Beagles are one of the most popular types of dog breeds in the United States, for a plethora of reasons! Their small size, loyal and loving personalities and temperament have made them a favorite family dog for generations.
However, as all dog owners know, there are some downsides to dog ownership and one of those is shedding. There isn’t an owner in the world who doesn’t detest cleaning up all those stray hairs. And if you are allergic or have sensitivities to dog dander, that little bit of shedding can add up to bad allergy symptoms.
Beagles are a short haired breed, so they are not particularly heavy shedders, compared to many others. Still, you will no doubt find yourself sweeping up dog hairs or lint rolling your sweaters sooner or later. So, how much do beagles actually shed? Should you be worried about it? And what can you do about it?
How Much Do Beagles Shed?
Every dog is different, but it is true that some dog breeds shed more than others. Within the beagle breed, you’re likely to see a pretty wide variety in shedding frequency and volume because of their short hair, but double coat.
Beagles have this double coat because they were bred to be hunting dogs that were needed to withstand cold winter environments. The extra padding of that second layer both protects them from rodents and debris (with the help of their loose skin), and it also keeps them warm enough to be able to do their jobs any time of year, and sleep outside if they have to. I’ll go into more detail about their double-layered coat later in this article.
To understand the normal amount to expect that your dog is shedding, first you’ll want to understand the biological reasons why beagles are shedders in the first place.
Shedding is essential for a multitude of reasons to help regulate our dogs’ bodies, including the following:
- Enables their bodies to regulate body temperature
- A natural process where new fur is able to grow in old fur’s place, similar to that of human hair
- Improves blood flow and distributes important oils to the surface of their skin
Beagles are classified as either “moderate shedders” or “heavy shedders”, depending on the severity of their shedding. Moderate shedders may need grooming and cleaning every two to four weeks, whereas heavy shedders might simply require assistance with their shedding every single day. On the other extreme, light shedders really only need grooming help every couple of months. It all comes down to their genetics, supplemented by their diet, and the time of year (I’ll get into that next).
Beagles Shed More In the Springtime
Beagles, as a short-haired breed of dog, get cold in the winter and bulk up by naturally growing out thicker strands of fur. Their hair is actually made up of two layers – a softer under layer and a thicker top layer. Growing and shedding fur is a continual process. However, you will probably notice more shedding in the springtime than any other season as your beagle gets rid of that extra winter thickness.
Interestingly, the seasonal increase in your beagle’s coat thickness is not related to weather changes. Whether you live in Hawaii or snow-bound Michigan, your dog will bulk up just the same. That’s because the hormonal changes that signal your dog to produce more fur are triggered by the change in the number of daylight hours rather than the temperature outside.
Excessive shedding can also be the result of allergies or exposure to fleas, which are more common when dogs are outside more in the warmer spring and summer months.
This can be annoying at first, but one great aspect of the cyclical nature of beagle shedding is that once they’ve shedded off that winter layer, the subsequent spring, summer, and fall months are relatively light in terms of how much clean up is required from shedding.
Beagles Have a Short, Double-Layered Coat
While beagles are a short-haired breed, it is important to note that they are also what is called a “double-coated” breed. This is why they are considered a moderate shedding breed, rather than a light shedding breed like other types of dogs with short fur.
The beagle’s double coat consists of their undercoat – the coat closest to their skin – and the overcoat. The undercoat is very dense and has a softer feel that is designed to hold in heat and insulate from chilly outside temps. The outer coat is coarser, which provides a small degree of water repellency, and can help to protect them from scratches, parasites, and other issues. That’s another reason beagle skin tends to be loose on the outside. They were bred that way to help them dig holes as hunting dogs without getting hurt.
Dogs that have double-layered coats do require some additional care in terms of grooming, some of my favorite tips on how to groom dogs with double-layered coats include:
- Always begin your grooming with either a wire brush or pin brush. This way you can remove loose hairs that get caught in the outer coat, as well as any debris that can get trapped in the coat.
- After that, I recommend using a grooming rake, which is better for trying to remove any dead hair or tangles that have gotten caught inside the inner layer of your beagle’s coat.
- For this, you should start from the back of your dog and go forward, section by section, gently pushing the hair forward and using your brush and rake to put it back into place. It’s vital to never comb against the direction that your dog’s hair is naturally growing.
For a more visual example, check out this great video from Dog Advice Videos:
POTENTIAL CAUSES OF EXCESSIVE SHEDDING
While some dogs are just naturally more inclined to have heavier shedding seasons, excessive shedding isn’t always natural, and can be the result of poor nutrition, medical problems, stress, or a combination of all three. For this reason, if you notice excessive shedding, especially more than your beagle is usually shedding over recent years, you should pay close attention to their behavior, and try to see if they could be suffering from any of the following ailments:
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- Parasites
- Self-induced trauma as a result of excessive licking
- Side effects to certain prescription medications
- Sunburn or irritated skin
- Kidney Disease
- Liver Disease
- Thyroid Disease
- Fungal Infections
- Immune Disorders
- Stress or separation anxiety
- Bacterial Infections
- Cancer
- Pregnancy or lactation
How to Manage a Beagle That Sheds a Lot
Each and every hair in both of your beagle’s layers of coats follows its own growth cycle. The hair grows and when it dies, it falls out. That cycle is what you are seeing when your dog sheds. The amount he or she sheds is partly genetic, partly dependent upon temperature/environment, and can also be related to the status of their health.
Because some beagles shed much more frequently than others, you may want to take some extra steps to manage and mitigate all that extra fur around your house. Here are some of the most effective methods that I’ve seen:
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Proper nutrition for a healthy coat.
Hair and coat problems can be signs of nutritional deficiencies. Healthy hair is a reflection of your beagle’s overall health. Generally, a diet that is rich in high quality ingredients derived from fruits, vegetables, grains, and healthy cuts of meats is one of the best ways to promote a healthy coat and minimize shedding.
In addition to a quality food diet, you can also give your dog supplements that are specifically designed to enhance the health of their skin and hair. You can check out a list of my favorite supplements for dog skin and fur health in the section below.
Hydration also plays a large role in skin and coat health so be sure that your beagle has plenty of fresh water available at all times, especially after lots of exercise or during hot summer weather.
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Shampoos and Sprays
A lot of people don’t know this, but there are actually safe and healthy products on the market that can help mitigate even the heaviest of shedders. One of the easiest ways to do this is with shampoo. Some of my favorite anti-shed shampoos include:
I consider these to be fairly easy to use because if you bathe your beagle regularly, you’ll have multiple opportunities to easily apply it without adding the extra hassle of trying to hold your dog down and give them something more challenging like medicine or topical ointment.
As a runner up to shampoos, I’m also a big fan of sprays that can help prevent over-shedding. By far the best spray I’ve found is also from FURminator, its their deShedding Waterless Spray.
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Use couch covers
If you’re sensitive to your pet’s dander, or if your beagle simply sheds a lot, you may want to invest in couch covers to help manage it. This can get as fancy as buying fitted or custom covers, or simply keeping a blanket in the spot where your dog lies.
Cleaning a cover is a lot less work than cleaning an entire couch! The brand Surefit makes fitted covers for a variety of couch sizes, which can be machine washed between uses.
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Vacuum and clean your home regularly.
It can be tough to keep up with cleaning when you have a dog who sheds a lot. But that’s when it is most important, particularly if you have allergies! Regular dusting and vacuuming will help to keep dog dander and hair off of your other belongings. Using a broom can help with large spots of hair but for smaller hairs, it tends to just make them fly around.
Because of this, experts recommend that you use a vacuum with a HEPA filter designed to keep dust and hair out of the air while you vacuum. If you’re particularly time-pressed, you might also consider getting a robotic vacuum, such as a Shark or Roomba brand. These clever devices come in a wide range of styles, sizes and prices and can be sent out via app to vacuum your home even while you are out! Although they do take a little longer to get the job done, they are very thorough and allow you to take care of other things while they do the work!
Additionally, regularly cleaning your home is a great way to prevent fleas, and allergies that your dog might be experiencing from a build up of dust in your house.
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Bathe your dog regularly, but don’t overdo it!
This was touched upon briefly when I talked about grooming but let’s explore this more. Why is bathing your beagle so important to keeping their coat healthy? And why should you be careful not to do too much?
The trick is to find the balance between keeping your beagle’s coat healthy and over-drying it. As we all know, dry hair is brittle hair, which dies, falls out or breaks at a much higher rate than healthy hair. Bathing your beagle regularly is a great way to keep their coat healthy, but overdoing it can strip the coat of its natural oils, and can lead to flaking and even serious cases of dandruff.
Best Brushes for Beagle Coats
One of the top things that you can do to help cut down on the amount of shedding is to regularly brush your beagle. There are several different kinds of brushes which can be helpful in different situations. Luckily, many beagles will find a brushing session relaxing and happily come to you to get their grooming fix!
A few of the brushes you might want to check out include:
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Shedding mitts
These are mitts that fit on your hand and have a soft rubber inside section with brush-like teeth. The teeth are actually more like bumps and don’t get down very far into the fur. This makes them good for everyday brushing or for getting a beagle used to being brushed, but less helpful for getting at the deep embedded stray hairs. If you have a very anxious dog, this can be a good way to introduce a grooming routine.
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Deshedding brush
These brushes have targeted, deeper bristles that reach down through the outer coat to get at the undercoat and pick up stray hairs. You can use these brushes regularly but 2-3 times a week should be plenty of brushing time. During the spring and fall shedding seasons, you can increase the amount of brushing you do as needed.
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Slicker brush
This brush can be used more regularly, even daily as it is designed to slick the top layer of fur without disturbing the skin.
In addition to regular brushing, you may want to use a leave-in conditioning spray to keep your dog’s coat shiny and sweet-smelling.
Best Supplements for Beagle Coats
While a healthy diet should provide all of the nutrients your dog needs, you may wish to add in supplements that specifically address skin and coat health. You can purchase the following nutrients as either individual supplements, or as a part of a coat health supplement, which may combine two or more of these and other skin and coat-enhancing nutrients.
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Fish Oil Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are the number one most recommended supplement for skin and coat health. This fatty acid is derived from fish oil, and is available in capsule and straight oil form. Most dogs enjoy the taste of salmon oil, which makes giving it to them in their food a breeze!
My dog’s favorite is definitely the Omega Bites from Zenwise Health.
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Flaxseed
Flaxseed is another source of Omega-3 fatty acid, and can be given in a supplement or simply sprinkled or mixed in with food.
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Biotin
Many owners have found that biotin is also very helpful in addressing skin problems like allergies and dermatitis with a bonus of making a dog’s coat moisturized and lustrous. Biotin, or Vitamin H, is one of the lesser-known vitamins, but plays an important role in metabolism. Because metabolism affects how all body systems operate, its excellent for promoting overall health, especially skin and coat health. Vitamin H must be given in capsule, tablet or pre-dosed treatment form, and is often included in coat supplement formulations.
Zenwise Health’s Salmon Bites are a great source of biotin for dogs.
Final Thoughts
Lastly, remember that your beagle’s coat is a reflection of their overall well-being and state of health. If you feel that your dog’s shedding is particularly heavy, or you notice anything else unusual, you should consult with your veterinarian.
Although excessive shedding is not typically the result of a medical problem, it can be a sign of certain rare skin conditions, and the earlier you can address it, the better. Hair loss and “over” shedding can occur as the result of conditions like dermatitis or atrophy, which are essentially forms of skin allergies – which beagles are particularly prone to. However, they can also be a sign of something more serious, such as mange or alopecia. So, while most shedding is a part of the natural hair growth cycle, you should seek out professional advice if you are concerned.
While some beagles shed more than others, as a short haired breed, it should be pretty manageable overall, and if you are looking for more ways to help combat their shedding, check out our recommendations above, or leave a comment!