The Black and Tan Beagle is one of the most popular, classic, and standard breeds of Beagle, recognized by the AKC. Beagle is an active, cheerful, and fun-loving medium-sized scent dog. Beagles are known for their commendable sense of smell, and no scent escapes these dogs. They were bred to be hunting dogs and primarily used to hunt hares and rabbits. As a fact, Beagles have approximately 220 million scent receptors that help them follow and smell any scent.
Interestingly, Beagles are multi-colored canines. They are either bi-colored or tri-colored. The AKC recognizes ten different bi-colored coat colors in Beagle as standard. The coat color largely depends on genetics, which can be pretty complex. The parent Beagles each pass on the set of genes to their puppies. The gene can be either recessive or dominant. Apart from the coat colors, all Beagles share the same personality and temperament.
The history of the Beagle is blurry, and believed to be brought to England by the Romans to hunt small rabbits and hares. The origin of its name is believed to be derived from the French words begueule or beugler, meaning open throat and bellowing, respectively. Few others think it may have come from the old English word, beag, meaning small, due to its compact size.
Beagles are gentle, playful, and compact. Though Beagles belong to the hunting group, their petite size, gentleness, floppy ears, and expressive puppy eyes make them appealing as family pets. In addition, they are super friendly and constantly look for a new best friend in every pet or human they encounter. On a lighter note, prepare yourself to be less possessive of your Beagle fur babies before getting one. Interestingly, AKC and the first Beagle Specialty Club were founded in 1884. Also, AKC recognized the first Beagle named, “Blunder,” in the following year, 1885. Beagles are now the seventh most popular breed in America.
Table of Contents
Other Standard Beagle colors Recognized By AKC
Black and Tan
Black, Red, and White
Black, Tan, and Bluetick
Black, Tan, and white
Blue, Tan, and White
Brown and White
Brown, White, and Tan
Lemon and White
Red and White
Tan and White
Black and Tan Beagle Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Family pets
Howls and barks
Pet-friendly
Sheds a lot
Low grooming needs
Difficult to train
Beagle Basic Information
Name: Black and Tan Beagle
Origin: England
Group: Hound dog
Size: Small to medium
Height: 13-15 inches
Weight: 18-30 pounds
Coat: Short and flat
Color: Black and Tan
Energy: High
Activities: Walking, tracking, hiking, playing fetch, companion dogs
Standard Beagle vs. Black and Tan Beagle: A Comparison
Features
Other Standard Beagle
Black and Tan Beagle
Image
Origin
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Height
13 to 15 inches
13 to 15 inches
Weight
18 to 30 pounds
18 to 30 pounds
Size
Small to Medium
Small to Medium
Group
Hound
Hound
Children Compatibility
High
High
Family Compatibility
High
High
Pets Compatibility
High
High
Barking Level
High
High
Shedding Level
Medium
Medium
Hypoallergenic
No
No
Grooming Needs
Medium
Medium
Overall Health
Low
Low
Energy
Medium to High
Medium to High
Exercise Needs
Medium to High
Medium to High
Trainability
Medium to High
Medium to High
Activities
Agility, Conformation, Field Trials, Hunting Tests, Obedience, Rally
Agility, Conformation, Field Trials, Hunting Tests, Obedience, Rally
Complication in breeding
No
No
Litter Size
6 puppies on average
6 puppies on average
Lifespan
10 to 15 years
10 to 15 years
Other Names
English Beagle
English Beagle
Black and Tan Beagle Personality
Black and Tan Beagles have coat colors that will mostly be black. However, the chest, face, legs, ears, and tails are all in tan color. The gene pool decides the Black and Tan color of the coat. To understand the black and Tan coat color, we have to know the basics of the gene game. Genes control the pigments called eumelanin and pheomelanin and determine the occurrence of these pigments.
Interestingly, both these pigments have the default color modified by the gene. Eumelanin is the default black, and pheomelanin is red, ranging from orange, cream, gold, yellow, or tan. In addition, eumelanin affects the eye and nose color, while pheomelanin is produced only in coats and affects the hair color. Thus these pigments create a variety of coat colors in dogs that are again determined by genetics.
Black and Tan Beagles are of two sizes- small and medium. The smaller Beagles weigh 20 pounds, and the larger ones weigh 20-35 pounds. They are small yet powerful dogs. All Beagles are double-coated, and their coats are short and smooth. They are not hypoallergenic and are prone to shedding throughout the year. They shed heavily, especially during the spring season.
Black and Tan Beagles have expressive big, brown puppy eyes, squared floppy ears, and erect tails tipped in white. It is important to note that whatever the puppy’s color, the tail is always listed in white and is called a “flag,” as you can find them from anywhere.
Friendliness Overview
Affection level
High
Family-friendly
High
Kid-friendly
High
Dog-friendly
High
Stranger-friendly
High
Adaptability Overview
Good for apartment living
High
Good for new owners
Medium
Sensitivity level
High
Tolerates being alone
Low
Cold tolerance
Low
Heat tolerance
High
Black and Tan Beagle Temperament
Black and Tan Beagles are active, happy, outgoing, lively, and fun-loving dogs. They are very appealing with their soft, pleading expressions and always lookout for a new friend. Like any other Beagle, they love food, and their focus remains undeterred when it comes to food. They take their food pretty seriously. The exciting part is that they have three different vocalizations – bark/growl, a baying howl, and a half baying howl.
Beagles get along with other animals and strangers quickly. They are scent hounds and escape when they find any exciting smell. However, they get bored when left alone, leading to barking, howling, digging, and even trying to escape. They are kid-friendly and make a good family dog. Their overall temperament includes:
Cheerful
Affectionate
Playful
Possessive
Outgoing
Determined
Black and Tan Beagle Training
Black and Tan Beagles’ noses work more than their brains, and they love to sniff and track the smells. They need to be leash trained to control and prevent them from tracking. We recommend you crate train them at an early stage. Beagles are strong-willed and require proper obedience training, without which they tend to become unruly. They are challenging to train and command and have to be made fun and entertaining. They need to be socialized early with people, animals, and the environment. Their training can include:
Black and Tan Beagles are active, energetic, and need regular exercise. A daily routine of 60 minutes of exercise is ideal for keeping the dog’s mental stimulation intact. Walking twice a day with lots of space to run and play keeps the dog happy and healthy. A proper exercise routine helps the dog with the following benefits:
Social interaction
Weight control
Stress relief
Behavioral corrections like excessive chewing, persistent barking
Black, and Tan Beagles are double-coated and water-resistant.
The coat is short with a high to moderate level of shedding. They don’t require frequent bathing. They are easy to groom, and the coat needs to be brushed 2-3 times per week.
Brushing helps remove clump hair and pull out the loose fur during shedding. One of the essential parts of grooming is bathing which keeps the dog clean. However, frequent bathing causes dry skin and itches.
Bathing your dog using shampoos with balanced pH and pet wipes will keep your dog’s coat fresh, clean, and shiny. You can also bathe once a week. However, daily brushing helps to keep the fur from knots and tangles.
Tropiclean Papaya and Coconut Luxury 2-in-1 Pet Shampoo
Brush their teeth daily to prevent plaque and other dental problems. Never brush the teeth with a stiff brush as it will harm the gums and teeth. Also, make sure to use dog-friendly toothpaste.
Trim their nails. Their toenails need to be checked once a week as longer nails may harm and injure the dog. You can trim the toenails with a commercial dog nail trimmer or with the help of a vet or professional groomer.
The Black and Tan Beagle is a healthy and active dog. Yet, it’s always wise to be aware of the health conditions they are prone to.
Health Overview
General health
Low
Weight gain tendencies
High
Size
Low
Progressive Retinal Atrophy: A degenerative eye disorder that causes blindness from the loss of photoreceptors at the back of the eyes. It can be detected earlier. A very later stage is blindness. Dogs with this condition can survive for several years since they have other senses to compensate.
Hip Dysplasia: Hip dysplasia is outwardly a painful disease that occurs when the bones of the back legs do not fit properly in the joints. While some dogs will exhibit symptoms, the majority of canines will not. Hip dysplasia is primarily genetic, although other causes such as accidents, excessive weight gain, and inappropriate training can also cause it. Even though this disease is fatal, therapies range from medicine to hip replacement surgery. This condition causes defects or damage to the hip bones and joints and worsens without treatment. To avoid this problem, avoid breeding dogs with hip dysplasia parentage and get annual examinations.
Epilepsy: Idiopathic epilepsy is a common hereditary disorder. It frequently causes seizures, ranging from mild to severe. In addition, unusual behaviors may indicate a stroke, such as frantically fleeing as threatened, stumbling, or hiding. Seizures frighten, but dogs with idiopathic epilepsy have a relatively good long-term outlook. Other than unexplained epilepsy, seizures can be induced by metabolic disorders, respiratory illnesses of the brain, malignancies, toxin poisoning, and severe traumatic injury.
Intervertebral disc disease: They inherit this disease from the parent breeds. The disc that separates the spine’s backbone weakens over time and affects the spinal nerve. This causes severe pain and is life-threatening.
Cherry eyes: This condition causes the dog’s third eyelid gland to bulge. It looks reddish in the inner corner of the eye. You can treat cherry eyes in dogs surgically.
Patellar Luxation: It is also known as “slipped stifles,” a common problem in small dog breeds that is caused when the patella, which has three parts-the femur (thigh bone), patella (knee cap), and tibia (calf) — is not correctly bounded. This leads to lameness in the leg or an abnormal gait, like a hop or a skip. This condition is caused by birth, although the misalignment or luxation does not always occur much later. In addition, the rubbing caused by patellar luxation leads to arthritis. There are four patellar luxation grades, ranging from phase I, an occasional luxation causing unstable lameness in the joint, to grade IV, where the turning of the tibia is heavy, and you cannot realign the patella manually. This gives your dog a bow-legged appearance. Uphill grades of patellar luxation may require surgery.
Hypothyroidism: Dogs’ low thyroid levels cause overweight issues, becoming weak and dull. However, it’s not life-threatening.
Distichiasis:An additional row of eyelashes grows on the eye’s oil gland and protrudes along the edge of the eyelid, causing eye irritation. This is treated by a surgery called cryoepilation, in which the excess eyelashes are frozen with liquid nitrogen and then removed.
Glaucoma: This is a painful condition in which the pressure in the eye gets abnormal. The fluid called aqueous humor is produced and drained constantly in the eye. If this fluid doesn’t drain properly, it leads to eye pressure, causing damage to the optic nerve. This results in blindness. There are two types:
Primary Glaucoma: This is hereditary.
Secondary Glaucoma: This condition results from inflammation, tumor, and injury.
Beagle Dwarfism: The dog is smaller, not average in this condition. They may or may not include abnormal conditions such as extremely short legs.
Chinese Beagle Syndrome (CBS): This condition causes broad skulls and slanted eyes. Other than this, the growth is average. Dogs with this condition are prone to heart problems and toe abnormalities.
Musladin-Lueke Syndrome (MLS) causes skin and joint fibrosis. It may lead to epilepsy and other joint issues. Get their DNA tested for this syndrome.
Recommended Tests for Black and Tan Beagles
Cobalamin Malabsorption – Beagle Type (IGS-BEAG)
Factor VII Deficiency (FVIID)
Lafora’s Disease (LAF)
Musladin-Lueke Syndrome (MLS)
Neonatal Cerebellar Cortical Degeneration (NCCD)
Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
Primary Open Angle Glaucoma – Beagle Type (POAG-BEAG)
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA-PRCD)
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA-cord1/crd4)
Black and Tan Beagle Diet and Nutrition
Black and Tan Beagles require a daily amount of 3/4 to 1.5 cups of high-quality dry food divided into two meals. They are active dogs and need the right amount of nourishment. Therefore, you can feed them a well-balanced protein diet and calorie-rich food. However, every dog’s diet depends upon the size, age, metabolism, and activity level. They love to eat and are prone to obesity. Nothing makes them happier than a treat now and then. However, they can be kept healthy and in shape with the nourishing and right amount of meals. At regular intervals, provide your dog with clean and fresh water.
Black and Tan Beagle Living condition
Black and Tan Beagles are scent hounds and must be secured and fenced. They have wandering tendencies, so they have to be leashed and microchipped. They are small in size and have a gentle temperament which allows them to be suitable for apartment living. However, they get bored when left alone and tend to destructive behavior.
Things to remember before adding a Black and Tan Beagle Puppy to your family.
It is best to get a Black and Tan Beagle Puppy or dog from a reputable breeder to prevent unavoidable circumstances. In addition, it is best to visit the puppy’s parents to cross-check its health and happiness. Following health clearance certificates are essential:
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) for hip dysplasia (with a score of fair or better), elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, and von Willebrand’s disease.
Auburn University for thrombopathia.
The Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) for eye conditions.
Always remember the following red flags to avoid backyard breeders and puppy mills.
Puppies are available around the year.
You can choose from a variety of litter that is always available.
We recommend you visit the puppy and his parents and get health clearance and vaccination certificates, to avoid purchasing a weaker puppy.
The cost of a Black and Tan Beagle ranges from $550 to $1000.
