My parents have a beagle. The entire neighborhood hates her. So do I.

Ah, just read that askme and I have to concur with what everyone said there. The bray is almost unbearable, she eats anything, totally untrainable, hates other dogs, devious as all get out. Actually, I can't really say anything positive about the dog.

My brother has a bogle and she is real sweety, who did great spending the night with our dog over the holiday. She is much smaller than the dog in the link, and she's much quieter than a beagle.

That said, go pick out a dog at the pound. You can probably bring your animals in and have them spend some time together before adopting.

Yeah I'd have to agree with previous comments on beagles. That bogle sounds interesting. How bout a greyhound? They're pretty mellow.

A long, long time ago when we were thinking of getting a dog, a veterinarian friend suggested a beagle/basset mix. Apparently, throwing a little basset hound in there chills out the hyper beagelness.

That being said, all my favorite dogs are pound mutts. All my least favorite dogs are purebreds of some kind. (With the exception of my sister's chow, whom I adore. But we're pretty sure he has brain damage.)

We would be getting a rescue dog no matter what the breed. I want a dog that has been fostered rather than a pound dog so we can know more about his personality.

I've heard greyhounds are very laid back. I would love an italian greyhound someday- they are SO DAMN CUTE.

I've been daydreaming about a bulldog for years.

How about another lab? Maybe chocolate? They are lovely laid-back dogs... or would that be too much dog, two labs?

(box, so has jon... there's one in the neighborhood named Betty)

Yeah, another lab would be too much dog to fit on the bed with us at night. I'm really looking in the 30 lb. range. I keep running across miniature American Eskimo dogs...what do you guys think about them?

We used to have a sheltie when I was growing up and they fit your size requirement. He was super smart, easy to train and very happy. I would definitely recommend a sheltie to anyone looking for a new dog and I would absolutely get another (as long as it's not the little, rat-like ones I've been seeing around). They do have a lot of fur though and shed quite a bit in the spring so I could see that being a turnoff.

Good Lord, I miss that dog :(

Shelties are great dogs, but not for a household full of kids and cats. They are herders (or anyway descended from them) and so have loud, piercing barks and a tendency to be nippy. They are lovely and can be lots of fun, but they can also be divas and difficult to train. They like to use their voices and that can get old fast. I'd stay away in the circumstances you describe.

I'm sorry, I misread a comma where there was none ("3 year-old, yellow lab, and two cats" instead of "3 year-old yellow lab, and two cats".) Assuming there are no kids I'm more sanguine about a sheltie, but see everything else in my post!

Corgis are low to the ground, and are the coolest dogs ever...low maintenance, great sense of humor, loving, love the company of humans and dogs and cats. They love herding their humans and their pets, which is hilarious to watch. They love to please. Comical. Super intelligent. They do shed a lot, but it's pretty much cancelled out by the cuteness factor and the entertainment value.

We live across the street from a couple with three beagles, and I hate them. They. Never. Stop. Barking.

Thanks for all the great suggestions! There's no 3 year-old now, but hopefully, there will be one in the next three or four years, so kid-friendly is important.

And OMG!!! Corgis are the cutest! I love those ears!

I was two when we got our sheltie so I disagree with your "no kids and cats" sheltie policy. My sister (four years younger than me) and I grew up with him and he was the best companion we could have asked for. He was very gentle and never nippy. Any breed can be nippy, it depends on the dog. He was a herder and did bark but not excessively. Besides, all dogs bark.

Oh, and we also had a rabbit whom he loved to play with. The rabbit didn't seem to like it much though so that didn't happen often.

I read all the beagle comments and thought to myself "I wonder why Columbo never had a problem with his?" Columbo's beagle always seemed fairly docile. Maybe the cigar smoke knocked him out?

I have a Beagle. She is very loveable and very blockheaded. We got her when she was about a year old and and year and half later she still has accidents in the house (though it is rare now). If you get a beagle buy a carpet cleaner too. She leaves short wiry hair everywhere. She's just so damned cute, though, that it's almost worth it having her around. She's very sweet in her own way.

Here's a picture of her with my son on Christmas Day:

≡ Click to see image ≡

Oh, and Cookie barks, but she doesn't bray.

I'm of mixed feelings about beagles. There was one I really liked, probably because I was young and liked dogs in general, but all the other ones I have met have been very very stupid.

LuFri: I didn't mean any offense to your sheltie! I love them -- I think they are very beautiful and sweet-faced. I was only passing on breed info, of course individual dogs can and do vary enormously from breed characteristics.

Bassets are truly awesome dogs--I've known some that seemed brighter and endowed with better senses of humor than many humans. Main negative is they do tend to drool a *lot*, and they can be a little harder to housebreak. Re: greyhounds, the full-sized regular ones are indeed (usually) very mellow, low-key, relaxed animals, but they are large (males can go 30" at the shoulder). The Italian greyhounds, on the other hand, are beautiful to look at, but by all reports I've seen are also pretty high strung and not very stable.

If I were getting a smaller dog, and not a basset, to be honest I might look at a poodle, or maybe one of the unfortunately-named crosses like a labradoodle (yick). Poodles don't *have* to be clipped in those idiotic styles, and they are very smart, very people-oriented, and extremely trainable.

Another vote for a corgi. My parents had one for 15 years, and she was the most awesome dog ever. Now one of my best friends has one named Tater Tot. Tater was very hyper when he was a baby, but he's mellowed since going to obedience school. He's a really great dog, and so very cute.

My grandmother had a corgi and she loved it - it was a really affectionate dog that was, IIRC, fine when we were kids growing up. The Queen used to have some as well.

Corgis are adorable and good-natured, but I've known two corgis whose back legs gave out on them as they got older. It was painfully sad to watch them drag they're little bodies around like animate mops competing in the special olympics. I guess any animal can seem pathetic in old age, but those freakishly tiny legs seem particularly unnatural to me.

I knew a very high-strung whippet, but I think she was an underperforming and therefore previously abused former racing dog. That said, she was faster than Hell.

I have been emailing with the foster mom of a German Shorthaired Pointer named Georgie that someone linked to in the AskMe thread. I think we're going to meet him on Friday. Anyone ever have a German Shorthaired Pointer?

Seconding what I said on the askme thread, whatcha want to do is go to several dog shows. They're free. Just wander around and when you see a dog that seems interesting to you, walk up to its person and ask them about it (assuming they're not in the ring or about to get in the ring), and meet the dogs.

Speaking in very broad generalities:

Scenthounds (beagles, bassets, foxhounds) will tend to be loud and extremely motivated by their noses.

Sighthounds (greyhounds, whippets) will be extremely motivated to chase anything smaller than them that runs away. This can be a problem with cats, unless the cats are clued-in enough to walk rather than run away from them.

Herding dogs, esp. the small ones (corgis, cattle dogs, vallhunds like we have), tend to be barky, a little bit nippy, and bossy. They can get on with cats, or might not. On the other hand, they tend to be biddable and smart in ways that are useful to people. On the gripping hand, they often need a job or a fair amount of physical exercise and a fair amount of training to keep their brains busy.

Avoid beagles, bassets, etc. Of course, my choice is always a Portuguese Water Dog (they are 50 lbs. usually, smart as anything, lovable, trainable to a fault, and gorgeous to look at.) Of course, good luck finding one in rescue.

My Portugeuse Water Dog, Fado, is a fine fine little man and living the life of Riley out in the Northwest. They also get along with all other dogs, affable to a fault, don't have bowl-hoarding issues, and love to be the center of attention. Great mix with a Lab. They'll keep each other busy.

CORGIS!

The only dog I've ever had in my adulthood was an English Springer Spaniel, and I can't say enough good things about her. I got her as an adult rescue, though, so can't vouch for puppy & adolescent-stage behaviour (though the description in the link seems promising). She was incredibly smart, well-behaved, friendly, and heart-breakingly adorable. Usually good with my friends' kids and other animals, too--she even let my kittens nurse on her when I weaned them off my earlobes, though she would look at me dolefully and sigh at having to tolerate such indignity. There are rescue societies for this breed (as with many others) all over.

When I was a child my mother adopted a purebred Samoyed. Bad idea for a household of working mum and kids at school or after-school care. The poor thing needed lots of attention and exercise, which we just couldn't give her. Mum ended up giving her away, thank god.

On preview: cmonkey, I was wondering when you'd show up. Heh.

TheDonF: Columbo's dog wasn't a beagle, but a basset hound.

That would explain why it was better behaved, then :)

Another corgi fan here. They really are wonderful dogs, and seem to match all your criteria. And the bonus is, seeing that medium-size body atop them minuscule hamhocks brings a smile (if not a guffaw) to every stranger's face.

I know a couple people who have German shorthaired pointers and they adore them. Both of them have the GSP with other dogs and they coexist fine.

By now everyone knows that I am a big fan of terriers but the terrier temperament is not for everyone. ; )

Plagiarizing myself:

Thirding the Sheltie recommendation. My Kaylee is actually a mix (mini American Eskimo Dog is the other half) but tends to the Sheltie side of the mix. She's smart, sweet, loves to play, great with the cats, gets a bit jealous but only noses into the the muddle - not mean about it at all, she's a bit shy around strange dogs but quickly warms up and she loves people. She's a lap dog when you want her to be but is good at amusing herself not too destructively (she is still a puppy). She barks only when in "guard" mode and has a hellacious growl for such a small dog (she'll be 20 pounds at the most).

Photos.

When we go to look for another dog, corgis are at the top of the list.

I love corgis also. The mrs says they can be incorrigible at the vets & bitey there. I still think they're adorable as hell. If I couldn't get one of those, I'd go for a greyhound rescue pooch from a foster place.

I have to disagree with LF that "all dogs bark". Not true. At least, not true that all dogs bark incessantly. We have two that were taught not to bark any old time they feel like it. They only bark occasionally when greeting other very excited dogs. We have a yellow lab and a shepherd border collie mix.

YMMV.

I didn't mean that all dogs bark incessantly but that they all will bark. That's what they do.

Muttdom often attenuates some of the less desirable characteristics of purebred dogs, and mutts are often free or very cheap. Of course, a lot of mutts are part beagle (Beagles in the woodpile!) and can retain some of the obnoxiousness, but sometimes you can get a mellow beagle mix.

Often, owners blame their own shortcomings on the breed of their dog. This is a cop-out, like saying your kid gets bad grades because your family has never done well at math.

I love most dogs. Obnoxious, destructive behavior, in humans and in pets, makes me laugh.

I have a springer spaniel puppy. Sweet suffering jesus on a pogostick, if you're looking for mellow do not, I repeat, do NOT get one. He's totally destroyed my house and yard. Good thing he's so utterly cute or I would have killed him by now, hyper destructive little bastard. He was a found dog, though and we love him; sometimes one kind of dog is what happens when you're carefully planning for another kind. What I wanted was either a German shepherd or a basset hound, both of which are bigger than what you're looking for. Me, I'd go to the pound and see who's there in your size range, although I must say I once had what I think may have been a corgi, or possibly the result of golden retriever meets basset hound, and she was marvelous, so I'm going to nth the corgi suggestion.

Well, upon doing a lot of research on the German Shorthaired Pointer breed, I think that dog would just have too much energy. Our lab is just getting over his spazzy phase, so I'm looking for a mellow dog. Of all the dogs recommended today, I think the basset hound is probably perfect. The 30-40 lb. thing was more of a space-on-the-bed and not wanting another running dog issue. I could easily handle a 50-60 lb. basset hound. They seem to be very lovey, they don't bug cats.

Thanks to all who contributed ideas...I love how the whole internet loves to help you adopt a new doggy. I'll post again if we get a dog.

Here's a quiz for picking a breed... I had seen a different one a few months ago, but can't seem to find it now. Anyhow, just another bit of fun input. (There's a quiz for cats, too.)

I so want a dog and am planning on getting one next summer. I really, really wanted a beagle, but this thread and the AskMefi thread have discouraged me greatly. Sigh.

There almost isn't any point in my selecting a breed, though, since I'll be getting a rescued dog. What will happen is I'll go to the shelters and look at the dogs that are in my size and age range (20 to 30 pounds, 3 to 7 years old) and that don't have known aggression or medical problems. Beyond that, it'll be whichever dog I fall in love with. I suppose it can't hurt to know about different breed characteristics, though...

The summer before last I went to the Humane Society every long weekend and some short ones and they never had an appropriate dog for me. Then in the fall I decided that since I was about to move, it wasn't a good time to get a dog. But this summer hopefully I can get one at last afer wanting one for years and years.

The breed selector test taz links to recommended border terriers, Jack Russells, and corgis. I have to admit they're all really cute, appealing dogs.

The breed selector test says I should get a Boston terrier, a bulldog, a pug or a dachsund. After removing the obvious, wiener-shaped outlier, it's like they read my mind.

I am a new user. I signed up just to give you my take on the beagle question. The beagle is a great dog; I own a 13-inch one named Tippy. Tippy is about 4 years old, female, and came from a great beagle rescue group called Beagle of New England States (BONES). BONES has lots of information about beagles on their site.

My beagle is a great dog. She came to me house-broken and crate-trained. She barks when someone approaches the house, but stops barking when we respond to her barking by telling her to be quiet or by dealing with the person at the door. (To be accurate, she doesn't "bark," she "roos.")

She is loveable and gentle. She lets children and adults alike pull her ears and stick their fingers in her mouth. All of the other beagles I have met have this trait.

Tippy is obedient. Tippy sits, stays, gives kisses, lets us know when she needs to go outside, gets in her crate, begs, and walks well on her leash when we use her harness. The only time Tippy has peed inside is when I have left her alone for too long.

Tippy sheds no more or less than any other short-haired dog.

The only "downside" is that Tippy cannot go "off-leash" because she is too tempted by scents to not run off. At times, when we have gone hiking, I have been envious of other hikers and their off-leash dogs, but this is not such a negative that I wouldn't recommend a beagle.

Tippy, and all the other beagles I have met, are not "hyper." Mostly, they like to sleep during the day. That said, Tippy does like to run with me and play "tug" and "catch" with my husband. She brings him her toys when she wants to play and manages to entice him into a game, even when he seems not interested.

Adopting a beagle from a rescue group is a marvelous idea. The rescue group will support you and will allow you to chose the right dog. I didn't know how to house-train a dog, so I made sure I got one already trained.

Frankly, I've been puzzled by all the negative responses you received. I know a number of people with beagles as pets now and the dogs have all made consistently good pets.

Also, I'd be happy to discuss this more with you via email.

It's really nice of you to take the time to share all this, kelly. Sometimes I do think that a "vibe" takes hold of some askme questions, and people are a little bit afraid of going against the tide, so we don't always really get the whole range of responses that would be more natural. It's good to get a different, honest, and well explicated opinion based on personal experience.