As the NIH Shuts Down its Beagle Lab, Let’s Take a Look at Why Beagles Are Beloved Worldwide

Beagle lovers everywhere are celebrating an extremely big win: The National Institute of Health has shut down the last beagle lab on its campus. This move comes after the Trump administration promoted Jay Bhattacharya as NIH Director. The research lab, which has been running medical experiments on dogs for years, is officially closing its doors. Catharine E. Krebs, PhD, medical research program manager for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine praised the recent action, saying, “The NIH’s closure of its last beagle lab is a huge step forward in its efforts to move away from animal research.” This represents a broader shift away from animal testing as a whole, as laboratories place a heavier focus on human-based science.

Beagles are popular pet dogs loved by pet owners worldwide for their cute faces and unflinching loyalty. Their relationship with humans dates back to 5th century Greece, and during this time, they famously went everywhere with their owners. In the 16th century, they became very popular in England, and their popularity spread across Europe in later centuries. Besides their cuteness, friendliness, and loyalty, there are other intriguing facts about beagles, and we have listed 10 of them below.

This post was updated on May 13, 2025 to include information about the NIH shutting down its last beagle lab under the Trump administration’s Director of NIH, Jay Bhattacharya.

1. Humans Once Bred Pocket-Sized Beagles

There was a point in history when humans had beagles that could literally fit in pockets. These beagles were called “pocket beagles,” and they were about 8-9 inches tall. Admittedly, pockets back then were much roomier than what we have today. Also, Queen Elizabeth I was reportedly a big fan.

Pocket beagles went extinct in the 1800s due to their many health problems. Now that’s a bummer — it would have been nice if they lasted until the 20th century so we would at least have pictures of them.

2. The White on a Beagle’s Tail Tip Is There for a Reason

It doesn’t take a long hard look to figure out that beagles have a white-tipped tail. This is because beagles were originally bred for hunting, and the white tips helped hunters to spot them easily. That’s a really smart move because the white tip always stood out on hunting grounds, making hunting a lot less strenuous for hunters.

Now that beagles are kept more as pets rather than for hunting purposes, the white tips still stand out, and they add to their overall aesthetic.

3. Beagles’ Ears Aid Their Senses of Smell

Alongside their beautiful noses, beagles’ ears also help their smelling ability. You might be curious as to how that works, right? Well, beagles have long floppy ears, and these ears create micro air currents that stir up scent molecules and funnel the scent towards their noses. They also have about 220 million scent receptors, which make their olfactory abilities about 44 times better than humans (who have 5 million scent receptors).

Beagles are very good at tracking scents, so if you have a beagle, you can put that to good use. The downside to this characteristic is they sometimes struggle with selective hearing.

4. Beagles Are Commonly Used for Lab Tests

One of the most beautiful things about beagles is their level of trust for humans. This quality has made them the preferred dog breed for animal testing in many scientific laboratories worldwide. Even when they aren’t exactly comfortable with the situation, they are inclined to trust that humans wouldn’t hurt them. Cute little things, aren’t they?

5. Beagles Are Prone to Obesity

One of the not-so-great qualities of beagles is their proneness to obesity. This stems from their inordinate love for food that sees them consuming anything edible, especially since they are omnivores.

So, if you have a pet beagle, you should have a healthy meal plan for them and also have them exercise from time to time. Take it from us; you don’t want an obese beagle that can’t even carry itself on your hands.

6. Beagles Make More Than One Sound

Beagles have a voice, and like humans, they want their voice to be heard. They also communicate their feelings with sounds. The most obvious beagle sound is the bark by which they alert their owners of another human’s presence. They can do this repeatedly and jarringly if they are unfamiliar with the person or distrust their intentions.

Beagles also make rather sad howls when they feel bored or tired. For a beagle owner, that would be your cue to take them for a walk or something.

7. Beagles Are Not Exactly Low Shedders

As one would expect from a dog breed, beagles shed their hair all year long. The idea that they do not shed at all is not true. Beagles shed moderately, and this is due, in part, to their double coat. In fact, they could become heavy shedders if there is a drastic change in temperature, especially when they are moved from a cool climate to a warmer climate.

8. Beagles Are Low-Maintenance Pets

One of the many reasons why beagles are so heavily loved is the relatively little amount of work it takes to groom them. For instance, they only need to be brushed once or twice a week, and it often takes up to a month before they need a new bath. They also require occasional nail trimming and frequent ear inspection. The bottom line is that caring for and grooming a pet beagle comes with relatively minimal stress, and that says a lot.

9. Beagles Are Social Animals

Beagles enjoy the company of people and being alone could make them develop separation anxiety and do harmful things for a little entertainment. As this breed likes to roll with other dogs, some vets recommend having more than one beagle around. Beagles generally become a lot more joyful and vivacious when there is another one around — kind of like how humans become bubblier when their friends and folks come around.

10. Beagles Have Different Sizes

Beagles are often classified as medium-sized and small-sized dogs, which shows they are different in terms of size. There are beagles under 13 inches, while some are exactly 13 inches, and others reach up to 15 inches.

The height limit of a beagle is 15 inches in the United States and 16 inches in England, pointing to slight differences in size across the two countries.

Bonus Facts About Beagles

• President Lyndon Johnson had three beagles and named them “Him,” “Her,” and “Edgar.” According to him, Edgar was named after former FBI Director Edgar Hoover.

• Some beagles are employed by government agencies like Homeland Security, and their job description often revolves around their excellent smelling abilities.

• A hybrid of a Chihuahua and a beagle is called a Cheagle. Cheagles are known for having floppy ears like beagles while taking on the body of a Chihuahua.

• Beagles have diverse colors, with brown, white, and black being the most popular. There are also beagles with shades of lemon and tan.