What size do Beagles come in?
The American Kennel Club divides Beagles into two different sizes, called Varieties. There is the “Under 13 inch” and “13 inch to 15 inch”. This size division happens only in the USA. In Canada and Mexico there are under 13” often shown and bred but and all other kennel clubs do not accept a Beagle under 13 Inches. All other countries allow Beagles to be as tall as 16 Inches or More!!

Where do you measure a Beagle to to determine it’s size?
To determine their size Beagles are measured from their withers, which is the ridge between the shoulder blades. So, the height of a Beagle is measured from the shoulders not from the top of the head.

Why does the American Kennel Club divide Beagles into two sizes, or Varieties?
Beagles are divided into two sizes so that the smaller version, the Under 13 Inch, does not have to run rabbits or compete against the larger, 13 Inch to 15 Inch, Variety. This division provides a more even, and fair, playing field for the smaller size to equally compete and be recognized for their accomplishments.

How do you produce 13 inch Beagles?
Producing 13” puppies isn’t as simple as just breeding two 13” parents together. The chances are higher that you will get SOME 13 inch puppies, but it is more likely that most of your puppies will be 13”-15”. Beagles are hard to keep small and too much emphasis on keeping them small can cause some pretty significant health issues. If both parents are 15 inch Beagles (between 13 inch and 15 inch) you can also produce some 13 inch puppies as well. If there is a high concentration of imported lines you are more apt to produce 15 inch.

How do you know if a particular puppy will be a 13 inch adult?
The answer is, there is absolutely no way to tell. Though I can use growth and weight charts to help me take an educated guess, there is no way to tell exactly how large a particular puppy will grow to be. If a breeder tells you that they FOR SURE have a 13 inch Beagle puppy available, they are just telling you this to close the sale! There is no way to tell for sure even when using the growth and weight charts and guessing is just as accurate.

What about Pocket Beagles and a Queen Elizabeth Beagles?
In Medieval times, hunters would carry small hounds in their saddle bags that were called Pocket Beagles or Queen Elizabeth Beagles. These small hounds helped to flush the game through the brambles, underbrush and into burrows when the larger hounds could no longer take pursuit. These dogs were referred to as “Queen Elizabeth Pocket Beagles”. They were named this because Queen Elizabeth the 1st would allow these small Hounds to entertain her guests during dinner by frolicking on the table during meals. True Pocket Beagles have been extinct for centuries but there is a registry called the Pocket Beagle Registry. Like AKC, the Pocket Beagle Registry does keep track of all of the Beagles registered with them and their litters. They DO NOT keep track of the size or weight of the “Beagles” past taking the owners word for that.

Some breeders attempt to recrate these dogs by breeding Beagles together that have a health condition called Dwarfism. This not only makes them smaller, but brings with it a load of other health conditions also. The other way to reduce the size is to breed a Beagle to other breeds, such as Rat Terriers, Toy Fox Terriers, Chihuahuas and Dachshunds. This reduces the size but then they don’t quite look or act like a Beagle. Kind of defeats the purpose really.

The problem with this, is that each breed has it’s own disposition and personality to perform a specific task. Though the puppies may resemble a Beagle, even after generations of breeding them together, you most likely will lose the typical happy and non-aggressive nature that Beagles are known and renowned for. Though there is a “Pocket” Beagle registry, they are NOT what Beagles should look like or act like. There is also no way of confirm the quality, size or disposition of the breeding stock. I have seen “Pocket” Beagles that are over 14 inches tall! Pocket Beagles are just used as a term to sell puppies!