Picking a new dog for the family is never simple, not with the number of breeds out there. A few names come up again and again when people talk about great family dogs, though, and the Beagle is one of them.
So the short version: are Beagles good family dogs?
Beagles make excellent family dogs because they’re social and great with kids. Before you adopt one, though, get to know the breed’s personality, build, diet, and health concerns. That’s how you tell whether a Beagle actually fits your family.
The rest of this covers everything worth knowing about Beagles before you decide, so stick around.
Brief Overview of Beagles
Beagles are a small breed that started out in England as hunting hounds, bred mainly to chase hares and foxes. They’re known for a powerful nose, a short coat, and a near-bottomless supply of energy.
You’ll hear people toss around “American Beagle” and “British Beagle,” but there’s really just one breed.
“Pocket Beagle” is another term you’ll run into. It describes miniature Beagles standing 13 inches or under. They’re rare, though, so don’t go in expecting to find one easily.
Physical Characteristics
You know where they came from and what they’re like in broad strokes. Now for the specifics.
Coat and Colors
Beagles wear short coats in a range of color combinations, though the white, brown, and black mix is the one most people picture.
Common combinations include:
- White and tan
- White and orange
- Red and orange
- White and brown
- Tri-color
Size
Males weigh 22 to 24 lbs, females usually 19.8 to 22 lbs. Males stand about 14 to 16 inches tall, females 13 to 15 inches.
Lifespan
Beagles typically live 12 to 15 years. There are plenty of records of them going well past that, too.
Personality Traits
The Beagle started as a hunting breed, but it was the warm personality that turned it into a family dog.
Beagles tend to be:
- Social and friendly
- Gentle
- Determined
- Intelligent
- Outdoor-loving
- Independent
They come with a few less convenient traits, too:
- Stubbornness
- Destructiveness (when not provided with toys or activities)
- Loving to dig
- Being loud (Beagles are known to bark more than other breeds)
Keep in mind that, much like a kid, a dog’s personality is shaped by how you raise and train it.
Beagles and Kids
That friendly, active streak makes Beagles a natural fit for children. Introduce yours to kids early and it’ll settle in even better. Still, don’t leave them alone together, since play can turn rough fast on either side.
Beagles and Other Pets
Beagles are social and get on well with other pets. Around smaller animals, though, keep an eye on them, since that hunting instinct doesn’t switch off.
Home Alone
Leave a Beagle alone too long and separation anxiety sets in. That’s when the whining starts, and the furniture pays for it.
If you have to leave your dog at home, keep it in a fenced-off area, ideally one with windows, a comfortable bed, and an automatic feeder.
Leave a few favorite toys out, too, so your dog has somewhere to put its stress and extra energy that isn’t your couch.
Health
Every breed has its quirks, and some of those quirks come with a tendency toward specific illnesses. Beagles are no different.
Common Illnesses
Beagles are fairly low-maintenance, but skimp on exercise, diet, or vet care and a handful of health conditions can take hold.
The ones to watch for include:
- Cancer; most commonly bladder cancer
- Cherry eye
- Deafness
- Hypothyroidism
- Intervertebral disk disease
- Epilepsy seizures
- Separation anxiety
If you bring a Beagle home, book regular checkups so anything brewing gets caught early.
Allergies
Beagles catch allergies fairly often, whether seasonal, food-based, or from contact. Run into an allergen and you’ll see a range of symptoms, including:
- Patches in fur or thinning
- Stomach problems, mainly with food allergies.
- Wheezing
- Ear inflammations
- Red-eyes or excessive eye discharge
Diet
How often you feed your dog depends on its age and its current weight.
Puppies (8 Weeks to 6 Months)
Feed puppies at least three meals a day. If the breeder, shelter, or previous owner had them on a certain brand, don’t switch it overnight. Ease the new food in over a week or so.
Puppies act starving and ready for the next meal pretty much always. Don’t cave and free-feed them between their set mealtimes.
Adults (Over 6 Months)
Adult Beagles do best on two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. That leaves room for the snacks and treats you’ll hand out as the day goes on.
Home-Cooked vs Canned
Home-cooked meals let you control exactly what goes into your dog, though they eat up more time than canned or commercial food.
Go the home-cooked route and you’ll want to add vitamins your dog might miss out on, since commercial foods already come dosed with them.
Canned or commercial food is the time-saver, and a nutritious one, as long as you know what to steer clear of.
Ingredients to avoid:
- Food dyes
- Wheat gluten
- Corn
- Rendered fat
- Propylene Glycol
- Chemical preservatives like Ethoxyquin, BHA, and BHT
What to look for in a good canned option:
- Natural preservatives such as vitamin C or E
- Human-grade ingredients
- A balanced amount of vitamins and minerals
- Healthy levels of fats
- Real meat, which can range from chicken to beef, lamb, and fish
Now for the flip side. A few foods should never reach your dog and need to stay well out of reach, including:
- Chocolate
- Caffeine
- Onions
- Raisins
- Grapes
- Raw salmon
- Fruit seeds and cores
Keep treats under 10% of your dog’s daily intake, or they’ll throw the whole feeding schedule off.
And if you’re out of the house a lot and don’t want your dog skipping meals, an automatic feeder is money well spent.
Exercise
Beagles are hunting hounds, and they need real exercise to stay in shape. Cut it short and you risk obesity, which drags joint pain and other musculoskeletal trouble along behind it.
A regular walk around the block, some backyard play, or even treadmill time if you’re in an apartment, is usually enough to keep one fit and content.
An under-exercised Beagle gets moody and short-tempered, and it’ll let the whole building know with loud barking or by tearing something up. Your neighbors won’t thank you, so give your dog the workout it needs.
Living Environment
Beagles love the outdoors and live to stretch their legs in yards and open space. Condos and apartments can feel cramped to one, especially if you don’t get it out regularly.
Fence and gate any yard properly. Beagles are curious by nature and will chase any scent that catches their nose. Use a well-embedded fence, too, because these dogs are expert diggers and will tunnel their way out.
Don’t leave your dog outside too long either, or boredom kicks in and the digging and howling start.
That love of digging extends to trash cans if they’re not stored right. A heavy-lidded can or a stow-away bin solves it.
Puppy or Adult?
For families with newborns, we lean toward a Beagle in early adulthood. Puppies take time and patience to train, and that’s hard to spare with a newborn in the house.
Beagle puppies are ridiculously cute and tough to pass up. Only take one on if you’re ready to pour in the hours it takes to train and housebreak it properly.
Special Considerations
Beagles don’t ask for special treatment, but a few things are worth knowing before you adopt one.
- Despite having short coats, Beagles are known to shed a lot, so be prepared for regular grooming.
- Beagles are escape artists, and so it’s strongly recommended that you don’t let them off the leash or leave them in an unfenced area.
- Don’t leave your Beagle unsupervised if you live in an apartment. Also, don’t leave them in the yard for too long, as their loud howling and barking could upset the neighbors.
- Due to their inherent stubbornness, they can be a little difficult to housebreak and train.
- Beagles shouldn’t be left unattended with small animals like hedgehogs, rabbits, hamsters, and so forth, as they may try to hunt them and present them to you as a gift, so to speak.
Final Thoughts
Beagles are terrific family dogs. They’re social, active, and wonderful with kids. They’re also low-maintenance next to something like a Border Collie or a Hungarian Puli, so you won’t spend every spare hour keeping one happy.
On top of that, Beagles get along with other animals, which makes them a smart pick for a multi-pet household. Adopt one and you’ll fall for it as hard as we have.