tell me about beagles and beagleX dogs?

[DTchickens]

That's pretty much it even for crosses. My dogs weren't too stubborn that I can remember, but they did have a one track mind at times (focus, and block out everything else) though usually after a few times of calling them they did snap out of it. They were trained not to mess with chickens pretty easily too. Even though they had a lot of other blood in them, they still had the beagle personality and hunting drive though and would disappear for awhile sometimes just to go chase it (though never worried too much, being in the country surrounded by trees).

My dogs were 3/4 beagle 1/4 American bulldog, and her son which had a father that was a rat terrier.

-Daniel

 

[Riocotesei]

I'm going to have to agree with most of the people here. I work around dogs at a boarding facility and there are always Beagle or Beagle mixes there, and lots of them. Not only do they bark but they have a very particularly painful earsplitting bark. When they get old they are particularly gross. They may be cute as puppies, but they generally become overweight and gain very bad habits, maybe because they are stubborn. They are always the dogs to poop in their rooms or the dog to escape from the room when you're trying to get the poop.
I am a dog lover, but Beagles are dogs I will never suggest for someone to get. There are so many other great dog breeds to get than to deal with Beagles.
Lol, this may come across mean but I don't intend it that way, it's really the way they are.
Good luck finding a medium sized dog for your family

 

[Puresilk]

I have had beagles for quite a few years, been in a few field trials and ran rabbits with them for a long time. Beagles are BRED for toughness and stamina, as they have to stay in the thick brush after their game for hours on end, no matter the weather. Beagles are just like stock dogs, if you dont have a job for them, they will be an endless headache. There are always exceptions but the vast majority of them do not make yard pets, and they have a strong game drive, if they cant find a rabbit, I am sure a chicken would suffice nicely....Beagles are great little dogs, but they do need exercise of they can get overweight easily. They are not any worse behaved or mannered than most any other breeds, it is all in how they are raised, handled, and housed.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

I have trained many beagles and crosses for both regular obedience, agility and behavior issues over the years. I have found them to be true hounds in personality. That means they don't naturally look to a human for direction. They are independant thinkers and workers. While these traits make them good in the field they *can* be harder to deal with in just a pet home. They bark a lot because they were bred to do so. They aren't as easily talked into listening to obedience commands as easily as some other breeds. I think, however, as far as hounds go they are relatively easier to train and maintain as a house pet. They tend to have very nice personalities and are intelligent dogs. Once you have a good connection with them and raise them with expectations of obedience they usually tow the line well.

If you were to get a beagle I would stay away from any field bred genetics. Don't go for the pups in the newspaper with bragging about the parents hunting prowess. Those field bred beagles will be houd-personality PLUS and will be harder to deal with. I would go for more the lines with show dogs and/or regular pet dog breeders. Beagle crosses I have known tend to be nice dogs, however, the last two that I dealt with were very soft in temperament (both were pug X beagle) and had behavior issues, plus they both barked horrendously LOL.

Good luck

 

[geepy]

I have raised beagles (actually harriers) crossed with walkers. With chickens they are fine. They will "run " alot. Meaning if they get a scent they are gone. It really doesn't matter how high or low the fence, they will try to run. The best beagle I have right now is the old man and he is 13 and blind. He still tries to run but his eyes will not let him. Don't get me wrong I love the breed but they really have to be keep in a pen because they were bread for running. Hope this helps.

 

[greeneggsandham]

My two beagles are great. Granted like any hound you can't let them go off leash or they will run. My female only howls when a stranger comes in the yard and it is just a couple of times. My male would rather sit on your lap all day and sleep. Mine are also 13 inch class so I don't know if that has something do with it or not. They were both very easy to crate train.

 

[PotterWatch]

I have a beagle mix, but it's not a 50/50 thing, more like a quarter beagle (he's also a quarter german shepherd and some other stuff we don't know about). He is the best dog we have ever had. He trained early and easily. He does bark more than our other dog, but not to the point of annoyance other than when we are getting ready to go mushing. When he is waiting for me to get everything ready and there are other dogs and teams getting set up, he barks constantly. At home he's not bad at all with barking. He doesn't have a terribly high prey drive and is fine around our chickens and got along great with our goats. I don't know how much of his demeanor can be attributed to the beagle in him though...

 

[chicken+quail=luv]

The beagles I've known are super sweet and super nice, but they weren't very... smart. And they bark. A LOT. Oh, and be prepared for them escaping and just randomly crossing the street towards you, without a care in the world... lol.

If I were you, I would get a lab. We have one, and she's great around the chickens. They even play with her sometimes, and it's really cute. She loves them, protects them, and lets them ride on her back.

ETA: Actually, forgot to add, she is a lab-pointer mix. But, she is mostly lab, so I still think a lab would be a good choice.

 

[sourland]

Hounds are hounds are hounds and beagles have all of the hound attributes. High prey drive, stubborness, tenacity, mellow personalities, small brains, etc. They can be sweet even tempered pets, but will disappear any time they get a chance. Show bred dogs are somewhat better at staying home than field bred dogs. I guess I'm agreeing with almost everyone on this thread. One place I will strongly disagree with is the noise issue. At the present time I have 17 beagles in my back yard- and for the most part you would never know that they are there. I do not breed noisy dogs, and excessive barking is not allowed. Now understand that I have had this particular family of dogs for 25+ years and have selected away from noisiness. My housepet choice is a golden retriever, and we are presently hosting our third female. My all time favorite once in a lifetime dog was a German shepherd male. (By the way, I have all those beagles because I compete at field trials with them.)

 

[PineappleMama]

I've heard having a beagle is like having a two year old... and then a friend of ours got one and said "ain't that the truth"... take that for what it's worth... they ARE adorable though...