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Beagles/Is the beagle a good breed for me?

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Expert: - 9/11/2002


Question
My dalmation died at the age of 7 on 7/28/02.  We are looking into another pet within the next 6 months.  I loved my dalmation but she was deaf & shed incessantly.  Please help me...
Do Beagles shed a lot ?  Are they good with children under 5 ?  He/She would spend about 30 hours a week hoem alone in an unfinished basement completed for all his/her needs.  Would a beagle adapt well to this ?  Are they good watch dogs ?   protectors ? companions ?  We are also thinking of getting two, since they would be alone a lot.  Are beagles good with other beagles ? other dogs in general ?  They would be purchased or adopted together.

Answer
Hi and thanks for writing to me!
I am so sorry to hear about your Dalmation passing away.

The story on beagles;
* They are good with children and very social animals.
* They shed but minimally if brushed often.
* They are pack animals and therefore crave companionship.
* One beagle left alone a lot will usually become an  
 incessant barker/bayer.
* Two beagles or a beagle and anything else is a good way
 to assure that they have companionship.
* Beagles are excellent alerters but would not usually be
 good defenders, they are too docile and too friendly.
* Beagles (despite old tales) are not hard to train but
 they do require consistency and MUST be trained well
 because their noses rule their world.
* Beagles have a propensity for becoming obese and should
 NEVER be given human food and their diet should be
 watched very carefully.
* Beagles are pretty active and if they are left home alone
 a lot during the day should be walked regularly (not
 just allowed then to go out in the backyard.) They also
 crave the stimulation of activity and odors.

I hope this helps some. Feel free to check back anytime.
Have4Paws

Beagles

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Have4Paws

Expertise

I am happy to answer BEAGLE BREED SPECIFIC behavioral questions. Please DO NOT ask CRATE TRAINING OR MEDICAL questions! I am not a vet nor an expert in the use of crates.

Experience

I currently have one beagle, a male age 5, an 12 month old Pit Bull, and a 8 year old min. poodle. I have had to let go of three of my dogs, 2 beagles and 1 whippet/rat terrier mix in the past 5 years, most recently my whippet mix. The two beagles lived to 15 and the whippet mix to 13.5, it has been hard to say goodbye to them. I have done rescue work on and off for years as well as fund-raising for the local animal shelter. I worked for a dog magazine in the past (Southern California Dog Magazine). Being a psychotherapist has encouraged me to do in depth studying of animal behavior as well. I have worked with many people to help curb undesirable behaviors in their dogs (or them!) or to form good behaviors. My life is devoted to and surrounded by my dogs........The picture you see here is Zeppelin but we also call him the "miracle dog". He was hit by a car April 2010 while out with the dog walker and had very serious injuries... 4 surgeries and $17,000 later my boy is whole again and back to loving life. He is so special to me and he weathered a lot of pain and trauma yet is still the sweet boy he always was! I also work to stop Breed Specific Legislation and help to get pit bulls adopted.

Organizations
HSUS, PETA, SPCA DONT SHOP...ADOPT!!

Publications
Dog Fancy

Education/Credentials
I am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in the state of CA and am also credentialed as a Certified Addiction Treatment Specialist

Awards and Honors
Honored by the Agoura Animal Shelter for my volunteer work.

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