Give Triangle Beagle Rescue a shot first. http://www.tribeagles.org/ Most are fostered, but I think they also have a facility in Clayton. Don't go to a breeder.
Got ours from the JC pound, he was a year old (we think) when we got him but he is the sweetest pooch.
You called the WAKE COUNTY SHELTER :roll: SPCA WAKE is a totally different organization SPCA Curtis Dail Pet Adoption Center aka SPCA WAKE HOURS: Monday: 1:00pm-8:00pm Tuesday: 11:00am-6:00pm Wednesday: 11:00am-6:00pm Thursday: Closed Friday: 11:00am-6:00pm Saturday: 11:00am-6:00pm Sunday: 1:00pm-5:00pm Contact: Phone: 919-772-2326 Fax: 919-772-2482 Location: 200 Petfinder Lane, Raleigh, NC 27603 Directions: grrrr like all of those Craigs list links and the poster regarding the new pups born at the SPCA - these are pure breed Beagles! .WTH??? What kind of confirmation do you need - you can tell by looking at the photos that they are pure. . .well one link was a mix. . .Seriously though, do you really think that AKC papers insure that your pup is 100% pure? Pfffft. . .Papers schmapers. . .
Okay, this isn't gonna make me popular with Crysta who's new here, but I can't sit on my hands here. Thinking about adopting a pair? As in a pair of 6-8 week old puppies? Do you have any idea how hard it is to housetrain 2 puppies at the same exact time? When you take them outside to potty - instead of getting down to business, like you are trying to teach them, they are gonna be playing with each other - try to keep an eye on two pups with a lot of energy and see which one has done both pee and poop. . . Don't think a fenced in yard is going to teach them to be housebroken and that you just pop them out there and then later let them in and they get the hang of it, or you will sincerely disappointed. Puppies need you to go out with them, and I highly recommend if you have kids who like to play in your yard, or even a nice back yard, to leash them when you take them out until they are housebroken so that you can take them to one spot, and wait for them to go. Otherwise with a Beagle, or most other pups they will tour your entire yard, exploring and get carried away and unless they get bored or really have to go urgently, they put off doing their thing. . .until you let them in the house and they use your floor. Trust me, I do phone consults on an almost daily basis with people frustrated with housebreaking one puppy. Basically all puppies do is eat, sleep, play and go potty. If you are diligent, you can housebreak a real young one pretty much in a couple weeks - since you mentioned your husband works from home and can take them outside every 3 hours. . .if not, you'll likely see a few accidents here and there until they reach about 4-5 months and their bladder gets stronger. Two might seem like fun, but more likely you'll be pulling your hair out and looking to re-home one when you realize what a PITA it can be. Can it be done, sure thing. . .but it is a labor of love and someone dedicated to getting the job done as efficiently as possible, cause with two, unless you see it - you don't know who still needs to go out. The cost of an extra puppy is also going to set you back about$ 350.00 - 400.00 EXTRA a year, in general vet bills (shots/boosters/worming/heart worm preventative etc) Multiple pets can be very costly - which is why at any given time I have a limit of 28 paws :lol: Which costs me close to $5k a year not including food. :shock:
Crysta, You sound like a responsible person and I think everyone here wishes you luck. Just one thing, generally mixed breeds are healthier than poorly bred "pure breed" dogs. That has definitley been my personal experience and I think if you do any sort of research, you will probably find that to be true. I fell into the "I gotta have a pure breed dog" trap several years ago and got a Sheltie. Worst mistake of my life. She was incredibly neurotic, just a nightmare. We loved her in spite of her issues, but I wasn't the best owner for her by far. We didn't have a good ending, unfortunately. I blame myself for not doing the research before hand. We have a sweet little mini schnauzer mix now, and I couldn't be happier. THIS is what having dogs is supposed to be like. Good luck regardless!
Crysta, the vet told me that the beagle is the most well understood dog there is. Unfortunately because they are so well tempered they tend to be research animals. I don't think a beagle, unless thoroughly abused, is going to be an issue for temperament.
Crysta, SPCA Wake is highly respected and only adopts out dogs deemed to be mentally stable. A pure breed Beagle will stand between 13" and 15" tall at the front of it's shoulders. They will weigh anywhere between 15 and 28 pounds depending on their individual build / sex / height - of course, if you overfeed them or under exercise them, you will have a plump Beagle. Any Beagle that you get from one of these so-called "reputable breeders" who charge you 400.00 for a dog/pup no better bred, in fact possibly with worse bloodlines than you might end up with at a shelter or rescue. hught - his pic is his Beagle, whom I've met a number of times. Hught mentioned that they adopted their pooch from the county shelter when he was approx. a year old. That Beagle is seriously handsome - so sweet, you could pet the fur off of him and smart as a whip. You may have the same misconceptions that many have about shelter dogs - but any dog or pup you rescue - they know it - Ask anyone who has rescued a dog - the dogs (even puppies) know it and you get back 10 fold in loyalty. As for your background with pure breeds - it might surprise you to know I come from a family of owner/breeder/handlers of championship show dogs. A weekend was a trip to a show and helping bathe and brush dogs. . .and it also taught me what REAL breeders breed - only the very best of their dogs, never second best and the people who purchase those pups have to be top notch - it's not about the money - It's about love for a certain breed and striving to better the breed. A good breeder is lucky to break even on a litters to get close to what they have spent making champions out of its parents. All of those champions I lived with over the years. . .I loved them, they were cool - but the paws that live with me now, my dogs - my rescue dogs all taken in between 3 1/2 months and 1 1/2 years of age - They are the best dogs I've ever lived with. Smart, loyal and totally adorable (well the adorable part is my humble opinion) A trip down memory lane here - some pets of 40/42 members: http://www.4042.com/4042forums/showthread.php?t=14274&page=2
so much for the research she claimed in the beginning http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/buying/articles/purebred-dogs.html
Ours is a pound puppy and although there are no papers most people including two vets say she is a pure breed beagle almost worthy of show. And no I am not biased. She looks a lot like Uno. Try the beagle rescue, you might get lucky.
Just an FYI - and funny story IF someone surrenders a dog or puppy with its AKC papers (and yes, they get more than you would expect) the papers go straight into the circular file. The pup/dog will be altered before it leaves - so the papers mean nothing. One funny (not so much "ha-ha" but roll your eyes type) thing about a pup with papers that was surrendered to SPCA Wake while I was there: Woman (about 35 years old/well dressed/well spoken) comes in with one of the purse-type carriers over her shoulder stating that she wants to surrender a puppy. She had its 'papers' in her hand and explains that the "breeder" :ack: wouldn't take it back and she doesn't know anyone who wants a puppy and while she hates to loose out on the 750.00 she paid for the pup, she can't take it anymore. She tells us that the pup is not as smart as she'd led to believe his breed is (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) Turns out the pup was just 11 weeks old and of course, when we laid eyes on it, it forced a unanimous "awwww" The little thing was adorable! The counselor who was taking her info and entering everything into the computer while myself and another staff member were working with other visitors, but the way the place was laid out, you couldn't help but overhear everything. . .When asked for a specific example of why the pup was being surrendered the woman answered real matter-of-fact - "I've had that puppy for 5 weeks and every time it did potty in the house, I stuck his nose in it and told him he was bad! Still, every morning I wake up to find he's pooped on the rug! For a dog that I paid 750.00 for, he should know not to go poop on my rug!" When she left, we couldn't help but laugh when the counselor who took the surrender stood up to carry the pup back to the kennel staff and asked us, "Can you imagine, an expensive 11 week old puppy daring to poop on a rug!?" :banghead:
Everyone has his or her own preferences on the sex of their dogs. . .for me, while I didn't go looking for any particular sex when I was looking to adopt, male dogs seemed to be the ones that approached me. I have had about 6 foster dogs who were female and one that I adopted when she was older (12 at the time - now deceased) but the ones I have now are all male. Honestly, if they are altered, you eliminate many health problems that would be related to the particular sex of a dog - behavior wise and ability to learn - honestly, it's a toss up. Some people will swear that one sex is smarter than another, but as a trainer, I can see no difference whatsoever. It all depends on the owner and their willingness to do the work with the dog. When it's time to meet the pups, see who seems attracted to you - letting the dog pick you, rather than the other way around is usually a great way to begin a long lasting relationship
I dont know about girls being easier to potty train...my little Westie girl was almost a year old before it ever clicked in her little pea -sized brain that we wanted her to potty outside, she still has "lapses of memory" at 10 y/o if we dont watch her. My 2 boys were easy, matter of fact my Cairn potty trained my Pom! The Pom followed the Cairn everywhere and when the Cairn went outside to go potty, the Pom did too! So he just learned that outside is where you do your business. I totally agree on the part about letting the pup pick you, boy or girl, let them choose you and you will have the right one!
