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Colors

Beagle Colors

Overview

The Beagle can be found in a large variety of colors. There are 25 AKC color combinations. Making up those 25 color combinations are 10 colors. There are also 6 distinct markings that a Beagle may have. 

What are the Beagle colors? Let's look deeper into the possible colors of this amazing dog breed.

The 25 Possible Color Combinations

  1. Tan
  2. White
  3. Brown
  4. Lemon
  5. Red
  6. Blue
  7. Black
  8. Black & White
  9. Blue & White
  10. Red & Black
  11. Black & Tan
  12. Brown & White
  13. Lemon & White
  14. Red & White
  15. Tan & White
  16. Black, Red & White
  17. Black, Tan & White
  18. Black, White & Tan
  19. Black, Tan & Bluetick
  20. Black, Tan & Redtick
  21. Black, Fawn & White
  22. Brown, White & Tan
  23. Blue, Tan & White
  24. Red, Black & White
  25. White, Black & Tan

The Colors That Make Up the Combinations

  • Tan
  • White
  • Brown
  • Lemon
  • Red
  • Blue
  • Black
  • Bluetick
  • Redtick
  • Fawn

The 6 Possible Markings

  • Ticked
  • Black Markings
  • Brown Markings
  • Spotted
  • Tan Markings
  • White Markings

Color Explanation

Even with the 10 basic Beagle colors that make up the 25 possible AKC colors, there are even more colors. Why? Because a color also has a shading. For example, red can range from a light, dusty red to a deep, dark red.

For this reason, the color combination are almost endless and it is safe to say that "No two Beagles every look exactly alike".
red and white Beagle dog coloring
red and white Beagle dog coloring
A beautiful red & white Beagle. This is such a deep, intense coloring.
Some of the color terms may be a bit misleading. Let's talk about a few of the most confusing ones for owners:

Red: This is a deep, dark orange which some refer to as mahogany. 

Blue: This is a diluted (faded) black. This adds a shine to an otherwise black coat. With deep bluing, the hairs can be described as metallic. One reason why many struggle with understanding this color is because for many dogs, it simply does not show in photographs. And for some, only outside in bright sunlight, will the blue shine be seen.

A true blue Beagle will have blue pigmentation; thus helping to make the distinction between this and a black. Eye rims, lips, paw pads and nose will be blue as well. For many dogs, this will be most apparent on the nose.

Lemon: This is such a lovely coloring on this breed and sure to bring about admiring looks. A pure solid lemon Beagle is very rare. More common is the Lemon & White. As the pure white lemon Beagle puppy grows to an adult dog, the base color will be a pure white or an off-white with light golden patches. 

When a Beagle has a mixture of lemon & white, that dog is still often referred to as a lemon.... Technically, he or she should be registered as a parti (lemon and white) or as a solid lemon with white markings. With many dogs, the lemon will be light and dark on various parts of the body. 
Bluetick & Redtick: The term of tick refers to freckle-like spots on the dog. Bluetick is a diluted (faded) black and redtick can range from light orange to a deep, dark red spots.

Fawn, Tan & Brown: There is a distinction between these three Beagle colors. Fawn is the lightest color in this range, tan is in the middle and brown is a color similar to that of a chocolate candy bar.

What About Chocolate? Many people (even some breeders) refer to chocolate Beagles. This is not an official AKC color. These beagle will fall into the fawn, tan or brown categories.

What About Lavender or Lilac? Again, as like the chocolate, there are some people (and even some breeders) who dub a Beagle to be lavender or lilac. These are not AKC official colors.
lemon colored Beagle
lemon colored Beagle
A lovely lemon Beagle with dark lemon on the ears and a lighter shade on the saddle area
Many breeds are dubbed to be these colors, the Chihuahua and the Pomeranian included. However, this is a diluted black, which is actually a blue. If a Beagle is referred to as a lavender or lilac, the pup will most likely be registered as blue as long as the skin pigmentation matches this as well.

Silver - There are people who refer to silver Beagles, however this is not an AKC color.  Silver may be used to described a Beagle that has some light blue on the coat... However, blue which is a faded diluted black is extremely rare... therefore, for that blue to once again be faded and diluted to appear as a silver is incredibly rare. 

Tip: All true lemon Beagle babies are born a pure white. If a puppy has the look of white and lemon, this pup will mature to be a red & white. As the lemon Beagle matures, the lemon patches will begin to emerge.
Next, we'll talk about color change, if color matters in show, and tail tip color

Color Change

It is very common for a Beagle puppy to have a color change.  The transition from puppy to adult coat is known as a 'break'.  In fact, colors can change so quickly that a breeder is allowed to change the color on the pup's registration 3 times before making it final. Even so, many owners will have an adult dog that is not the color on the registration.

Does Color Matter?

In just about every conformation dog show, all purebred Beagles are allowed to enter and there is not one color or combination that is judged to be a better than another one. The only time that this issue matters is if you have your own personal preference.
2) The tip of the tail is without hairs, due to injury that can occur from ongoing hunting (running through brush)

3) The tail may have been docked - Per AKC standards, the Beagle should not have a docked tail. However, some owners/breeders do have the tip docked off for 1 of 2 reasons:
1- The breed standard faults a tail that is too long, some will bob it for this reason. However, it is not recommended to do so since docking is customarily done very early (3 days old for most breeds that call out for this feature) and with the Beagle, it is extremely difficult to know how much to take off. 

Sometimes too much is removed - causing the entire white tip of color to be gone- and this can leave the dog with a tail that is much too short. 

2- Those who use their Beagles for hunting, some will have this done to prevent damage to the tip that can occur from running through brush. The injury can be severe enough for all hairs to fall out, exposing raw skin that can develop cuts and sores. 

There is much debate over this, since you have possible damage on one side of the coin and you have deviation from the breed standard on the other.
You may also be interested in:

Beagle is running and escaping - Why a Beagle may make a bolt for it and steps you can take to prevent him from trying to dash away. 
Beagle is drooling a lot - Reasons why a Beagle may have excessive saliva. 
Beagle is digging in the yard - How to control and contain digging urges if your Beagle is ripping apart the yard.
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