Help me pick out our first pet!

[kasmom]

Hi, I'm not a dog lover and never own a dog before but my husband love dogs and now my daugther is begging for a dog so I think I'm going to give in. After extensive research about the different breeds, I narrowed it down to a pug or beagle. I will be the main caregiver so I'm looking for one that is low maintenance and I believe these two breeds will fit the bill. Please tell me more about them if you own one and warn me of anything I should know as a first time dog owner. As for now I lean more toward the pug. We have 3 young kids so the dog must be kids friendly and I'm also sensitive to noise and smell so if anyone can tell me if they have BO or are they loud barker? I already read up everything I could from the internet but opinions from personal experiences would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Sharkbait]

It's awesome that you're doing lots of research on the breed best for your family. Kudos!! I have a pure-bred performance and conformation show hound, so I can offer my .02 :)

First off, no dog is low maintainance! They need to be on a schedule, be exercised, taken to obedience classes, properly socialized, etc. I know what you mean in terms of some being less work in that they are easier to train, though.

Some tips about getting a beagle puppy. Are you willing to:

-Offer Adequate exercise (beagles are prone to obesity if not exercised properly -- which means a half-mile walk each day, not simply running around a yard or home)
-Plenty of mental and physical stimulation
-Meet 3 new people and visit 3 new places each week until adulthood
-Never leave your young puppy home alone for more than 4 hours MAX
-Include your puppy in all family matters including some vacations and short trips
-Feed a Quality Premium diet
-Willing participation in a basic obedience class
-Attain your puppy's AKC Canine Good Citizen Certificate
-Keep your wits about you during puppy adolescence

These were some of the things we had to consider when getting a new puppy.

The right dog is worth every bit of energy, though. Beagles are hounds and therefore, come with special personality quirks. They were not bred as companions, they were bred to hunt - making them often harder to train, more independent and stubborn. (like all hounds!) Beagles have also been bred for a long time - making them candidates for many health issues.

Finally, my pure bred dog buying disclaimer.

Also, carefully - and this cannot be overstated - consider the breeder you buy from. Do not just Google for one, or worse, go to Craigslist or the paper. Talk to other owners, go to shows, go to field trial events and talk to owners about their breeders. It's not only the best way to get a healthy, well-balanced dog, but it's also the best way to encourage responsible breeding.

Here's some info about Beagles themselves from the Beagle Club of the US:

http://clubs.akc.org/NBC/NBC_FAQs.html#5.

Have fun and congratulations!!!

[kasmom]

Sharkbait - Thank you, you are a source of knowledge! I am mentally prepare for the hard work of dog ownership, anything for my darling daughter . I do think the beagle will fit in well with our family but what made me reconsider is, since is a hound breed will the body odor be a problem? How bad is it? I also read that beagle love to howl and bark? How far is the barking and howling? About health issues, I think most of the pure bred have them don't they?

[sillykitty]

I don't think either a Beagle or Pug are good choices if you want a low maintenance dog. Pugs are stubborn and tough to housetrain. Beagles are hounds who will get bored easily wo a job and are noisy & escape artists. How about a Greyhound or Shih tzu?

[kasmom]

Originally Posted by sillykitty

I don't think either a Beagle or Pug are good choices if you want a low maintenance dog. Pugs are stubborn and tough to housetrain. Beagles are hounds who will get bored easily wo a job and are noisy & escape artists. How about a Greyhound or Shih tzu?

I will have to look into Greyhound. Shih Tzu are not tolerance of younger children and might snap that is why I didn't even consider it.

[sillykitty]

Originally Posted by kasmom

I will have to look into Greyhound. Shih Tzu are not tolerance of younger children and might snap that is why I didn't even consider it.

Interesting about Shih Tzu's. I'm not into small dogs, so haven't done much research into them. I have friends who have them and they are very low key tolerant dogs. I wouldn't picture them to be snappy.

[petitechouchou]

Hi, kasmom! Would you and your family be oppose to adopting a dog at a local shelter? There are good dogs that can go to a loving home like yours :) If not, would you consider a pekingese? :)

[aaallabama]

Originally Posted by sillykitty

I don't think either a Beagle or Pug are good choices if you want a low maintenance dog. Pugs are stubborn and tough to housetrain. Beagles are hounds who will get bored easily wo a job and are noisy & escape artists. How about a Greyhound or Shih tzu?

^^ ITA, i wouldn't suggest a pug or beagle either...personally, i'd suggest a bichon frise (of course, i'm a bit biased since i've had 2 )...i wouldn't call them low maintenance, but i think they'd be a good choice...they're fluffy, little white dogs, about 12-15 pounds, who don't shed, don't smell & are happy, funny, affectionate & great with kids...some people say they can be difficult to potty train, but i've never had that problem...they need to be groomed about once every 2-3 months, unlike short-haired breeds, but that's not a big deal...oh, and did i mention how adorable they are?!?!

[Sharkbait]

Originally Posted by kasmom

Sharkbait - Thank you, you are a source of knowledge! I am mentally prepare for the hard work of dog ownership, anything for my darling daughter . I do think the beagle will fit in well with our family but what made me reconsider is, since is a hound breed will the body odor be a problem? How bad is it? I also read that beagle love to howl and bark? How far is the barking and howling? About health issues, I think most of the pure bred have them don't they?

No problem! I'm a dog lover and am really active with my breed. (Rhodesian Ridgeback)

Hounds, as a rule, don't have any odor more than your average dog, that I'm aware of. My hound has short hair, so never needs grooming, either. A total bonus!

This is what the breed club says about barking

Quote:

The normal, active Beagle will bark when strangers arrive, at the neighbor's cat or trespassing wildlife, and at strange goings on in the neighborhood. But beagles in general are not nuisance barkers, unless given good reason to do so. Beagles can, on rare occasion, become prone to howling if they are left alone for long periods of time and become bored. As a result of their hunting heritage, beagles may be quick to bark when they discover an intriguing scent, and will “tongue” (produce a baying sound) when in pursuit of their quarry.

And in terms of genetic disposed health issues, all breeds have some, but some more than others, and more serious. Dogs like Cocker Spaniels have a list of health-prone problems just because they've been bred for so long. Beagles, for instance, can be prone to ear infections because of the floppy ears. Just make sure you get a puppy from a breeder that is willing to provide all health certs. This is for ANY breed, not just beagles.

Rule of thumb on this:

Quote:

They also include health certification numbers for hips, elbow and thyroid (OFA) and eyes (CERF) on AKC papers, as well as DNA certification. These are a must for breeds commonly afflicted with hip or elbow dysplasia, hereditary low thyroid conditions or eye diseases. Reputable breeders also have pedigrees showing the lineage behind their puppies. If the parents are not champions, at least two of the grandparents should be (an exception would be field dogs which would have working titles listed after or before their names). Even though you may only be interested in a companion, quality ancestors are your best indicators that your dog will have the desired breed characteristics and good health to best fulfill that role.

[Sharkbait]

Originally Posted by sillykitty

I don't think either a Beagle or Pug are good choices if you want a low maintenance dog. Pugs are stubborn and tough to housetrain. Beagles are hounds who will get bored easily wo a job and are noisy & escape artists. How about a Greyhound or Shih tzu?

Agreed!! For a starter dog, I would not get a dog from any of the hound, working or gun dog groups. Those breeds, just by nature, need jobs to do and are therefore NOT low maintainance!

For a starter dog - go with something from the non-working group--or better yet - a mutt from a local shelter. Those are some of the best, most loving, easily trainable, and healthy puppies you can find!! A far less expensive!!

[TallulahJane]

Again like everyone else said, I do not think a Beagle is a good choice. They are very active dogs. They easily run away and have a very loud howl-like bark that can drive you crazy (I lived next door to one)!

I completely agree with everything Sharkbait just said especially about going to the pound to find your new dog. Check and see if your local shelter has a website they list available dogs on and you can your family can check it out weekly to see if any candidates pop up that you can go check out. Also, getting a dog that is a few years old instead of a puppy is always something to consider. You most likely won't have to worry about potty training and chewing.

[boxermom]

A shelter dog could be the best thing for your family. Often, a mixed breed will have fewer health problems than the purebreds. If you get an adult dog, you already can tell quite a bit about the personality and they are usually already house-trained and done with the very chewy stage.

Puppies are adorable, but we eventually chose to give our home to the senior age dogs that rarely get adopted.

Best wishes whatever you decide to do!

TallulahJane, we posted at the same time and said almost the same thing lol!

[lionlaw]

I have two puppies now and they are HIGH MAINTENANCE. Seriously, I never have a moments peace. My friends say having children would be easier because at least you can get a live-in nanny.

For the first couple of months, I got no sleep. They have to go pee twice through the night and would wake me up. It was a 2AM and 5AM wake up call and then I had to be at work at 9. They are better now, but puppies can't hold it through the night so be prepared.


If you want low maintenance, get an older dog from a pound. My two are six months old now but they play all the time, chew all the time, jump around and frolic. My house is a disaster. tow minutes after my cleaners leave, and it looks like a war zone again. Don't get me wrong, I love them to death, but it is a full time job.

Especially with younger kids, an older dog is better because they are trained. Puppies have no clue and will try to get away with anything. Mine continually find new things to eat or hump that amaze me.

As far as breeds, beagles howl all the time and are definitely way too active. Pugs can be snippy or at least my cousins and aunt's dogs are.

For a first time owner, I would get a more easy going dog. Cocker spaniels are great with kids and low key. I grew up with cockers and other than a propensity for ear infections, they are great dogs. My two puppies are coton de tulears and are fantastic dogs but the coat would probably be too high maintenance for you.

As far as shih-tzus go, I have never met a snippy one. My sister has three, her mother-in-law two and they are mellow dogs. Kinda stupid, but mellow.

[Brooke11]

I agree with what a few others said -- go to the shelter and check out the smaller dogs they have, or look at petfinder.com. Mixed breeds are healthy and can live long lives. An older dog (more than one year) may already be trained, which is a HUGE benefit -- trust me! Best of luck!

[sillykitty]

Originally Posted by lionlaw

As far as shih-tzus go, I have never met a snippy one. Kinda stupid, but mellow.

LOL LL....my impression exactly....

As far as all the advice to go to the pound or shelter, although it is really the best, most responsible place to get a pet, I don't know if I would suggest it for a starter dog for someone wo a lot of breed knowledge. There is the risk of falling in love w an unknowingly inappropriate breed, kwim? I would suggest instead doing research, finding a breed that fits your lifestyle and then going to a breed specific rescue. It's the best of both worlds. I do agree though that an adult dog is the best choice. Puppies and a lot of work, and I guarantee even the most devoted dog lover has at some point (or two or three) wondered if thier pup was returnable!