Everything you need before breeding a Beagle: the CHIC health tests, the DNA panel and carrier math that protect the litter, the 13-inch and 15-inch varieties, and a careful buyer.
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The Beagle has more DNA tests than almost any breed, so good breeding is about managing carriers, not removing them. The health tests and the DNA panel come before color or size.
Run the hip x-ray (OFA), the eye exam, the heart exam, the thyroid test, and the MLS DNA test on both dogs.
Test both dogs for the recessive Beagle diseases (MLS, Factor VII, IGS, NCCD). Never pair two carriers of the same one.
Take progesterone blood draws from day 6 of heat to find the fertile window. Run the brucellosis test within 30 days.
Book an ultrasound around day 28 and an x-ray around day 55. Beagles often have larger litters, so plan space and a vet on call.
Short answer
The National Beagle Club CHIC list has five required tests on both parents: a hip x-ray scored by the OFA (the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals), an eye exam, a heart exam, a thyroid test, and the Musladin-Lueke Syndrome (MLS) DNA test. A wider DNA panel is strongly recommended on top of these.
CHIC stands for the Canine Health Information Center, a shared health database run with the OFA. A CHIC number does not mean a dog passed every test. It means the breed’s required tests were done and the results were posted, pass or fail, as the Beagle breeder write-up from Purina explains.
Start the joint checks with the hips. The OFA scores hips from Excellent down through Borderline to Severe, and it will not finalize a score before 24 months of age. Test both parents and pair an equal or better hip score on each side.
The eyes, heart, and thyroid each need their own check. An eye specialist runs the eye exam, a vet runs the heart exam for defects like pulmonic stenosis (a narrowed heart valve), and a blood test checks the thyroid.
The MLS DNA test is the gene test that earns the CHIC number, and the next section explains the disease behind it. Run the full task list before the heat cycle starts; our pre-breeding checklist covers the brucellosis test and the timing steps that sit alongside these clearances.
Short answer
Musladin-Lueke Syndrome (MLS) is a Beagle-specific disease that affects connective tissue, the material that holds the body together. Affected dogs have tight, thick skin, stiff joints, and a distinctive face, and many stand up on their toes. It is recessive, and the National Beagle Club makes its DNA test the one gene test required for a Beagle CHIC number.
Connective tissue is the body’s scaffolding. It shapes skin, joints, bone, and the heart. In a dog with MLS that scaffolding forms wrong, so the skin feels thick and tight, the joints are stiff, and the dog often walks high on its toes. The face takes on a typical look with small, slanted eyes and flat ears.
MLS is recessive, which is the key fact for breeders. A dog needs two copies of the gene to be affected. A dog with one copy is a healthy carrier and never shows the disease. That is why a DNA test, not a vet exam, is the only sure way to know a dog’s status before breeding.
The good news is that the MLS DNA test makes affected puppies fully avoidable. As long as you do not breed two carriers together, no puppy will be affected. The next section turns that into the simple carrier math you use for MLS and every other recessive Beagle disease.
Short answer
Test both dogs, then follow one rule: never pair two carriers of the same recessive disease. A carrier is a healthy dog with one copy of the gene. Carrier bred to clear produces no affected puppies, so you can keep good carriers in your program. Throwing out every carrier would shrink an already popular gene pool for no health gain.
Every dog is one of three things for each recessive disease: clear (no copies), carrier (one copy, healthy), or affected (two copies, has the disease). The National Beagle Club recommends DNA tests for MLS, Factor VII deficiency (a mild bleeding problem), Imerslund-Grasbeck Syndrome (IGS, a vitamin B12 absorption problem), neonatal cerebellar cortical degeneration (NCCD, a puppy balance and coordination disease), and Lafora epilepsy (an inherited seizure disease).
The carrier math for one recessive disease
All puppies clear. The safest pairing, but you cannot run a whole program on clears alone.
No affected puppies. About half are carriers, all healthy. This is how you keep a good carrier in the gene pool.
About 1 in 4 puppies affected. The one pairing to avoid for that disease.
Here is the part new breeders get wrong. They hear "carrier" and want to remove the dog from breeding. In a popular breed like the Beagle, removing every carrier would throw away good dogs and narrow the gene pool, which causes its own health problems. The smarter move is to breed a carrier to a clear mate and keep its other qualities.
You run the math one disease at a time. A dog can be clear for MLS but a carrier for Factor VII; that is normal and fine. Match each pairing so that for every disease, at least one parent is clear. A DNA test for breeding dogs gives you the full status sheet you need to do this.
Keep the paperwork. Record each dog’s result for every disease on the panel, and share it with the other owner before you breed. The whole point of testing is to make the pairing decision on paper, before any puppies are on the way.
Short answer
Wait until at least 2 years old, on the second or third heat. A female Beagle can have her first heat as early as 6 months, but that is far too young. The AKC advises breeding females only after age 2, once health screening is complete. Retire a female by about 6 to 7 years.
Breed on the second or third heat. The first heat can come at 6 months, but she is not grown yet. Retire her by about 6 to 7 years.
Fertile by 6 to 12 months, but hold him back until the OFA finalizes his hip score and the DNA panel is on file.
A female Beagle’s first heat usually arrives between 6 and 12 months, and it can come as late as 15 months. That first cycle is far too early to breed. Waiting for the second or third heat, around age 2, gives her time to finish growing and lets you complete every health test first.
The male side is less about age and more about paperwork. A young male can father a litter, but a planned-breeding stud needs his finished OFA hip score and his full DNA panel on file. A good-looking dog with no results is not ready, however nice he is.
The last timing step before any mating is a brucellosis test within 30 days. Brucellosis is a bacterial infection that causes infertility and miscarriage, and it passes between dogs during mating. Test both dogs before every planned breeding. Our guide to the best age to breed a dog covers the trade-offs in more detail.
Short answer
Match the DNA panels first: for every disease, at least one parent must be clear. Then pair an equal or better hip score, confirm the eye, heart, and thyroid checks, and keep the two dogs only loosely related (a low coefficient of inbreeding, or COI, a measure of shared ancestors). The National Beagle Club puts health clearances, not looks, first.
The DNA match is the first filter, and it is where the Beagle differs from most breeds. Lay both dogs’ panels side by side. For MLS, Factor VII, IGS, NCCD, and Lafora, make sure no disease has two carriers. One carrier plus one clear is fine; two carriers is the pairing to drop.
Match the hips next. Pair a Fair-hipped female with a Good or Excellent male, never Fair to Fair. The OFA hip database holds the public scores for both dogs, so check them before you commit.
Keep the two dogs only loosely related. The coefficient of inbreeding (COI) measures how many ancestors a pair shares, across 5 generations of pedigree. A lower number means a wider gene pool and a lower chance of doubling up on hidden disease. Get it from the pedigree or a DNA relatedness test.
Last, test both dogs for brucellosis within 30 days of mating. Both owners sign the contract before the first mating. Our ethical breeding guide covers what that contract should say.
5 questions to ask the other owner
Short answer
Yes, you can. The AKC recognizes two Beagle size varieties: the 13-inch (13 inches and under at the shoulder) and the 15-inch (over 13 up to 15 inches). They are one breed, not two, so they can be bred together, and a single litter can hold both. The variety is set by the dog’s height once it is grown.
Measured at the shoulder once grown. Shown as a separate variety from the 15-inch.
The taller variety. Anything over 15 inches is outside the standard for either.
The two varieties exist because Beagles have long been used to hunt different game. The smaller 13-inch dogs suit rabbit work, and the taller 15-inch dogs suit hare and rougher ground. Both share one breed standard apart from the height limit.
In practice, most breeders pair within a variety to keep puppies a predictable size. Crossing the two is allowed, but a mixed-size litter makes it harder to promise a buyer or a show home a 13-inch or a 15-inch dog. Decide what size you are breeding for, then pick parents that fit it.
One thing to avoid is breeding for extreme size in either direction. A dog over 15 inches is outside the standard, and a "pocket Beagle" bred deliberately tiny is not a recognized variety at all. Breed to the standard height, not past it.
Short answer
The classic and most common Beagle color is tricolor (black, white, and tan). Beagles also come in lemon and white, red and white, and chocolate tricolor, among others. The AKC standard allows any true hound color. Merle and brindle patterns are disqualified, and a merle Beagle is a red flag for an outcross.
Common Beagle colors
Tricolor is the Beagle most people picture: a black saddle over the back with tan and white below. Many tricolor puppies are born mostly black and white, and the tan fills in over the first months. Lemon and white and red and white are bicolor coats, with one color on white.
Beagle color genetics are forgiving, with none of the recessive surprises some breeds carry. That is why color should never come before health in a pairing. The DNA panel, the hips, the heart, and the eyes decide whether a litter should happen. Color is the last thing on the list.
Watch out for colors the standard does not allow. Merle (a marbled pattern) and brindle (tiger striping) are disqualified in the Beagle. A merle Beagle usually means another breed was crossed in somewhere, and the merle gene carries its own health risks, so treat it as a warning sign, not a rare prize.
Short answer
Keep her on her normal adult food for the first 4 to 5 weeks. Around week 5, switch to a high-quality puppy or growth food and raise her intake gradually. Beagles love food and gain weight easily, so do not let her get heavy. Skip calcium supplements during pregnancy, since they raise the risk of eclampsia (a dangerous calcium crash) during nursing.
Feeding plan by pregnancy stage
Adult maintenance food, same portions. The puppies grow slowly and need no extra energy yet.
Move to a puppy or growth food over about 5 days. It packs more protein and calories into less volume.
Raise her intake and split it into 3 or 4 small meals. A big litter crowds the stomach.
Skip the calcium until whelping
Extra calcium during pregnancy switches off the dog’s own calcium control. That sets up eclampsia (milk fever) at peak nursing, about 2 to 3 weeks after the puppies arrive. It is most common in smaller breeds with big litters, which fits a Beagle with a full litter. Add calcium only at or after whelping, and only if your vet directs it.
Watch her weight closely, because the Beagle is one of the most food-driven breeds. An overweight dam (the mother dog) whelps harder and is more likely to need help, so aim for a lean, fit body condition at mating and do not overfeed early.
Her food needs change once she is nursing. A nursing Beagle with a big litter needs far more food to make milk, so free-feed a growth diet and keep fresh water in front of her at all times. Drop her back to maintenance food once the puppies are weaned.
Short answer
A Beagle litter averages about 6 to 7 puppies, with a range of roughly 1 to 10. Pregnancy lasts about 63 days from ovulation. Most Beagles whelp (give birth) naturally, since they are a sturdy medium breed with normal proportions, but keep a vet on call for a first litter.
A typical Beagle litter is 6 to 7 puppies, though it can range from 1 to 10. First litters are often smaller. Day 28 is ultrasound day to confirm pregnancy, and day 55 is x-ray day to count the puppies. That count matters in a breed that can have a large litter, so you know when whelping is done.
Most Beagles free-whelp without trouble. Stage-one labor is 6 to 12 hours of restlessness and nesting. Have a vet on call, and know the warning signs. Watch for hard straining of 20 to 30 minutes with no puppy, more than 2 hours between puppies, or any green discharge before the first puppy. Any of these means call the vet right away.
C-sections are less common in Beagles than in flat-faced or toy breeds, because the Beagle has a normal head and hip shape. Even so, keep the after-hours number for an emergency vet ready, and keep a C-section cushion in your budget. Puppies stay with the dam through weaning and go home no earlier than 8 weeks, on a signed contract.
Short answer
Budget roughly $2,500 to $6,000 for a Beagle litter. Health testing is moderate (hips, eyes, heart, thyroid, and the DNA panel, with no MRI needed). Add a stud fee, prenatal scans, and a $1,500 to $3,000 cushion for an emergency C-section. Beagles often have larger litters, which spreads the cost, but a first litter rarely turns a real profit.
Estimated cost of a first Beagle litter
Ranges are typical US pricing. The DNA panel is the Beagle-specific line item; there is no MRI cost as with some breeds. Budget against the litter, not the puppy. A typical Beagle litter is 6 to 7.
What can the puppies sell for?
Market range only, not a Petmeetly endorsement. Puppies from parents without the CHIC clearances and DNA panel sell for less because the buyer takes on the health risk.
The revenue math should never be the reason to breed. Even with a larger Beagle litter and full testing, a first litter rarely turns a real profit once you count the dam’s care and your time. Breed to improve the breed, then place puppies on a contract. Listings are free on Petmeetly, including Beagle puppies for sale.
Total the numbers for your own pairing before you commit. Our breeding cost and due-date calculator adds up testing, the stud fee, scans, and the C-section cushion in one place.
Short answer
Put the stud deal in writing and sign it before the first mating. The agreement should name the stud fee, the brucellosis test, and the exact health clearances both dogs carry, including the full DNA panel and MLS status. It should also define a successful breeding and the registration terms. The AKC recommends written, signed contracts that each owner keeps a copy of.
Clauses every Beagle stud contract should name
Put the stud deal in writing before the first mating. Verbal deals are the main reason stud arrangements end in arguments, so both owners sign and keep a copy.
Use limited registration for pet-quality puppies. A limited-registration puppy stays AKC-registered, but its own future litters cannot be registered, which discourages casual breeding of pet-quality dogs. Every puppy should also go home on a buyer contract with a return clause, so the dog comes back to you if the owner ever cannot keep it. For owners who would rather give an adult Beagle a home, our Beagle adoption page lists dogs already looking for one.
The National Beagle Club CHIC list has five required tests on both parents: a hip x-ray scored by the OFA, an eye exam by a specialist, a heart (cardiac) exam, a thyroid blood test, and the Musladin-Lueke Syndrome (MLS) DNA test. A wider DNA panel (Factor VII, IGS, NCCD, and Lafora epilepsy) is strongly recommended on top of these.
MLS is a Beagle-specific disease that affects connective tissue, the material that holds the body together. Affected dogs have tight, thick skin, stiff joints, and a distinctive face, and many walk up on their toes. It is recessive, so a simple DNA test tells you a dog’s status. Its DNA test is the one gene test required for a Beagle CHIC number.
Yes, as long as you breed it to a clear mate. A carrier is a healthy dog with one copy of a recessive gene. Carrier bred to clear produces no affected puppies. The only pairing to avoid is carrier to carrier for the same disease, which risks 25 percent affected puppies. Removing every carrier would needlessly shrink the gene pool.
The MLS DNA test is required for CHIC. The National Beagle Club also recommends testing for Factor VII deficiency (a mild bleeding disorder), Imerslund-Grasbeck Syndrome (IGS, a vitamin B12 absorption problem), neonatal cerebellar cortical degeneration (NCCD), and Lafora epilepsy. All are recessive cheek-swab tests, so you only need to avoid pairing two carriers of the same one.
Wait until at least 2 years old, on the second or third heat. A female Beagle’s first heat can come as early as 6 months, but that is far too young. The AKC advises breeding females only after age 2, when health screening is complete and the dam is fully grown. Most breeders retire a female by about 6 to 7 years.
Yes. The 13-inch and 15-inch Beagles are two size varieties of one breed, not two breeds, so they can be bred together and a single litter can contain both. The variety is decided by the dog’s height at maturity. Breed to the standard and avoid extremes; "pocket Beagles" under 13 inches are not a recognized AKC variety.
The classic and most common color is tricolor (black, white, and tan). Beagles also come in lemon and white, red and white, and chocolate tricolor, among others. The AKC standard allows any true hound color. Merle and brindle patterns are disqualified, and a merle Beagle is a warning sign of an outcross or a health risk.
A Beagle litter averages about 6 to 7 puppies, with a range of roughly 1 to 10. First litters are often smaller. An x-ray around day 55 of pregnancy gives an accurate puppy count before whelping (the birth), which matters more in a breed that can have large litters.
No. "Pocket Beagle" is a marketing label for an undersized Beagle, not a separate breed or AKC variety. Dogs bred deliberately tiny often come from runts or unhealthy lines and can carry extra health problems. Be cautious of any seller charging a premium for a "pocket" or "teacup" Beagle.
Budget roughly $2,500 to $6,000. Health testing is moderate (hips, eyes, cardiac, thyroid, and the DNA panel, with no MRI needed). Add a stud fee, prenatal scans, and a cushion for an emergency C-section. Beagles often have larger litters, which spreads the cost, but a first litter still rarely turns a real profit.
Most Beagles whelp naturally without help. They are a sturdy medium breed with normal head and hip proportions, so C-sections are less common than in flat-faced or toy breeds. Still keep a vet on call, and call right away for hard straining with no puppy or long gaps between puppies.
You can search health-tested Beagles on Petmeetly and message the owners directly. Listings are free, and you can filter for breeding dogs. Always confirm the CHIC clearances and ask for the full DNA panel results, including MLS status, before you commit to a mating.
Sources
Real stories from dog owners who found perfect breeding matches on Petmeetly
Excellent app! Thanks to Petmeetly, Joey found his girlfriend, and I even got one of their daughters—my sweet Holly. 🥰
Michele Silva
Massachusetts, US
It was pretty hard to find a mate for my dog, Jethro, but when I did, I also made wonderful friends with the owners! :)
Lenina
England, GB
It was great, we plan to meet in late May.
Lisa Mattocks
North Carolina, US
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