Adding a new dog into the family can be a wonderful experience. But you’ll need to consider all aspects of the breed, especially when you have children. Beagles are small to medium-sized with a gentle temperament, fun-loving nature, and are highly energetic. Despite their stubbornness, all these great characteristics have made them a favorite among dog lovers and quite suited to family life. They’ll get along well with their human family and other animals. As a parent, bringing any animal into the household can be a concern, whether you’re worried about your child’s or dog’s safety, or if they’ll even get along. Let’s see what to expect with Beagles.
So, are the Beagles good with kids? Beagles are very friendly and social; they just love being around people. They will get along fine with kids, especially those who love playing outdoors. You may require a lot of time and effort to teach both parties how to live with one another, but ultimately, Beagles are a great match for children and families in general.
While breeds tend to have key traits, dogs’ personalities can differ greatly even within breeds. This means how a particular Beagle will react to having kids around will also depend on their personality and several other external factors. However, no matter how friendly your dog is, it’s still important to teach children to be gentle and treat the dog with respect. Likewise, you have to train your Beagle to be around kids. One crucial thing to remember is children and dogs should not be left unattended. Do you have a Beagle or are looking to welcome one into the family and are worried about whether or not they’ll get along with your children? We break down this breed’s compatibility with kids, so keep reading to find out more.
Are Beagles Good With Kids
If you have kids, their happiness and safety are paramount when adding a dog into the family. You want a playful dog that can match your child’s energy levels yet is calm in its temperament. The Beagle ticks both of these boxes.
Beagles are just like kids; they are happy, fun-loving, love to play, and energetic. This makes them a great companion for kids when playing outdoors. Another great thing about Beagles is their gentle temperament. They are known for being tolerant, patient, and calm and can sit through ear-pulling and tail-tugging, unless it gets too far, in which case they will yelp. They also have a naughty side, but it’s more endearing than irritating.
Beagles are very loyal companions. If and when they develop a strong bond with your kid(s), they can be some of the best guardians for them.
Last but not least, the Beagles’ small size makes them less intimidating, and you won’t have to worry about them overpowering children during playtime.
What About Beagles with Infants (Toddlers)
Beagles are pack animals and will view the kids and anyone in the house as fellow pack members. They are very loyal to their pack and protective, which makes them excellent watchdogs. Your Beagle will spring into action if the child is in any danger. With their loud and deep voice, they will surely alert you if anything is amiss. Keep in mind that Beagles are very expressive and will bark, howl, and produce other sounds that can be annoying when you’re trying to get the baby to sleep.
Additionally, babies don’t know appropriate behavior around Beagles, and you can’t teach them. Their curiosity will lead them to crawl after the Beagle, possibly grabbing and hurting the dog or even startling a sleeping dog. Beagles are still animals and you can’t predict how they’ll react to what the baby does, even with training program. Beagles and babies can mingle, but only under supervision!
Is a Beagle a Good Dog for a Child?
As mentioned earlier, you don’t want to compromise on the happiness and safety of your child when bringing in a new four-legged animal. Beagles make great family pets and have the potential to become your child’s BFF. However, like any other relationship, this one will take work to work too. Aside from being friendly and sociable, how well your Beagle gets along with your kid(s) is determined mainly by their training. Your child’s nature also matters a lot.
Training Beagles to Be Around Kids
Beagles are not the easiest pack dogs to train. They tend to want to do things their way, have selective hearing, and are easily distracted by smell with their powerful noses. But with a little patience and consistency in training them using proper learning exercises, your Beagle will soon be doing as you ask. Start with command training. Beagles are food-driven, so using a variety of treats can make the proper training sessions much easier. Be sure to use positive reinforcement for successful house training. Using negative reinforcement will only cause them to develop fear-based behaviors instead of an obedient response.
While you’re at it, give your Beagle enough exercise. This friendly breed is highly energetic, and if they’re not stimulated mentally and physically, they will find their own ways to release pent-up energy. This often results in destructive behavior that could harm the child.
Socializing Your Beagle
Beagles are naturally great pets for kids because of their warm personalities. But this is only possible if they are used to having kids around and have been socialized from an early age to accept them. Find things that your puppy and child can do outdoors, like fetch and Frisbee games, to help them bond.
Teaching Your Kids to Be Around Beagle
Just like your Beagle, you should also teach your child how to treat and act around the dog. Kids can be naughty and rowdy and easily cause discomfort and even harm to the dog. Teach your kids to respect and be gentle with the dog. Things like sitting on the dog, pulling and pushing them around, loud shouting, tight hugs, and pulling on their long ears are a ‘no’. Your Beagle puppies may not take this lightly and can bite or lash out as a means of defense.
Are Beagles Good Family Dogs
Beagles make great family pets and with good reasons. They are loyal companions, sociable, friendly, and love nothing more than being around their human pack. They also get along with other animals, although you may need to watch out if you have small animals like birds, chickens, rabbits, hamsters, etc. Beagles were bred for hunting game, and even after centuries of domestication, they still desire to chase and kill prey. The good news is it’s possible to integrate them into the same household with some training.
Another reason why Beagles are great household pets is they require low maintenance. They have a short, shiny coat that is generally healthy and doesn’t require expensive and complicated trips to the groomer.
Beagles are versatile and adaptable and can thrive in various living conditions, whether in rural areas or the big city. While they would love to have a big yard to play in, the dog park or even walking them around the neighborhood can be an acceptable alternative for most Beagles.
With that being said, I must say that no one breed of dog is suitable for every family. It’s not only whether a Beagle is ideal for your family, but also if you’re suitable for the Beagle. The right Beagle for a particular family will depend on the family’s activity level, temperament requirements, and living conditions.
Families That Shouldn’t Get a Beagle
Beagles are highly energetic, and families that don’t like to exercise and love to stay indoors would not make good Beagle owners. These hounds love eating and can quickly become overweight without enough exercise. This will, in turn, lead to serious illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, and generally a shorter lifespan. They also need physical and mental exercise to ensure they don’t get bored or restless, resulting in destructive behavior like excessive barking, digging, excessive shedding, chewing on everything, etc.
Secondly, Beagles crave attention and company and are prone to separation anxiety, especially when left alone for long periods. This may not be the breed for those with a busy lifestyle and kids in school all day.
Are Beagles Good For First-Time Owners
Adult Beagle can be a difficult dog to take care of if you’re a first-time dog owner. For starters, they can be challenging to train. As an independent breed, Beagles don’t like to be told what to do. They are also free-thinkers, which mean they don’t comply easily with what humans want. They have a powerful nose as scent hounds, which make them easily distracted by scents during training. Training is the key to having an obedient dog. But while it may prove difficult for first-time dog owners to train their Beagle, it’s not impossible. With a bit of patience and the right balance of positive reinforcement, rewards, and exercise, you can teach them what you want them to do.
Beagles also need lots of attention, as well as lots of physical and mental stimulation. Otherwise, they will become restless and anxious and turn to destructive behaviors to let out their frustrations.
Whether a Beagle is suitable for a first-time owner doesn’t depend on how much the individual knows about this breed. What matters most is their lifestyle and personality. Do you have the time and patience to raise them properly and be consistent with training? Are you an outdoorsy or an indoor person because Beagles like to be outdoors and need plenty of mental and physical stimulation? What do you do all day? Beagles don’t like being alone and can quickly develop separation anxiety and behavioral issues. Are you expecting to have kids soon, or do you have them already? We’ve already seen that Beagles are good with kids, but they may not be the right choice if you have a newborn. With a little human to look after, you won’t have much time left to attend to your Beagle.
There’s much more information left to digest about a Beagle to be a good owner. This isn’t to scare you out of owning a beagle, but to make you stop and think if you can provide optimum care for your Beagle. Can you make sure the dog will thrive in your environment? The good news is there’s lots of information on the internet about this breed; therefore, if you’d really like to be a Beagle owner, do some research.