good family dog?

[muddymama]

I am greaving the loss of our pom-poo but my children are ready for another dog. I am not sure what to look for. I would like a smaller dog that would be good with my 3 children and good in town. I have been looking at getting a Beagle but I don't know a lot about them and my neighbour says they are "yappy" can anyone offer feed back or perhaps sugest a bread I should look into?

[Rottielover]

my suggestion would to be go to a rescue. They can place the right dog into your lifestyle, and you are saving a life. What can be better

[muddymama]

Unfortunatly I have tried a couple rescues in my area and I am sorry to say all they have are larger dogs.

[Frenchy]

If you don't mind me asking,in what area do you live?Maybe we can help you look for other rescues?I only know rescues in Québec and some in Ontario but we have people here from all around Canada that could help you.

[Dogastrophe]

Originally Posted by muddymama

I have been looking at getting a Beagle but I don't know a lot about them and my neighbour says they are "yappy" can anyone offer feed back or perhaps sugest a bread I should look into?

Not sure I would characterize a beagle as being 'yappy', though they can be loud on occassions. Many will pass the time by singing to themselves in a way only a hound can. Read all you can about them, talk to people at your local kennel club, talk to owners of them, etc. Don't go based on the cute factor. Like all dogs, beagles can be great companions if, and only if, they fit your lifestyle.

cheers,

[wdawson]

my beagle is now 14 and not yappy at all and has never been......but he was a digger and chewer up till around 3yrs......but his family loyalty makes up for all the bad stuff......you can't go wrong with a beagle........but you really should research breeds and then go to a shelter/rescue and find the closest match......those dogs have alot to give and just need a loving home.......good luck in your search....keep us updated.

[muddymama]

Thank you for your help, I am near Red Deer, Alberta

[badger]

Here's a beagle X, a family in BC is giving him up.

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/...?petid=6530930

[LavenderRott]

Honestly - take your kids to the local shelter. See what they have available and how the dogs that fit your criteria interact with your children.

I grew up with poms. I can tell you that, like other breeds, no two dogs are exactly alike. While the pom that was mine while I was growing up wasn't a barker - the one I have now would bark all day if I let him.

The same is true with any breed of dog. Show me someone who has a beagle that is quite and never runs away from home and I will show you someone who has a beagle that barks all the time and can't be trusted to stay in the house when you try to squeeze your way out the front door. (You can probably substitute "beagle" in the above statement with just about any other breed of dog on the planet!")

[dtbmnec]

Originally Posted by LavenderRott

Show me someone who has a beagle that is quite and never runs away from home and I will show you someone who has a beagle that barks all the time and can't be trusted to stay in the house when you try to squeeze your way out the front door. (You can probably substitute "beagle" in the above statement with just about any other breed of dog on the planet!")

Even my cats (I know totally different species) can't be trusted with the door open (we have to toss a toy down the hall to distract and run out the door!). They've realised that this is the door where the humans leave and enter the area and so their curious. Thankfully they haven't made a real run for it yet (they're more curiously sitting at the doorway than anything) but I will bet you dollars to donuts that at some point they're gonna try!

My two cats meow a lot and I really don't mind since they seem to like talking to each other but I have been around cats where I have barely heard a peep out of them too. Prince, my old house cat (a roomate of mine took him), barely ever meowed. I can't remember the last time he meowed, of course he was an outdoor cat so maybe most of his meowing was outdoors instead of inside.

It really depends on the cat's personality (and by extension one would assume a dog's) and how their trained. My cats are allowed to meow all they want since they never do it in the bedroom while we're asleep but if it ever got to the point where they made me sleeping an issue I'd put a stop to it. Of course there are days when I believe that training a dog must be much easier!

Either way, listen to the others on here, they have great advice! And good luck with finding the perfect dog for you and your children!

Megan

[phoenix]

While individual dogs have unique characteristics and personality, it is still important to research the breed you are considering. Generally speaking, you can expect certain qualities in certain breeds of dogs.

Learn all that you can about beagles before you decide. The beagle you eventually choose may not have all of the characteristics you read about, but at least you will be prepared! Certainly all breeds have positives and negatives!

I had a beagle growing up and honestly would not get another one. By nature they are very "nose driven" and I found our dog very hard to train and bond to due to her distraction with everything that gave off a smell (especially food). However she was very sweet and not yappy (she bayed a bit- a cross between a howl and a bark), with eyes to die for. She was very independent.

When deciding on a dog, think about what they are being bred to do. In this case, a tracking/hunting dog with pep and energy, good natured and able to 'call' when they find what they were looking for.

[KarineB]

My family has a Beagle and she is now 10. Let me tell you, I am no longer living t home, but if I was to get another dog (which I will once we get a house), it will not be a Beagle. She is not a barker, but she does like to sneak away. And she was hard to train, completely stubborn and noise driven.

But she is super friendly and cute. But a lot of work. She needs lots of excersize. Research any breed and find out what is typical of the breed. Hopefully you will find what you need there.

[HunterXHunter]

Originally Posted by KarineB

My family has a Beagle and she is now 10. Let me tell you, I am no longer living t home, but if I was to get another dog (which I will once we get a house), it will not be a Beagle. She is not a barker, but she does like to sneak away. And she was hard to train, completely stubborn and noise driven.

But she is super friendly and cute. But a lot of work. She needs lots of excersize. Research any breed and find out what is typical of the breed. Hopefully you will find what you need there.

Beagles have a very good sense of smell, that's why they get distracted easier than most other dogs (kinda like trying to talk to a kid with wandering eyes... )


I think beagles are cute medium-sized dogs. For me, they made my top-3 list of dogs I wanted to get while I was researching on what dog to get (I have a golden retriever now).

It really depends on your family and your lifestyle. If you lead a really (REALLY) active lifestyle, consider getting a border collie with no "off" switch .

If you have the time, try looking up a book by Stanley Coren. I *think* the title is *something* Dog *something* People...or something It kinda describes the different dog personalities (in general) and what might be best suited for your lifestyle.

[Prin]

I know so many beagles that were rehomed. They're hunting dogs and as such, require a ton of exercise. A TON. If you don't give them enough, they chew things, bite themselves, and basically go nuts. Same goes for Jack Russells.

With a house full of kids, I'd get a dog about a year old. They're past the totally oblivious stage and onto the "willing to learn" stage (but soon will come adolescence, so you still have your work cut out).

Bigger dogs, like labs, goldens, etc, tend to make better family pets, IMO, because they run out of energy (usually- some are mutants that never ever run out), and they're also a bit more robust (but still every kid needs to be taught how to behave around a dog).

[we3beagles]

I have 3 beagles and none I would consider "yappy". One doesn't bark at all, one when he hears loud noises, and one when she sees someone outside. None of them are allowed more than a few barks (training). They are scent driven and I find that an asset in training. They will do your taxes for a treat. I volunteer for beagle rescue out of Newfoundland that does out of province adoptions. I adopted my little Callie when I lived in Red Deer so I can tell you from experience that it is possible. Because most of our beagles are ex hunting dogs they are never to be off leash (most beagles are not off leash dogs anyways). They do tend to take off and extra care must be taken when opening a house or car door. They make wonderful pets for children, but don't do well if left alone a lot. They need to be part of the pack (family) and can get anxious and destructive if they are not treated as such. If you are still interested in beagles PM me and I will give you some more info.

[badger]

'They will do your taxes for a treat'.

LOL

That pretty much describes the daschunds we had growing up, one could clear an untended tea tray (including the sugar bowl) in less than a minute.

[mastifflover]

If you deal with a rescue the foster family will be able to give you a better evaluation then a local shelter. I suggest rescue to the shelter only because you have kids and so many dogs come back because they are not good with kids or they could be good with kids but most people tend to want a dog that is perfect that takes work. A rescue dog which I have owned a few are the only dogs I would even consider anymore. They are truly loyal and will be devoted to you and your family. Yes they can be work but it will be worth the effort. But you need to be totally honest with the rescue if you do not have a lot of time for exercise tell them so they do not give you a Border Collie when your lifestyle really would suit a Bassett Hound. This will help to ensure that you have a dog that suits your family and hopefully will become valued family member. Good luck with your search

[muddymama]

thank you everyone, I have done a lot of research and I have not seen that beagles nead to stay on leash and I have to admit that cause of the out door activities we do that maybe I need to look into a different breed ,I know of a fox terrier mix that needs rescued. I am looking for a small to med sized dog that will come when called (doesn't need to be leashed at all times), is good with kids and needs some but not Lots of exercise. any sugestions?

[Writing4Fun]

Originally Posted by muddymama

I am looking for a small to med sized dog that will come when called (doesn't need to be leashed at all times)

This is something that needs to be trained into a dog. It does not occur naturally in any breed or mix or mongrel.

Have you tried a breed selector? Do a google search for 'dog breed selector' and you'll get oodles of results. I know the CKC has one, so do Purina and Animal Planet. You basically plug in what you're looking for and it suggests some breeds that might fit the bill.

As others have pointed out, though, truly your best bet would be to go to a rescue (one that keeps their dogs in foster homes) and tell them what you're looking for. They will be able to match you up with the dog in their care that best fits your lifestyle based on its character, not its breeding.

[OntarioGreys]

I was going to suggest using a breed selector as well, that would help narrow down choices that would likely fit and allow you to then research each breed to learn of their characteristics, if you try a few different ones you may see a certain breed that common is most.

I did try the selector tools "after" I got my dogs, but I researched alot to figure out what what breed would best fit my lifestyle and likes, being older now I still enjoyed the large breeds but don't have the energy after a day of work any longer for active high energy breeds or high maintenance dogs which lead me to adopting greyhounds,

And when I tired the selector tools afterward they also showed that greyhounds were a good choice for me So I do feel they work well in helping to select a breed. They do reflect what the adult dog is like. as puppies greyhounds are high energy and little land sharks so that has to be taken into consideration when doing the tests, they just happen to mature into lazy adults


Here are some

http://www.petnet.com.au/selectadog.html

http://www.purinaone.com/dogcare_breed_selector.asp

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm

http://www.iams.com/en_US/jhtmls/bre...sc=&src=pg.com

http://animal.discovery.com/breedsel...lectorindex.do

.

[muddymama]

Thank you everyone you've been a lot of help