You looking local or do you want something well bred. My bro's father in law breeds Beagles, he hunts them in competitions. They are pricey but well bred. They are also in Ohio.

 

You looking local or do you want something well bred. My bro's father in law breeds Beagles, he hunts them in competitions. They are pricey but well bred. They are also in Ohio.

Doesn't matter. I dont want to pay up the wazoo like I would for a champ yorkie or big dogs, but I know a well bred pedigree pup is a great thing. I don't mind shipping here as long as it includes papers, bred for excellence, and if there are pups now, I want to get one with in the next 2 weeks. I have a schedule set. It will be my companion in the outdoors as well as a family member. My daughters want one for their birthday.

 

Most of the best Utah beagle breeders concentrate on show dogs, and they're running about $750 for a good, champion-line dog. From personal experience, the list below is where I would start. There might be others, and I just might drop Windkist off the following list (Westminster Kennel club champions = snobbish attitude). If you're looking for good hunting lines, you might need to redirect your search to a state where beagling is taken seriously.

Don't know about the two-week deadline on this, and I suspect that you're not looking for criticism about this particular stipulation, so we'll leave it at that. If you're not looking for champion lines, I suggest a beagle rescue organization - I won't recommend breeders who crank them out at low cost. If you're looking for a dang good, well-bred family dog, I'd suggest calling Janie at Red Canyon Beagles in Paragonah.

http://redcanyonbeagles.com/
http://www.seventhsonbeagles.com/
http://www.utahbeaglebarn.com/
http://www.windkist-utah.com/

 

It will be my companion in the outdoors as well as a family member. My daughters want one for their birthday.

This warrants an unsolicited warning. Girls love beagle pups, so that's understandable. The "companion in the outdoors" statement, however, leads me to believe that you might not be familiar with beagles.

These dogs were bred with one purpose in mind - finding a scent and singlemindedly following it until Hell freezes over. They love to be outside, but when they're outside, they're totally focused on their noses to the exclusion of everything else. They don't look up, they don't acknowledge your presence, they will dive out of vehicle windows and they will bolt in a split second at the slightest hint of an animal trail.

They need lots of exercise, they bark and howl when bored, they insist on being with you at all times, they eat everything in sight, they don't train easily and you absolutely can't let them off a leash while out of the yard or you run the near-certain risk of them disappearing the minute your back is turned.

The animal shelters are filled with beagles that were once adorable puppies that some little girl just had to have. Still want one? I own two and love them, but if you're choosing a beagle just because your girls think they're adorable, you might regret it. They're not labs.

 

It will be my companion in the outdoors as well as a family member. My daughters want one for their birthday.

This warrants an unsolicited warning. Girls love beagle pups, so that's understandable. The "companion in the outdoors" statement, however, leads me to believe that you might not be familiar with beagles.

These dogs were bred with one purpose in mind - finding a scent and singlemindedly following it until Hell freezes over. They love to be outside, but when they're outside, they're totally focused on their noses to the exclusion of everything else. They don't look up, they don't acknowledge your presence, they will dive out of vehicle windows and they will bolt in a split second at the slightest hint of an animal trail.

They need lots of exercise, they bark and howl when bored, they insist on being with you at all times, they eat everything in sight, they don't train easily and you absolutely can't let them off a leash while out of the yard or you run the near-certain risk of them disappearing the minute your back is turned.

The animal shelters are filled with beagles that were once adorable puppies that some little girl just had to have. Still want one? I own two and love them, but if you're choosing a beagle just because your girls think they're adorable, you might regret it. They're not labs.

Thanks for the info, I have been reading up quite a bit and am starting to think a different breed would suit us better. I want one that I can put on my boat and not have it jumping off to chase a deer if it sees one. I have been told you can curb this but it might be too much hastle.

Maybe this topic should be changed to "what would be a good small sized dog (no bigger than 30 pounds) would fit for a fishing buddy and a family member."....

 

If you are going to hunt the dog at all I would look into a French Brittany. I own one and they are great with children. They do love birds and like to hunt and they hunt hard but they have an amazing ability to turn it off when indoors.

If you have any specific questions about the breed or breeders you can PM me. Most of the breeders will not sell you a pup unless you are going to hunt the dog. The good thing is they pretty much train themselves.

 

the best dog i have ever owned was a blue heeler. they have energy up the wazoo but in the house he was perfect. he would play fetch for hours and he was a great family dog. oh and he was really smart, only had to tell him once and he never did it again. just my 2 cents.

 

Off the top of my head, here are several that match up with your needs. You didn't mentioned a preference for long- or short hair, though.

I would second getting a Brittany. Their size and personality pretty well match up with your requirements.

Blue Heelers (Australian cattle dogs) are great dogs too, but many of them have a tendency to nip and bite (like they're herding cattle). Still, they're personal favorites of mine (always wanted one).

English or American ****er spaniels would be good, but they need lots of grooming (like many dogs do).

American eskimos and samoyeds are generally easy-going and make good family dogs (and the fluffy white pups would melt any kid's heart :wink: ).

Australian shepherds (had them when I was a kid) are great pets, but require lots of attention and regular task-oriented outdoor exercise.

Bull terriers (don't confuse these with pit bulls) make good pets, but they're weird looking and not exactly an outdoor breed, but do well on outdoor excursions.

An American water spaniel is great outdoor dog, great with kids and would love to go fishing with you (might be in the water all the time, though).

 

Beagles are great dogs....... if you are hunting rabbits or running deer, otherwise they make lousy house pets.

Do yourself a favor and take everyones' advice and get another breed for a pet. Try a lab, they make great companions, and do well with kids, not to mention they are easy to train.

 

Keeping the 30lb rule in mind, I would suggest a jack russel mix breed. Purebreds are not bad also. I have a rat terrier/jack russel mix. Loves to be around people, cuddle and can't wait to go fishing. He is kinda on the hyper side. Loves to attack his toys and play. Not the easist breed to train, but a hell of a dog. The reason that we got him was for my son's pet. Something small that would not drag him around the block. My son was 7 when we got Ernie, now 9 years later they still are the best of buddies. The vet said he should live to be around 15-17 years. A very long commitment! I hope that your children have that in mind.

 

If you're not set on a particular breed why not get a dog from the pound? Saves a life, and it could make a fine addition to your family.

One of the best pups I ever had was Daisy (how original, I know. :roll: ) My mom brought her home one night from the pound. She was some sort of sheltie mix, cute as a button. She traipsed through brush and reed with me during my youth. I loved her.

 

Ditto on the "pound puppy" idea. I have always had mutts/mix breeds until my GWP. I do not know why, but dealing with their temperment and training seemed to go much easier. Always wondered about inbreeding with purebreds. Most breeders are reputable, but there are others out there for sure.

 

When I was a kid we had a miniature american escomo dog, very cool dog. Cutest puppies you have seen. Couldn't have been more than 30 pounds lots of white fur. Would probably make a very good fishing buddy. Ours loved the out doors.