beagles

[Emily]

The baying.... lots of beagle clients where I work and oh, the baying. I don't care for their appearance either. On the baying note, the beagles at work tend to "play" by standing around a pair or group of wrestling dogs and baying and pacing. Ick. It's honestly quite annoying to deal with.

But yeah... baying, appearance, temperament (don't get me wrong, NICE dogs for sure, but hounds aren't my thing).

[smeagle]

Oh yeah, beagles definitely aren't reliable off leash...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GWV53bt2Ag

My beag has a super high scent drive but if you know how to work with it you can definitely have a dog that is reliable off leash.

She doesn't smell either but then maybe I just don't notice it! I like a lot of things about beagles - their size, they are the perfect Goldilocks dog, not too big and not too small; they are fit and active; they are generally confident dogs with solid temperaments; I think the part of the breed standard that calls for a 'merry hound' really describes beagles well.

They aren't for everyone but in the right home they are awesome dogs.

My next dog won't be a beagle because they don't have enough drive for me but I'd never rule out owning one again.

[Zoom]

The baying, the obsessive behaviors (both food and humping--some of the worst offenders I've ever had were beagles and they were impossible to redirect) and the shedding seem to be the biggest cons. They can/do have that hound scent/oily feel to their coat that a lot of people find off-putting, though I'm sure much of that can be attributed to diet.

They are very sweet dogs and some of the cutest puppies ever.

[smeagle]

The shedding is the biggest down side for me! Far out drives me batty. We vaccum every day and still have hair every where.

[Kat09Tails]

Most of the beagles I have met have been really nice happy dogs with no more obedience issues than any other breed of dog imo. Yep, they bay and it is a unique noise which can be a deal breaker for some. Just like shelties bark bark bark bark bark bark bark, and many papillons scream and have diarrhea of the mouth issues. Some mini schnauzers make a noise which can only loosely be described as metal scraping across glass. It's all about what you're willing to put up with.

Probably the most pleasant beagles I've ever been around have been laboratory beagles which were handled daily and super biddable, loved people, and were really nice dogs. I even thought a few of them were even pretty. The worst have been BYB shelter beagles, ill bred, ill socialized and bored to the point of making trouble.

[-bogart-]

Ow beagles come in diffrent sizes also. I love the bay. They are pack animals for sure though. Defiantly a diffrent type of drive than herders.

[smeagle]

I think beags definitely need an active home. My beagle would not be happy in a home where she wasn't doing things all the time. Well, maybe she would find a way to make herself happy but I can bet we wouldn't like it LOL

[4dogs3cats]

I have 2 and they are polar opposites.

Kody bays all day long. Often, he will hear a bark in the neighborhood at 7am, and wake us up with a loud, boisterous BAROOOOOOOOO!

Bailey never barks. Ever. Seriously.

Kody is THE BEST snuggle dog I have ever known. I love Chance, my gsd, but he doesnt like to snuggle as much. Kody will snuggle next to me, on me, wherever I will let him for as long as I will let him.

But, the baying almost makes it not worth it. Almost.

[smeagle]

My beagle loves the sound of her own voice and she'd bark all the time, if she was allowed to. She used to bark all the time in stays at obedience until I put a stop to it LOL

[Dekka]

also as a spin off from that thread.. byb beagles tend to be horrible. Well bred beagles tend to be lovely. My friend has a hunting bred beagle as a pet. She also watches other people's children in her home. Her dog is the most reliable dog with kids I have ever seen. She also does not smell much (which is impressive as she is fed crap food) and is NOT loud.

Spending time with ONE example, esp a bad example is not a good way to decide if a breed is for you. Find some breeders and meet many. (Its a big pet peeve of mine when people know ONE horrible JRT, or terrier, and then think they are all the same way).

I dont' want a beagle as they are not great off leash dogs. Sure some are ok, esp those who get the chance to hunt. But those who don't sure seem to miss it. Smeagle your vid was awesome, but I have found even ones trained for obed need to be 'working' to stay around. If you are just chillin and only keeping half an eye on the dog a beagle is not for you.