Hello Everyone.
My husband and I are thinking about getting a new dog. We want to insure we get the right dog for our life style. We live live in town and have a 50x50 ft back yard. Wwe both work Mon-Fri with time to spare for the pup after work and on the weekends.
We were looking at a beagle/basset hound mix. But was warned that they howl a lot and are hard to potty train. I am fine with training the dog that is part of having a puppy but the howling bit all of the time is no good.
Any information that can be provided would be wonderful. I just want to insure that we pick the right breed of dog for us. I feel too many people rush into getting a dog which inturn can become an ugly situtation for the owner and dog.
Thanks.....
2006-11-27 08:23:16 · 11 answers · asked by Chrissie 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
I would advise doing some research on this. There are a lot of other things to take into consideration also. I have a 3 year old pug who I got when he was 6 weeks old. I read about every breed in a dog breed book before deciding on him. My husband said he had to be small and I didn't want a barker or howler.
Also consider how much exercise/ activity the dog will need and how active you are. Do you want a dog that likes swimming, boats, traveling, etc?
2006-11-27 08:30:51 · answer #1 · answered by Nina Lee 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree. Owning a dog is a big responsibility and is not something that one should rush into without doing homework.
I own a Basset Hound and he has been a great family dog for us. He has a very friendly, gentle, and calm disposition. I'm not familiar with beagles, but it is true that Basset Hound's do have a loud howl and bark. When my husband and I first got our Basset (as a puppy), he would howl when left alone. We crate trained him and would put him in the crate when we left home. But, this howling only lasted a few days. As he got used to his new home and bonded with us, it stopped. He also howled a lot the first night we had him when we put him in his crate for the night. When I put a blanket over his crate, the howling stopped (I guess it made his crate feel more like a den). Since those first few days, we have not had problems with howling. We make sure that he gets attention and exercise and he seems very happy with this.
I also have heard that Basset Hounds are hard to potty train. But, we crate trained our Basset and had great success with it. He's 5 now and rarely if ever has accidents. I believe that consistent and persistent training is the key.
My husband and I also worked full time when we got our Basset. One of us would either go home at lunch to take him out and give him some attention or if we couldn't make it, we had someone else stop by our house to take him out.
If you're interested in Basset Hounds, this article, http://www.just-basset-hounds.com/basset-hound-care.html , has excellent information about what it takes to care for one.
Best luck to you in your search!
2006-11-28 06:17:27 · answer #2 · answered by jordio 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have the perfect solution for you. Get an adult dog. As young as 1 or 2 years would be great for you. They bond JUST the same, you can train them JUST the same as a puppy, and guess what? They are already house trained, taught not to howl, chew, or any other bad behavior.
I think a beagle/basset hound would suit you well, they can be independent dogs that are used to be left alone during the day. And there are TONS of Beagle's/basset hounds looking for a good home (the most out of any breed).
Please consider adopting; I promise, you won't regret it!
www.petfinder.org
2006-11-27 08:27:58 · answer #3 · answered by rocksnobb 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You should check out your local animal shelter ( www.petfinder.com ) and they will be very happy to find a dog to suit your lifestyle. They know the dogs they have and who will be happiest. All dogs are different and don't always follow the breed standard. I would also recommend getting a dog that is over a year old because they are over the chewing stage and alot of times you can find dogs that are housetrained or just need a refresher course. They also will be known by the shelter as to if they will bark all the time or not. Good luck.
2006-11-27 16:01:39 · answer #4 · answered by Jes 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
bassets are great dogs...they are very easy to exercise, are very loyal and gentle. some do howl or bay , but I've never had one who did and I'm on my 5th basset.
beagles are smaller , much more energenic and tend to bark a little more. they also require a more strenuous exercise routine.
2006-11-27 15:19:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The best advice I can give you is, search different breeds. (Here's a good website... www.dogbreedinfo.com) All dogs have there good aspects and there bad ones. But, research the breeds you are interested in and go from there.
2006-11-27 08:28:40 · answer #6 · answered by R.S.C. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with rocksnobb. It sounds like an adult dog would be suitable for you. And there and thousands of dogs waiting for their forever homes around the country and at your local shelter.
2006-11-27 08:37:54 · answer #7 · answered by bananapancakes 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
With the info you provided it is hard to say.
go to akc.org
They have a program that helps you find the perfect breed for you.
http://www.akc.org/future_dog_owner/find_breed.cfm
2006-11-27 08:27:16 · answer #8 · answered by Kamunyak 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont get a small dog with too much energy you will have no time baegle want to hunt so they want lots of room to run retriver want to play alot and can dig alot a good dog would be a medium to small sized dog or a pit bull, boxer or german shephard
2006-11-27 08:27:46 · answer #9 · answered by smellykellygirl001 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
check petfinder.com or puppyfind.com
I love little beagle/basset hound mixes, i used to have one. best little dog i ever had
2006-11-27 08:33:38 · answer #10 · answered by raz p 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋