Would I be mad to consider this?

[4cats1dog]

Afternoon.

Long time lurker but sporadic poster!

I currently have a 9 month old sproodle - Springer spaniel/poodle cross (or as it used to be known a mongrel 😁)

Friends are returning to work after getting a lockdown puppy and are having to give him up.

It's a 6 month old beagle - would I be mad to consider giving him a loving home rather than him ending up in a rescue centre?

I only work for 2 hours a day so will be able to dedicate all the time needed to integrate him into our household

Please give me your thoughts

Thanks

2 teenage dogs together including one high energy and one ultra stubborn.

I call insanity.

4 weeks after we got an 8 week old dpuppy we got another 1..different breed and both 9 this year. Absolutely no regrets.
In fact we have 4 ddogs now..

I'd look up littermate syndrome - at those ages it could still potentially develop (although less likely), but you would need time to dedicate to each dog individually.
You should be their number one playmate, not each other & I think that could be tricky to manage with two bouncy teenagers (the usual recommendation is to wait til first dog is 18 months+ & out of adolescence to introduce a second).

I would! As long as you know that you’ve got to put in a fair bit of training and exercising then go for it. They’ll be great pals.

Harmony op..
4 weeks apart.

If the pup is only 6 months, why is it not going back to the breeder?

If the breeder isn't an option then I'd be concerned you're taking on a poorly bred, poorly trained dog that's a notoriously stubborn breed at a time when your current pup might hit arsehole teenage phase.

I think it's madness, and I'm not sure what I'd think of friends who needed to surrender a pup after 4 months. He's hardly a lockdown pup either.

If they get on together then I don't see the issue. I'd ask about their training methods though, I have a basset and they need a different mind set for training. If the dog already knows you then moving homes as could be easier.

It would be a lot of work and a challenge, but not impossible. But the obedience and training will be different to what you're used to. Not impossible, just different as scent hounds are independent and have a 'what's in it for me' attitude.

Beagles aren't the easiest...neither is your first dog. Little bit mad IMO.

I wouldn't. Let it go to a rescue, and they will rehome it to an appropriate household. Beagles are a working breed and need to be kept occupied.

Go for it! I have 2 puppies 12 weeks apart. 2nd was acquired under similar circumstances to yours. They are partners in crime best friends.
BUT, please consider the training needs of each individual dog. I currently attend 2 training classes at 2 different days. (One is a very nervous, high energy dog the othermore calm and borderline lazy!) I take them out individually for training walks and together for play & training. All this requires a lot of time, but I know it will be worth it in the end.

If it doesn't work out op at least you would know.
Handing it over to a rescue you will always wonder!!
Imo.

I wouldn't. Littermate syndrome is real and doesn't only exist between actual littermates.

As a beagle owner myself I have to ask - what do you know about the breed? Adolescent beagles are HARD work. They are nothing like labs, springers or other gun dogs. They are bred to be independent and to go off and work on their own.

Mine is a joy now he's four but he had me in tears a LOT when he was between about six months and 2.5 years old.

You will have 1 very high energy teenager and one very stubborn teenager who is pretty vocal and led mostly by their nose
Not something I would consider

My Beagle is led by their nose but is not a howler. They do bark at passers by but is as quiet as a mouse when we are out. Very loving (to humans and other animals) and loves to snuggle. The only thing I find is they malt so I'm forever hoovering.

I’d do it, but probably live to regret it!

No, absolutely not. They are at the perfect age to wind each other up into new hells for you, and if these prats didn't think more than 3 months in advance about their puppy then its a good bet that a notoriously difficult breed puppy hasn't been trained or socialised.
If he doesn't have problems, then he'll get rehomed quickly from a rescue centre, if he does have problems then they will be assessed and known and he'll be matched with someone with the skills to deal with them

No way. Too soon. Your existing dog isn’t fully trained and the new addition sounds like it hasn’t had the best start. It would need a LOT of time. Plus littermate syndrome a possible issue too.

If they decide to rehome, please advise them to do so via Beagle Welfare. They're a love/hate breed (I have three, which shows my perspective) and BW have the breed specific knowledge to place him in the right home.

To counteract all the negative comments, whilst htey can be stubborn dickheads, they're also friendly, loving, affectionate, and generally good with other dogs.

If you were thinking of a second, anyway, and don't mind a goofy, selectively deaf, clown of a dog, then go for it. Otherwise, Beagle Welfare is his best bet.

Encourage her to speak to Beagle Welfare who are a breed specific rescue and might already have people waiting for that specific dog and who know what they are taking on. They can be surprisingly boisterous for little dogs, with hugely impressive scent drive that can be difficult for a less experienced owner/one trying to juggle two young pups!
Good luck if you choose to go for it, but if you can’t commit 100% it would be good for it’s next move to be for a forever home, rather than being bounced from pillar to post because your good intentions lead you to taking a bit to much on

Thank you all for your advice - I have chosen not to take on the beagle and have given the beagle rehoming details to the current owners.
Your help is very much appreciated x