Adopting a Beagle?

Aquattro · #1 11-07-2009, 02:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by megs_clark

I just thought id mention, our Beagle is crate trained. But theirs a limit on how long he can be in their before going nuts, lol. And 8 hours would by far be exceeding that with a Beagle i think. They really are high energy dogs.

I think as long as you wear them out before hand, an occaisional long term nap might be possible.
Another option for those times you have to leave for a full day, doggy day care.

mark · #2 11-07-2009, 02:42 AM

Going to have to think on this a bit more as a bit bothered on the idea of leaving it.

Live in Edmonton so not sure how humane it would be to leave the dog out even with a heated shelter (dog house) over winter while we are at work. As for being crate trained (new lingo for me) not sure but will ask. All I got from the wife is the people have been leaving the dog in their basement when they are out. Guess might be able to leave it in the basement fishroom, just wouldn't want it defecating there.

Dog daycare, here we went with the live-in nanny when the kid was younger to avoid daycare, seems strange to consider daycare again for a dog.

fishoholic · #3 11-07-2009, 01:41 PM

I know a few doggy daycares that are pretty good if you're interested in that route, the idea of doggy daycare is that the dogs gets it's energy out at daycare instead of taking it out on your carpets/furniture etc.

My dogs are left for 9-10 hours (WOW when I did the math, I leave for work around 8am and get back home around 6pm, I hadn't realized it was that long I was leaving them for

) but that being said they are usually pretty good. However if I leave anything on the table within their reach, forget to hide my pillows under the blanket, leave shoes out etc. it's basically considered fair game and it will be ripped up/destroyed by the time I get home.

When we just had the one dog (Oreo) she would pretty much always find something to destroy on a daily basis from being left alone for so long. After we got our other dogs it helped a lot, for the most part they keep each other company. It also helps to walk them everyday, I know when I miss taking them for a walk they usually will find something (mostly paper ie: fliers left on the table) to rip up.

Most dogs, as long as they are potty trained, will not mess in the house and will hold it for up to 10 hours before they would defecate inside the house.

As for crate training I think 8 hours is too long to leave a dog in a create for on a regular basis and you are right, with Edmonton weather, leaving a dog outside for an extended period of time (especially a short hair dog) is a bad idea.

This is just my experiences and my opinion but I hope it helps. Feel free to pm me or call me etc. if you have any questions, and I'll try to help answer them.

Leah · #4 11-07-2009, 01:54 PM

I would be leary of the fact that they leave the dog in the basement.
Dogs are great, but a huge responsibilty.

fishytime · #5 11-07-2009, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquattro

If he's crate trained, not really an issue. If not, ya, 8 hours is a lot of time to lounge around eating furniture. 5 yrs old is still plenty young to re-train something if needed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by megs_clark

I just thought id mention, our Beagle is crate trained. But theirs a limit on how long he can be in their before going nuts, lol. And 8 hours would by far be exceeding that with a Beagle i think. They really are high energy dogs.

If you need to put a dog in a box for any length of time to keep it from chewing things up, then you shouldnt have a dog IMO. Putting a dog in a box is not responsible pet ownership. Way too many people own dogs that probably shouldnt.

Ian · #6 11-07-2009, 04:25 PM

Beagles are truly a high energy breed and a crate for 8 hours may cause huge issues for you when you let it out. Especially if it is not crate trained allready.
They are a terrific family breed as has been mentioned but you have to find a method of using up some of that enery and curiosity every day or you will have a very unhappy dog and you will be unhappy also. If doggy day care is not an option maybe a good dog walker is available to you. He/she could come over mid day and take this puppy for a nice long walk. It would give the pooch a great break in the day whichever way you choose to house it while your away and keep it from having accidents in your house.
I have had great succes with this for a couple of my dogs in the past.

Good luck

Aquattro · #7 11-07-2009, 04:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishytime

If you need to put a dog in a box for any length of time to keep it from chewing things up, then you shouldnt have a dog IMO. Putting a dog in a box is not responsible pet ownership. Way too many people own dogs that probably shouldnt.

Well, you obviously don't know much about dogs and crates then, because my dogs love their crates. They sleep in them, by their own choosing. A crate trained dog is so much easier to manage, from transport, vet care, and attending sporting events is just not possible if the dog won't sit in a crate.
Now I'll be the first to agree that many people shouldn't have companion animals (pets is such a bad term), but it's not due to crating them. My dogs participate in agility or flyball 2 - 3 times per week, go for 5-10k runs 3-5 times per week, and after all that, they love to go home for a nap in their crates.
In your defense, I used to feel the same way before I understood the benefits of crates, for both me and my dogs.

Aquattro · #8 11-07-2009, 04:32 PM

Here is a link to crate training for anyone that isn't sure why it's a good thing.

http://www.thedogtrainingsecret.com/crate-training/

fishoholic · #9 11-07-2009, 04:52 PM

I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about crates. Crates can be a good thing as long as they are not misused. If a crate is not being misused the crate usually will become a safe private space that most dogs enjoy retreating to, especially at bed time or when they need/want alone time.

Although there are some dogs (like mine) who absolutely hate the mere thought of a crate, and trying to keep them in one (while they are literally flipping out) is just mean. I know as tried once with Oreo and she freaked out so bad that she somehow manged to flip the whole crate over and kept rolling around in it until she got it to pop open, and it only took her about ten minutes to do so. Needless to say that was my 1st and last attempt at crate training

JPotter · #10 11-16-2009, 06:33 AM

If you are seriously considering taking the dog be certain to start with a trial period...not working back it goes. Some behavioural issues can be adjusted in adult dogs ..others not so easy.
Get full vet records from the attending vet hospital before taking on an adult dog..chronic issues can prove to be costly.
If you are not going to have someone around you may well need doggy day care..it depends on the energy level of the dog and Beagles can be quite busy.
You will need a well fenced yard.