Beagles-exactly how hard are they to train?!

[sammysam]

Dh and I would love to get a Beagle. Everywhere says how hard they are to train-several places saying that they are the hardest dog to train!
If you've got experience of beagles would you say that that was true?
I've only ever had gun dogs before who have all trained easily, and dh's previous dogs have been well trained.

Sorry for late response-been in sickness bug hell

We're really debating which breed to go for, I'd wished we would be able to make it up to Crufts to visit discover dogs but we won't be able to.

DH is quite opinionated when it comes to dogs, he won't have a cocker, flat coat or hungarian wire haired vizsla as my mum and sister have them and they are badly behaved loved and spoilt so much so that they have no rules. DH has taken this to mean that they are untrainable (whilst i disagree with that about the cocker and flat coat, I fear that with the HWHV it may be true!)

So he's really ruled out spaniels-I think they'd be perfect (except for the longer coat)

Anyway, whilst we've been talking about it I've realised and i'm slowly getting DH to think it is a good idea that I thinbk we should really consider a pointer as I've always loved them.

Does anyone have any experience of pointers? I want to get in touch with an owner or breeder who'd be willing for us to come and meet them but I have no idea how to go about it?

I may start another thread to get some more ideas as I suspect some people aren't looking at this thread if they don't know about (lovely) beagles.....

at all the typos

I don't know anything about pointers but have always thought they looked like likely dogs - will be looking out for your thread.

We are on our second beagle- always loved them as a child, and had our first ten years ago. Bit of a love/ hate relationship with the old man, as he was a very destructive, noisy thief. We took him with us however when we moved abroad, and brought him back five years later when we came home. Cost us an arm and a leg, but we couldn't have been without him- even when he regularly opened the fridge, and even managed to open a jar of mayonnaise! He was sadly run and killed over after getting out of the garden of our new house- we hadn't realised it wasn't beagle proof, and it was totally heart breaking. When he was alive, we always said we wouldn't get another, but a month after his death, we did get another- a little girl this time, who is the funniest little thing. She is a very gentle baby, and loves to be carried. We have a boxer and a retriever as well- the retriever is without doubt the easiest of all three dogs, but she is the most comical and very gentle. She is very small however,and so is ideal with our children.

I've always had dogs (had fox terriers and a Weimaraner) but never one as mad as our 6 yr old beagle. He still behaves like a pup, still raids the bin when he can, still wets himself when he is super excited (often), barks and howls... Hard work. But but but... So sweet, and nice, and friendly, and fun with the kids (and us)!

sammysam, I have a pointer and a working cocker, You have had gun dogs before, so you should know working dockers are the easiest to drain in the world, hence their constant use as drug dogs and game dogs, field trials etc!!!!! A badly behaved working cocker is 100% the fault of its owners (rant over ).

I love my english pointer to bits but firstly, DON'T buy one unless you like very long walks and live in the country: they need huge amounts of exercise. the are very gently and loving family members but need good professional training early on, very good socialising and calm handlers, otherwise their gentle natural can become neurotic, nervy and unpredictable. I f you want any more specifics I am happy to help,