Is a puppy right for us?

Since you are still looking at our site, we assume you’ve decided a beagle is right for you. The next question to ask yourself is if you really want a puppy or if an older dog would be better. Yes, puppies, especially beagle puppies, are absolutely adorable but they do grow up and become dogs! 

Older dogs may not be with you as long as a puppy, but many may already be house trained and/or obedience trained when they come home. Older dogs are usually a little calmer than puppies and may not require as much energy in keeping up with them. Rescues may have their own issues, especially if they come from abusive homes, but most placement agencies will work with you through those issues. Adoption of older dogs or rescue dogs can have its own rewards and should always be considered before deciding to get a puppy.

Puppies have their own unique challenges, there is the challenge of house training them, obedience training them, puppy teething, and then the terrible twos when they forget everything you taught them. Puppies are little whirlwinds of energy when they're awake (Hunter’s nickname was “Wild Thing”) and they need to be watched constantly so they don't get in trouble. Answer the following questions honestly -

          • Are you willing to get up in the middle of the night for the first month or so after the puppy comes home until they can “hold it” all night long or until they are house trained?  


          • Can you keep your belongings you care about away from those puppy teeth until the puppy learns what it can and cannot chew on?  


          • Are you willing to invest the time to obedience train your puppy?  


          • Are you willing to take on the added expenses of a puppy (multiple puppy shots, neutering, training classes)?


          • Do you have the patience to deal with a puppy?


          • Can you give the puppy enough exercise and play time to help keep them a good puppy and out of trouble?


If you answered no to any of the above questions, consider getting an older dog instead of a puppy. If you answered yes to all of these questions, keep reading...

You’ll notice our puppy mantra on many of our tip pages, you have to be able to keep your sense of humor when dealing with puppies!

If you do decide a puppy is the right addition to your family, even if you don’t pick a beagle puppy or one of our puppies, make sure you pick a healthy puppy. The following were compiled from a number of different web sites in what to look for to indicate a healthy puppy.

Clear eyes and nose

A healthy puppy has clear, bright eyes and there shouldn't be any discharge from his nose. A healthy puppy shouldn't cough either.

A sturdy body

A healthy puppy should have a strong, sturdy, compact little body. Obviously small and medium breed puppies will be more dainty than large breed puppies, but he shouldn't look thin or bony and his belly shouldn't look distended and out-of-proportion with the rest of him (this can mean he has a worm problem or some other problem).

Clean, shiny coat

A puppy’s coat should be clean, and shiny with no bare spots or red irritated areas. These indicate skin problems, allergies, mange or some other problem. If he's been outside playing and has a little mud on him, that's okay, but a dirty, matted or coarse coat can mean worms, disease - or improper care.

Clean ears

Your puppy's ears should be clean inside, with no sign of redness, irritation or discharge. A bad or yeasty smell from his ears, or constant scratching at them or head-shaking can indicate ear mites, infection and so on. Beagle ears do need to be cleaned every now and then, we find a little yogurt every day helps to keep their ears clean and healthy.

Firm stools

Healthy puppies should pass firm, regular stools. Diarrhea can be an indication of one of several very serious puppy illnesses, worms and with beagle puppies something nasty they managed to pick up and put in their mouth. When you're choosing a healthy puppy, be sure your puppy's little 'bottom area' is clean, with no signs of loose stools. Also you want to avoid a puppy who constantly licks at his genital area, this could mean a urinary tract infection

Lively behavior

Obviously all puppies are different in this area, but you don't want a puppy who seems lethargic or listless. A pup who just seems a little more shy than his litter-mates is probably perfectly healthy, but one who is disinterested in you and his surroundings could be sick.