Everything You Need to Know About Beagle Shedding

To put it bluntly, Beagles shed a lot, and you’d better get used to having it around your home!

Shedding is a completely natural process that all beagles go through, it is important for current and potential beagle owners to understand the process and ultimately, how to manage it to ensure your home remains as free of beagle hair as possible.

Beagles are a breed of small hound with a dense, short coat that sheds year-round. While beagles do not shed as heavily as some other breeds, it can definitely feel like a lot and does still require regular grooming to manage.

Understanding the process behind beagle shedding, why and how it happens is important for a number of reasons:

1. Firstly, it can help potential beagle owners determine if this breed is the right fit for them. If someone is allergic to pet dander or hates cleaning up dog hair, a beagle may not be the best choice. 
2. Secondly, it’ll help you properly care for your pup. Regular grooming and proper nutrition can help reduce shedding and keep the coat healthy. 
3. Finally, understanding beagle shedding can help owners manage the shedding in their home, such as by using a good vacuum cleaner and washing bedding and furniture regularly. We’ll cover more options for managing shedding later in the article.

Understanding the Characteristics Beagle Coat

Before we can understand the process of beagle shedding and why they shed so much, it’s important to know why this is the case, and it’s all down to the beagle coat of fur (if you’re not interested, feel free to skip ahead)

Beagles have a beautiful coat that is dense, short, and has a smooth and glossy appearance. Their coat is usually a combination of black, tan, and white hairs, and is referred to as tricolored, although this can depend on the type of beagle you have. Beagles have a double coat, which consists of a topcoat and an undercoat. The topcoat is made up of longer, coarser hairs that protect them from the elements, while the undercoat is made up of softer, finer hairs that help keep them warm and comfortable in different temperatures.

Do Beagles Shed a Lot?

Beagles shed a moderate amount when compared to other dogs, although it’ll certainly feel like a lot! Beagle shedding is very natural, their old hairs simply fall out when new hairs grow in. 

As explained earlier, beagles have a topcoat and an undercoat, the shedding mostly happens on the undercoat, which is made up of softer and finer hair, which is far easier to clean up than fluffier hair from other breeds or cats for example.

What factors influence how much beagles shed?

There’s several reasons why your beagle may shed more or less than usual, including age, diet and health.

Age: Age can be a factor, as beagles get older and start to go grey, their shedding habits can also change. You may find that younger beagles shed less than older pups.

Diet: A well-balanced diet is important for maintaining a healthy coat, and a lack of essential nutrients in the diet can cause the coat to become dry and brittle, leading to excessive shedding. We noticed that when we started feeding Bella high quality wet food, her coat became much shinier and softer, we’ve also noticed less hair around the place too. Feeding a high-quality diet that is rich in proteins, healthy fats, and essential vitamins and minerals is not only good for a beagle’s health, but also for their coat (and happiness!)

Health: If your pup is feeling stressed or ill, they may shed more than usual. Stress can disrupt their hormones and cause a spike in shedding. Likewise, if a beagle is experiencing skin issues or has an infestation of parasites, they may shed much more than they normally do. It is important to take your Beagle to the vet regularly to ensure they are in good health and to address any health concerns that could be causing excessive shedding.

Grooming: Regular grooming with a good brush at least once a week can help keep the coat healthy and remove loose hair, this helps to reduce the shedding.

Climate: Nature has its part to play in beagle shedding too, your beagle will shed more during the spring and summer to help keep them cool, likewise in the winter, your beagle may shed less and they attempt to keep warmer, clever dogs.

When is Beagle Shedding Season?

Despite what some places may tell you, there isn’t really a ‘shedding season’ as such for beagles, they shed year round. 

On the flip side, there are times of the year where they may shed more than usual, like in spring/summer as explained in the previous section. 

For female beagles they may shed more if they are going through a heavy heat cycle, so this could be classed as a shedding season, although if your beagle is spayed, they won’t experience this.

How to manage your beagle’s shedding

Managing beagle shedding can be a challenge, but here’s a few tips and tricks that I’ve used over the course of the last few years that help keep you from drowning in beagle hair!:

Regular grooming: 

I strongly recommend grooming your beagle at least once a week with a brush/de-shedding tool. This can help remove the loose and dead hair and should stem excessive shedding slightly.

Bathing: 

It’s a good idea to bathe your beagle occasionally to remove any dirt and odour from their coat. Use a neutral dog shampoo (we use Animology dogs body) as these are less irritating on their skin compared to traditional shampoo.

It’s a good idea to bathe your beagle once every 2-4 months, too often it is not good for their skin and can cause irritation.

Proper nutrition: 

Unsurprisingly, the food you feed your beagle does have an effect on it’s coat, we noticed that after feeding Bella wet food, her coat became much better and noticed she was shedding less. 

Ensure you feed them a diet that’s full of good protein, healthy fats, and all the vitamins and minerals they need. Pick a high-quality dog food or a meal plan that’s tailored to your pup’s age, size, and how active they are. If you’re unsure what to feed your beagle, check out our list of vet recommended foods.

Regular Vet visits: 

It goes without saying that taking your beagle to the vets often will help them stay healthy and keep on top of excess shedding, your vet should also check over your pup for fleas/ticks and parasites that may cause more shedding than usual.

Vacuum and Lint rollers: 

Using a good vacuum cleaner and lint rollers can help to remove the loose hair from your house and furniture.

Our favourite vacuum for picking up beagle hair has to be the Shark Anti-Hair Wrap Vacuum (make sure you get the one with the pet hair attachment!).

Check out our separate list of top 10 vacuums for hoovering up beagle hair (coming soon!) 

Using a grooming spray and coat conditioners: 

Whilst typically used on dogs with curly coats to help prevent matting, you can opt to use a grooming spray, these sprays are specially formulated with oils to condition the coat and keep it healthy and shiny. Simply spray and brush through after a bath.

Final thoughts

Beagles have a short, coarse coat of fur that sheds all year round. While it’s not as bad as some other breeds, you’ll still need to groom them regularly to keep shedding under control. 

Before getting a beagle, it’s good to know that shedding can be a lot to handle and understand how to deal with it. Things like age, nutrition, health, and grooming can all play a role in how much they shed. 

Feeding them a diet rich in important nutrients can help keep their coat healthy and reduce shedding. Additionally, making sure they’re groomed regularly and taking them to the vet can help manage shedding as well.