10 Disadvantages of Owning a Beagle

Ask any beagle owner and they will not stop talking about how good beagles are. But every dog breed has some cons along with its pros.

So as a Beagle Owner, I decided to be honest and list down 10 disadvantages of owning a Beagle.

1. Beagles bark, a lot

Beagles are vocal and that’s a fact you must know before getting one. Beagles are vocally very expressive. They don’t just bark, they howl, they cry, they bay, they whine. It’s like they have their own language which only beagle owners can understand.

When someone comes to our house, Groot makes a very different and unique bark which is a little high pitched than usual. When he wants something he makes a low-pitched barking noise. If he wants food, he will whine. Or if he wants to go out, he will make a very mild baying noise.

So before you get a Beagle make sure your family members, as well as your neighbors, are okay with some loud barks every now and then.

2. Beagle Puppies are hyper-energetic

Beagle puppies can be 10 times more energetic than their adult selves. Curious little monsters will run around in the house, chase birds and cats, chew up furniture, and whatnot.

Beagle puppies do sleep for 15 to 18 hours a day, but when they are away they will need your full attention. And you will have to make sure that they release all their energy by the end of the day.

It will get worst during their teething phase. The abundance of energy and irritation in their gums will turn them into zombies. They would wanna bite you. I still remember Groot was a cute little NIGHTMARE for the first year.

But trust me, it gets better after the first year. Your adult beagle will be a totally different dog.

3. Beagle cannot be off-leashed

Beagles are scent hounds. They were bred to track down scents of small animals like rabbits. So when you are outside on a walk, and if your beagle catches a new scent, he would wanna track down its source.

This makes it really difficult to train them to walk off-leash. And even if you train them, there’s always a risk of them running away chasing a scent. You can watch this video to learn more about this:

4. Beagles are incapable of being Guard Dogs

Beagles are super friendly and social dogs. It’s extremely rare for them to be aggressive. This makes them incapable of being guard dogs.

Guard dogs are dogs that can protect you or your house from threats. These dogs have natural instinct to attack intruders. Dogs like Rottweiler and German Shepherd make excellent guard dogs.

However, beagles are incredibly friendly dogs. They aren’t courageous. It’s more likely for beagles to run away or hide behind their owners if they sense a threat. Here’s a video explaining why they aren’t the best guard dogs and what you can expect from them:

5. They are Stubborn

In the past, beagles were left open in the wild to track the scent of their owners. This gave them an independent personality. Due to this, they are slightly more stubborn.

Training them can become a little difficult because of their stubbornness. However, this doesn’t mean that beagles are dumb. In fact, they are one of the smartest dog breeds.

But with consistent training and patience, even the most stubborn beagle can become obedient and well-behaved.

6. They have a low drive to please their owners

As we discussed above, beagles are an independent breed. Their life doesn’t revolve around their owners.

Dog breeds like Golden Retriever and Labradors have a high drive to please their owner. These breeds would do anything to see their owners happy. Whereas, beagles are loyal and affectionate to their owners, but they have a low drive to please them.

So while training, you will have to use other positive reinforcements like treats instead of praises.

7. They scare easily

Beagles have a very docile temperament. They are gentle and super friendly. This makes them one of the best family dogs. These qualities make them incapable of being aggressive.

Beagles are not courageous dogs. They won’t attack intruders to protect you. They won’t get into a fight with other dogs. If they sense a threat, they will try to run away or hide behind their owners. They scare easily.

This point is very subjective. While this is fine by me and most parents, this may be a disadvantage for someone looking for a guard dog.

8. They are very mischievous

Beagles are fun-loving dogs, who enjoy making a mess. Yes, they are mischievous. They will find a way to get themself in trouble every now and then.

I cannot tell you how many times I have come home to a teared-up pillow mess. Or how many times Groot has stolen some food from the kitchen and we had ended up spending the night in emergency care. Or the times when we were too busy to look out for Groot, and Groot had found something expensive to chew on.

9. Beagles get easily distracted

Beagles are a curious breed, especially during their puppyhood. They want to smell, taste, and chew every new thing they see.

It becomes really difficult to try to train them outside because they are distracted by every little thing. Groot is 2 years old, and he still gets distracted by new sounds, smells, and animals.

10. They have a high drive to chase

Once they track down the animal by following the scent, their next duty was to chase it until their owner took the shot. This gave them a high drive to chase all moving things.

This one time, I took Groot to a park and detached his leash (BIG-MISTAKE). Things were fine for 5 minutes until he saw a squirrel passing by. He ran away chasing it, ignoring all my commands. I had never seen him run so fast. Thank god the squirrel climbed the tree and I found him looking up barking.