Breed Profile
Beagles are small dogs with incredibly powerful noses. They love hunting and will follow any interesting scent they come across. Beagles are friendly and playful, but they do like to do things their own way. If you’re okay with a strong-minded dog, a Beagle’s spunky, fun and friendly personality will steal your heart.
Behavior
Beagles love to hunt and would follow an intriguing scent to the end of the earth if you let them, so only let them go off-leash when you know that it’s safe. You’ll find that a good way to motivate a Beagle is with food. They love to eat and will chow down on anything they can get ahold of, so be careful with where you store food. Beagles have a loud voice, which they use to find other members of their pack, tell you they miss you, or announce that they’re excited about a scent they’ve come across. They are usually friendly and outgoing toward new people.
Coat
A Beagle’s short hair is relatively low-maintenance. Brushing their hair or going through it with a hound mitt once or twice a week will get rid of anything they’ve brought back into the house with them and help remove dead hair. Beagles do shed, but these weekly brushings will help cut back on the amount of hair you find in your house. You generally won’t need to bathe a Beagle more than a few times a year, unless they find something particularly pungent to play in.
Lifestyle
Beagles will be happy in any living situations, as long as they get their daily exercise. The happiest Beagles have access to a large, safe, outdoors play area but can come back inside to live with their families. They are friendly playmates with children and most other dogs. Beagles can learn to get along with cats if raised with them, but remember, they’re hunting dogs, so keep an eye on them when they’re together just to be sure.
Activity
Beagles love hunting, but their favorite part about this activity is being allowed to follow their nose to their heart's content. If you’re a hunter, take them with you in the field and you’ll have a faithful ally always. They’ll also enjoy long walks or hikes, especially if you let them stick their nose around to investigate what else has been in the area. Plan to give your Beagle 30 minutes to an hour of exercise every day, although they’ll go for longer if you let them.
Characteristics
Space Needs
Activity Needs
Intelligence
Playfulness
Grooming Needs
Trainability
Watch Ability
Dog-friendliness
Child-friendliness
About the Beagle
Beagles are small, sweet dogs who let their noses make their decisions. They were born to hunt, and they’re exceptionally good at using their noses to sniff out furry little critters or people food. In fact, Beagles are extremely motivated by food, which comes in handy when training them. You’ll always want to make sure your trash cans are secure and the dog food is out of reach, as you’ll be surprised at the lengths these little guys will go to get a snack! Thankfully, Beagles aren’t too big, which means most things are out of reach for them. Plus, their diminutive stature makes them the perfect size to play with children of any age!
Breed information reviewed by the Puppies.com editorial team. Helping families find their perfect puppy since 2003.
Beagle Quick Facts
20–30 lbs
Adult Weight
13–15"
Adult Height