“A beagle? – no, do you know what you’re getting into?”
We have been asked that question so many times in the last almost 9 years since we got our Emma.
And the answer is short (but with a lot of underlying explanation) – because I LOVE the mind of beagles! They are NOT a pleaser dog – they are a bit of a (pardon the expression) “f*** you, I’ll do it if I want dog” 😊
If you are looking for a dog that does everything you say and walks around looking up and asking "what should I do now? Should I sit - lay - retrieve?" then a beagle is probably NOT the dog for you!
9 years ago we had to decide which dog would fit into our small family. At home we are 3 people, 2 adults and 1 child (who is now an adult).
We both grew up with dogs and are aware that you don't buy a dog based on
1) "cuteness level" (well, it would have been a beagle too) 😊
2) whether the color of the dog matches the rest of the living room and the new rug under the coffee table
3) no shedding so we get rid of the annoying hair from your 4-legged family member.
4) the breed has just been featured in the latest Disney movie – so it must be the right family dog
We thoroughly studied what it means to choose a beagle – and also had a long conversation with someone from the Beagle Club, because we had heard so many “horror stories” about beagles, and we wanted to hear more about them. I will touch on some of them here, and will comment on them based on MY/our experiences – there are certainly other opinions/experiences, but these are mine/ours 😊
Many stories went that 1) Beagles can't be left alone at home without eating everything in the house – 2) Beagles can't be let loose – 3) Beagles don't listen 😊 4) The garden must be fenced in like Fort Knox, otherwise your beagle will dig himself out. 5) They have a voracious appetite and will eat everything.
I'll cover the first point here – you can look forward to the others!
In the summer of 2014 we drove down and picked up our little “Emma” – she has a looooooong pedigree name – which is not very flattering – so we call her “Emma” <3
Our house was almost new, so we thought about how we could secure both the house and Emma when we were not home.
We bought a puppy playpen that could be assembled however you wanted. We braided it into her transport cage so it ran down the living room – a long enclosure that ended in her OPEN cage so she could go in and sleep when it suited her – newspapers on the floor and food/water. No toys or chewables. I remember the breeder saying that “the dog needs to learn that it’s sleep time, not playtime, when you’re not home”. And I also wanted to be a dog that she would get something wrong in her throat, so NO toys just a cheerful comment in a cheerful voice (no whining), which we still use today: “ Hi, Hi Emma – take good care of the house ” and then give a delicious treat.
It's worked out great - we've had this arrangement for 3/4 years! And since she got the whole living room/kitchen/bedrooms to herself, she hasn't broken anything. Well, she may have broken a decorative pillow or two, but nothing serious.
And no, if you want to know, have we ever regretted getting a beagle? We have NEVER regretted getting a beagle, and the next dog (sorry Emma, close your ears) will of course also be a beagle! <3
A little about the blogger.
Lotte is in her early 50s. She works as a customer advisor and spends most of her free time training with her dog Emma, a beagle girl of almost 9 years old. They have trained and competed in Schweiss's track. Agility without much success (you can't tempt her with treats), and now they train Nose Work 3-4 times a week if they can get to it. They compete at NW3 level, and they have a party together when they apply <3
Why did you choose a beagle?
“A beagle? – no, do you know what you’re getting into?”
We have been asked that question so many times in the last almost 9 years since we got our Emma.
And the answer is short (but with a lot of underlying explanation) – because I LOVE the mind of beagles! They are NOT a pleaser dog – they are a bit of a (pardon the expression) “f*** you, I’ll do it if I want dog” 😊
If you are looking for a dog that does everything you say and walks around looking up and asking "what should I do now? Should I sit - lay - retrieve?" then a beagle is probably NOT the dog for you!
9 years ago we had to decide which dog would fit into our small family. At home we are 3 people, 2 adults and 1 child (who is now an adult).
We both grew up with dogs and are aware that you don't buy a dog based on
1) "cuteness level" (well, it would have been a beagle too) 😊
2) whether the color of the dog matches the rest of the living room and the new rug under the coffee table
3) no shedding so we get rid of the annoying hair from your 4-legged family member.
4) the breed has just been featured in the latest Disney movie – so it must be the right family dog
We thoroughly studied what it means to choose a beagle – and also had a long conversation with someone from the Beagle Club, because we had heard so many “horror stories” about beagles, and we wanted to hear more about them. I will touch on some of them here, and will comment on them based on MY/our experiences – there are certainly other opinions/experiences, but these are mine/ours 😊
Many stories went that 1) Beagles can't be left alone at home without eating everything in the house – 2) Beagles can't be let loose – 3) Beagles don't listen 😊 4) The garden must be fenced in like Fort Knox, otherwise your beagle will dig himself out. 5) They have a voracious appetite and will eat everything.
I'll cover the first point here – you can look forward to the others!
In the summer of 2014 we drove down and picked up our little “Emma” – she has a looooooong pedigree name – which is not very flattering – so we call her “Emma” <3
Our house was almost new, so we thought about how we could secure both the house and Emma when we were not home.
We bought a puppy playpen that could be assembled however you wanted. We braided it into her transport cage so it ran down the living room – a long enclosure that ended in her OPEN cage so she could go in and sleep when it suited her – newspapers on the floor and food/water. No toys or chewables. I remember the breeder saying that “the dog needs to learn that it’s sleep time, not playtime, when you’re not home”. And I also wanted to be a dog that she would get something wrong in her throat, so NO toys just a cheerful comment in a cheerful voice (no whining), which we still use today: “ Hi, Hi Emma – take good care of the house ” and then give a delicious treat.
It's worked out great - we've had this arrangement for 3/4 years! And since she got the whole living room/kitchen/bedrooms to herself, she hasn't broken anything. Well, she may have broken a decorative pillow or two, but nothing serious.
And no, if you want to know, have we ever regretted getting a beagle? We have NEVER regretted getting a beagle, and the next dog (sorry Emma, close your ears) will of course also be a beagle! <3
A little about the blogger.
Lotte is in her early 50s. She works as a customer advisor and spends most of her free time training with her dog Emma, a beagle girl of almost 9 years old. They have trained and competed in Schweiss's track. Agility without much success (you can't tempt her with treats), and now they train Nose Work 3-4 times a week if they can get to it. They compete at NW3 level, and they have a party together when they apply <3