beagle in apartment

Question
My beagle is just becoming an apartment dog. He is 4yo and really seems to like the indoor life so far, but I've yet to leave him at home alone when I go to work. On a workday, I'll walk him 30min before I leave and then right when I get home from work. What will help keep him occupied for the 8 hours I'm away though? I have one of those toys that can hold food inside, which he really enjoys, but that only keeps his attention for about an hour. Also, I feed him twice a day (morning and night) and am worried about him needing to go to the bathroom while I'm gone. How long does his digestive system take to pass food through? Should I only feed him once a day, in the evening, so that he'll need to go to the bathroom in the morning when I walk him, and not while I'm away?

Answer
Hello!
My beagle is a apartment dog, but she has been since I got her when she was a puppy. Its always good to leave either a radio or television on while you are aways they have very good attention spans and it will help for him to listen to something. The problem that most people have (including myself) from time to time is right when you leave he may bark for a while. Go to wal-mart, target, petsmart, or even a dollar store and get the squeaky toys the latex kind beagles have very much fun with anything that squeaks. Generally at that age it takes 45-60 minutes for food to pass through. I would feed him in the morning and make sure you have time to take him out. 8 hours is a lot for him to hold it so it is vital that you get him out. If you don't have time can you come home for lunch? You could feed him in the morning then take him out at lunch. At that age he needs to eat more than once a day. Try getting the puppy training pads in case he can't hold it. You can always crate/kennel train him that trains him to when he comes out of his kennel he can go straight to the bathroom. A lot of people use them when they are gone all day like this, so they don't get in any trouble and it prevents accidents. I really think that would be a good idea for you to try. You seem very concerned about getting him out to use the bathroom and thats good. Instead of feeding him you can give him rawhides, beggin treats (which are the bacon strips), or whatever you give him already and if you decide to kennel train him then you would place them in the kennel for him. I hope this has helped if you need anymore help please don't hesitate to ask. Best wishes and good luck!