Can Beagles Live in Apartments? A Complete Guide.

Beagles are super small and loving companions that many absolutely adore. Most often when prospective dog owners that live in an apartment are looking for a dog, they try to find smaller breeds so that there is still enough comfortable space for everyone. But, this may not be the case because not all little dogs live well in small spaces.

Can beagles live in apartments? Beagles can live in apartments, but only if you will put out the time and effort to exercise them daily and to give them the necessary love and attention that they deserve. Without that, it will be an unhealthy environment because they won’t have enough room to run around and play on their own.

It is not recommended to have a beagle while living in an apartment setting for this reason and many more. However, there are some ways that might help to make it work for the two of you. Keep reading to hear about how you might be able to make this work!

Things to look out for:

Before getting a dog when you are living in an apartment, you will need to check up on some things to ensure that it will be a safe, happy, and healthy environment for you two to live in together. If these things don’t match up well, then it is probably better for you to wait to get a dog until you are living in a more dog-friendly situation.

Does My Apartment Complex Allow Pets?

One of the first things to be sure of before getting a dog when you are living in an apartment is whether or not your residence allows animals. You will need to consult with the front desk or the owners in order to get and figure out any and all questions and answers you may have regarding this.

Some apartment complexes do not allow pets at all and others will allow certain kinds of pets. A lot of times, if the apartment complex allows animals such as dogs, they only have certain breeds they will allow due to their studied temperament, size, and behavioral habits that are common within the breed.

Knowing these details helps the owners to decide what dogs have a good temperament and size that will fit the apartment specifications well and won’t destroy the place or cause any problems.

Is My Apartment Big Enough for the Both of Us?

Granted, living in an apartment with a dog is not ideal because it isn’t the size of a house. However, it is still doable if the apartment is a comfortable amount of space for both of you. You should not be tripping over each other all of the time and should not be constantly in the way of each other.

If you two would not have enough space to comfortably fit in the apartment, appliances, furniture, and all other items included and placed of course, then you probably should wait to get a dog.

Aside from the size, you will need to make sure everything is arranged well and comfortable for the both of you as well.

Making sure your apartment is very tidy will help to give you guys more space as well, along with keeping the two of you more relaxed and happy in your home environment without any extra clutter and messes lying around.

Are My Neighbors Okay Hearing My Dog? Will My Dog Bark Too Much?

When living in an apartment, as you may know, you can often hear more than you want of your neighbors’ lives. You can hear them watching that one episode of Friends that you absolutely love at 3 am.

You know, the “Pivot” one where they are trying to move the couch upstairs? Or them jamming their music at 11 pm partying with all of their friends on a Wednesday night for no reason. It’s a fact of apartment living, sadly. We all have been there and feel your struggle.

Well, just like you hearing everything going on in your neighbors’ apartments, they will hear everything from yours as well, meaning they will hear your dog. A lot.

Beagles are very noisy dogs. They were once used as hunting companions for their great noses and they have all of those natural instincts still ingrained in their brains and DNA from their ancestors. And, as you may know, hunting dogs don’t just bark, they bay. A special kind of bark usually when they are engaged in hunting activities, or the like.

When your beagle picks up a scent, especially unfamiliar, they will bark and bay to their hearts content and this will most likely drive your neighbors crazy, especially the home bodies or those that work night shifts. You will probably get noise complaints because of this, so you will need to make sure to do a couple of things if you are insistent on having a beagle.

You will need to check with your neighbors, before getting the dog, to make sure they might be okay with it or at least to make them aware of it. You must next introduce the dog to your neighbors and make your dog familiar to their scents.

This will possibly help your dog to bark less because all of these scents they will smell often will be familiar to them. Make sure you do this in a very polite manner and when is convenient for your neighbors, though.

After ensuring your neighbors and your dog are familiar and accepting of each other it should be okay. Just make sure your dog is well-trained as well so that they will be as disciplined and well-behaved as possible when alone as well.

Is My Apartment Complex Dog-Friendly or is it in a Dog-Friendly Area?

Another thing you must be aware of before getting a dog, especially a beagle, is whether or not your apartment is in a good location to own a dog. Your apartment complex may be super pet-friendly and have a dog park. That would be ideal!

Even if your complex does not have it’s own dog park, you will want one near for the two of you. You will want a park, or specific dog park, very close so that you and your pup have somewhere to go exercise.

Having that park close by will provide a great space for playing and exercising, possibly even for the both of you! Parks are great places for runs and playing frisbee or fetch.

I would suggest, more like highly encourage or require, that you keep your dog leashed unless inside a well-fenced area though. Not everyone loves dogs, and beagles are especially curious dogs with their great noses.

Once your beagle picks up a scent, it will bolt off to find it as fast as it can. So, to ensure the safety of everyone and especially your dog, I would encourage keeping your pup on a leash unless in a fenced in dog park.

Play fetch and Frisbee in the fenced area of the dog park so that your dog can be free off-leash, without worry of running off into the distance to find that hot-dog cart 3 miles away at the baseball fields.

Parks often have walking paths that are great for walking or running with your dog that will make for great exercises as well.

What Must Be Done?

When you own a beagle while living in an apartment, there are a few things you will need to do to keep it a healthy, happy, and safe place for the both of you as well.

Lots of Attention is Necessary!!

Beagles are a very loving and compassionate breed of dog and, as a result to this character trait, they require more attention and affection. They love companionship and will be with you or around you any chance they get no matter what the activity or task. This isn’t always possible, though, for those that work during the day.

Now, I would not recommend leaving your beagle home alone for too crazy long unless they are very used to it and well trained.

Even if they are used to it and well trained, You should not leave your dog alone, unsupervised, and trapped inside for more than 4 hours. They should not be home alone for anymore than 8 hours maximum during the day!

I would try to go home quick to let your dog out to go to the bathroom during your lunch break, or have your neighbor do it for you if they are that nice and friendly.

Your dog will need to go to the bathroom about every 4 hours. If they aren’t taken out to go to the bathroom, they will find something and MAKE IT their bathroom. It’s a fact of having pets.

Give your dog ample attention before leaving for work in the mornings, making sure to give them a bathroom break right before you go and feed them if it goes with your feeding schedule, and then come home right after work so that you can show them that you still love them and give them all of the attention and affection they have been longing for all day. Feed them when you eat your dinner too.

If you stay out of your apartment and away from your dog for more than 8 hours, they will start to get very worried. Beagles have been known to have separation anxiety as well so you will need to make sure you are home as soon as possible after work to love them for a little while and ease their anxiety.

When dogs get worried from you being gone, they will act out and be destructive, noisy, and all around misbehave in almost any way you can think of. Just make sure you are home when you can be to get them out of the small apartment and love them.

Workout Frequently!

I mentioned this earlier, but it is very important for your beagle, so I will mention it again. Your beagle will need lots of exercise, so you will need to take them on walks and to play at the dog park often.

A good walk length for your dog is about a half hour because it gives just enough time for your dog to get the necessary exercise to stay in good shape and will also use their high energy stores. Having a park close by or even having a nice neighborhood to take walks in are great for encouraging exercise.

Exercise doesn’t just have to be long walks either. A great method of exercise for your beagle can also be playing!

Going to a dog park and throw ing a ball or frisbee with your dog for a while is great exercise and can even be much more fun than walking or jogging around. When walking, make sure to keep your dog on a leash, but in a fenced dog park, you should be fine to let your dog loose for a while.

Disclaimer: Make sure you pick up after your dog when you are out. No one like seeing it, smelling it, or stepping in it.

Self-entertainment? Check!

Something else you will need to make sure is available for your dog to keep them occupied and happy while you are gone at work is a good set of entertaining and intriguing toys for your dog to play with. Dogs get bored too and need something to entertain themselves with besides your shoes and throw pillows when you are gone.

Having fun toys and bones your dog can play with and chew on are a great distraction from your absence. Some of the best toys you can get for your dog are ones that make noises, realistic looking stuffed animals, or rawhide bones are great too. It all depends on your dog’s preferences. But usually something that tastes good, looks appealing, or even makes noises to entice your beagle should do the trick.

Good Puppers Only!

The biggest thing you need to make sure is done before leaving your dog alone for extended amounts of time is to make sure it is well trained and well behaved. Dogs that are trained and well-behaved have a considerably less amount of problems.

Like I stated earlier, beagles tend to have some separation anxiety due to their strong companionship tendencies and this separation anxiety can lead to destructive behavior.

Dogs that are trained have less problems with separation anxiety and destructiveness because they have been taught that their owner is simply going to work and will be back later and that being destructive is not good behavior and warrants punishment.

Beagles can be a harder dog to train, but once they are trained they are very well behaved and have much less problems. When you train your dog, get them used to you going to work and them being home without you so that they are used to and comfortable with it.

Once your dog is well-trained and comfortable with the routine, the two of you shouldn’t have any problems. Just make sure you or someone let your dog out for a bathroom break.

Also, make sure you are exercising your beagle daily to help keep them healthy and happy. As long as you are taking great care of your pup, the two of you will have a great time and will enjoy your routine.

What if I Can’t Provide This For My Dog?

If you can’t or won’t give your dog the necessary attention, give them the exercise they need, or even take basic steps to take care of your pup, then you should probably not get it, find a new home for it, or change your routine to make the time for it.

It totally sucks to have to get rid of our best four-legged friends, but they deserve the best home life we can give them!

If it is a problem of your apartment not giving you enough space, not allowing animals, or even being a bad location for having an animal then you can either do as I stated above and find a better home for your beagle, or you can move somewhere else that is better for both you and your dog. They deserve as much love and attention as we can give them!

Related Questions:

How long should beagles be walked? Beagles need quite a bit of exercise to keep up with their high energy levels. It is best if their walks are about a half hour in length. If exercised enough, you shouldn’t need to walk them more than once a day.

Are beagles good indoor dogs? Beagles are not great indoor dogs because of their curiosity and playful habits. It helps if there are plenty of people around to entertain them and lots of space to run around in. Your beagle will prefer ample time outside playing and exploring with you to satisfy their curiosity and energy needs.