What Are the Traits and Care Requirements of a Beagle?

Beagle: a compact hound with a short coat

The Beagle has a sturdy, compact outline, a short coat and long ears that hang close to the cheeks. Its FCI description calls for substance without coarseness. The rounded ear tips and hanging ear shape make a clear visual contrast with the French Bulldog’s upright ears.

A simple coat, a distinct outline

The coat is described as short, dense and weatherproof. That differs from the Border Collie’s moderately long or smooth coat varieties, both of which have a soft, dense undercoat. The contrast is worth looking at before treating either breed’s size or grooming category as the whole picture.

The Beagle standard gives 33 cm as a desirable minimum height and 40 cm as a desirable maximum. It supplies no numeric weight. The separate publisher description below is a different kind of information from a breed standard.

Compare the guide’s time and space entries

The earlier UK guide places the Beagle in the small category, with weekly grooming and up to one hour of daily exercise. It lists a small house and a small or medium garden, in town or country.

The Border Collie is listed with more than two hours of exercise, grooming more than once a week and a large garden. These are useful differences to consider when planning your day, while remembering that the guide is earlier information rather than an individual care schedule.

Choose a useful comparison

The French Bulldog comparison puts two small, short-coated dogs beside each other. The Border Collie comparison brings a larger difference in coat, exercise and garden categories into view.