Ideal Weight for Beagle?

BeckyBeagal · 03-20-2007, 09:21 AM

Some of you may know, I am concerned about my baby girl being obese.
She is beagle. Does anybody know ideal weight for beagles whose age is in between 1~3years? I would appreciate any opinion. Have a great day.

Lorina · 03-20-2007, 10:16 AM

The website dogbreedinfo.com suggests a range from 20-25 pounds, but so much would depend on the individual dog. Not all are exactly standard size, so a dog that's above the AKC maximum height of 15 inches would weigh more. For instance, Pekingese are supposed to, by AKC standards, be under 14 pounds, but mine is a little larger than standard and is 16 pounds, but not the least bit overweight.

I've personally seen adult beagles ranging in weight from about 15 to 75 (yes, seventy-five!

) pounds for a really grossly fat one.

You also need to consider that Becky may not be pure Beagle since she's from a shelter and you don't know her full history. If you were to toss a little bit of Basset in the mix, and you'd have a dog that's a little shorter, stockier, and heftier than a typical beagle.

briteday · 03-20-2007, 10:55 AM

20-25 pounds. But to make it easier and less stressful than stepping on the scale...can you feel her ribs when you run your hands along her flanks with light pressure? And I don't mean ribs sticking out...can you feel the contour of the ribs? If you can then your dog is probably ok. If you can't, then lose a pound.
Don't become obsessessed about weight unless you look at your beagle and say, "My that's QUITE a beagle!"

RonE · 03-20-2007, 03:24 PM

Aren't there two breed standards for beagles? 13" or 15"? That would make a difference. Our 15" was about 25 pounds.

If I had tried to get my giant lab down to the breed standard 70 pounds, I would have lost a couple of children and maybe some neighbors. Esther, who may or may not be all Plott hound, weighs about 80 and, again, if I used the Plott breed standards to regulate her weight, I'd have a very annoyed hound.

BeckyBeagal · 03-20-2007, 06:20 PM

Aren't there two breed standards for beagles? 13" or 15"? That would make a difference. Our 15" was about 25 pounds.

Ron -

I have heard of that. but what size it that? Chest? Bottom? of length from neck to bottom?? Please let me know. My messages are not being posted... Dang..

RonE · 03-20-2007, 06:40 PM

The AKC recognizes two variations: the 13" (measured at the withers, which is the base of the neck) and 15". We used to call the 13" the English beagle and the 15" the American beagle, but I don't believe that was ever an official designation.

Anything much over 15" is a foxhound or a monster beagle.

Our 15" beagle came from a long line of field champions but, the truth is, he was probably a little too big and fast to be an ideal rabbit dog. They're supposed to keep the rabbit moving, but not scare it into a hole. The smaller ones are sometimes better.

Beagles are ALWAYS hungry and will eat nearly anything. Keeping their weight under control is a challenge, but I wouldn't use a target weight based on anything you read here. You vet can probably give you a reasonable target weight based on physical examination.

At least you have a dog that you can pick up and weigh on a bathroom scale. I have to go to the vet or a certified truck scale to weigh Esther.

PureBred1 · 03-20-2007, 07:21 PM

My girl Gracie is about 30 pounds, she doesn't look overeight at all and she will be two in July. She isn't heavy and she isn't super skinny. My vet says it's a the normal healthy weight for a beagle.

Scratch that, she weighs exactly 26 pounds, she is a 15'

I agree with Ron, Beagle's are chow hounds. Gracie eats alot....I mean alot!

RonE · 03-20-2007, 07:33 PM

They'll eat as much you give them and then they'll forage.

I used to find ours out in the garden, digging up radishes and eating them.

Lorina · 03-20-2007, 07:37 PM

The height of a dog is measured at the top arch of the shoulders, kinda like how horses are measured at the whithers.

Ginny01OT · 03-20-2007, 07:46 PM

I was always wondering what the ideal weight for a standard poodle was and I could never find it online anywhere so when I took my dog into be neutered I asked the vet if he had any information. He told me that if you could see a waistline on the dog and palpate their ribs (not see them, feel them) then they were not overweight.

BeckyBeagal · 03-20-2007, 08:08 PM

Thank you for the all the input.

She is 13" I think. - She wasn't very cooperative when I measured her.
Tell me about the beagles appetite, I caught her eating whole white onion the other day. LOL

I might be a bit sensitive. My hubby and I were used to be exercise fanatic and we are very sensitive about weight. (Not crazy but a bit sensitive than others)

Here are couple of pixs of Becky. She has very wrinkly skins so it is hard to tell for me whether I can feel her ribcage with light pressure. What do you think?

RonE · 03-20-2007, 08:54 PM

Oh, definitely about 40 pounds overweight. I'd put her a crash diet of white onions and radishes.

Our 25 pound beagle once tore into a 20 pound bag of dry kibble and, as near as I can figure, ate the whole thing. You'd think that would kill him, wouldn't you? But, no, he was back to normal in a few days.

Becky will be fine. Maybe step up the exercise just a bit and back off on the kibble just a smidgeon. Small changes will make all the difference.

She looks like all beagle to me, BTW. (That's a compliment.)

BeckyBeagal · 03-20-2007, 09:08 PM

LOL Ron-

I love your sense of humor all the time

, Thing is I have been following simple rule of weight loss = lessen calorie intake + more exercise, however she manage to gain weight. That is why I am concerned.

Thank you for the encouragement, though. In couple months, if she doesn't get better, I would take her to a vet for thyroid check up even though she is not showing other symptoms