Male beagle 1-2

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. Full-grown, they typically weigh 20-30 pounds and stand 13-15 inches tall.

Beagles are generally excellent with children of all ages. 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. They're fairly vocal dogs that bark regularly.

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. Overall, their exercise needs are high.

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. Grooming-wise, this breed is low-maintenance.

Beagles are best suited for a home with a yard, though they can adapt to apartment life with enough 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 moderately trainable with consistent effort.