Beagle Dog
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Beagle Age
Overview
As you know, dogs do not age as humans do. Also, not all dog breeds age at the same rate.
Quite a while ago, it was thought that all dogs aged 7 years for each human year. That can be thought of as a rough estimate.
The age and growth of a Beagle depends mainly on the size of the dog. For example, medium sized dogs will age completely differently than small sized dogs. Let's look at the age of your Beagle and important milestones in the life of a Beagle.
Quite a while ago, it was thought that all dogs aged 7 years for each human year. That can be thought of as a rough estimate.
The age and growth of a Beagle depends mainly on the size of the dog. For example, medium sized dogs will age completely differently than small sized dogs. Let's look at the age of your Beagle and important milestones in the life of a Beagle.
Birth to 2 Weeks
The Beagle is born without sight (eyes stay closed) and the pup has no sense of smell. Completely dependent on its mother, the pup will stay close for warmth and nutrition. If rejected by the dam, it will be the owner of the litter to keep the pup alive by tube feeding or bottle feeding. Newborns must be handled very gently; however touching should be done. Each puppy should be weighed each day.
3 Weeks
Eyes will begin opening now and vision will become clearer as the weeks go on. Hearing is developing as well. Still staying near its mother, the Beagle puppy will begin to move around, perhaps venturing away just a bit. In most cases, at this point, the pup is not barking. Some will make whimpering and/or whispering sounds. Human touching should increase, to allow the 3 week old Beagle to slowly become accustomed to human touch and voice.
4 Weeks
What a big change ! The 4 week old Beagle is now vocal and wants to explore the world. An extra box can be added onto the whelping box to make a "play room" for the litter. Littermates are now playing with each other, learning important socialization skills. The most important one is the act of biting. When a pup "play bites" another pup, it will be the sharp "Yelp" that lets the puppy know that they bit too hard.
While still receiveing nutrition from the dam, weaning will slowly begin. The pup will receive mom's milk but also begin eating a soupy mixture that perhaps the pup for a day (not long from now) when he or she is independent.
Human socialization is very important beginning at this age and on. If the pup will be going to a new home, it is at this age up until 8 weeks that the owner should be preparing the puppy to become used to normal household noises, having its paws touched, gently being held, etc.
The first de-worming should be done.
6-7 Weeks
Exploration and curiosity is ruling the Beagle puppy's daily life right now. Tired of the whelping box, the pup wants to explore the home. Care must be taken to puppy-proof all rooms that the Beagle pup has access to. The weaning stage is almost done, as the pup's main source of nutrition is watered down puppy food. In many cases, the entire litter may be paper trained (although outside training should begin at 8 weeks old). The pup should be responding to its name and socialized to all touching and normal household noises (such as the doorbell, TV, washing machine sounds, etc.)
At 6 weeks, the 2nd de-worming should be done.
What a big change ! The 4 week old Beagle is now vocal and wants to explore the world. An extra box can be added onto the whelping box to make a "play room" for the litter. Littermates are now playing with each other, learning important socialization skills. The most important one is the act of biting. When a pup "play bites" another pup, it will be the sharp "Yelp" that lets the puppy know that they bit too hard.
While still receiveing nutrition from the dam, weaning will slowly begin. The pup will receive mom's milk but also begin eating a soupy mixture that perhaps the pup for a day (not long from now) when he or she is independent.
Human socialization is very important beginning at this age and on. If the pup will be going to a new home, it is at this age up until 8 weeks that the owner should be preparing the puppy to become used to normal household noises, having its paws touched, gently being held, etc.
The first de-worming should be done.
6-7 Weeks
Exploration and curiosity is ruling the Beagle puppy's daily life right now. Tired of the whelping box, the pup wants to explore the home. Care must be taken to puppy-proof all rooms that the Beagle pup has access to. The weaning stage is almost done, as the pup's main source of nutrition is watered down puppy food. In many cases, the entire litter may be paper trained (although outside training should begin at 8 weeks old). The pup should be responding to its name and socialized to all touching and normal household noises (such as the doorbell, TV, washing machine sounds, etc.)
At 6 weeks, the 2nd de-worming should be done.
Tip: While all small items should be removed from the floors of the home, it is pennies that are the #1 cause little puppies choking and/or being poisoned by small objects.8 Weeks
The 2 month old Beagle puppy is now weaned from the dam and more confident in regard to exploring and playing in the home. He or she is becoming used to its name and to simple commands. The pup understands where the food and water dishes are. He or she wants to play and have a human connection. It is at this age that most puppies (if not staying at their original home) will be ready to join their new family.
9 Weeks - The puppy should know its name and be on its way to understanding house training rules. The 3rd de-worming should be done.
12 Weeks - The puppy should know its name and be on its way to understanding house training rules. The 4th de-worming should be done. The pup should be understanding simple commands and should be adjusted well to the home.
4 Months (16 Weeks) - The puppy will be more receptive to training for barking and socialization issues. House training should be mastered, it may be normal for a few accidents to still occur (especially if the pup is left alone for more than 4 hours). The 5th de-worming should be done.
6 Months - In most cases, it is recommended to now switch your Beagle from puppy food to a high quality dog food, formulated for small breed dogs. Puppy food contains many more calories than dog food and if this change is not made, the Beagle may become overweight. The change should take place over the course of several weeks. Combine both foods and slowly make an increasing change of puppy to dog food ration, until the Beagle has become used to its new food.
1 Year - The Beagle puppy is now 1 years old, fully trained in all aspects and a well adjusted member of the household. While the dog's weight gain will be much slower now, the dog is filling out as the skeleton system is reaching maturity. The last de-worming will be done (unless the dog develops worms at a later stage in life).
1 1/2 Years (18 Months) - The adult skeletal system is now completely formed and weight will also remain steady. The Beagle well trained, socialized and able (and wanting) to exercise at least twice per day. It is recommended to offer a steady walk of 1 mile and a 2nd dose of cardio exercise.
Tip: Each breed grows at its own rate. There are growth spurts and times of slower growth. We do have a complete Beagle growth and weight chart. This is available, along with other very important information, in the Beagle Pro E-Book, yours to download in about 2 minutes. Age Chart
Your Beagle will not age 7 human years for each year of his or her life. Studies now show that this breed ages much differently. The age chart is primarily based on the size and weight of the dog and then growth/age spurts are calculated in.
| Beagle Years |
= Human Years |
Beagle Years |
= Human Years | Beagle Years |
= Human Years |
4 |
20 | 5 | 30 | 6 | 40 |
| 7 | 44 | 8 | 48 | 9 | 52 |
| 10 | 56 | 11 | 60 | 12 | 64 |
| 13 | 68 | 14 | 72 | 15 | 76 |
