[LeatherNeck]

I dont know if to buy a beagle or not.
I think they are awesome, but I live in an apartment, so I'm not sure if they are good apt dogs. Plus ill be gone around 6 hours a day, so i wouldnt want him to be baying all day.
So would you recommed one?

 

[we3beagles]

I would not recommend a beagle for you. If left alone most beagles will bay to find the rest of their pack. I've not met too many that like being left alone which is why you usually see them in two's.

 

[BeagleBabe]

First let me say kudos to you for doing your homework! :thumbup:

Beagles are pack animals as the other poster stated. They are very social dogs so a beagle may not be the right choice if he or she will be alone most of the day.

Beagles also tend to put on weight if they're not exercised properly so if you don't have a backyard and don't have the time or patience to take (sometimes) long walks with them that's another thing to consider.

That being said:

I know there are more then a few members that work during the day and they have found ways to keep their beags happy. For instance, I think it is Jen-n-Jersey that takes her beag to doggie-daycare and one member got two beagles instead of one when they adopted to give them some company while they were home alone.

The bottom line...all breeds up their pros and cons.

Some of the cons of beagles:
-they love to follow their noses (which can lead them AWAY if you're not careful) and (some more then others) bay, bark and yip while outside to signal to their pack (you) that they're on a trail. From my experience with Abby though I will say that she is not a "yippy" dog. If she's not on a trail she hardly ever barks or yips unless there's a knock at the door.

-as I said they tend to put on weight if they're not exercised enough

-when their nose turn on their ears turn off and they can be quite stubborn.

Pros:
-They are VERY social and love being around people and animals. From my experience Abby has been absolutely WONDERFUL with kids. My daughters were 8 and 3 when we got her and we have a baby on the way.

-They are very, very loyal. They bond with every member of the "pack" in there own special way

-They are not long haired dogs and do not need a lot of maintenance. They are very easy to take care of, though they do love to roll in stinky stuff (some more than others) and you need to make sure to keep their ears clean and dry. They are not "froo-froo" dogs by any means.

I'm sure there's more others can add /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

[Laxmobster]

I got Fin a year ago and he had a really hard time with the separation anxiety when we left for work. We decided to get him a cat to play with because they are easily maintained. I don't think 6 hours is too long for the dog to be left alone as long as you give them lots of play time when you return. Also I'd advise you to get a rescue if you choose to get a beagle, as they are older and possibly trained. A puppy will need your attention all the time and they will need to be taken out every few hours, so I suggest an older beagle that may be houstrained.

In the end its up to you whether or not you fall in love with their big brown eyes and floppy ears...Each dog is different though, go and meet some and the decision will come to you.

 

[Murphys Dad]

It's not easy to have a beagle in an apartment, but it can be done. That's coming from my own experiences. Jersey does bay all day if we leave her alone, so we take her to day care. We also take lots of walks (on non day care days) and trips to the dog park. It takes a lot more work, but it's not impossible. Not all beagles get separation anxiety. Many can be left home alone with no problems. I've thought about getting a second dog to keep Jersey company, but I don't know how well that would work. She gets upset if Mike or I leave even when one of us is still here. I'm not sure that another dog would cure the problem. Have you considered adopting a rescue that is a little bit older? They might be able to handle being home alone better than a puppy. Either way, I would suggest taking a few days off of work at first to be with your new dog and letting them adjust. Leave for short periods and come right back so they learn early on that you won't be abandoning them. We didn't get to do that with Jersey and I wonder often if that would have made a difference. I know there's more I want to say, but I just can't think right now. Good luck with your decision, whatever it may be.

 

[LeatherNeck]

Oh ok.
Well they seem really cool.
And I would take him out on a walk, and play with him all night until i go to sleep. The only problem is that I will be gone like 6 hours.
I heard you can put the peanut butter in the kong to keep them busy, also leave the radio on, and leave a t shirt with your smell on it. So I was thinking maybe that would make him feel better.
But thank you.
Did any of you ever do those things with the kong and stuff to keep them busy?

 

[stacey]

from my experience with my beagle, she is fine all day while my boyfriend and i are at work, she is alone for 8 hours a day sometimes depending on his schedule and sadie just sleeps. we dont crate her, we leave her in our living room/sunroom, its pretty dogproof and has a door to kepe her in there, she does just fine all by herself.

however at first we had issues with seperation anxiety, she chewed our door and some baseboards all up, but we figured out what we were doing wrong and corrected it. we were making too big of a deal when we arrived home, we would run in and immediatly kiss and cuddle her and such, we quit that, started getting in the door, letting her out of the room, then ignoring her for 10 or so minutes while we did our thing, then slowly gave her more attention, she never chewed again! thank goodness!

i think beagles make awesome pets.
they are low maintence dogs, super friendly, they love everything, they are a "dog" - they can go hiking, some go swimming, etc. and they are just so full of expression, its amazing their expressions they have.
however
while they are incredibly smart, they are incredibly stubborn, somewhat difficult to housetrain, and have a tendancy to gain weight if not monitored closly and excercised enough.

i wouldnt trade my beagle for anything though, i love her mischeviness, i love her cute apologetic face. ill probably always have a beagle, or at least one hound in my house.

 

[Murphys Dad]

Puppies are used to company and when left alone do seem to get seperation anxiety. My beagle has a job to do while I'm at work (wish that was only 6 Hours) and that is keeping the back yard free of pigeons. He takes his job seriously and is eager to go out in the morning and just as happy to come in at night.

No one else has said but most beagles live 12/15 years and they are only pups for about 6 months. Rather than purchase a pup, you might consider adopting a young adult.

 

[we3beagles]

A stuffed kong will only keep them busy for an hour or two. What happens when the stuffing runs out? I think if you are going to get a beagle no matter what you should consider doggie daycare to keep them socialized and busy. Beagles are acutally in the puppy stage until roughly 2 years of age so if you are looking to skip the puppy stage get one older than that.

 

[LeatherNeck]

How much would a doggy day care cost?

 

[BeagleBabe]

I don't know how much doggie daycares cost but one place to start is your local Petsmart.

I also agree with Bob...a puppy would really not be a good idea since you're concerned about not being home enough. A puppy is a baby if you're not home or able to start training it and able to be consistent it's going to make everything a lot harder on the both of you.

I got Abby at three months and have decided if (when) we get another beagle I want an adult /forums/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/laugh.gif

 

[Murphys Dad]

Quote:Originally posted by LeatherNeck:
How much would a doggy day care cost?

Well, I'm sure things are much more expensive in California than they are here in Florida, but I pay $20/day for day care. The more days a week I do, the cheaper it is per day though. If we were to do the entire week, it would be $75. We only do two days and it's $37 for me. That's something I can afford and I know that Jersey enjoys it. I take her sometimes even if one of us will be home, just to give her the exercise and socialization. You could also look into a pet sitter to come in for a little bit and walk him/her while you're out.

 

[LeatherNeck]

Well, I am going to have vacations for 3 months during school, so I was wondering if I train it for 3 months will it be enough time?
Or it won't be enough? and i should just get an older one?