett, but that's okay.) I was lucky. You could google beagle breeders in your area, or ask your vet for reccomendations. There are probably people right here in BW who live in the Cincinatti area--we come from all over!! But could I suggest you consider a rescue--either adopting from your humane society or a rescue organization. I know beagle puppies are just the cutest things in the world, but there are so many beagles out there looking for a forever home. (Plus, it may be already housebroken, and that would be an answer for question #1.) I've already told my DH that I really want our next dog, beagle or not, to be a rescue.
Again, welcome to the group! :wave:

 

[Gingergoose]

Hi and Welcome!

My little "beetle", Henry, was an adult rescue. As were all of our dogs. I completely agree with Genie, puppies are cute but adult dogs, in my experience, are much easier to train and so very grateful.

Check around for beagle rescues...it isn't unheard of for them to have puppies in need of homes on occasion.

Whatever route you take...good luck.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Welcome to BW! A good place to look for a reputable breeder is to check out the breeder list on the AKC website. I, too, have a beagle rescue, Maggie, who I got from a shelter at 1 year of age. Young enough to be fun but old enough to be house-trained very easily. She is now a distinquished 11 year old. If you might consider a rescue, check out Petfinder for beagles in your area. Let us know what you decide.

 

[cheerio]

Welcome to the board and to the world of Beagle ownership!

Housebreaking is about learning not to soil the living quarters. So you should not have any problem housetraining him/her by having your Beag in 2 household. Just remember, until around 16 weeks a pup cannot be trained to hold it, and little boys are often slower than little girls.

Dog food is one of the most difficult answer to give new owners. The best food for one dog may not be for the next. I have used Science diets successfully in the past and stopped using it when one of my dogs did not react well to it. Typical! The best advise we can give you is to make sure you give a Premium food to your pup and see how it goes. If you purchase your pup from a reputable breeder, you will likely receive a puppy pack which includes a bag of dog food, usually the one used by the breeder. it is always advisable not to change the food until puppy is 6 months old, unless there is a health reason to.

The best way to find a reputable breedere is to see several of them, letting them know that you are coming to see and will not be making a decision on that day. A good breeder is one who has screened the parents for hereditary disease prior to breeding and who can prove it with certifiction or at least vet bills, one who will have no problem with giving you the name of their vet, one who will ask that you spay or castrate the dog unless clearly purchase for show or breeding purposes, one who will ask you many questions about the way you live, your experience with dogs... It is also one who will take the dog back (money is not usually refunded) should it become impossible for you to keep him/her, and who will not sell a pup prior to 10 weeks of age, who will insist on a written contract and who will give you a written health guarantee.
I also suggest that you purchase a pup from a breeder who home raise his pups. Beagles born and raised in kennels are often more difficult to housebreak, to train, and on occasion to socialize. To avoid the breeders who put puppies and Mom in the home 5 minutes before you arrive, plan on arriving 20 minutes early. If you do so, don't be too judgemental if puppy is a little smelly or still wet. Puppies do get a little dirty daily and reputable breeders wash their pups before showing them. Filthy puyps however is not acceptable.
Also, ask the breeder for the name and e-mail address of 5 to 10 previous purchaser. Some of them will not provide phone numbers but will freely give e-mail addresses as it is less intrusive.
Do not believe what a breeder tells you about another. There is a lot of politics and jalousy in the world of dogs. The say of a purchasor is far more reliable. Personaly, I always cross out of my list any breeder who starts bad mouthing others. Am Ethical breeder will only tell you to go check it out for yourself.
Remember that a breeder must be able to help if you encounter difficulties, be it in behaviour or health matters. So you MUST like the person enough to build a relationship for the life time of the dog.

A good point to start if you have no connection would be to either go to dog shows or to check the AKC (American Kennel Club) online adds.

Good luck to you and don't forget to post pictures when you will have puppy!

 

[BookerMoose]

Welcome to BeagleWorld and to the world of beagles!

We have three adult rescues and I wholeheartedly agree with the others who have suggested rescues as a possibility - our third rescue was about 7 months only when we adopted her so still puppy-ish, and I know rescue groups do sometimes have even younger rescues. The housebreaking (if you need to do it at all) is SOOO much easier when the dog is a bit older (I understand, never having to experience it personally). Before I had rescues I would have been concerned that they would not "bond" to us as well as younger dogs - and still often hear that as a reason for why people do not want a rescue - but I really cannot think how our three could possibly be any closer to us than they are...

Wherever you end up getting your new beagle, I'm sure there will be years of fun and laughter in your house(s)! Good luck.

 

[Guest]

My girlfriend really wants to start with a puppy. I'll look into rescues though.

These are the things I will buy before I get the puppy. We have to buy two of everything because we live in two different places.

Crate
Collar
Leash
Food Bowls
Food (I know that I should switch them off gradually, but why wait six months?)
Treats
Toys (kongs, etc.)
Ear Zap(ear cleaner)
rubber hand groomer
k9 advantix(do I really need? and when do I need it?)

Anything I am missing? Anything not necessary? Also, I saw some beagle pups in the paper for $100. 7 weeks old. Should I not even pay it any mind. It seems to me that for $100 they may be of low quality?

Thanks again.

 

[debannib]

If your heart is set on a puppy, then take a look at the pups in the paper. $100 is a reasonable price around here for a beagle pup if you're looking for a pet. More importantly, check out the living conditions, socialization and breeding parents of the litter.....get a vet check up right away also.

(or you can do like I did and answer an emergency call in the middle of the night, and come home with a pup one hour later that you didn't expect, and fall in love so deeply you can't imagine life without her! And no matter how much you spend on a beagle pup, you will be paying for heartworm meds and flea meds every month as well as LOTS of destroyed personal property on the way to adulthood.....it's truly a neverending financial commitment.)

 

[Guest]

Quote:Originally posted by debannib:

(or you can do like I did and answer an emergency call in the middle of the night, and come home with a pup one hour later that you didn't expect, and fall in love so deeply you can't imagine life without her! And no matter how much you spend on a beagle pup, you will be paying for heartworm meds and flea meds every month as well as LOTS of destroyed personal property on the way to adulthood.....it's truly a neverending financial commitment.)

Trust me I understand, I had a german shepherd when I was younger and the expenses are not something I look forward to. However, I do look forward to the years us and the pup will spend together.

Also, does anyone have dog health insurance? i'm not sure where to look, but I guess I'll ask the vet.

 

[Genie]

Quote:Originally posted by bonethugs:
Ear Zap(ear cleaner)
rubber hand groomer
k9 advantix(do I really need? and when do I need it?)

I don't know how ear zap works--you might want to talk to your vet about that. I got a rubber hand groomer last summer for Shiloh, and it's great!! Yes, you will need K9 Advantix or Frontline Plus, but maybe not as a puppy--again, check with your vet as to how old he/she should be before beginning treatment. I live a bit farther North than you and I just use Frontline Plus in the summer through early fall. (Last summer my daughter, who also uses Frontline Plus, got a terrible tick infestation on her cat. So this summer I may switch to K9 Advantix.)
I paid $150 for Miss Shiloh 10 years ago. She turned out not to be a purebred beag, which is why she was much cheaper than other beags advertised. Not that it matters to me who her grandaddy was!! Go and see your $100 beagle, ask to see her parents (something I didn't do), and any medical records they might have. Just because she's "on sale" doesn't mean she/he won't be a wonderful pet and fill your lives with joy for years and years!! After all, that's what beagles do!

 

[Murphys Dad]

New2Puppies (formerly bonethugs),
Welcome to the BW pack.

I hope fixed the problem you had correctly, let me know if not.

 

[bonethugs]

Thanks Murphy, the problem is fixed!

 

[Murphys Dad]

Welcome to Beagle World. :wave: My Li'l Girl is an adult rescue, so we didn't face the puppy issues. We bought one of our previous beagles from an ad in the paper, and Bocephus was a quality beagle. His parents were on the premises, he was socialized, and the breeder checked back with us to be sure we were pleased with Bo 'cause he didn't want any of his dogs ending up in a shelter.

Expense for responsible pet ownership is never ending, but where else do you get so much love for your investment? :heart:

 

[bnwalker]

I also live in the Cincinnati area. Please consider checking at the local shelters and rescue groups. There are so many homeless Beagles in this area. I worked at a shelter for 18 months and at least 25% of the dogs that ended up with us during that time were Beagles or Beagle mixes. And many of them were puppies. BREW (up near Dayton I think) is an excellent rescue, and they have puppies occasionally as well. They rescued many dogs from our shelter.

 

[bonethugs]

Quote:Originally posted by scooterbear:
I also live in the Cincinnati area. Please consider checking at the local shelters and rescue groups. There are so many homeless Beagles in this area. I worked at a shelter for 18 months and at least 25% of the dogs that ended up with us during that time were Beagles or Beagle mixes. And many of them were puppies. BREW (up near Dayton I think) is an excellent rescue, and they have puppies occasionally as well. They rescued many dogs from our shelter.

Which shelter do you recommend in the Cincinnati area?

I am just truly afraid of getting an abused beagle that will need special care. Please do not think I am any less of a person, I just wonder if I can handle the "baggage" that comes with it.

What should I look for if I get a rescue dog? Thanks

 

[bnwalker]

Quote:Which shelter do you recommend in the Cincinnati area?

I am just truly afraid of getting an abused beagle that will need special care. Please do not think I am any less of a person, I just wonder if I can handle the "baggage" that comes with it.

What should I look for if I get a rescue dog? Thanks [/QB]

The best advice I can give you in choosing a dog, is go to the shelter or rescue group and meet the dog and spend time with the dog. Find a dog that is friendly, interactive, and doesn't seem fearful. Rescue groups are great to adopt from because the dogs are in foster care and are kept as part of the family... so the foster parents know a lot about their personality. The rescue group or shelter can help you find the right dog for your family.

Some great shelters and rescue groups that I have worked with in southeastern Indiana and southwestern Ohio are below. Click on the links to see their Petfinder pages.

Dearborn County Animal Shelter

Ripley County Humane Society

Three Sisters Pet Rescue

BREW Beagles

Beagles R Us

 

[fuchsh]

Hi New2Puppies,

I would also recommend a rescue. Our first dog was a beagle puppy (Spooky). We chose a puppy at first, because we were, like you, afraid of getting a dog with "baggage", we also thought that in getting a puppy, we would "get more out of having the dog", since he would hopefully live longer, than if we had gotten an older dog. Well, Spooky was a really great dog who we loved very much, but he died or cancer a few days before his first birthday. After that happened I didn't have any problems anymore getting an older dog, since puppies can die just as soon as older dogs.

As far as the emotional baggage goes. Many people get puppies because they are adorable and they believe that a puppy will bond better to them and not have any baggage. Well many people overestimate their dog training abilities as well and make mistakes with their new puppy, thus giving him the emotional baggage that they tried to avoid in the first place. And if you visit the dog several times before taking him home and talk with the rescue staff, you will be able to get a good idea if the dog has baggage that you can handle or not.

Since Spookys death we have rescued two older beagles, one at 6 months, and one at 2.5 years. After having experienced both sides of the coin - life with a puppy and life with an older dog - I would almost always choose an older dog over a puppy. Rescue dogs have a sort of gratefulness about them that you don't see in a puppy. It's a wonderful feeling to see how they really blossom in their new home and really start to enjoy life.

There are also many other advantages of rescue dogs over puppies:

-they are easier to potty train
-they already sleep through the night
-they may not chew as much as a puppy (depending on age)
-they are very grateful for their new home
-what you see is what you get, a puppy is more of a surprise in terms of personality, health, size and prey instinct
-you can start with obedience training much sooner with an older dog than with a puppy and you see results sooner
-training and socialisation mistakes don't make as much as an impact as in puppies
-dogs older than about 1 - 1.5 years are already done with their defiante phase
-older dogs are also a lot calmer than puppies and don't need constant attention
-older dogs are adorable too

As I already mentioned, I would almost always choose a rescue over a puppy. I really can't say that enough. Go for the rescue beagle, you'll be glad you did! And I'm sure if you and your girlfriend visit a few rescue beagles, you'll find at least one that you can't say no to. /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

 

[bonethugs]

Well, I have emailed a lady that has a one year old male that she can no longer keep. She lives in Indiana and I hope that we can work something out. Thanks guys for the advice.

 

[Murphys Dad]

We absolutely would not think less of you if you decide not to go the "rescue" route. If you decide to just check out some shelters in person, just be forewarned that you will want to take them all home. There are times when I cannot even bear looking at the beagles listed on the web at our local rescue -- it makes me want to have a big farm where they could all come and be in their "forever" home. Good luck to you and we look forward to hearing what you decide to do!

 

[bonethugs]

I went to see the $100 puppies and they looked very good. Very energized and they loved my girlfriend and I. The parents were on the premises and they were trained as hunting dogs. The parents were even more excited to play with us. My girlfriend fell in love with a red and white male he had which was the runt.

We have put a down payment on the guy and will not pick him up until April 9th. We are going out of town for easter and cannot pick him up until we get back. The seller agreed to take care of him until then and will refund our money should anything happen.

Is there any downsides to picking the runt? It was just a little smallers, although it looked very healthy and comfortable around people. We would have gone the rescue route had we not liked the dog as much as we did. They are just too cute lol. Now we are just preparing for the puppy to come home.