About Beagles

Most of the people who contact us and buy beagle puppies are looking for a beagle because they have had one before. That tells you something about the breed.  There is no other testimonial better than the fact that people who have had beagles want to continue having beagles.

They love people, and are a healthy and low-maintenance breed.  As they are so cheerful, gentle, and upbeat, they are generally great with kids.  Beagles are happy-go-lucky dogs that are a pleasure to be around.

We love our beagles for the same reasons that have made them a Top 10 Dog for decades...their abundant love for people and gentleness with children. Readers Digest lists them first in their Top 10 Breeds for families with children. Squidoo web site says: "These dogs are probably the ideal dog for any family, especially one with small children. Beagles are good with children of all ages."

Beagles are a small to medium sized dog (generally 11" to 15" tall and 15 to 30 lbs....our puppies vary in size, depending upon the parents) with short hair and good health. The average life span of a Beagle is 12 to 15 years.  They are fairly minimal shedders, which is another benefit of owning a beagle! In fact, chocolate tri and lilac tri beagles shed even less than the other colors in our experience...though it could be that their hairs are a neutral color that just hides better. But, they are not "non-shedding."

Beagles don't require baths very often,
but it can be fun to suds them up from time to time!

While beagles are a very healthy purebred dog, they can have some common health problems, as can all breeds. Conditions sometimes seen in beagles include cherry eye, obesity, and ear infections. Other more rare problems include epilepsy and arthritis. I rarely hear of epilepsy in beagles, so imagine it is a very small percentage of beagles that have it. Arthritis...the older a beagle gets, the more likely it might have arthritis...just like people!  Because beagles are often used in lab testing (due to their small size, good nature under even poor circumstances), a great deal is known about their health when compared to other breeds.

The best beagle environment includes a high-percentage of partnered time (either with people or with another beagle) and room to play.  House beagles will appreciate and need daily walks, as beagles have been bred for centuries to be working dogs, and need exercise and "sniff time."  A fenced-in back yard is ideal for a beagle!

Beagle Advantages

• Extremely friendly dogs
• Known to be good pets for children due to their good dispositions (they are on the Readers Digest Top 10 Breeds for Families with Children)
• Fairly minimal shedders (they do shed more in the spring)
• Crave human relationships
• Get along well with other dogs
• Very healthy compared to most pure breeds. See our "Learn More About Beagles" page to read about the health problems that are sometimes seen in beagles.
• Come in a variety of sizes, from 10" tall to 15" tall
• Hardy, and can live indoors or out in all seasons. Even in cold climates, beagles can live outside with access to an insulated/enclosed dog house. We had one years ago that wanted to sleep in the hay barn at night with the barn cats...they all snuggled together in the hay. Of course, most do appreciate climate control, though! :-)

Beagle Disadvantages

• Love to follow scents (rabbits especially), and get sidetracked easily
• Should be taught early to respond to "come."
• Prone to getting overweight if allowed to eat at will
• They don't bark often, but when they do, it is loud! 
• Beagle puppies bark quite a lot right after weaning, and may bark for a few days in their new home when left alone...loudly. :-)
• Beagles are probably not the best choice for a dog if you live in an apartment, work a lot of hours, and don't plan to go for a walk/run every day with your dog.
• Beagles are possibly difficult to train beyond the normal/basic commands. Too much schooling is not fun for a beagle. They would rather snuggle or play with you than spend hours learning to walk through a hoop tunnel or jump over a meaningless board set up on blocks. But, many successfully do agility classes! Make your training fun, and a beagle will be happy.