Thinking about getting a puppy....

Hello. My wife and I are contemplating purchasing a puppy. We currently do not have any other pets. She had a dog growing up, but I've never owned one. We would like to purchase a beagle, but I'm not sure if our current situation is conducive to raising a puppy, so I thought I'd seek out those with some expeience to answer some questions.

We both work all day so we're out of the house for quite a while. The puppy would be alone approximately six to eight hours each day. I've been doing a little reading and have found out that beagles, in particular, howl when they are lonely. I'm worried that the puppy would have problems if left alone for that length of time especially on a daily basis.

My other concern is the fact that we're in an apartment for the time being. Does this present any problems specifically for a beagle?

Lastly, just out of curiosity and because I'm unable to locate this information anywhere else, what is the estimated yearly cost of dog ownership? I understand it'll vary by breed and the age of the dog, but what are the average costs? Also, what happens when they get sick? Is health insurance for dogs offered?

Thanks for your help.
Brian

Hi Brian,
Welcome to Chazhound forums!

Gee, I never had but three beagles and I lived in the country
then so I didn't have this problem. I would consider a toy dog
probably or a couple of them so they can keep each other company
during your time away. Two dogs are usually better than one in this
situation with my experience.

As for cost of ownership, it depends on the quality of life you want
to afford your dog. One can easily go overboard if you take them to
pay dog parks or pet paradise places, or if you have a grooming bill.
Breed problems may also come into play as some breeds have known
medical tendencies which can cost more in health care.

But a sample breakdown would go like this:
Preimum Dog Food - 360
Vet/Health Care - 200
Heartworm Pills - 80
Personals, leash, dog bowl, dog bed, toys, treats - 300

So a typical dog would cost about 940 for me to have.
This isn't counting any common procedures or costs like
spading, neutering, kennel care for trips, or emergencies.

Hope this helps you,
Chazhound

Welcome!
How convenient, I just got a beagle x recently (I'm fostering). I've personally had 2 pure puppies and an adult other than the one I've got now, so I hope I can help. It's been done, having a puppy with your works hours, but first I'd like to suggest getting an adult dog, in addition to this adopting one from a shelter. There are a lot of beagles turned into shelters each year, unfortunately, because they are runners. There "nose takes over" and they often wander off. You can get a great dog with all the love and companionship and the heart warming thought that you've saved a life
Many dogs howl, bark, or whine when left alone for long periods of the day. You can leave lots of toys to distract them and keep them busy. When your away it's a great idea to have someone walk your dog during the day. Check around with people, maybe there's professional dog walkers or just kind neighbors who would be willing to do this for you.
IME a beagle would do o. k in an apartment, but you have to give the dog lots of exercise. Often a bored dog is a destructive dog.
My last word of advice; while two dogs can keep each other company, it could lead to double trouble if the problem is persistent.

If you really want a puppy, you might consider getting a kitten at the same time; raise them together and they will keep each other company without some of the potential - and I stress the word "potential" because it is only that - problems of two dogs getting very creative about amusing themselves. I can speak to that from experience! I've got an eight month old, 115 pounder and a 10 week old 35 pounder and you'd be amazed at the ways these two (who are actually very good little monsters normally) can come up with to get into trouble.

My Mom has a Rat Terrier and a little cat that she got as babies at the same time. They keep each other company and play together, but don't get into things like two dogs would.

The thing to remember with a beagle, is that it is a dog that needs to have something to do. I believe it was Brattina who suggested to another member that they leave things like Kong toys stuffed with goodies hidden around the house to amuse their dog while they were gone. A wonderful idea.

I'd really highly recommend going to a shelter to look for your pet, and although you can find wonderful babies there, please do consider an adult animal. You get to bypass lots of the hassles involved with raising a puppy (like housetraining), and you can tell what type of temperament you're getting. The animals seem to understand that they've been rescued, too. Some of my best friends were rescues.

Let us know how things go and post photos of your new companion(s) when you decide; we'll be dying to see!

I got a puppy for Christmas and he is 5 months now and since then we have spent nearly $2000 on the puppy from buying all the way to shots and food. Surprisingly they are very expensive. I was in an obedience class and the trainer said that how many months the dog is old plus one is the time they can be home alone or even kenneled. So my 5 month old can be home for 6 hours.