Do Beagles shed? The ultimate guide to Beagle coat care
Shedding season? Our Beagle coat care tips have you covered.
There are many wonderful aspects about owning a Beagle, and one of these is their beautifully sleek, low-maintenance coat! Beagles have a short yet dense coat and, although they do shed their coat, it is barely noticeable compared to longer-haired dog breeds.
However, Beagles do need some basic coat care to keep their fur in pristine condition, plus, of course, they adore the extra attention that comes with being groomed. Let's take an in-depth look at everything you need to know about grooming your Beagle, including ways to keep shedding to a minimum.
a) Ears
b) Paws
1) Do Beagles shed?
Beagles do shed their coats, and they are part of a group of dog breeds known as seasonal shedders. This means that they mainly shed their fur in the spring and fall, in preparation for the heat of summer or cooler winter weather. During this process any old and damaged fur is lost, to be replaced with new, healthy fur.
Although seasonal shedders mainly only lose their coats to ready themselves for a change in the weather, they also shed some fur throughout the remainder of the year. Luckily Beagles have such a short coat that, apart from the two main shedding periods, you may barely notice any fur loss at all.
This ties in exactly with my own experiences with my Beagle, Cocoa - as the weather starts to change at the end of summer or winter, she will go through a period of noticeable shedding for two to three weeks. A clear warning sign for me that the seasons are about to change!
Other than seasonal shedding in the spring and fall, Cocoa barely sheds her coat at all. Regular grooming keeps her coat in fabulous condition and shedding to a minimum, although her favorite sleeping spots do accumulate patches of shed fur over time.
Incidentally, whilst researching this article I began to wonder about the words 'hair' and 'fur', as we tend to use them both when referring to our dogs' coats! It turns out that hair and fur are identical in composition, but the word fur is used for a coat that grows to a predetermined length, while hair coats just keep growing longer and longer. So, if we're talking about Beagles with their short, sleek coats, they have fur rather than hair.
2) How do I stop my Beagle from shedding?
For most of the year, shedding in Beagles is not a big problem. You might see a few patches of fur here and there, but this will be pretty minimal. Until, that is, the seasonal shedding period kicks in!
This normally happens in spring and fall, when suddenly your Beagle will start to lose fur in much larger quantities. There is absolutely nothing you can do to stop this process - it is a completely natural way for your precious pooch to prepare for a forthcoming change in the weather.
So, if your Beagle starts to shed fur everywhere, is there anything you can do about it? During periods of seasonal shedding it can be very helpful to groom your Beagle much more frequently, to help remove any loose fur before it falls out by itself.
3) How often should you groom a Beagle?
During most of the year, a quick groom once or twice a week will be sufficient to keep your Beagle's coat in peak condition. Regular grooming removes dirt, dander, and loose fur, and helps to spread beneficial oils throughout the coat.
This weekly grooming session is a great time to check your Beagle over for any lumps, bumps, cuts, or scrapes. Most Beagles enjoy the gentle massaging sensation of being groomed, and I find that it is a lovely way to spend some quality time bonding with Cocoa.
During periods of high seasonal shedding during the winter and fall, you can help to reduce shedding by grooming daily or every other day. It may be easier to do this outside, as the amount of fur a Beagle can shed in the spring and fall is always surprising!
4) How do you groom a Beagle's fur?
Apart from some light shedding of fur, the coat of a Beagle is relatively low-maintenance. Their fur is too short and sleek to get matted, and they rarely get anything tangled up in the coat. A quick groom with a soft brush is sufficient to remove loose fur and dander. This will also stimulate the release of oils that help to keep the skin and coat healthy.
I have two main brushes for grooming Cocoa. The first is a soft-bristled baby brush, which is the main brush we use when she isn't shedding. This gentle brush is also ideal for tender spots such as the tips of her ears.
The second brush is a very soft rubber brush with huge bristles that draws out shedding fur in big quantities. We have to use this brush outside as it can get very fluffy very quickly! Cocoa is not a big fan of this brush so we have to do several short sessions, usually once every couple of days when she’s shedding.
However, it is vital to remember that dog grooming involves more than just brushing the fur! Your Beagle grooming session also needs to include some other areas that require regular attention to keep them in tip-top condition.
a) Ears
Every Beagle should have their ears checked regularly, as those adorably long ear flaps unfortunately hide many problems! Research has shown that dogs with floppy ears are more prone to ear infections, thought to be due to reduced air circulation and increased humidity in the ear canal.
In terms of ear care, it is a good idea to take a small, soft brush and gently brush the fur in and around the ear flaps to remove any dirt. The inside of the ear flaps can be wiped clean with damp cotton wool, but never attempt to clean inside your Beagle's ears without the advice of your veterinarian.
b) Paws
The weekly grooming session is a great time to carefully look at each of your Beagle's paws. Dirt and grime can become embedded between the pads, increasing the risk of sore skin and infections. Gently wipe under the paws with damp cotton wool, taking care to clean the gaps between the paw pads.
Also related to the paws, a weekly grooming session is a good time to check if your Beagle needs their nails trimmed. The nails should sit level with the paw pad, so if they are curling over a trip to the dog groomer may be required. Dirt under the nails is also a tell-tale sign that a nail trim is in order.
It is clear to see that in terms of coat shedding and grooming, Beagles are about as low-maintenance as it gets! A short weekly grooming session is ideal for keeping your Beagle's skin and coat in top condition, and more regular grooming during seasonal periods of high shedding can help to keep hair loss under control.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
🐶 Ultimate guide to exercising your Beagle
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You can learn more about my Beagle Cocoa and me here.
