Are Beagles Good With Kids And Babies (How To Make It Work)

If you’re thinking of buying a dog as a family, it’s essential to consider the dogs’ temperament around kids. Kids are fun, energetic, and love playing around. One dog breed that mirrors that perfectly is the Beagle.

They’re incredibly curious, fun-loving, energetic, and small dogs that seem like the perfect match for the family. However, the question remains are Beagles good with kids?

Keep reading to find out more about these adorable pups and whether you should get a Beagle as a family!

Are Beagles Good With Kids?

Beagles are a great breed to get if you have kids. They have a charming and friendly nature which makes them ideal for large families. Their small size also makes them less intimidating, and kids can manage them on walks and other activities. You won’t have to worry about the Beagle overpowering the kids while playing! 

However, it’s important to remember that Beagles are active dogs, so they’ll require a lot of attention and physical activity. They’ll be a great companion for kids when they’re playing outdoors and are tolerant of rough play as well!

Are Beagles Good With Babies?

Beagles are friendly dogs, but they have an inquisitive nature. It’s essential to take the necessary precautions before bringing any dog into the house with a baby. Ensure that you get a dog gate installed in advance, and always supervise while the dog is around the baby.

 However, you can train your Beagle to remain calm around the baby with a little effort. While some people might think it’s safe, a dog should never be left unsupervised around a baby. You’ll need to be extra careful when the baby starts moving around!

Are Beagles Protective Over Kids and Babies?

Beagles are pack dogs and have a very loyal nature. That makes them excellent watchdogs. They may be small in size, but they have a deep bark that’ll alert you if anything out of the ordinary is happening in the house.

Beagles will think of the kids around the house as fellow pack members due to their pack dog nature. That’s what gives them their protective nature, and they’ll spring into action if any of the kids are in danger.

How to Introduce Kids to your Beagle?

Beagles are often generous with kids, just like any other dog breed. However, you must follow some protocols when introducing your kids to your beagles initially. Given below are some steps, instead of general tips, on introducing your kids to your Beagle.

No one knows a dog better than the owner, and you can choose if you’d like to follow the given steps in the same order or not. In any case, try to be vigilant and present around the dog and the kids when introducing them.

 Let’s now discuss some steps and tips on arranging the first meeting between the kids and their new best friend:

Teach Your Kids about Being Gentle Towards Dogs

Even when your kids love animals, they can be a little rough with the pup on their first interaction. This is why you must take out the time to teach them about being gentle and soft towards the dog.

One of the best ways to show children how to interact with the dog is through your behavior. Always be gentle with the dog and avoid playing rough with the dog around the kids. Gentle play is safer for the kids and the dog as well!

Take the Kids Closer to the Dog from One Side and Touch them Calmly

It’s better to softly hold your kid’s hand in yours and approach the dog from one side for the first time. Ensure that your child isn’t screaming or seems too scared, as that may scare the dog in turn.

 Before touching the dog, let your kids hang out from a distance where they feel safe. It will give the dog the time to acclimatize normally before a new tiny human hand is on top of its head. If the dog remains calm, encourage your child to pat the dog gently on the hand. 

Make sure you remain vigilant and intervene in case the child gets too excited and scares the dog.

Let The Dog Sniff The Child

This is the most essential step in establishing contact between the kids and the dog. Make sure that your child is calm with a dog sniffing or licking them before you take them closer to the dog. Beagles are scent hounds and use their sense of smell to figure things out.

 After your kid touches the dog for a few seconds, the dog might respond by sniffing or licking them. If the dog doesn’t do anything, you can allow it to interact with the child while supervising.

Increase the Contact’s Duration

 Once you feel like the dog is okay with your kids’ presence, you can stay a little longer and let the two interact under your supervision. Usually, your beagles can get friendly with the kids in just one or two meetings.

 Try to mediate the contact between the two by gently speaking to the dog while approaching it with your child. Also, ensuring that the child is comfortable before meeting the dog is vital to make the first introduction smoother. 

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How to Introduce Babies To Your Beagle?

Beagles are very friendly with babies but raising them with newborns and infants is a little tricky. Things might go out of hand if you don’t mediate the interaction carefully. Following the steps given below might help in this case: 

Train the Beagle to Behave Better

It’s best to start your Beagle’s training at least two months before the baby’s arrival. You can train the dog not to jump and enter the baby’s nursery without your permission. This training may also involve leaving the Beagle unattended for some hours every day.

Doing so is essential to prepare the dog for the time when you’d put them away and focus on the baby instead. If not done the right way, your Beagle may develop jealousy for the infant, hence making it almost impossible to keep them with you.

If you have a fenced yard, fill it up with fun dog games to ensure that your Beagle doesn’t get bored on its own.

Wrap the Beagle in Baby’s Sheets or Blanket

After the baby’s born, give your Beagle a piece of clothing with the baby’s smell on it. The clothing would help the Beagle warm itself with the baby’s scent, and it would then feel comfortable and calm around the baby.

Beagles are scent hounds and are highly dependent on their sense of smell. Once they become more familiar with the scent of your baby, they’ll always recognize the child.

Develop Comfortable Interaction between the Babies and Beagle

You can’t expect a baby to touch the Beagle without crying, especially when the two see each other for the first time. Hence, it’s better to let the two stay around each other for some days while maintaining a safe distance.

The initial time together would warm both of them to one another, and the first touch would then be calm and friendly. Once the Beagle and the baby start recognizing each other, you can simply get these to play together while keeping a watch.

Also, try to look for signs of anger and jealousy in your Beagle in the initial days of your baby’s birth closely. This helps you take safe and preventive measures in time and saves your baby from any incident or attack.

How to Train Your Beagle to Be Around Kids

There are different ways to treat your Beagle to be around the kids. Given below are the most effective and widely practiced ones:

Starting an Intense Training Program

Such a dog training program aims to control dog’s behavior and make them comfortable around unknown people. When trained this way, your Beagle would learn not to jump anywhere unless you ask and will be calm around the kids.

A properly trained Beagle will listen to every command and will be more obedient than before. Also, this training program lets the dog feel comfortable when handled in various positions and teaches them to enjoy their own company when left unattended.

Crate Training 

Using a crate to train your beagles is another way to make them well-behaved enough so that they don’t mess with the kids. Such training makes the dog calmer and friendlier, and it becomes more obedient towards you. All of this helps the dog behave better with naughty kids around it, and it doesn’t attack them.

The Best Training Program For Beagles

If you haven’t trained your Beagle properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your shepherd has, whether it’s barking at night or other bad behaviors, using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.

The training program I love and highly recommend is Brain Training For Dogs.

With Brain Training For Dogs, you’ll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog won’t listen, you’ll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, that’s given proven results. Not to mention the fact you’ll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.

So instead of worrying about whether they’re going to be well-behaved or not, you’ll only have to worry about how much fun you’ll have with them!

And in most cases, it’s still going to be:

  • Cheaper than hiring a professional.
  • Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
  • And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.

Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to trust your Beagle completely and never worry whether they’ll be naughty or not. Instead, you’ll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them will always be there, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT. 

And the best part is it also has a 60-day money-back guarantee! So there’s no reason not to give Brain Training For Dogs a try!

So if you’re tired of your dog’s bad behavior or how they react around other people and pooches, then give it a try! You’ll be amazed by the results!(You can also check out a full review here to learn exactly what the course has to offer!)

How to Teach Your Kids to Be Around Beagles

Just like your dogs, you should also teach your kids to behave well around the beagles. The proper behavior would help them create a calmer environment when meeting the dogs and make things safer for everyone. 

You can guide your children on how to behave around Beagles or any other dog breed in the following ways:

Give Them A Prep Talk

Your child is likely to be scared of touching the dog for the first time. The fear can lead the child to scream and cause havoc when you take it near the Beagle. Screaming children can, in turn, can scare the dog and cause it to react negatively.

To avoid all of this, you need to ensure that the child is ready to be around the dog when you let the two interact. You can give them a pep talk about how the dog could be their next best friend and how they should try approaching their new pet.

 However, it’s best not to force your children to meet the dog unless they feel ready themselves. Forcing your child to meet the dog will lead to more unpleasant encounters and make it harder for them to bond.

Teach Them the Right Way to Handle The Dog

Children hardly know the right way to hold the dog or make it sit in their lap. This often leads them to handle the dog in rather a potentially painful manner, thus leading the dog to counter-react.

Before you let your children hold the dog, it’s best to teach them how to handle the pup comfortably. You can do so using a dummy dog or some toy. Such training ensures better handling of the dog and makes the initial interactions between the kids and the Beagle smoother. It’ll also help their bond grow quicker.

When Should You Avoid Getting A Beagle?

There’s often no right or wrong time to invest in a beagle. However, in some cases, bringing a new beagle friend isn’t right. Some of these cases are as follows:

When You Travel Frequently

Beagles are dogs with a lot of mixed emotions and mood swings. A new beagle would take its time to feel comfortable at your place. It would need constant attention to feel welcomed and settle at your home. When you aren’t around, your new Beagle can start feeling anxious and sad. This can even lead to depression and other health issues.

Right After Welcoming a New Born

With a little human to look after, you won’t have the time to attend to your Beagle. This wouldn’t only lead the dog to depression but can also cause jealousy from your newborn. Such an unsettled dog can attack the child, often causing severe harm.

If it’s Your First Dog

Beagles aren’t the most challenging dog to train but can be challenging for newcomers. They’ve been bred for hunting, which makes them independent by their nature.

 A Beagles’ first instinct is to follow its nose and not your commands. That can sometimes make it difficult for first-time owners to train the dog properly.

Inactive Lifestyle

Due to their history as hunting dogs, Beagles need a lot more physical activity than most people think. A regular walk won’t do, and if you lead an inactive lifestyle, it’ll be much more challenging to raise a Beagle. They need a lot of physical and mental stimulation to ensure that they don’t get restless.

If you don’t like loads of time spent outdoors, it might be a better idea to get a lazier dog!

FAQ

Are Beagles Aggressive?

Beagles aren’t an aggressive dog breed and are easy to train as well. However, there are certain situations where a beagle may display aggression. They can potentially be aggressive when trying to showcase dominance or attempting to protect their territory.

 Like most dogs, they can also showcase aggression when experiencing fear or pain. It’s essential for you to showcase that you’re the alpha of the household. That’ll make sure your dog is more likely to listen to your commands.

(Find out more about beagle aggression.)

Are Male Or Female Beagles Better Around Kids?

Whether it’s a he or a she, your Beagle is going to get along with your kids. They have similar playful natures and are both excellent watchdogs as well. They’ll keep a watchful eye over the kids when you’re not around and will alert you to any danger immediately.

It doesn’t matter if you get a female or a male Beagle; your kids will get along with their new best friend great!

Puppy Vs Adult Beagle – Which Is Better?

It’s always a better idea to get a puppy rather than an adult Beagle. Getting the dog when it’s a pup gives you the opportunity to train it and gives the kids a chance to get familiar as well. While Beagles aren’t an intimidating dog breed, seeing a pup grow alongside them can help improve the bond the kids have with the dog.

 Getting an adult beagle that isn’t already trained to be around children isn’t the best idea. However, if the adult beagle is trained correctly, they’ll be safe around the kids.

Are Beagles Easy To Train?

Beagles are definitely trainable, but the training process isn’t as easy as some dogs like a Labrador. They’re hunting hounds and were bred to track all sorts of small game using their powerful nose.

Because they were bred for such an active purpose, your Beagle is going to need a lot of physical stimulation. Without the necessary physical stimulation, they can become restless during training. To ensure that the training process is as smooth as possible, ensure that your dog has a very active daily routine!

(Find out more about training your Beagle.)

What Other Dogs Are Good With Children?

Beagles are a great family dog because they’re so good with children. However, they aren’t the only option. There are a lot of other dog breeds.

The Labrador retriever is one of the most popular options. They’re also super friendly with kids and are one of the easiest dog breeds to train. Golden retrievers and bulldogs are two other options that are great family dogs, and both have a good temperament around children!

Conclusion

Beagles make a great family pet; they have a charming nature and are great around kids. They love to play around and are super energetic. The pack mentality also helps ensure that they are watchful over the kids and alert you in case of danger. All of this makes them a great dog to have around kids.

However, it’s always essential to ensure that you train your dog properly. A properly trained Beagle will become you and your child’s best friend!

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