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Age

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. We now know a lot more about how specific breeds age.

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.

In this section, we will take a closer look at:
  • Milestones for growing pups
  • Age equivalency
  • Maturity milestones
Beagle newborn puppy
Beagle newborn puppy

Growth Milestones

Birth to 2 Weeks

The Beagle is born without sight (eyes stay closed) and the pup has no sense of smell. The newborn also has no baby teeth yet. 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, it is essential to gradually teach them to be accustomed to the human touch as it is the very beginnings of socialization. 
Each puppy should be weighed each day to ensure that they are receiving enough nutrition.
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 receiving 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 a mush of puppy food and milk replacer. 

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.
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. 
coy Beagle puppy
coy Beagle puppy
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.

Beagle Age Equivalency 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 Age     Human Equivalent
 1                                          6
 2                                         12
 3                                         18
 4                                         24
 5                                         30
 6                                         35
 7                                         40
 8                                         45
 9                                         50
10                                        55
11                                        60
12                                        65
13                                        70
14                                        75
15                                        80
Next, we'll cover maturity milestones and some general facts

Maturity Milestones

Birth to 8 weeks: newborn

8 weeks to 6 month: Young puppy

6 months to 1 year: Maturing puppy

18 months: A Beagle is officially an adult. However, since a Beagle is the age equivalency of a young human child, he will still have puppy-like tendencies and is considered a young adult dog at this time.

18 months to 3 years: Young adult

3 years to 9 years:  Full adult. A 3 year old Beagle is now the age equivalent of an 18 year old human. This breed is much calmer by this age. 

9 Years and on: Senior; there is no official age that a Beagle becomes a senior dog. Veterinarians will make this declaration based on a dog's health, mobility and other factors. Therefore, a Beagle will be pronounced a senior sometime between 9 and 10 years old.

Facts About Growth & Maturity

1) Final Beagle size is usually reached by the 18-month mark. In general, the smaller a dog’s final adult weight, the sooner he or she will stop growing. 

Therefore, if your Beagle is genetically predetermined to be 20 pounds, he may be done growing by 14 months as opposed to another that is genetically predetermined to be 25 pounds and stops growing at 18 months.

2) Most Beagle puppies will grow in both height and weight very notably until 12 months and then it will slow down considerably, with small gains up until 14 to 18 months. 

3) Even if a Beagle is done developing in both height and weight before 18 months, the growth plates will not fully close until the approximate age of 18 months. Until that time, very excessive exercise can affect growth plates. 

Growth plates are somewhat soft areas at the end of bones; the cells there are constantly dividing, which allows those bones to properly grow as the pup matures into his adult size. Once that growth is done, the plates close. If a puppy is put under too much physical stress, there can be damage to those plates (what would be a sprain or pull for an adult dog). This can lead to malformed or shortened limb(s). 

4) The final size a Beagle will reach is determined by genetics, so the best indication of how large any particular puppy will become is the size of his parents, any older siblings, and other close relatives.

Beagle Puppy Growth Chart

Beagle puppy growth chart
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Beagle Runs Away - Why some Beagles like to take off and how to prevent this from happening. 
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