Breeds / Small
Beaglier puppies
The Beaglier is cheerful, affectionate and sociable, happiest in the middle of family life. They need one to two hours of walking a day plus games, and the Beagle nose makes recall unreliable.
The facts
- Size class Small
- A cross of Beagle and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Country of origin Australia
- Adult weight 4.5 to 10 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 10 to 22 lb
- Adult height 30 to 40 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming Low
- Coat type Short to medium smooth
- Typical lifespan 10 to 15 years
- Good with children Reliably good
- Good with other dogs Usually good
About the Beaglier
The Beaglier was first bred in Australia in the 1990s, crossing the Beagle with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to produce a smaller, gentler scent hound. Adults run 4.5 to 10 kg and stand 30 to 40 cm, with a short to medium coat in almost any colour either parent carries. Temperament is cheerful and openly friendly, and most are content in the middle of family life rather than off working a hedgerow by themselves.
Reckon on one to two hours of walking a day plus games, and keep one on a lead or inside a secure garden, because the Beagle nose overrides recall completely. Grooming is a brush twice a week and regular ear checks. Training needs patience and food, since the hound side treats a command as an opening offer. Both parents gain weight readily, so measure meals instead of leaving food down.
A cross, not a breed. The Beaglier is a cross and not a recognised breed, so the UK Kennel Club and other registries publish no standard for them, and the ranges above reflect what is typically seen rather than what is required. Puppies from one litter can favour the Beagle in nose, ear and appetite, or the Cavalier in size and temperament. Most are first crosses of two purebred parents, and later generations bred back to one side shift the type again.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Beaglier puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get them socialised before the vaccination course finishes. They will still need four meals a day. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Mitral valve disease from the Cavalier side, detected as a murmur on auscultation and graded by echocardiogram
- Syringomyelia and Chiari like malformation, diagnosed by MRI scan
- Hip dysplasia, screened by hip scoring radiographs
- Patellar luxation, graded on orthopaedic examination
- Chronic ear infections in the long drop ear, found on otoscopic examination
- Hypothyroidism, diagnosed on a thyroid blood panel
- Idiopathic epilepsy, diagnosed from witnessed seizures with other causes excluded
- Obesity, tracked by regular weighing and body condition scoring, since the Beagle side is strongly food driven
Your Beaglier puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Beaglier.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 4.5 to 10 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 24 inch (24 x 18 x 20 in, 61 x 46 x 51 cm) for an adult of up to 10 kg; chew toys made for small breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other small breeds
More on the Beaglier
Previous: Beagle · Next: Bearded Collie
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- purina.co.uk for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming and the temperament ratings, coat type and country of origin
- petmd.com for health notes
- Health notes from Beaglier breed information at https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/cavalier-king-charles-spaniel. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
Photo: Ekderrig, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.