Beagle Shepherd

The beagle shepherd is another hybrid breed that has emerged from the recent frenzy of designer dog creation. As is typical of such efforts, the originator of the breed is not fully known or acknowledged.

In any event, a beagle shepherd can resemble a sort of paper doll-style creature that has a very definite German shepherd body and a very obvious beagle head and floppy ears placed on top of it. It is not unattractive by any means, but it distinctly shows the evidence of the dog’s crossbreeding.

The history of the beagle may go back to the 5th century Greece. These dogs hunted in search of foxes, rabbits, and other small prey. In the 1500s, beagles became well-known in England as they hunted in packs with English gentlemen in search of deer, rabbits, and foxes. This dog’s persistence, excellent sense of smell, and loud howling bark made it a helpful companion for hunters. 

Originally bred, starting in 1899, by Max von Stephanitz to assist shepherds by using various herding breeds, the German Shepherd is an exceptionally intelligent working dog breed. They excel as guardians in positions of service and make for loving and loyal additions to the family.

With the beagle as a hunting hound and the German shepherd as a guard and herd dog, the crossbreed tends to take some of the protective edge off the shepherd and replace it with the happy-go-lucky genetics of the beagle, yet the beagle’s keen instinct to hunt via scent remains a very dominant trait.

3 Pros And Cons of Ownership

Size And Weight

Unlike many designer crossbreeds, the Beagle Shepherd has proven to be something of a wildcard when it comes to size and weight. Consider that a male beagle might be 12 to 15 inches high and 20 to 30 pounds in weight. An adult German shepherd male can clock in at anywhere from 24 to 26 inches in height and 65 to 90 pounds in weight.

Beagle shepherds thus have a very wide range of body sizes. The normal expectation is that they will come in at anywhere from 16 to 24 inches tall and 22 to 56 pounds in weight. Females run slightly smaller, with about 15 to 22 inches in height and 22 to 49 pounds in weight. Even that “average” covers a very broad range and it is possible to find beagle shepherds at the low end of the beagle range or the high end of the German shepherd range. The overall size is much less predictable with the beagle shepherd than is seen in other designer dogs.

Common Health Issues

While one of the main benefits of a designer crossbreed over a long-established purebred is that it has greater genetic diversity to fight off inherited health problems, the beagle shepherd has some definite health concerns. Like most other dogs, these are often geriatric in nature.

Things such as obesity from overfeeding and under-exercising are not breed-specific, nor are the possibilities of cataracts later in life. The same goes for that most canine of diseases known as hip dysplasia or degeneration of the hip bones. Epilepsy is a factor in both breeds, but this can generally be treated with medication.

On the German shepherd side of the family, the main risks come from various forms of intestinal tract issues that are more common in these dogs than in the overall population. These can include such things as pancreatic troubles, bloat, and anal functioning problems.

Temperament

This dog combines many admirable traits, which can produce a very desirable mix of characteristics. The German shepherd’s loyalty and alertness to danger combine with the beagle’s temperament of playfulness and high energy.

It also carries some downside risks in the wrong environment. Beagles like to talk and were bred to hunt smaller creatures. This can lead to issues with barking and also represents a danger to other neighborhood or household pets that may not have proper socialization with their new family member. They like to chew on things, so it is very important to make sure that they always have something proper to chew on or else they will select something else.

Care

Apart from what one would do for any dog, some things require particular emphasis when caring for this breed. Due to their beagle-like ears, they need regular examination and care to guard against ear infections.

Their high-energy personality manifests itself in two ways. First off, they require a high degree of exercise. This means plenty of rough-housing as well as regular and strenuous walks that should include at least some amount of actual running.

Secondly, they require near-constant companionship. You cannot leave one of these dogs alone for any appreciable length of time without risking trouble in the form of separation anxiety of one sort or another. They may howl, they may chew, and they may run around and break things. If you cannot be with your dog, you must have other dogs to keep it in line while you are away.

Best Dog Food

This breed burns a lot of calories. As a result, it should be fed high-quality dog food in quantities of about 1 ½ cups per meal twice a day. So long as they exercise, occasional treats or table scraps can work.

At regular appointments, discuss the ideal diet with the vet to address any health concerns. Try to seek out food with specific ingredients and nutrients that cater to this breed’s range of potential conditions.

Maintenance And Grooming

Beagle coat genetics seem to predominate. This means that the breed is relatively low maintenance so far as grooming is concerned. The dog will shed, particularly in the spring when it sloughs off its winter coat. A regular program of brushing about 2 or 3 times a week is sufficient to keep things untangled and the blood circulating properly.

Training

One of the best things about a Beagle Shepherd is that it is an easy dog to train in most ordinary things, yet it is also very intelligent and playful, so it is also possible to instruct it in more elaborate tricks with relative ease.

The one thing to avoid when training one of these dogs is punishment. They have long memories and have held grudges for some time from mistreatment. Patient repetition and a judicious award of treats will bring large rewards in terms of a very entertaining animal.

Exercise

Beagle Shepherds not only need a lot of exercise, but they also need variation in their exercises. If trapped in a continuous rut, they will soon become bored and unresponsive. It is thus necessary to include more than just a casual walk as their daily regimen. Running, walking, jumping, and playing should be part of their normal schedule. A short walk or run is not enough. They require a good mile-and-a-half or two miles of exercise daily in order to keep them in peak condition.

Puppies

Beagle Shepherd puppies need three things. Owners must carefully instruct them on what is proper to chew on and what is not proper to chew. It is also best to work with them on when and how much they should bark under various circumstances. The Beagle is meant to hunt and to constantly announce its presence. This instinct can get out of hand in an urban or suburban setting. They must also be very carefully introduced to other house pets so that they recognize them as part of the family from an early age. Otherwise, their hunting instinct may kick in at unwelcome times and focus on unwanted targets.

Children

This is a very good dog for children due to its indefatigable energy and playfulness. It can, however, grow to a larger size than expected. This can lead to unintentional injuries resulting from a mix of big, happy dogs and small, happy children trying to occupy the same space and time.

Dogs Similar To Beagle Shepherds

• Shepadoodle: Although it will produce a longer-haired specimen, the poodle shepherd cross, sometimes called a Shepadoodle, offers many of the same attractive features of the beagle shepherd but without the same level of worries about barking.
• Shollie: If you are looking for something larger, then a German shepherd and border collie mix might be good. This produces a much larger dog but comes with the caveat that it is not really an indoor dog at all.
• German Shepherd Australian Shepherd Mix: The Australian shepherd and German shepherd mix produces an excellent dog that is again not really the size for indoor living, but has more of the protective and herding instincts of its two shepherd parents. Losing the beagle instinct for hunting and howling is not necessarily a bad trade-off unless you use your animal on the hunt.