Beagle vs English Foxhound
Side by side
Beagle
English Foxhound
Adult weight
Males 17.3–22.4 kg (38–49 lb); females 14.5–19 kg (32–42 lb) (measured in UK vet records, n = 19,906, middle 50%)1
Males 29–34 kg (64–75 lb); females 27–32 kg (60–71 lb) (breed club figure)2
Shedding
Sheds through the year
Grooming
A brush once a week
Exercise
A moderate amount
Plenty
Class
Family
Field
Which suits you
Size
The English Foxhound is much larger: about 31 kg (67 lb) as an adult, against 18 kg (40 lb) for the Beagle.
Exercise
Plan for plenty of exercise with the English Foxhound, and a moderate amount with the Beagle.
Temperament
They differ most on handler demand (Beagle: needs steady training; English Foxhound: needs an experienced owner).
Alike
Both are rated the same on independence: decides for itself.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
What they're like
Beagle
Scent hounds · Medium
Bred to work in packs, the Beagle is sociable with people and other dogs, cheerful and inquisitive.
English Foxhound
Scent hounds · Large
Raised and kept in packs, the Foxhound is gentle and sociable, gets on easily with other dogs, and has great stamina and a deep, carrying voice.
Breed traits
Day to day
Beagle
English Foxhound
Activity
Differs
A good daily walk and play
Needs lots of exercise
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Differs
Needs steady training
Needs an experienced owner
With people
Beagle
English Foxhound
Affection
Affectionate on its own terms
Affectionate on its own terms
Loyalty
Friendly with everyone
Friendly with everyone
Independence
Decides for itself
Decides for itself
Around the home
Beagle
English Foxhound
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Very vocal
Very vocal
Prey drive
Likely to chase small pets
Likely to chase small pets
Puppy growth
Reference curves · both sexes
Summary
Detail
The English Foxhound grows to the heavier adult, about 31 kg against the Beagle's 18 kg.
Beagle
English Foxhound
More comparisons
Compare the Beagle with
Sources
- 1VetCompass UK. Primary-care veterinary records. ↑
- 2American Kennel Club. English Foxhound breed page. ↑
- 3
- 4Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
- 5
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- 9Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
- 10Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
- 11American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
- 12
Parts of this page were written by AI ·