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MediumHound Group

Beagle

The Beagle was developed in England as a scent hound for hunting hare in packs, with the modern breed type emerging in the 1830s.

Calculate Beagle age
Lifespan12.5 yrrange 12–13
SizeMediumHound Group
Weight10–30 lb4.5–13.6 kg
Senior at7 yrgeriatric at 11

Gallery (3)

About

About the Beagle

The Beagle was developed in England as a scent hound for hunting hare in packs, with the modern breed type emerging in the 1830s. It is a consistent AKC top-10 breed — US registration rank 8 — and among the most common breeds in UK VetCompass records.

Aging

How Beagles age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 12.5 years (n=6,230). Idiopathic epilepsy is the defining late-life neurological concern with breed-characteristic juvenile onset; obesity and intervertebral disc disease compound mobility issues in mid-to-late life.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 12.5 yr · range 12–13Senior careSenior at 7 · geriatric at 11Common health issues8 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
10–30 lb(4.5–13.6 kg)
Height
13–15 in(33–38.1 cm)
Coat type
Short
Colors
Red & BlackBlackRedLemonBlue & WhiteBrownWhiteTanBlack & WhiteBlack Tan & RedtickBlack Fawn & WhiteBlue
Temperament

Temperament

How Beagles tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

friendlycuriousmerryvocal
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Hypothyroidism

    Description and veterinary guidance for Hypothyroidism land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~2 yr

    Patellar Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Patellar Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
60min
per day

About 60 minutes of activity per day keeps a Beagle physically and mentally satisfied. Split it between a structured walk and free play.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.