Does my dog need friends?

[Lizizzo]

I have my very first beagle. He's the only dog in a house of five cats. Everyone I know that has beagles has more than one but they are also only used for hunting. My dog is just a house dog. He used to have a friend, a bassett hound named waddles, but he's moved away. I'm trying to find him new friends but is it bad that I don't have a constant companion?

[Briarhoppers]

Wow, a beagle in the house w/ 5 cats! Does that beagle tear the house apart chasing those cats? If not, I can't imagine you have a beagle w/ very strong hunting breeding in its background.

Beagles are bred to be "pack" animals, in that they hunt and pursue game in a pack. It is in their blood. Most of the beagles that I have owned would probably rather spend time w/ another beagle than w/ people....not that they are shy - actually the opposite, beagles are by nature and breeding to be friendly and happy dogs. Also, most of the beagles that I have tried to bring in the house, have wanted to go right back outside.

That being said, beagles that have been bred for the express purpose of being pets or show dogs often loose some of their hunting nature. If this is true of the breeding behind your beagle, I am not able to offer much insight.

-Peter

[TC]

Wow, a beagle in the house w/ 5 cats! Does that beagle tear the house apart chasing those cats? If not, I can't imagine you have a beagle w/ very strong hunting breeding in its background.

Beagles are bred to be "pack" animals, in that they hunt and pursue game in a pack. It is in their blood. Most of the beagles that I have owned would probably rather spend time w/ another beagle than w/ people....not that they are shy - actually the opposite, beagles are by nature and breeding to be friendly and happy dogs. Also, most of the beagles that I have tried to bring in the house, have wanted to go right back outside.

That being said, beagles that have been bred for the express purpose of being pets or show dogs often loose some of their hunting nature. If this is true of the breeding behind your beagle, I am not able to offer much insight.

-Peter

If not, I can't imagine you have a beagle w/ very strong hunting breeding in its background.

WRONG!!! All you have to Do is Know how to TRAIN em...
Just because they Wont Chase the House Cats Dont mean they Dont have STRONG hunt Desire Just means SOMEBODY spent Some time training them and Actually Spent a little time with Em.......

Also, most of the beagles that I have tried to bring in the house, have wanted to go right back outside.

Depends Again On the OWNER mine like it FINE in the house and Will hunt just as hard as Anybodys Just ask a few on here that have Run With Chance and Trixie!!
beagles make Some of the BEST house pets And just because One Fella Aint never Tried it dont mean it cant be done Heck All ours lived with us in the house until we moved to KY and they HUNT Just as Well as Any Do OH and Guess WHAT They are SHOW bred Also.....

beagles that have been bred for the express purpose of being pets or show dogs often loose some of their hunting nature.

Well if they never get out to Hunt I can See this BUT if they are hunted regularly they will maintain the Desire.
ACTUALLY i have found IN MY Experience that those that are Raised in the house are aclimated so much better to thier humans that they will mind better and Show MORE desire to please and Will HANDLE a LOT better also its the interaction thing they aint just put in a kennel and left till they get out to hunt again....

Now to Answer the Question that you asked.
YES beagles are pack animals ands Seem to do a lot better when they have a packmate. We have found that a pup that likes to Tear stuff up and get into things, barks all the time ect just behave better with a packmate around..

[SouthernBeagles]

Wow, a beagle in the house w/ 5 cats! Does that beagle tear the house apart chasing those cats? If not, I can't imagine you have a beagle w/ very strong hunting breeding in its background.

You can't be serious???? If a beagle is raised with cats then the cats become their pack. I have a puppy trainer (10 year cat) that I introduce to the pups at around 6 weeks old. She LOVES puppies and will play with them. They chase her, she will lay down and let them climb on her. Then she will chase them! Its just a game to her but the pups learn that a cat is not a prey animal but is just a part of their pack. This cat was actually raised by a beagle female that adopted her as her own and would whoop any beagle that got too close to her pup.....I mean kitten.

Beagles are bred to be "pack" animals, in that they hunt and pursue game in a pack. It is in their blood. Most of the beagles that I have owned would probably rather spend time w/ another beagle than w/ people....not that they are shy - actually the opposite, beagles are by nature and breeding to be friendly and happy dogs. Also, most of the beagles that I have tried to bring in the house, have wanted to go right back outside.

That may be true for a beagle raised in a kennel all of its life then try to make a house dog of it in some cases BUT a beagle will pack with any animal or human if its raised with them together. I have actually ran into trouble when raising single pups in the house. They would rather be with people and ignore the other hounds. I have to put them in the kennel with the other hounds so that they can bond, otherwise the single pup will not associate them with their pack.

That being said, beagles that have been bred for the express purpose of being pets or show dogs often loose some of their hunting nature. If this is true of the breeding behind your beagle, I am not able to offer much insight.
-Peter

What does this have to do with living with cats?? Some beagles bred for the express purpose of hunting wouldn't run a hot bisquit. Some beagles bred for pet and show make outstanding field dogs. Doesn't mean any of them will chase cats.

[JesandDeb]

Our beagle is in the house......with 2 cats . For the most part they all do ok , but being he is only almost 8 months old, he wants to play and jump , but they don't play as ruff as him, so now and then they will swipe at him, plus the cats are taking to sleeping in higher places now, just to get away from him ....one sleeps on top of the fridge now. Sometimes it's kind of sad, cause the beagle wants to play, and he'll even drop his toys infront of them, but they just look at him. Now our other beagles used to sleep on our big old cat.....they all used eachother for pillows. Once Luke grows a little more in his brain , I think he'll do great. And the best dog I ever seen to housebreak too......very in tune with us and words, and was like that when we got him at 11 weeks old . Oh, and we also have a pet min. rabbit caged inside too . Doesn't cause much of a problem, but she's never out of that cage either. Now.....my feelings?......I think a beagle knows the differance between a cat, a pet tame rabbit, and a wild rabbit runnin' in the woods . If it smells good, they'll chase it

[Briarhoppers]

TC and Southern -

Here is what I gathered from the original post. She has five cats in the house. She she just got her first beagle which she is bringing in the house. The beagle appears to at least not be a very young pup....could be anything from an older pup to an adult...not enough info. given.

I never said beagles don't make good pets. I never said beagles don't like to go in the house. I never said beagles can't be trained to live w/ cats. All the statements made were regarding my dogs. Go back and read.

Also, TC if you are implying I don't spend time w/ my dogs w/out even knowing who I am....I take great offence to this! My dogs are extremely well taken care of. They are given plenty of attention. And I have kept my dogs not only in my kennel but also in my back yard. And the first beagle I owned was an inside dog at least for a while - she slept in a crate each night and she was miserable in the house. Once I fenced in the back yard and she moved out there she was in heaven.

BUT, NO my dogs are not a substitute for family OR friends they are my hunting dog and I do have a life outside of my dogs.

And I stand my my statement. There are beagles bred to hunt and there are beagles bred to be pets. I never said they couldn't be both. BUT, if a beagle is bred for the express purpose being a pet over the generations, it will loose instincts that shape the personality of the hunting dog I know well and as stated in my previous post I am not able to offer any input on this type of beagle.

If you dont think this is true. Look at the Cocker and the Irish Setter as examples. For the most part those breeds have had the "hunt" bred right out of them as they have become primarily a pet breed.

I stand my my statements.

Peter

[TC]

Also, TC if you are implying I don't spend time w/ my dogs w/out even knowing who I am....I take great offence to this! My dogs are extremely well taken care of. They are given plenty of attention. And I have kept my dogs not only in my kennel but also in my back yard.

WOW
Wasnt Emplying anything!!!!
MAN Who peed in your Cherrios??????????

I can't imagine you have a beagle w/ very strong hunting breeding in its background.

This was the ASSUMPTION YOU made not me!!!
just Stating My EXPERIENCE Which just happens to Differ from yours and by the looks from the replies Quite a few others Also
When you make an ASSumption on Something that you Dont have a lot of experience at then I guess it Shows!!!

[Briarhoppers]

TC -
You are the frustrating type to talk to on these boards - - b/c you make the same mistakes you try correcting in other people and read you own emotion into other peoples replies. At the quotes you took from my original post above, look at the third word "IF" I think you were taking an indirect jab at me in you first reply, but it was not 100% clear so I wrote "IF."

In regards to the second quote - that is my experience and wisdom. She is asking for peoples feedback and thoughts and those are mine. It appears to me she must have a beagle that is a bred for being a house dog, pet only, etc. And I stated, I have no experience w/ this type of beagle.

And again IF you are indirectly calling me an A$$ I would appreciate it if you would do it directly like a man and preferably to my face.

-Pete

[beagle crazy]

TO: Lizizzo

I have 2 beagles in the house---with 1 cat. And I have 2 because I thought the first one needed a companion. And I think I was right. I also have several beagles in kennels in the back yard. ALL my dogs hunt--and do so very well. (And even win trophies at field trials) I don't think its bad if he doesn't have constant doggie companionship, but I also don't think it's a bad idea to have more than on beagle

Did that answer your question any??