Animal register · DogIn the app
Beagle
The Beagle is a small scent hound from Great Britain, bred to hunt hare by following a scent. Its standard describes a sturdy, compactly built, merry hound — bold, active and alert, amiable and showing no aggression or timidity — with a short, dense coat in hound colours such as tricolour, tan and white or lemon and white, and always a white tip to the tail.
It needs up to about an hour of exercise a day and suits family life well if it is socialised from a young age, though it should be supervised with children and not left alone, when it may bark and chew things. Its short coat needs a weekly brush but it sheds. Training should start early and use rewards. UK vets most often see Beagles for weight gain and dental disease, so portions and teeth need watching.
Available in the 12-week PetPrep Challenge (paid breed).
Updated:
At a glance
- Size
- small — The Royal Kennel Club S113
- Adult weight
- 9–11 kg — PDSA S115
- Daily exercise
- up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S113
- Brushing
- once a week — The Royal Kennel Club S113
- Shedding
- sheds — The Royal Kennel Club S113
Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.
Who it suits
The same tags as in the app. Each tag is backed by the sources listed at the bottom of the page.
What it needs
From breed standards, kennel clubs, veterinary charities and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.
Exercise
- Daily exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S113
Coat and grooming
Meals
General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):
Lifespan
Life stages
- Reaches adult size at: about 9–12 months (guidance for its size class) — PetMD S10
General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):
Size and weight
Training
Questions and answers
Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.
How much exercise does a Beagle need?
According to our sources, the Beagle needs this much exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S113.
How long does a Beagle live?
According to our sources, the lifespan of the Beagle is: median 11.28 years — Companion Animal Health and Genetics 12 S116; more than 12 years — The Royal Kennel Club S113. The sources give different values, so each one is listed.
How big does a Beagle get and how much does it weigh?
Size and adult weight of the Beagle, according to our sources: Size: small — The Royal Kennel Club S113; Adult weight: 9–11 kg — PDSA S115.
Game rules, not veterinary advice
How PetPrep simulates it
In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.
| Life stage | Starts | Meals a day | Daily step goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puppy | arrives at 2 months | 4; from month 3: 3; from month 6: 2 | 1,000 steps per month of age (2,000 on arrival), up to 6,000 from month 6 |
| Young dog | month 9 | 2 | 6,000 steps |
| Adult | month 36 (3 years) | 2 | 6,000 steps |
| Senior | month 102 (8.5 years) | 2 | 4,500 steps |
- Step goal = minutes of daily exercise × 100 steps: an adult gets 1 hour, so 6,000 steps a day.
- Learns commands more slowly than the mixed breed of the free plan (0.5× its speed).
- Becomes a senior in month 102 (8.5 years) — the last quarter of the breed's expected lifespan.
- Walks count real steps from Apple Health or Health Connect (with permission, read-only) and the phone's motion sensor — no GPS.
- Combing once a week.
Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — PetMD, AAHA, Dogs Trust, ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Royal Kennel Club, Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, Wikipedia, British Journal of Sports Medicine, Companion Animal Health and Genetics 12 S10S11S14S18S19S21S24S35S45S113S116
Health
For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.
- Puts on weight easily — portions and treats need watching. — Companion Animal Health and Genetics 12 S116
- Epilepsy, a brain disorder that can cause seizures, occurs in the breed. — PDSA S115
- Intervertebral disc disease, a problem with the cushioning discs between the bones of the back, occurs in the breed. — PDSA S115
Before you buy: what to check with the breeder
Questions to settle before you take a puppy home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and kennel clubs; each cites its source.
For every breed
- See the puppy with its mother, where it was born. — PDSA, RSPCA K1K2
- The puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age. — PDSA K1
- Ask for the pedigree. Under FCI rules a pedigree may be issued for correct parentage only. — FCI K7
- Ask to see the health-test results of both parents. Which tests matter depends on the breed. — PDSA, British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K1K9K10
- National kennel clubs can set breeding rules that go beyond the FCI's — ask the breed club which tests the parents need. — FCI K7
- Ask for a written sale contract that records the puppy's background and health. — British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K9K10
Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.
Health tests of the parents for this breed
Tests the Royal Kennel Club recommends as a minimum
Further tests for best practice
These lists come from the UK's Royal Kennel Club and are an orientation; national kennel clubs can set their own, stricter rules. Ask the breed club and the breeder which tests the parents have done.
Similar breeds
Other dogs in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.
Sources
Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.
- S10PetMD — S. C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, 2025-05-20 — When Do Dogs Stop Growing?https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/when-do-dogs-stop-growing
- S11AAHA — 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines — Canine life stage definitionshttps://www.aaha.org/resources/life-stage-canine-2019/canine-life-stage-definitions/
- S14Dogs Trust (UK) — Caring for an older doghttps://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/at-home/looking-after-an-older-dog
- S18ASPCA — General Dog Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
- S19VCA Animal Hospitals (2025-02-21) — Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/pets-first/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-your-dog
- S21The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Puppy feeding tipshttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/puppy-feeding-tips
- S24Purdue University Canine Welfare Science (content: Pet Leadership Council 2019, bedogsmart.com) — Dog Fitness and Exercise (PDF)https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dog-Fitness-and-Exercise.pdf
- S35Wikipedia — The Intelligence of Dogshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
- S45British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) — Tudor-Locke C. et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097628https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6029645
- S111FCI — FCI-Standard N° 161 — Beagle, EN (PDF)https://dev.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/161g06-en.pdf
- S112FCI — Breeds nomenclature — Beagle (161)https://www.fci.be/EN/nomenclature/BEAGLE-161.html
- S113The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Breeds A–Z: Beaglehttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/hound/beagle/
- S115PDSA (UK veterinary charity) — Beagle breed informationhttps://pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/medium-dogs/beagle
- S116Companion Animal Health and Genetics 12 (2025) — O'Neill D. G., Schiksnis M. R., Brodbelt D. C., Church D. B., Goldberg S., Engdahl K. S. Beagles kept as companion animals in the UK – demography, disorders and mortality. doi:10.1186/s40575-024-00140-9https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40575-024-00140-9
- K1PDSA — Getting a puppyhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/getting-a-puppy
- K2RSPCA — Buying a puppyhttps://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy
- K7FCI (copy hosted by Norsk Kennel Klub) — International Breeding Rules of the FCIhttps://nkk2023.stage22.coretrek.no/getfile.php/131987377-1520848467/Dokumenter/Registrering/FCIs%20avlsregler%202013.pdf
- K9British Veterinary Association — What should you consider when buying a puppy?https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/what-should-you-consider-when-buying-a-puppy/
- K10FOUR PAWS UK — Questions to ask when buying a puppyhttps://www.four-paws.org.uk/our-stories/publications-guides/questions-to-ask-when-buying-a-puppy
PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.
Ready for a pet?
Be among the first families to try PetPrep. We will email you when it is ready — nothing else.