Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We are retired and have a Shepherd with seizures (on meds). Have been seeking a second dog because our little terrierX passed on a couple of years ago. My shepherd is dog friendly and very sweet. After doing some research I have decided that a beagle might be the best dog for us, assuming I pick one that is true to type and is dog friendly etc. The beagle rescue people are willing to allow me to foster and then adopt. I keep reading here of so many problems that people are having with aggression, I thought they were not likely to be aggressive, do you think the rescue will be able to ascertain that? Is there anything I should look for when meeting a dog that would help me know if its suitable? Not being fussy but don't want my dog attacked during a seizure (altho if left alone the beagle would be crated) and my vet recommended a nice, mature female beagle would be a wise choice. Thanks for any input
Brit

Thank you for considering a rescue dog for your next family member. I don't know alot about beagles, but any good rescue group will know the dogs in their system very well. They should be able to evaluate your situation and choose the best dog for you. I think your vet has the right idea behind a nice mature female, that is if your current dog is a male.

Good luck and keep us posted!
-----
Melody/PHFasDog
Email me at PHFasDog

My furkids:
Shadow, Jadzia and Lyta.
Kira waiting the bridge.

Dogs come into our lives, and too quickly go leaving pawprints on our hearts, and we will never be quite the same again.

I don't claim to be a dog expert. But I can tell you that we adopted a mature female beagle and she has been a wonderful addition to our family. She gets along well with ALL people and most other dogs. There was a settling in period where she and our other dog (a shepherd mix) got used to one another, but other than that things have been fine.

As for agression, our beagle is as sweet and docile as can be, but does sometimes cop an attitude when things don't go her way. For instance she will snarl a bit when ushered out of her favorite sleeping chair, but she's all talk and has never snapped or given any indication of snapping at anyone or anything. In fact, with other dogs she's very submissive.

We love our beagle and have decided that our next dog (down the road) will be a beagle.

Hi Britt,

I just adopted a 4 month old Beagle, Amber. I have 3 Labs, 13, 9 and 3 years old. Amber plays real rough with the 3 year old (chewing on her like a toy!) but does not bother with my 13 year old. An occasional lick on the nose and that is it. She has respect towards the older 2 dogs. I was concerned she would be a pest towards the poor old man but it has not been a problem. She leaves him alone and beats up on her sister. I have had her now for 2 months and not once has she bullied her big brother. She is a ball of nonstop energy and I am thankful she plays with the 3 year old a lot! Not sure what she would do if she didn't have her though.

It really depends on the dog. I have a beagle named Skittles. I adopted her from North Shore, and she's very quiet and submissive. If you leave her alone however she starts whining really loud and high (sorry, i don't know exactly how long, she does it even when it's only 20 minutes). And once you come back, she's really playful and just wants to lick and cuddle up with you ^_^.