Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Beagle Breed Overview
- History of the Beagle Breed. Where Beagles came from
- What the Beagle Looks Like
- How Much is the Beagle Puppy?
- Best Beagle Breeders
- Beagle Growth
- What Colors do Beagles Have?
- The Temperament of the Beagle
- How Long Beagles Live
- Beagle Litter Size
- How Fast Beagles Can Run
- Good Names for Beagles
- How Intelligent are Beagles?
- How Popular are Beagles with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Beagles and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Beagle
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Beagles
- Other Things to Know About Beagles
Beagle Breed Overview
The Beagle is a small-sized dog.
The adult Beagle stands 13 to 15 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Beagle belongs to the Hound Dogs group.
Dogs in the Hound Dogs group, like the Beagle, were bred to pursue and hunt warm-blooded animals. Hounds hunt by using their good sight or their good sense of smell. Dogs that belong to the Hound Group have strong prey drives and often will stop at nothing to catch what they are pursuing.
The fact that the Beagle belongs to the Hound Dogs group is one of the reasons why Beagles have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Beagle is generally described as:
- Amiable
- Determined
- Even Tempered
- Excitable
- Gentle
- Intelligent
History of the Beagle Breed. Where Beagles came from
The term “beagle” is thought to have originated from a French term for “open throat.
” This is thought to have been a direct reference to the noisy baying of this pup.
It is thought that this skilled tracker may have descended from pack dogs before the Roman era, though their history is not widely known.
The Talbot Hound, North Country Beagle, and Southern Hound were bred to create the modern dog, which is thought to have been created in the 1800s.
They were also bred to have a strong hunting instinct and be a laid-back breed.
There was an effort to alter the breed in the early 1900s by trying to standardize its size and disposition.
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What the Beagle Looks Like
This solid dog appears strong, lean, and muscular.
The front legs are bone-heavy and straight.
The feet are round and have strong pads, and the legs are of a comparable length.
They usually have robust, well-muscled hips and thighs.
In a typical attitude, the Beagle seems to have a dominant posture.
Their low-set, long, broad ears are rounded at the tip.
Black and tan, black red and white, black tan and bluetick, black tan and white, blue tan and white, brown and white, brown white and tan, lemon and white, red and white, tan and white, and with ticked markings are among the colors of the short, smooth coat.
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How Much is the Beagle Puppy?
The average price of a Beagle puppy is $1160. The price of a Beagle puppy ranges from $650 to $1450.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Beagle. These factors include what health records the Beagle puppy has, the lineage of the Beagle puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Beagle based on the many factors that determine the price of the Beagle puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Beagle puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Beagle breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Beagle Breeders
We have researched reputable Beagle breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Beagle breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
The Whim
Puppy Price: $450.00
Show Beagle CH Windy Acresu00ae NC USA
Puppy Price: $600
SARAH LIGHT
Puppy Price: $600
Tony Gatollari
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Derek Callahan
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Beagle Growth
New Beagle owners need to know about the growth of their Beagles. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Beagle will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Beagle early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Beagle puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Beagle at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Beagle
What Colors do Beagles Have?
Beagles come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Tricolor (Brown, Black, & White)
- Bicolor
- Black
- Brown / Chocolate
- Red / Chestnut / Orange
- White / Cream
- Yellow / Tan / Blond / Fawn
- Apricot / Beige
- Brindle
- Gray / Blue / Silver
- Merle (Blue)
The Temperament of the Beagle
The temperament of the Beagle based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Beagle for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Beagle here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Separation Related Behavior | 62.0 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 57.6 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 56.7 percent |
| Stubbornness | 54.7 percent |
| Excitability | 50.7 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 48.8 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 47.9 percent |
| Prey Drive | 46.7 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 45.9 percent |
| Energy Level | 45.5 percent |
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 44.9 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 41.6 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 32.4 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 29.9 percent |
How Long Beagles Live
The lifespan of the Beagle is typically from 10 to 15 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the Beagle. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 241 pet Beagles lived.
From the study, it was found that Beagles have an average lifespan of 12.6 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for Beagles to live as long as 17.7 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your Beagle to live long.
Beagles live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your Beagle to improve your Beagle`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your Beagle live long.
Beagle Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 113 different Beagle birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Beagles can have is 5 puppies. Also, the Beagle can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 10 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Beagle will have depends on factors such as the age of the Beagle, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Beagle will have and how the litter size of the Beagle compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Beagles Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 220 different Beagles, the average speed of the Beagle is 19.6 mph (31.6 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Beagle ran in a race is 27.58 mph (44.4 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Beagle is 6.16 mph (9.9 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Beagle compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Beagles
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Beagle ranked by popularity:
- Buddy
- Charlie
- Milo
- Copper
- Bobby
- Scout
- Luke
- Cooper
- Lucky
- Eli
How Intelligent are Beagles?
| Beagle | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 72 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 80 To 100 Repetitions Or More! |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Beagle has an obedience intelligence rank of 72 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Beagles in the `Lowest Degree of Working/Obedience Intelligence Dogs` category.
This means that Beagles tend to learn new commands after 80 to 100 repetitions or more!.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Labrador Retriever | 7 |
| Papillon | 8 |
| Australian Cattle Dog | 10 |
| Miniature Schnauzer | 12 |
| Belgian Tervuren | 14 |
| Belgian Sheepdog | 15 |
| Cardigan Welsh Corgi | 26 |
| Border Terrier | 30 |
| Samoyed | 33 |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | 34 |
| American Water Spaniel | 44 |
| Bichon Frise | 45 |
| American Foxhound | 46 |
| Dachshund | 49 |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback | 52 |
| Skye Terrier | 55 |
| Pug | 57 |
| Chihuahua | 67 |
| Shih Tzu | 70 |
| Afghan Hound | 79 |
How Popular are Beagles with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Beagle.
The popularity of the Beagle averaged over the years is Number 5 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Beagles and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Beagle is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Beagle puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Beagle breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Beagles for:
- Advanced Cardiac Evaluation
- Autoimmune thyroiditis
- Cardiac Evaluation
- Clear By Parentage
- Eye Examination
- FACTOR VII Deficiency
- Hip Dysplasia
- MLS
- Patellar Luxation
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Beagles here.
How to Take Care of Beagle
To take good care of your Beagle, you need to make sure that you groom your Beagle regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Beagle regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Beagle`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Beagle daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Beagle.
Also, you need to feed your Beagle high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Beagle from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Beagle and how much food to feed the Beagle at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Beagle has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Beagle needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Beagles
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Beagle.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Beagle:
- Beaglier (80 percent match with Beagle). Learn more about the Beaglier here.
- Cairn Terrier (71 percent match with Beagle). Learn more about the Cairn Terrier here.
- English Cocker Spaniel (70 percent match with Beagle). Learn more about the English Cocker Spaniel here.
- Manchester Terrier (72 percent match with Beagle). Learn more about the Manchester Terrier here.
- Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen (76 percent match with Beagle). Learn more about the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen here.
Other Things to Know About Beagles
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Beagle that you need to know about the Beagle breed: