Maneera, your beagle is heartbreakingly cute. Is she 9 months old now? We got both of our dogs (Jack Russell and Scottie) at 10 months, a year apart. They both wrecked plenty of stuff - shoes, computer cords ($$$), eyeglasses. They eventually grew out of that. So your beagle may still shape up. Personality is exactly what my friend is looking for. Some dogs make you laugh just by walking in the room, such as a dachshund. That's what she's looking for. Maybe a beagle is the ticket!

Have you looked into child protective locks? We had to use them for a schipperke we had. She was too smart for her own good!

Oh Jaileen, I can't wait for her to grow out of her 'destructive' phase. We got child-proofing for our drawers but Emma ate that too. Sigh. Beagles are single-minded dogs and if she really wants to get into a drawer, she'll find a way to do just that. She found the blue & white child proofing locks very attractive (they looked like large buttons, so I think she got curious) and she chewed them off in a matter of 15 minutes (I was in the shower).

But I think that's just what puppies do. My GSD once ate an entire mattress when she was 8months old! And yes, she definitely outgrew it all. All our friends say that she's the most well behaved GSD they ever met.

However, this is a dog that makes us laugh. All the time. Even when I'm mad at her, I can't stop laughing Coz she's so creatively mischievous

It's not all bad, though. She's actually quite independent and loves to play with toys. Just that I have to find new 'toys' for her all the time as she's easily bored. But she can spend a lot of time playing with empty plastic bottles & boxes or even spoons and pieces of rope tied into different designs.

To be honest, she didn't destroy any shoes. When she was about 2 months old, I gave her a pair of sneakers that I was about to throw out. She played with them for a long long time and left all other shoes alone.

We got her when she was 45 days old She'll soon be 9 months old.

I think a Beagle may be an excellent choice for your friend.

Okay, then, she's still a baby!

Here's what the Scottie did. He must have thought the lace was like a piece of licorice. He also chewed the back of the heel. The Jack Russell chewed up a shelf of our coffee table while we were sitting there. Honestly I thought he was chewing on a toy.

They are now four and five and they don't do any of that anymore. I think they were 1 1/2 or so when they settled down.

I looked on Petfinder and there is a beagle up for adoption in our area. I sent a link to my friend..

We like herding breeds but wanted something on the smaller side. Google PONS (polish lowland sheepdog). They are herding dogs but clowns and naughty, full of personality. Our son has a retired rescued greyhound who just spent the weekend with us. Most laid back dog I've ever seen except if it sees a rabbit. Cannot be allowed off leash. Small dogs that look like rabbits are not safe around them.

Joy, I've never heard of the PONS before. This one certainly looks naughty!

The greyhound I knew at the dog park would sometimes chase small dogs. Would he have hurt them?

Huskies and greyhounds are supposed to be bad with cats but we have never had an issue. We make it clear to the dog from the start. Our cats push the dog around and cuddle with her.

By sook I mean wimpy or babyish. sook
suːk,sʊk/
nounAUSTRALIAN/NZCANADIANinformal
1.
a person lacking spirit or self-confidence.

Farley is an F2B Goldendoodle, a Goldendoodle bred back to a poodle. Love love love him, even though he eats socks and gloves. I think that's just him, I know his siblings and they don't do that. Affectionate, calm, gentle, loving, but also great dog who can be playful and energetic. He loves to go for walks or runs, most can swim (not Farley for some reason) and easy to train. He requires regular grooming because he's non-shedding.

Una, I've heard of cats being in charge of dogs before. It seems like dogs want someone, anyone to follow.

Sally, I love hearing the different words Australians and Kiwis use. Thanks!

SF, doodles are just about perfect dogs. I've never heard the term F2B, though. Unfortunately my friend's husband doesn't want two big dogs. I really can't blame him. Their backyard is pretty small.

Rescuing a dog is a fine thing, but in my experience they all come with baggage. Many have been abused or neglected, and have behavioural issues that take a long time to work through (and may or may not be completely correctable). So there's that. If your friend wants a better chance of a non-naughty dog, a puppy is a safer choice.

Every dog breed has pluses and minuses. What kind of lifestyle does your friend have? Does she mind yapping? Shedding? Is size an issue?

I grew up with a beagle, and he was a sweet-tempered little thing, but mental when it came to food. Food ranked higher than anything else in his life, even people. My parents used to meet up with a "beagle walking group", and they'd share stories with other beagle owners about how naughty their dogs were when it came to food. Where the breed write-up says "hearty appetite", what it really means is, "will learn how to break into the fridge". And the shedding! And the absent-mindedly wandering off while following his nose! I'd never have another one, much as I adored him.

We had great success with our cocker spaniel/poodle cross. She was small, but not so small that you couldn't take her on a robust hike; she was loving and cuddly; she didn't drool; she was friendly with everybody (perhaps too friendly with strangers!); and she didn't shed. Downside? She had a piercing bark, and we were never able to train her out of barking like a maniac when someone came to the door.

If I had to recommend a purebred dog, I'd probably go with a poodle (standard or miniature, not toy). For a mixed breed, I'd go with some kind of poodle cross. There are lots these days!

ETA just read your last response, JAileen -- labradoodles don't have to be big. Mini labradoodles are really popular here. It's a small lab crossed with a miniature, not a standard, poodle. They are a little taller than a cockapoo, but usually not much.

Aziraphale, yes, rescues can have baggage. Our used dogs, though pretty much don't. We're lucky, I know. One of my good friends got a purebred puppy that has grown up to be the dog from hell. I think he might genuinely have a screw loose. She has seemingly done everything right, yet he is a very unpleasant dog that my dogs don't like to be around. I hate even saying that because my friend is the loveliest person you can imagine, and yet has this awful dog. Re beagles and food: I wonder if that is a hound thing? Another friend has a dachshund that eats all of his food in under 10 seconds. I feed my terriers in the morning and they generally eat around dinner time.

That's interesting about small labradoodles. Very interesting. Thanks for mentioning it.

I guess you can tell all of my friends have dogs!

I'm back again because I love to talk dog, hehe. My uncle had a lovely standard poodle. My friend had a nutso one. I feel strongly that the individual dog matters - and so do you (!) My one workchild can't take the family dogs on a walk because she doesn't have the Voice of Command. My high school bf, ohmigosh. I really came to understand the Voice of Command with his family's dog. They had a pure bred all the way from Germany and were darn lucky he was such a mild mannered, good natured dog. Because they were really random with him.

Rachy, yes, dogs are like people - there are variations in personality and maybe even mental health. Do they have autism? My friend's dog seems to be unable to read other dogs' nonverbal messages. This is separate from his being the dog from hell.

I absolutely agree with Rachy that you have to assess dogs on an individual basis! And how they've been raised is important, too. Just like kids. The individual breeds do have a reputation for certain characteristics, of course, and there's usually some truth to that (such as most hounds being food-obsessed!), but I've no doubt there's an exception to every rule.

JAileen, your poor friend. It's probably not her fault. Reminds me a bit of that book about the mental dog (Marley, I think?) who was loving but absolutely untrainable. I don't think his owners had a chance!

ETA Maneera, it must be said that your beagle is adorable. I still think beagles are such handsome dogs, with lovely personalities, even though I've just said that I'd never have one again

Another beagle lover here! Mine was mischievous as a pup (he once chewed a big hole in his bed and then got his head stuck in it!), but he's grown into a mellow, well behaved boy. He truly is the sweetest guy, and those big brown eyes still melt my heart. That said, he truly is food-driven. He often wakes us early in the morning for breakfast and then retires to OUR bed for his post-breakfast nap!

Aziraphale - thank you. Yes, our Beagle is quite adorable. And while I've read the same about Beagles being greedy & obsessed with food, our dog is just not! She never wants more food than what's on her plate. She's a slow eater. If you put too much on her plate, she'll only eat her usual amount and leave the rest. She'd rather hide chewies & bones than eat them. Sometimes I worry she's isn't greedy or begs for food because may be I'm feeding her too much! I'm used to having bigger dogs with a bigger appetite....maybe I just give this little one too much for her size!!!

In any case, no matter how adorable she is, I'm pretty sure I'll never get a Beagle again either! I longed for a dog I could cuddle who fit on to my lap forever, but seriously.....my bigger dogs gave me a lot lesser grief! They may be too big to pick up past 4-5 months of age, but I will settle for that! Plus I suspect I truly may be a 'big-dog' lover.

The one dog I recommend for anyone & everyone who doesn't mind shedding - German Shephards. I simply love their personality and their loyalty. And they are just beautiful. Plus you never have to worry that your dog may run off with a stranger! They are so easy to train and make wonderful companions.

Aziraphale, I'm starting to think her dog is autistic. It's rare, but possible. It would explain a lot of its behaviour.

Kerlyn, that's too bad about the food obsession. We had a lab who was like that.

Maneera, I've always said that if you have a good dog you don't have any good stories. I'm sure your vet would tell you if you were feeding your puppy too much.

Maneera, sounds like your beagle is the exception that proves the rule!

And JAileen, you're COMPLETELY right -- all the good stories involve dogs being naughty! Or, at least, behaving in ways that are so very canine.

I like talking dogs, too.

Husky talk is the BEST. They are so expressive and vocal. Kona is pretty silent but when we get her going it's like a conversation!

Kari has an adorable beagle too. Their faces! Hard to resist!

My Scottie talks, too. It's very odd and also very funny. He also makes a lot of noise when he yawns or stretches. I've never had a dog that talks before.

I have a PBGV. He is a hound. He is very talkative. And he loves to howl (bell). If he were to use the Hogwarts sorting hat, he would be a Slytherin.

I just saw (on Facebook) this nice quote from Shakespeare that might apply to him, except that his pursuit would be very fast if he was off leash:
THESEUS: My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind,
So flewed, so sanded; and their heads are hung
With ears that sweep away the morning dew,
Crook-kneed, and dew-lapped like Thessalian bulls,
Slow in pursuit, but matched in mouth like bells,
Each under each. A cry more tuneable
Was never holla’d to nor cheer’d with horn
In Crete, in Sparta, nor in Thessaly.
Judge when you hear.
—A Midsummer Night’s Dream, IV.1.106–124

I previously had a wheaten terrier. She was a sweet girl, though not too bright. Would definitely have been a Hufflepuff.

Ummlila, Shakespeare and Harry Potter and dogs! It sounds like a basset hound in the quote. We have a neighbor with a wheaten terrier. He's also not overly bright. A smart dog is bad, though. They're always trying to outsmart you. I think of the velociraptors in Jurassic Park. That's what a smart dog is like. Our schipperke was like that. Always walking around, thinking of how to get into trouble. Well, she wasn't trying to get into trouble, but the things she wanted to do were trouble!

My friend went to the humane society and sent some pictures of a little dog she's interested in. He's a beagle mix, officially, but he looks like a Jack Russell. He's sounds like fun!

I love Scotties. Years ago, my piano teacher had one that would sit on the bench with me and howl as I played. Sometimes he would hit the right note, lol. She kept him scrupulously clean, and he was great.

We had German Shepards when I was growing up, followed by a Heinz 57 stray that I loved dearly. He got killed when my brother took him out jogging and a motorist deliberately swerved off the road and hit him. I haven't had a dog since. That broke our hearts.

BC, I'm so sorry about your dog. What a horrifying experience.

Our Scottie is never scrupulously clean. Even as the groomer brings him back to our front door, he is running to go lie in the dirt under the deck. He is great, though.

Wehat about a rescue Whippet? I gal I worked with years ago fostered them and would bring hers into the office. They are sweet, funny and small.

http://whippet-rescue.org/

Yes, you can foster an animal before you commit. We fostered a cat to make sure he'd get along with our other cat. He did, and we adopted him. My DD fostered a dog, only to find that her cat (that she's had for 6 years) never adjusted; needs to be in a one-pet household. The dog went back.

Deb, whippets look like they would have met all of my friend's criteria. She may have found her dog at our local humane society. They think it's a beagle mix, but my husband and I think it's at least part Jack Russell.

BC, I'm glad your daughter was able to "test drive" a dog. Not all organizations allow that.

I don't know where my DD found her dog, but we fostered our cat through the local humane society.