Would I be able to get away w/owning a beagle? (labrador, terriers)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So, I don't currently own any pets at the moment, because none are allowed where I live (it's a bit small for anything besides a cat anyways). However, I'm currently looking around for a larger apartment, hopefully one that will allow pets, including dogs.
My dilemma is that I love beagles (and hound-based breeds in general), but I'm being told that owning one in an apartment is a roll of the dice. Specifically, I'm told that they will start baying/barking at everything they hear from nearby neighbors while you're gone at work. I've also read that some beagles can get pretty bad separation anxiety, and that this will also cause them to be noisy/restless.
On the other hand, a friend of mine has a beagle. It's a very quiet, sweet dog that mostly sleeps/likes to be lazy all day, and rarely barks (it's a purebred too, IIRC).
Just curious if this is one of those things where it depends on the dog, or if I should avoid the breed altogether? I'm typically home by 4 in the afternoon, so I would be able to give it daily walks and exercise, with some longer/multiple walks on some days (I'm fairly active, so I enjoy being out and about anyways). What about some of the beagle-mixes out there? (I'd need to stick to fairly small-medium size dogs, most likely).
I live in a condo and years ago a neighbor up the hill had an adorable beagle,Max. When left alone he did bark and howl in that loud hound way and he could be heard all over the neighborhood. She also had young kids so he frequently got out then just ran until he had had enough and either was taken home or went home.I frequently took him home as if I was out walking my dogs he would join us.
I know he annoyed a lot of neighbors because he was so loud. Not sure a bark collar would work as the citronella ones usually require an actual bark and my late Jazz learned what other noises she could make and not set it off.
Max's owner eventually found a friend willing to come walk him which helped some and the friend fell in love with him and so his owner let her have him.
I am not one that says you can not have a dog of a certain breed because of where you live as I feel it is the time an owner has to give to the dog and the commitment of the owner to train the dog and be willing to work on issues such as barking without getting pissed off at a neighbor that informs them it that matters. .
As I said I live in a condo yet I have owned some high energy herding mixes that most people feel can not live and be happy in such places. My dogs were happy and did not annoy neighbors or destroy my home as I was able to meet their needs with agility and lots of play and long walks/runs.Any time I have gotten a new dog I inform my neighbors and I ask them to please tell me if the dog is barking while I am gone.Then if they do I do not get mad and I tell them what I plan to do and to let me know if it works.
As a puppy Chaos would go out on the patio when I left and bark as I have a pet door so when my neighbor told me I thanked her and told her I would try the citronella bark collar but needed her help to let me know if it worked. And her report was there was no more barking.
If you do end up with a beagle just be aware there may be issues and you must be willing to fix them or you will have some angry neighbors and probably not be happy. While very cute dogs they are not the best for apartment life but like all dogs as well us humans they are individuals and some may be fine with apartment living.
Beagles are a pack breed, so yes you will run a higher risk of separation anxiety. That could possibly be remedied by getting two of them. However, they are usually not the type to bark at every tiny little noise and movement around them, rather saving their energy for the more obvious things like other dogs making noise outside, knocking/doorbell, etc.
Another consideration is that they are difficult to train off-leash so you probably won't be able to just let one out the door unless you have an enclosed space. Even then you'll need to supervise as they like to dig their way out of said spaces if given enough leeway.
You might consider adopting an older dog with known behaviors. There may be a perfect pre-tested match for you. Contact a Beagle rescue group; they may have the perfect foster dog. Consider a senior dog (over age 6) for an apartment because they are generally calmer.
Oh yeah I lived near a beagle once. Cried all day. Howled. Cocker spaniels do it too
I agree with looking into a rescue dog and doing a trial maybe? Older dogs of all breeds can make excellent apartment dogs
We had a beagle when I was a kid. She barked & howled a lot. She had bad separation anxiety, plus they will eat themselves to death...which means any time she was left alone for more than half an hour, her bed, papers, garbage, you name it, was torn up and dragged around the house. She got into everything. When she was outside off-leash, she would come back from the woods with animal parts, and actually ran INTO other homes to eat other people's food. (My dad insisted she didn't need the leash). I would not recommend one as an apartment dog.
I don't think I would try a beagle in an apartment building. There is too much risk of noise complaints. Plus apartments tend to be in busy traffic areas and beagles are runners. If they can escape, they are gone for hours, and they are at high risk in an area with heavy traffic.
There are quiet breeds that are better for apartments.
Before you sign the lease, find out about any size limits and age limits. Many landlords will not allow puppies at all. Any dog has to be over one year or maybe even over 18 months. You need to be very sure before you get your dog.
Myself, I love the way that scent hounds look, but I don't like their attitude about obedience. So, I got myself a gun dog that looks like a hound. She's a Bracco Italiano and she looks like a droopy, long eared hound, but she trains and lives like a gun dog. If I can explain what I want, I repeat it three times and she's got it learned.
She wants to be close to me and has no interest in running away to hunt without me. She is genetically programed to do her hunting with me, so she stays nearby. She always knows where I am. She's always right in the middle of whatever I am doing and she runs to me as fast as she can if I call her.
Bracci are big and very strong, so might be over an apartment weight limit. She's on track to weight 80 pounds.
If you really like long floppy ears and big soft eyes, but want a dog that is quieter, I suggest one of the short haired spaniels. They have tons of energy and need lots of exercise, but they will stick close to you and most of them are very quiet and exceptionally easy to train because they are both smart and completely tuned into making you happy.
If you're set on owning a beagle I would agree with the other posters who recommended that you adopt a senior dog. Unfortunately there are often a lot of senior beagles at the shelters (at least in my rural area) who can't hunt anymore and are abandoned or dropped off by their owners. They are usually sweet and just want to sleep pretty much when you're not there. However, you will still be taking a greater chance with a beagle of howling; it's an instinctual thing. I used to have a neighbor that kept a pack of them, and when they all got going at the same time it sounded like ambulance sirens!
I like Dashdog's advice - if you do it, be open with the neighbors - and get them to tell you if the dog is creating problems - like barking while you are away.
I've known beagles since I was a kid and my mom was breeding terriers. We had a beagle breeder down the street from us. First, there is a lot of variation between individual dogs. 2nd, beagles as a breed tend not to be all that great at obedience. As a breed, their instincts are to focus on prey, chase, and bark. I don't think they are big on guarding, but individuals vary. Bottom line, they could do ok in a multi-family dwelling situation (apartments, condos). Notice I said "COULD", not "would".
3rd - need for exercise can vary wildly between individuals. Some REALLY need that daily run. Others are fine with being let out in the yard, and never having "exercise" - like a walk or a run. I think they are happier and calmer when they get a good run a few times a week. (If they come back panting, and keep panting for a while, you know you've given them a good exercise session!)
4th - separation anxiety - I think this is much more an individual experience thing. I don't think beagles are more inclined to this than other breeds - I think if you see it, it is because of that individual beagle's life experiences, not a breed trait.
4th - separation anxiety - I think this is much more an individual experience thing. I don't think beagles are more inclined to this than other breeds - I think if you see it, it is because of that individual beagle's life experiences, not a breed trait.
It's a breed trait. Beagles like most other scent hounds are bred to work and live in packs. They are much more likely to be distressed about being alone than, say, a labrador.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
