Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Seeking advice about finding a certain dog

Go to a pound and let him pick his own dog.

I would not recommend a beagle for a first time dog owner. They are independent natured and can be a handful.

If allergies and hair are a concern, I wouldn't recommend a lab either.

On the larger end, a well bred standard poodle or labradoodle can be great kids dogs. They shed very little and their temperament is perfect.

On the smaller end a shih-tzu is a great companion dog. If it's gonna be around kids let it be raised around kids. These little dogs tend to be somewhat like the people they are around. Shih-tzus raised by little old ladies tend to act like little old ladies. Our shih-tzus ran and tussled with the rest of our dogs and grandkids. Had to keep our male away from cattle as he thought he was a cow dog. Our female had "hunt" in her and would dig moles and tree squirrels.
They are not generally yappy, but will raise the roof at strange sounds in the night.

Caveat; Any of the breeds I'm aware of that shed less and are better for allergy sufferers are long haired and need frequent grooming and trimming.

I hope it works out for you too...

I had a short legged rough coat jack russel dog. Great dog. He shed, but very little. Not much for barking.

Maybe a beagle??

Easy fix - An 11 year old's puppy should not be in the back yard.

I'm a beagle guy. Just love 'em. They're great family dogs with a strong "pack dog" instinct that connects to the family. They aren't overly aggressive, and will let you know if someone steps foot in their territory. That being said, they are escape artists, and like to run, and a little stubborn too. I could see this being an issue with a dog that stays outside 5 days a week. When I was growing up, we had them as kennel dogs, for hunting rabbits and pheasants. They kept digging out of the kennel. Dad tore the kennel apart three times and kept adding another row of cement blocks below ground. By the time he was done, he was 6 rows of blocks deep with a footer. Darned near had enough block down there to put in a foundation.

They look a lot like the Keeshond, and sounds like roughly the same weight too.