Beagle

Beagles are one of the better choices for a family with children. Expect a medium-sized dog that is high-energy, sheds a normal amount and needs very little grooming. Fine alone for a few hours.

Source: American Kennel Club breed standard.

The Beagle is a scent hound bred to hunt rabbits in packs, and two things follow from that with total reliability. First, the nose runs the dog. A Beagle on a trail is not being disobedient when it ignores you — it is doing precisely what centuries of breeding designed it to do, which is why recall is the single hardest thing to teach one and why a securely fenced garden is not optional. Second, pack dogs are sociable, so Beagles are cheerful with children, other dogs and strangers alike, and they hate being alone. They are also loud: the breed has a distinctive bay that carries a long way, which matters if you have neighbours. Sturdy, cheerful, food-obsessed and prone to putting on weight.

Day to day. High-energy — this is a dog that needs a real outlet every single day, not a stroll. Skip that and you get chewing, barking and digging, which is not naughtiness, it is boredom. On noise, it is very vocal, so thin walls and close neighbours are worth thinking about.

The coat, honestly. This breed sheds a normal amount and needs very little grooming. A brush a few times a week and the occasional tidy-up keeps it in good order.

Being left alone. Fine alone for a few hours. A few hours is fine; a full working day, every day, is asking a lot.

Training. Needs an experienced handler. That does not mean badly behaved — it means this breed thinks for itself, and it will not do something just because you asked. First-time owners often find it frustrating.

• You want a dog with a reputation for putting up with children
• Someone in the house genuinely wants to run, hike or train most days
• You want a dog whose coat looks after itself
• You are watching the budget and want one of the cheaper dogs to run

• Your daily walk is really a quick trip round the block
• You share walls with neighbours who need quiet
• You want a dog that does as it is told the first time

Rough running cost: $ (one of the cheaper ones) — because there is no single expensive thing about it — just the normal food, vet and insurance costs every dog brings.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Rescues do have Beagles and Beagle crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.