Beagle ! Anyone got one ?

[Racerider]

Our beagle is 4 months old and settling in well. She is going on walks on and off lead - off lead she stays with us very well ( unless chasing after another dog but that's normal puppy behaviours isn't it ? ). I do know beagles are notorious for poor recall. Does anyone have any first hand experience or advice for what to expect? Helpful strangers keep telling me beagles should always be on the lead, and she'll ' get her nose soon and run off '.
We live in a town area with lots of woods and parks and dogs everywhere.

I think you just need to be wary , I have a Patterdale x and they are also sometimes unreliable off lead , mine is actually very good ( he's nearly 4) but I only let him off lead in areas I know are safe for him ,parks are ok as long as there is no pond , fields are ok if there are no livestock , beaches are fine , woods are a no no as he can disappear too easily and would be down a fox hole . Fortunately where we live there are plenty of places so he is off lead every day . You also need to be very aware of whats going on so rabbits ,squirrels ,cats etc are spotted by you before the dog sees them so you can act accordingly.

Don't let him practise running off after other dogs, the more he does it the better he will get, it is very rewarding to them.

Sorry, she....didn't mean to give your dog a sex change

Thanks for the replies
Lil- how do I stop her chasing after other dogs ? There are so many in the local woods I can't put her on the lead every time I see another dog and in any case wouldn't that just make her frustrated ?

A long training line attached to a harness. Or a lead everytime you see another dog. Letting her do it will make training a recall nigh on impossible because another dog will always be more rewarding to her than you if she is in the habit of taking off after them. I still put my 2 yo dog in a lead everytime I see another dog. You don't know whether or not the other dogs are friendly, other owners don't always appreciate strange dogs barreling up to them when they are minding their own business. The other dog may be recovering from an operation or illness and it is just bad manners to let this happen.

Thanks lil. I have just returned from walking and did put her on the lead around other dogs. When we were alone her recall as 100% today with liver treats
I must admit I find it tricky to judge what do to around other dogs as mostly dogs in my ( busy urban ) woods are off lead, and sometimes people ask me why she is on lead. Also is that enough socialising , a little sniff and walk on, rather than a play ?
I understand what you are saying about chasing other dogs and recall though, thanks.

Just tell them she is being trained. Dogs can live quite happily without romping with other dogs. You should be the centre of her universe and provide all her stimulation and entertainment. A great owner/dog bond makes training so much easier.

Eventually once you have the recall down pat, releasing her to 'go play' with another friendly dog can be used as a reward in itself (checking with the other owner that it is ok first.)

I have one and if she gets the scent of a fox or deer there is nothing that I can do to get her attention because she is so focussed - so although her recall is otherwise pretty good I only let her off lead in places that I consider safe (fenced in dog parks or middle of nowhere!) but not all dogs are the same and it could also depend on what kind of pack yours came from