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My Personal Story: One of the first family dogs I remember as a child was our Beagle, George. This happy-go-lucky buddy quickly answered the question, “Are Beagles Good Family Pets?” with his loving dedication for many years. When we moved to the farm, George moved with us. He loved running through the hay fields, following the tractor. And he welcomed the livestock and each of our other dogs as if they were meant to be there.
Of course, they may not be the perfect breed for everyone, but Beagles can make an ideal family pet in many homes. Will one of these little hounds be your next companion?
Are Beagles Good Family Pets For Homes?
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Are beagles good family pets to own? The answer is yes for many reasons. You can choose one for a four-legged companion with gentle and playful tendencies. Also, it’s the kind of canine that is not too aggressive and hardly timid altogether. Still, it’s a medium-sized dog breed that some people even use for hunting small animals. Hence, it’s easy why folks favor adopting them over our other furry friends. The past even revealed that some historical figures kept packs of these creatures. King Henry VIII and Elizabeth 1 of England are examples of those who appreciated them. So it’s not strange to feel drawn to these cute and cuddly pooches.
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In this post, we’re going to discuss this breed’s attributes and the pros and cons of owning one. Included are some points explaining what they usually do and what they need as house pets.
What Makes Beagles Excellent House Dogs?
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Are beagles good family pets to have at home? They make superb indoor and outdoor canines because of their structure and behavior. These hounds are medium-sized pooches because they are often a little over or below 1 foot high. They usually weigh no more than 20 pounds or 8 kilograms.
Despite their size, they are quite energetic. But are beagles good with kids? Given their energy level and fun-loving nature, they are superb companions to children. No dull moment comes when they are around since they are perky and even demand interaction. Yet, since they can be rough when frolicking, instructing them is often necessary. Still, they are excellent pooches to keep because they can keep a home vibrant for everyone.
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Are beagles trainable? Yes, they are. They are best educated while puppies. Adult beagles tend to be independent and may be challenging to school. Yet don’t feel intimidated about buying or adopting a grown one. Take note that beagles, in general, are quite intelligent. With the right motivation and system, it’s possible and even fast to get them to learn certain things.
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Are Beagles Good Family Pets For Children?
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As mentioned, these are playful house dogs. Are beagles trainable by small children? It’s ideal to have them taught by older kids who can give clear and consistent instructions. We can get help educating our furry friends by telling our teenagers how to reward them.
They usually get along with small youngsters when they can be sociable. Even playing with fellow pooches and other creatures is possible after training. So, it’s possible to have disciplined beagles with patience, persistence, and consistency.
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But they do shed a lot from time to time despite their short coat. This isn’t a problem if you can spend some time giving them regular grooming. After all, brushing their air gets rid of excess hairs and dander. Making them used to baths makes them cleaner canines too. Even if they are not hypoallergenic pooches, they can become clean pets with proper care. Hence, they are still great for young and old kids.
Side story:Â My Dad called George a “sooner” dog. He said George would SOONER sleep than anything else. But truly, George roamed the farm, trudged through the long winter snows with us, and even went fishing alongside the family. I do think his favorite spot was by the wood-burning stove during the winter!
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Can You Train Them Well?
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Beagles are quite snoopy so they may seem difficult to train sometimes. For various reasons, they can’t focus well when things make them interested. Yet are beagles good family pets despite this? Compared to other dog breeds, their sense of smell is strong. So they make superior hunting hounds inside or outside of a house. This is due to the number of scent receptors they have.
Also, their ability to detect so many things at once makes them distracted with ease. Yet, with the right incentives, getting and maintaining their attention is possible. Plus, using praise and treats is effective when dealing with their stubbornness. So they are not only receptive to lessons but can be eager to learn too.
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How are beagles trainable? Using food or treats as incentives for their good deeds can help. After all, they are effective in positive reinforcement training. Even handing them their favorite toys after performing well can allow for successful training. Still, because of their independent personality, they may need constant rewards. Even if you only get temporary obedience at first, the reward is something that goes a long way. In that way, they are four-legged friends that we can train to obey commands. This is to say that we can teach them to behave to our liking like going potty outside or performing tricks.
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How Do We Train Beagles?
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Are beagles good family pets when they turn obedient? When trained to have discipline, they make excellent companions. After successful obedience training, they are keen and quick to follow orders. Their straight, strong legs and muscular bodies can even move fast. Their estimated speed is 32 kilometers or about 20 miles per hour. Plus, they can understand quite a few words plus gestures. Even using devices may be effective when training them. So there are many ways to teach beagles how to do things.
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As pointed out, it would be best to start training a beagle early. That is to say, train one as a pup rather than waiting for it to grow first. Puppies at 8 weeks or so are more receptive to canine education after all. When you teach a dog to obey, ensure that you keep it consistent. It’s not only about saying the same commands. Rather, it involves consistency when it comes to the timing of the training. Are beagles good with kids to teach crate training? Grown-ups are the ones to instruct dogs to go in and outside of a kennel. After all, beagles have a pack mentality too. This means they follow the “alpha” or leader more than anyone else. Still, keep commands simple and easy to follow to achieve success faster.
Keep in mind that these are hounds, originally bred to follow game. That required them to be quite determined and often relentless. When training, you need to understand that Beagles may seem quite stubborn and even obstinate at times. You need to be persistent but never harsh. Use the bonding process to become their best friend. Then, train very consistently and stay the course. If you allow your Beagle to get away with not listening, that is what he will learn.
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Are Beagles Good Family Pets For Exercise?
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Are beagles good family pets for health maintenance or improvement? They are awesome furry companions if you want to stay fit and stay happy. Having them around means needing to do physical activities more often than not. Take note that beagles don’t do well when left alone for many hours throughout the day. They get bored and sad when isolated. Hence, it’s important to give them regular walks to take care of them.
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Because they are medium-sized dogs, they have more energy to spend than small canines. They eat about over 600 or more than 900 calories daily and they must be active to stay in shape. Walking or running with them for an hour or so daily helps us with so many things. The activity promotes better human and pet well-being and physical health. Dog walkers and their pets often enjoy walking because they get to get in touch with nature. Also, it allows human and animal socialization, calorie consumption, and mental health enhancement. So it’s quite sensible to adopt a beagle for these reasons.
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Are Beagles Good Family Pets As Guard Dogs?
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These four-legged friends of ours are quite friendly. Because of this friendliness, many consider them not to be fine guard dogs. Many of these pooches wag their tails when they see humans and start other friendly gestures. So, with these things said, are beagles good pets to house? Make no mistake in underestimating them and thinking that they’re always friendly. After all, they are territorial and possessive animals. Detecting intruders or thieves will not hesitate to growl, bark, or even bite. Being from a line of hunting hounds, they serve as dependable canines to go with us.
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Are beagles good with kids despite their tendency to attack? These pooches aren’t aggressive canines. They only lunge at or pounce on a person or another animal when it senses danger. When it thinks it needs to protect itself or someone close to it, it will not think twice about attacking. Yet they are also the kinds of dogs that we can train to bark or threaten only. With these things said, it’s easy to conclude that they can guard us well only when trained to do so.
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What Are The Health Concerns Of Beagles?
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With proper care and good health, these dogs will be fine and reach 12 to 15 years old. Yet it’s also possible for them to have certain diseases due to accidents, infection, or worse. Are beagles good family pets despite being susceptible to specific conditions? They are still worth taking care of even if they can become sick sometimes or even end up needing long-term care. After all, like other dogs, they love and are loyal animals. So they deserve plenty of attention, care, and more.
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One of the most common conditions in beagles is hip dysplasia. So many things can cause this but, usually, it happens due to weight issues, malnutrition, and old age. Because of their big and floppy ears, they are also prone to ear infections. To address these things, folks can try to take care of their physical fitness and nutrition. Also, helping them with their hygiene contributes to better health. For other conditions like cancer, there’s consulting a vet for aid in long-term care. So, like humans, these dogs are worth keeping despite their susceptibility to diseases.
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Should You Consider a Beagle for Your Family?
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Are beagles good family pets to have roaming inside our homes or placed outdoors? When trained, they make superior pets to own. They are friendly and are good with children. Getting along with other animals may not be an issue too. Although it may take a while to get them obedient due to their strong nature, we can control them greatly. We can even instruct them to guard our homes. So there’s no reason to think twice about getting one when we have the inclination and means to take care of a beagle.
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Have you tried raising a beagle? How was it? Please let us know about your experience below. Thanks for reading this article about a dog breed and we’ll see you in the next one.
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