Beagles are great medium-sized dogs that should fit nicely into a large household. But are beagles good with kids?
Beagles are fantastic family dogs that get along marvelously with children if they are properly socialized and introduced. A beagle will adopt your child as a part of its pack and become protective and caring towards your children. Beagles share a lot of traits with kids and are playful.
Although beagles generally get along well with children, you must still know how to socialize your beagle and how to introduce them to your children. In addition, teaching your younger children how to treat a beagle is crucial to ensuring they have a happy and safe relationship.
Why Are Beagles Good With Kids?
The beagle is a longstanding breed, being mentioned in texts as early as the 1600s. Beagles were originally bred as tracking dogs, and people used them when hunting rabbits, pigs, and jackals. However, beagles mostly tracked in packs and therefore have a pack mentality.
This is great for a family structure because a beagle will adopt your family as a part of its pack. While it will accept one family member as its owner and pack leader, it will view the children of the house as packmates. Your beagle will enjoy playing and doing tasks with your children.
In addition, your beagle will become protective of your children and will guard them. They will let you know if something is amiss regarding your children and are also great as watchdogs. Their social and playful natures make them the perfect companion for children. Therefore, a beagle is a great first dog to have with younger children.
People often note the similarities between beagles and children, which are:
- Beagles and children are playful and energetic
- Both beagles and children are mischievous at times but in a cute way
- Beagles and children are eager to please and are respectful towards their parents and pack leaders
- Beagles and children have separation anxiety, which can cause them to cry and become destructive
Although not all of these traits are desirable, they mean that beagles and children have a lot in common and are more inclined to get along well. By teaching your child how to behave around a beagle and by properly socializing your beagle and child, they can develop a solid and lasting friendship.
However, to ensure your beagle and children get along well, you must follow the proper steps when introducing and socializing them. This will prevent incidents where one or both parties get hurt and will put you at ease when your beagle and child play together.
Tips For Having Beagles And Kids Together
Although beagles are excellent with kids, you cannot let the two play unsupervised from the first day. Especially if you have small kids or toddlers that like to play rough. While most beagles get along well with kids, how you introduce your beagle and your child will significantly influence their relationship. Here are some tips for introducing beagles to kids.
1. Introduce Your Beagle To A Child While It Is Young
If you don’t have children yet, or if you’re not planning to have children soon but want your beagle to be comfortable around kids, you should introduce it to a child while it is still young. Experts recommend introducing a beagle to children between 8 and 16 weeks old.
At this age, a beagle is still young enough to adapt to having children in its vicinity. Older beagles that aren’t used to children can become unpredictable when they are first introduced to children, especially toddlers. Because toddlers tend to be loud and intrusive, your older beagle might become scared or annoyed.
Therefore, it’s important to introduce a beagle to children while it is still young. This will ensure your beagle gets used to being around children, even when it is older.
2. Monitor Your Child’s Behavior
To prevent your beagle puppy from being scared of kids or possibly biting them, you must monitor your younger kids when playing with the beagle. Teach your child to respect the beagle and play gently.
For example, don’t allow your toddler to pull the beagle’s ears or tail, sit on the beagle, or push it around. This behavior will scare your beagle and lead to a problematic relationship with your children. Instead, demonstrate to your child how to touch and pet the beagle.
In addition, you can allow your kid to feed the beagle puppy snacks. This will help the beagle trust the child, and your kid will feel a sense of pride in caring for the beagle.
3. Give The Beagle And Child Tasks
You can give them tasks to do together to strengthen the bond between your beagle and kid. For example, let your kid play fetch with the beagle and allow them to interact and have fun. Because beagles have such similar temperaments to young children, they will quickly get along well and can do many tasks together.
Teaching your child how to walk with the beagle on a leash is another excellent way to socialize them and teach them a sense of responsibility. Supervise them at all times to ensure one doesn’t hurt the other and prevent incidents.
Following these tips will help ensure your beagle and kid get along well and will lead to a trusting and close connection between the two that will last for many years to come.
Who Shouldn’t Adopt A Beagle?
While beagles are excellent family dogs and get along well with children, some families shouldn’t adopt a beagle.
Because beagles are pack animals, they quickly get separation anxiety, leading them to bark, howl, and become destructive. Therefore, a beagle is not the best dog to get if your family is away from home for long periods because they don’t do well when left alone.
In addition, if you live in a tiny apartment or don’t like spending time outdoors, your beagle will get frustrated and depressed. It will also be more likely to become obese because of a lack of exercise. Beagles require plenty of exercise, so regular walks outside are essential for their health and well-being.
Finally, suppose your kids are rough and will likely hurt your beagle. In that case, it’s recommended that you don’t get a beagle or dog. If the kids hurt the beagle often, the beagle will become scared of them and might lash out and bite them in self-defense. This will cause many problems within the family and lead to a general lack of trust.
Conclusion
A beagle is the perfect family dog. It is playful and energetic and will accept your children as a part of its pack. Beagles share many traits with small children and therefore get along well with them. In addition, your beagle will be protective and attentive toward your children.
Be sure to introduce your beagle and child properly and ensure your child doesn’t play too rough with the beagle. If you introduce them correctly, your beagle and kids will have a close and lasting bond.
References
https://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/how-to-introduce-a-puppy-or-adult-dog-to-your-children
