Hi, all. My name is Betsy, and my hubby and I have two sons, almost 10 and almost 13. We have two cats (tabby and calico), ages 10 and 11. We're seriously talking about getting a puppy, after the kids have their birthdays and I do a bit of wallpapering in the house. Most likely we will get a dog around late October or early November. We've been talking a lot about breeds - we'd like a small to medium dog, with short hair. We have a fully fenced backyard and I'm a stay-at-home mom so I'll have time to walk a dog and give it lots of attention. And the kids are excited to have a new "playmate" for when they are not in school. We think they are ready for the responsibility and fun of a puppy. Dh and I both grew up with outdoor dogs, but this one will be indoors a lot, as we live in the northwest.
We're gathering as much info as we can right now, on breeds, temperaments, obedience, crate, and potty training, exercise and food needs, how to help the cats adjust, etc. We've heard Beagles can howl and need to be on a leash. Anything else we should know? Any types of questions to ask a breeder? Opinions on males or females or does it just depend on the personality of the dog? Beagles do seem like a wonderful dogs, but I'd really like to hear pros and cons to make sure if this is right for our family. (Other possibilities are a Vizsla, Basenji, and Jack Russell Terrier, but we're still leaning toward a Beagle.) Any advice, opinions, websites, books that would be helpful for us? Thanks! 
