We have a beagle Sam who is a very loving and gentle dog, but also has some characteristics that are annoying...We did research dogs before we purchased Sam(full name is Samwise Gangi from LOTR)but probably not enough...Beagles will eat without stopping, and their thirst is insatiable..We have to close our bathroom doors because he will drink out of the toilet bowl and I have that blue stuff in there to clean it..He has wanted more water so badly that he has jumped up to the top shelf of our pantry to get a water bottle and bit it open.He will also knock over soda cans my kids leave of the table and lick up the spilled mess...When he is walked he doesn't walk slowly and tends to pull, so we had to get him a harness..Beagles are hunters and retrievers by nature so when he does walk he practically inhales the ground up into his lungs with all of his intense sniffing...I watch neighbors walk their dogs and it is a nice gentle slow trot..not so with Sam...The vet told me that Sam should walk at least 5 miles a day but that is impossible..What I fould with our beagle is that he is gentle, loving, affectionate, loyal, active, fun, full of energy, and he also loves and is great with my 5 children...If someone asked me if I would recommend a beagle I would probably say no..Sam has a very loud, very deep bark that hounds have, so I am not able to leave him outside due to complaints from the neighbor..If you want a dog to take for gentle nice walks a beagle may not be the best one...I have had Sam for almost 3 years now and he stills hunts the ground when we go for long walks, and also chases squirrels, cats, and skunks...For temperment though I found the beagle to be a loving gentle dog...I think because I do not have an enclosed backyard for him to stay outside, I probably should have gotten a smaller dog, that needs less time to expend energy..