Hi, I'm new to Dogsy and am looking for some help and advice. Around 4 months ago I rehomed what I believed to be a beagle from a family that could no longer give him the time he needed (a common problem as I understand it). They had purchased him from Dogs 4 Us in Manchester and he is DLRC registered. Let me just say that I would never buy a puppy from this company. I understand that they mainly deal with puppy farms and having recently visited their new branch just down the road from me in Leeds my opinions on that are stronger than ever. Brian, my dog, is wonderful, I love him to pieces but he is not a beagle. He is most certainly a Harrier, standing almost 21 inches at the withers and looking nothing like a beagle other than his tri-colour. I am uncertain what to do. Obviously I will be contacting dogs 4 us about this as Harrier's are not even a KC recognised breed in the UK. Does anyone have any advice for me? In particular I am interested in the differences in health and temperament between Harriers and Beagles. I wanted a beagle as our family pet and a companion for my four year old son. Size was important as obviously four year olds are little lol. I have been unable to find any harrier breeders and believe that these dogs are pretty much exclusively used in hunt packs. Hunt kennels are not allowed to sell their dogs so I worry how he has been bred and sold. Thanks in advance for anyone that reads this, Mooma and Brian the not beagle!
Gosh, I'm not sure what advice to give you. I should imagine that the fact that you got Brian '2nd hand' rather than direct from Dogs 4 Us will give you limited or no come back on them whatsoever. I must confess to never having heard of the harrier before, but on googling, found this: History Harriers are very fast hunting hounds. They possess an excellent nose, and they also have a lot of stamina. There are several contradictory stories about the origin of this breed – but the Harrier you get today is somewhere in between the English foxhound and the Beagle in size. These dogs were mainly developed to hunt hare. Characteristics Harriers are very good natured dogs, therefore making them a good choice to have as a family pet. These dogs are very warm and sweet, but they can be quite obstinate. It is advantageous to have some previous dog ownership experience before getting one of these dogs. Harriers are very well balanced, and they have lots of energy. It is important to provide these dogs with enough mental and physical stimulation in order to keep them occupied, otherwise they might engage in destructive behaviour. Temperament Harriers tend to be more playful and sociable than the Foxhound. These dogs are happy and kind – and they also get along wonderful with children. Harriers prefer to be in the company with their people or other dogs. These dogs also love to go off and explore and sniff. Care These dogs do not have a lot of grooming requirements, and are therefore ideal dogs for people unable to commit a lot of time to their pets. Their coats should only be brushed on an occasional basis. It is advised that their ears should also be checked out to make sure that they are clean and dry. These dogs are fairly low shedders, and will be a good match for someone suffering from allergies. For more detailed info, take a look at the Harrier Dog Grooming page. Training Harriers are good with children, and they tend to be also friendly with strangers. It is good to socialize them with other dogs from a young age onwards; otherwise they might chase smaller pets when they are older. Because of their stubborn nature, some of them do prove difficult to housebreak. They are however quick learners. In general, these dogs are friendly and affectionate – therefore making wonderful companions for their families. Unfortunatley I don't think I'm allowed to post the link on Dogsey, but if you google, you should find the info. If the above description is to be believed, it doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about in terms of temperament and relationship with children; so Brian may be bigger than a beagle, but it doesn't sound like he will grow to the size of a foxhound. I'm sure with a bit of care on your side, his size will not be a problem. All in all, if Brian is wonderful, personally I would put this down to experience and just enjoy him.
This may help http://www.harrierclubofamerica.com/ http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~auborn/harriers/harrier_info.html http://www.downhomeharriers.com/facts.html
Thanks for the speedy reply, I'd googled Harrier's and read that information and agree with you, I'm not in too much of a difficult situation with him. As it stands, I wouldn't change him for the world. Yes he's stubborn and training him has been a nightmare (especially as the previous family hadn't done any!!) but he's getting there and he hasn't demolished anything for alomst a week!! I'm pretty sure he's stopped growing too (he's ten months), which is good! I think the thing that has got me so cross is that the original sellers had missold him. He is so much quicker than a beagle and even less responsive to recall (though he's doing well with that too now). Had I not been as stubborn as he is he'd been running rings round us. Dogs 4 Us sell dogs to anyone, he is certainly not a breed for the faint hearted (nor is a beagle for that matter) and it's just plain irresponsible!
I completely agree that this type of puppy selling (don't know this company, but sounds like they are typical puppy farm) is completely irresponsible and the more people that start to realise the problems that can occur by using these types of places, the better. (slightly off topic, but I would love to see some pics of Brian )
Thanks, me too! He's currently curled up on his favourite chair wondering what I'm making such a silly fuss about!
Yes he looks fab!! And remember although he may be a bit bigger than a beagle that may be the only real difference....the beagles i have known have all been fairly hard to train anyway, so guess you probably knew he may not be the easiest when you got him! Good luck x
I dont think he is a Harrier, I think he is a poor quality Beagle (sorry to be blunt) Problem with DLRC is anything can be registered, even crossbreeds and "pedigree" dogs frequently have other breeds in their so called pedigree. Your dog is not unlike some Beagles I have boarded, Harriers are bigger, more like a smaller Foxhound. Its unlikely a Harrier would be used on a pet bitch or a vise versa, these are working Hounds.
Agree completly about Harriers being working hounds. It would be extremely unlikely for a "shop" selling pups to use this breed. I would say he is a Beagle but does appear to have long limbs from photo, but unfortunatly thats what happens with all the puppy farmers around. Enjoy him tho i bet he is great fun x
hi I cant offer any expertise on what he is as had to look up a Harrier hound when you mentioned it as had never heard of them ( i thought harriers were birds LOL) anyway point to my post is that if you could prove he is a harrier and not sure how you woudl definetively do that, and you have paperwork to prove he was sold a s a beagle then I would think you could contact Trading standards to show that the dog was mis-sold by Dogs4us?? But thats a long shot Dogs4us- The very name irritates me beyond belief with its similarity to a toy shop name and the suggestion that these animals can be sold as easily as toys ! but thats another argument !! anyway - he is beautfiul regardless and good luck with the training, I dont think the genes make a dogs personality so I wouldnt worry about him with your little boy - I am sure they are the best of pals.
I have to admit i agree with Dawn. But i also don't really understand the problem. Even if he is a Harrier they are basically just a slightly bigger beagle so i don't see any problems if you were wanting to have a beagle. He seems to be aloving happy dog and as for the Dogs4us - you do not have any come back to them. They did not sell you the dog so you have no recourse. But don't get me started on big dog shops like that - mostly puppy farmers so you are never going to get quality pedigree dogs and no one should be buying any animal from them and helping them continue. I hope you all have a happy life together Loving the photos!
Thanks very much everyone for your responses. I originally thought that he was probably just a poorly bred beagle and it wasn't until I saw him with a couple of beagles that I began to wonder if he was a beagle at all. I think it's the fact that he is sooo tall compared to a beagle. I could happily give it a few inches either way but he's 21 inches to the withers, a whole five inches taller than the ideal tallest beagle. Maybe it's just me feeling a little bruised that he's not picture perfect and trying to fit him in another category. He is of course perfect in reality but I think that after visiting Dogs 4 Us I was just so disgusted (they even had a dogue de bordeaux for sale) that nothing would surprise me.
Bless you for being so honest. I think we get too tied up sometimes in what the "perfect" dog is as in, is he the right height, is his nose the right shape etc. The perfect dog is simply the dog that is perfect for you. And although he is a good few inches than you originally planned on - it is only a few inches and your 4 year old will grow quick enough i can promise you ps welcome to dogsey
Just had a look at the dogs4us website... They must have nearly 40 different breeds for sale.... I cant believe they are allowed to sell dogs like this in this day and age???:-(
I couldn't believe when I went there the other week, there were corridors and corridors of these little door width pens with anything from one single pup to five puppies behind glass. Many of them looked very skinny with their ribs and hip bones showing. There was nothing in there for them to do and nothing but a cold hard floor with a thin covering of wood shavings on for them to sleep on. But I guess that's a whole other thread!
just looked on the web site mentioned, can't say im impress and they have an automated dog wash, (wth ) is that all about, looks like a torture chamber.
