Reptile & Amphibian Forums

After much research, I decided that a beagle would be the perfect fit for our family (I had a black lab growing up).

We found a respectful breeder and visited over the weekend, and ended up putting a deposit on not one, but two pups - one boy and one girl. They are barley 5 weeks, so they have a couple more weeks before they will come home with us. Part of the thought of two, was that eventually, they will be home for 3-4 hours at a time, and we were concerned with them getting lonely / bored at home.

Since I had not planned on two, I have been doing some research, postmortem, and have seen many horror stories about trying to raise / train two puppies, especially from the same litter.

Has anyone had good / bad experiences with this? I would like to know what we are getting into so I can either a) calm our nerves or b) choose a single pup so that we do not get in over our head and have to go insane or return a pup.

Thanks in advance!
Joe in AZ

Choose a single pup! Wait at least 2 years before adding another. There are many reasons for this. Here is a link to an article I wrote on the subject:

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2043&S=1&SourceID=47

The article thoroughly explains why I strongly recommend that you start with just one puppy. One Beagle puppy for a family is probably an excellent choice.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

By the way, a female Beagle pup is likely to be significantly easier to housetrain than a male. And do remember to keep your Beagle predominantly in the house. The baying of Beagles is bred into them, and they are quite loud. Will disturb neighbors if left outdoors.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

I'm surprised and responsible breeder would let you take home two puppies at the same time. It really is a terrible idea. The work involved is quadruple the amount of effort and time than a single puppy alone and even though it's nice for a puppy to have a play mate, they are much better adjusted to our human world when allowed to grow up as an individual without a constant companion at their side. Also realize the expenses of 2 puppies is astronomical.

IF you are set on having two dogs at once to "keep eachother comapny" then get the first pup and get things working in your life with that one. Get the puppy well started on potty training (a huge task for beagles in general) and obedience work- yes beagles need some obedience work. THEN adopt a 2 year old dog of the opposite gender. A 2 year old dog is playful enough to enjoy puppy exhuberance and will treasure having a family. Yet, has it's own identity and life away from the new puppy. It's a win/win for all concerned.
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Chelle and the rest of the crew including, but not limited to Kita and Taiko (the shiba inu wrestle maniacs), Adi (reserved and dignified tabby cat), and all 28 reptiles www.freewebs.com/performanceshibas