Beagle v cocker spaniel

[Flowers2020bloom]

Looking at these two breeds for our first family dog - have obviously read up on both and either seem like a good fit but would be grateful for any first hand thoughts or experiences

I always recommend setters. Gentle, beautiful, healthy and sweet dogs that bust themselves to please. Lighter and much less hairy/ smelly than goldies or labs (also good picks and as PP says, popular for a reason).

We have two beagles they can be hard work and like a lot of attention, they don't like being left alone and spaniels are very very lively, I have had those too I would not recommend either of these really for someone who has small children as they both need a lot of exercise and attention.
They are both very loving and affectionate and good with children but like having another child.
I would recommend a chihuahua or boarder terrier is you want something a bit bigger. Please do a bit more research to what would suit a family better, you don't want to make a mistake

If you have to leave the dog alone I'd get a dog Walker most of them don't like being left alone. X

Retrievers are also really lovely but big. Z

Our beagle didn't care if she didn't have a walk. She was equally happy spread eagled on the settee.

She was an absolute shit off the lead but utterly adorable with our son and was completely loveable, in between wanting to kill her for eating everything in sight and emptying the bin......

I'd have another one I want two next time in a heartbeat.

@villainousbroodmare

I always recommend setters. Gentle, beautiful, healthy and sweet dogs that bust themselves to please. Lighter and much less hairy/ smelly than goldies or labs (also good picks and as PP says, popular for a reason).

He/she is beautiful 😍

catwithflowers
He's a darling.

We have a working cocker and she is lively, funny, affectionate and very very energetic.

The good is that she is well behaved at home, intelligent and non aggressive. The bad is that we can’t train her not to pull on the lead. (Tried everything.) She also needs an hour off lead and needs to roam. If you don’t live near off lead territory then don’t even consider getting a working dog as they need a safe area to explore and do their ‘job’.

She also kills squirrels.

What about going to a rescue instead? Mongrels are often healthier and less highly strung due to over breeding. There are so many dogs out there with UNIQUE personalities. No one needs to have a particular breed.

Besides, it shouldn't be like buying a handbag where you can list 'must haves'. Can you imagine if we did that with other family members?!

And before anyone says 'I can't get a rescue, I've got kids,' etc, rubbish! I've got kids and have 4 rescues. We all fit in round each other. Go with an open mind, not a shopping list.

Ok so I've had both!
I'd recommend a beagle, cocker spaniels are nuts!

Just to add we have a beagle now after having a cocker spaniel up until 2014. Have had both with young children and feel smitten with our 4yo beagle

We have a beagle and he is bonkers when he wants to be, we walk him twice a day- never off lead as his recall is shocking. Nose to the ground always and omg so strong which people don’t realise as they just see a medium size dog
He’s great fun and an extremely intelligent dog.
We thankfully don’t have issues with separation anxiety or baying/ howling
They have no interest in pleasing humans I tell people all the time that he’s a cat in a dogs body

@Kathy2020

We have a beagle and he is bonkers when he wants to be, we walk him twice a day- never off lead as his recall is shocking. Nose to the ground always and omg so strong which people don’t realise as they just see a medium size dog He’s great fun and an extremely intelligent dog. We thankfully don’t have issues with separation anxiety or baying/ howling They have no interest in pleasing humans I tell people all the time that he’s a cat in a dogs body

My beagle is exactly the same! Lovely nature and hardly ever barks

Out if the 2 the spaniel is more suitable- can't hounds generally a tent 1st dogs although of course there are some exceptions so someone will be along to tell you how easy and perfect their beagle is. Have you considered something like a border terrier? Great family dogs and a bit less intense and in need of a job as many spaniels

@Stircrazyschoolmum

No one has mentioned the spaniel moulting problem! I love mine to bits but the hair drives me insane. Plus they are quite prone to ear problems. My vet nurse friend recommends a border terrier.

Nor the beagles - my sister had a beagle until he sadly passed last year aged 15. Many a destroyed work surface in the early days but nothing compared to the destroyed hoovers and washing machines from the carpets of hair he left everywhere.

Love this thread - I have one of each!
So the spanner was a breeze as a pup. Lots of naps in his crate, training sessions several times a day with his kibble and lots of very long toys to keep those cockerdile teeth away. The children were terrified of him when he was about 4-6 months because he looked more like a grown up dog but was still a land shark puppy. They get on much better now but he's more of a play fellow than a cuddly dog. He's working line so I've had great fun whistle training him and we do gun dog training to engage the working bit of his brain. He's not a cuddly dog at all, will sometimes curl up next to me but won't properly sleep unless he's in his crate. I have a fab bond with him and enjoy sitting companionably together on walks or working him. The kids love playing football with him. He does resource guard food which we manage fine but it's very common in spaniels so something to be aware of. His recall is fab and he was very easy to train as so food motivated. This does mean he counter surfs and has had a few vet trips for eating very bad things. He's also completely loopy but we love him for it!

The beagle is a handful but a sweetie pie. She's the cuddliest dog ever, a real little lap dog and loves curling up with any human who sits down. She is incredibly strong willed and like a previous poster said when training her you can see her weighing up whether or not to do as she's told. We rescued her a few months back at one year old and I've now managed to train a good sit, an okay wait and we are now working on stay. It's hard work and a lot more challenging than training the spaniel.

She absolutely cannot be let off lead at all unless in a secure area or on the beach. It's fairly stressful as I'm used to being able to have my spanner off lead anywhere and knowing he will listen to any and every whistle or hand signal. I had whistle trained her and it was going quite well but then we lost her for nearly an hour on a regular walk and after several similar incidents I now use a long line for all walks. Beagles are bred to go off ahead of their human and hunt so recall can be a huge challenge. Beagles are also insanely vocal. They are known for arooing at every person and dog they meet on walks which can be embarrassing. We are working on this currently but it seems to be a very common problem in the beagle owning community.

Both breeds can pull on the lead quite badly too.

I hope that helps! We adore both of our mad hounds but we are lucky with our set up. We are rural and have roughly an acre of garden. There is also always someone at home. A show cocker could be a better option than a working line spaniel? Pics attached of my mad two :)

We have a 8 month old Cocker Spaniel and she is the best! Very active and playful, yet so patient with my toddler, who I admit is a bit rough with her. She adores affection and play, she will chase ball or cuddle on the sofa for as long as you want her to. She’s been a breeze to train but she has a hell of a personality, she’s always making me laugh. My favourite breed for most of my life was the Labrador/Golden Retriever but my Cocker Spaniel changed my mind.

Another one to vote for a golden. My chaotic, anxiety ridden sister has two. She has no real routine, doesn’t get up in the morning, has five cats, a million chickens, three house rabbits and a handful of mental illness diagnoses. Oh and a full time job.
They are the easiest dogs I have ever come across in my life. With just the minimum amount of training and exercise they are biddable, calm and sweet, but will also go on 10 mile hikes at weekends if she chooses.
I’ve got Vizslas and they are very very easy after about 18 months/2 years, but these have been easy from day one. Also fantastic with kids, my sister has none but her dogs have sleepovers with her friends kids at their house all the time.

Thanks so much everyone - I really appreciate all the comments and will consider them all. Its certainly not a decision we're taking lightly so it's great to hear of your experiences - good and bad! We're not fixed on it being a puppy either- have got my eye on the local rescue centres but there hasn't been anything that fits the bill so far.

I have a WCS and he is lovely but it's been an experience. The best thing I did was to take him to gun dog training even though he will never work as that was the start of realising that you need to work with their instincts and not against them. They don't need lots of exercise but they do need the right exercise and stimulation and you do need to understand what drives them when it comes to recall.

I discounted a beagle as they looked harder work on paper but the only one I have met in the flesh was better behaved than my dog 😆 although they could never be walked off lead in the forest.

My Beagle is 10 months old and very much part of the family. He has a very lovely character, is cuddly, entertaining, patient and gentle, barely barks at all and able to perform like a circus pony (at home for treats). I also thought I liked an ‘intelligent’ dog and a ‘dog with character’ but I actually find his ‘independence’ = disobedience outside the house hard - we often meet with other dogs his age for a good play session off leash in a nearby field. The only dog that does not eagerly run up to me when I recall mine is my Beagle... My DH hates his destructiveness. He has literally caused £1,000s of damage in the seven months we have had him (one expensive sofa wrecked while I was on a work call in the next room).
I would strongly recommend reading posts on “The Beagle Lady”’s Facebook page to get a feel for the kind of issues that beagle owners have with their dogs. It is clear that many owners are incredibly loyal to the breed but you need to know what to expect and go into beagle ownership with your eyes open.

Consider a miniature poodle - should be around knee height (or a standard if that's too small) possibly more grooming than you want but you can keep them trimmed which cuts down on the daily grooming. They'd fit your bill exactly aside from that.

@anon51

My cocker spaniel is just lovely! She's just turned 12 months. Amazing with our children, and incredibly loyal, she just follows me around everywhere. She was very easy to house train, and she can be left on her own (in the kitchen with a baby gate) for up to 3 hours. We could imagine life without her now.

This is how I describe my show cocker too.

My boy only faults are barking at cats and being a bit of a knob with little fluffy dogs. He's very social with dogs his size and up.

My cocker is brilliant with children. When toddlers ask to pat him I always agree (I supervise and hold him on the lead obviously) because he's just so sweet and sits there nicely whilst they stroke him.

I would never leave him (or any dog) unsupervised with my kids but I rarely need to enforce it because he never leaves my side.

Only downside to my cocker is he gets in the way because he lives at my heel at all times.

I would look at a mini poodle. So easy to train. Great with kids. Needs a good walk and stimulation but not crazy amounts. And easy to train recall. You don’t need to do the insane hair.

I’d go for a lab or retriever or maybe a Tibetan terrier.
We have a lab and she’s a love-really great with the kids, though loves mud and water. Also have a cocker-love the bones of her but she is a knob. Gets the zoomies, quite vocal, is a runner so she can’t go off lead which pisses her off she she tries to escape if possible. She is also a Velcro dog and has severe FOMO.

I got a show cocker spaniel as my first ever dog and trained her myself. She is 9 now and has 99% recall. She was ok to train, it involved a lot of treats and repetition.