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Beagle

Lifespan
12.5 years
95% CI 12.3 to 12.7 · McMillan 2024, n=4,678
Most carried variant
Chondrodystrophy and Intervertebral Disc Disease Risk
93% of 5,245 tested · Donner 2023
Behind this page
46 dogs
in the atlas · an early sketch · 5,292 tested for variants
Also carried:Factor VII Deficiency · 11%Cone-Rod Dystrophy · 11%

Beagles have a cited life expectancy of 12.5 years (McMillan 2024 / VetCompass, n=4,678, 95% CI 12.3 to 12.7). The most carried tested variant is Chondrodystrophy and Intervertebral Disc Disease Risk, in 93% of 5,245 Beagles tested (Donner 2023), then Factor VII Deficiency (11%) and Cone-Rod Dystrophy (11%). 46 dogs stand behind the atlas figures here, so treat this page as an early sketch.

Beagle
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia

Also known as English Beagle.

See in the atlas → From CanVAS
Mendelian-disease genetics

What genetic diseases do Beagles carry?

From a panel of 250 Mendelian-disease variants screened in 1,054,293 dogs (Donner et al. 2023), Beagles carry 36 of them at observable frequency. Carrier frequency is not clinical risk. Most recessive variants require two copies for disease expression; many dominant variants show incomplete penetrance. Read this as a population fingerprint of what's in the gene pool, not a per-dog prediction.

Chondrodystrophy and Intervertebral Disc Disease Risk (CDDY)
Autosomal dominant
high 93.5%
n = 5,245 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:000157-9615 · omia.org →
FGF4what this gene does

FGF4 influences leg length by affecting bone growth, leading to shorter legs in certain breeds.

For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry this gene, it's worth discussing spinal health with your vet, but being a carrier doesn’t guarantee problems.

Factor VII Deficiency
Autosomal recessive
moderate 10.5%
n = 5,263 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:000361-9615 · omia.org →
F7what this gene does

The F7 gene helps produce a protein important for blood clotting, which stops bleeding when dogs get injured.

For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry F7 variants, it's worth mentioning to your vet before any surgery or if you notice unusual bleeding.

Cone-Rod Dystrophy (cord1-PRA/crd4)
Autosomal recessive (Incomplete penetrance)
moderate 10.5%
n = 5,273 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001432-9615 · omia.org →
RPGRIP1what this gene does

RPGRIP1 is a gene involved in the function of photoreceptor cells in the eye, which help dogs see in different light conditions.

For your dog: If your dog belongs to a breed known to carry RPGRIP1 mutations, it’s worth discussing with your vet to understand the risks and monitor eye health.

Hypocatalasia
Autosomal recessive
low 6.9%
n = 5,292 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001138-9615 · omia.org →
CATwhat this gene does

CAT is a gene that helps produce an enzyme called catalase, which breaks down hydrogen peroxide in the body to prevent cell damage.

For your dog: If your dog is from a breed that can carry this gene, it’s worth asking your vet about testing. Being a carrier doesn’t mean your dog is affected, but it can inform health decisions.

Musladin-Lueke syndrome (MLS)
Autosomal recessive
Likely pathogenic / pathogenic low 1.7%
n = 5,282 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001509-9615 · omia.org →
ADAMTSL2what this gene does

ADAMTSL2 is a gene that helps regulate the structure and function of connective tissues in the body.

For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry this gene variant, it's worth discussing with your vet, especially if you notice unusual stiffness or facial traits.

Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)
Autosomal recessive (Incomplete penetrance)
low 1.7%
n = 5,292 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:000263-9615 · omia.org →
SOD1what this gene does

SOD1 is a gene that helps protect cells from damage caused by harmful molecules called free radicals.

For your dog: If your dog is a carrier of SOD1 variants, it's worth discussing with your vet, but remember carrier status doesn't mean your dog will get the disease.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy risk factor (Discovered in the Doberman Pinscher; PDK4-related)
Autosomal dominant (Incomplete penetrance)
marker disputed 1.1%
n = 5,292 dogs · 2 variants tested · OMIA:000162-9615 · omia.org →
PDK4what this gene does

PDK4 helps regulate how cells use energy, especially in the heart muscle.

For your dog: If your dog is one of the breeds known to carry this gene, it’s worth discussing heart health with your vet, but being a carrier doesn’t mean your dog will develop disease.

Intestinal Cobalamin Malabsorption (Discovered in the Border Collie; CUBN-related)
Autosomal recessive
low 1.1%
n = 5,292 dogs · 3 variants tested · OMIA:001786-9615 · omia.org →
CUBNwhat this gene does

The CUBN gene helps the body absorb vitamin B12 from the intestines, which is essential for energy and nerve function.

For your dog: If your dog’s breed is on the list, it’s worth discussing CUBN-related risks with your vet to keep an eye on their vitamin B12 levels.

Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome (Discovered in the Heideterrier; CHRNE-related; CMS)
Autosomal recessive
low 0.74%
n = 5,291 dogs · 2 variants tested · OMIA:000685-9615 · omia.org →
CHRNEwhat this gene does

CHRNE is a gene involved in the communication between nerves and muscles, helping muscles respond properly to signals.

For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry CHRNE variants, it's worth discussing with your vet, especially if you notice muscle weakness or unusual fatigue.

Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (Discovered in the Beagle; POAG)
Autosomal recessive
Pathogenic low 0.68%
n = 4,993 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001870-9615 · omia.org →
Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration (prcd-PRA)
Autosomal recessive
low 0.22%
n = 5,282 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001298-9615 · omia.org →
PRCDwhat this gene does

PRCD is a gene involved in the health of a dog's retina, the part of the eye that detects light and helps with vision.

For your dog: If your dog belongs to a breed known to carry PRCD changes, it's worth discussing eye health and potential genetic testing with your vet.

Pyruvate Kinase (PK) Deficiency (Discovered in the Beagle)
Autosomal recessive
low 0.16%
n = 5,292 dogs · 4 variants tested · OMIA:000844-9615 · omia.org →
Exercise-Induced Collapse (EIC)
Autosomal recessive (Incomplete penetrance)
low 0.12%
n = 5,291 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001466-9615 · omia.org →
DNM1what this gene does

DNM1 is a gene that helps nerve cells communicate properly by managing how they send signals during muscle activity.

For your dog: If your dog belongs to one of the breeds known to carry this gene variant, it's worth discussing EIC with your vet, especially if your dog is very active or shows signs of weakness during exercise.

Pituitary-Dependent Hyperadrenocorticism (Discovered in Poodles)
Autosomal dominant
low <0.1%
n = 5,292 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:000247-9615 · omia.org →
Von Willebrand's Disease, Type 1 (vWD 1)
Autosomal recessive
low <0.1%
n = 5,291 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001057-9615 · omia.org →
Collie Eye Anomaly (CEA)
Autosomal recessive
low <0.1%
n = 5,292 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:000218-9615 · omia.org →
NHEJ1what this gene does

NHEJ1 is a gene involved in repairing breaks in DNA, helping maintain the integrity of genetic information in cells.

For your dog: If your dog belongs to one of the breeds known to carry this gene variant, it's worth discussing testing with your vet to understand any potential eye health risks.

Cystinuria Type I-B (SLC7A9 p.A217T)
Autosomal recessive (Incomplete penetrance)
marker disputed <0.1%
n = 5,292 dogs · 2 variants tested · OMIA:001880-9615 · omia.org →
SLC7A9what this gene does

SLC7A9 is a gene that helps transport certain amino acids in the kidneys. It plays a role in how the body handles cystine, an amino acid that can form crystals.

For your dog: If your dog is a carrier, it’s worth discussing with your vet to monitor urinary health and catch any issues early.

Neonatal Cerebellar Cortical Degeneration (SPTBN2-related; NCCD)
Autosomal recessive
low <0.1%
n = 5,292 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:002092-9615 · omia.org →
Hyperuricosuria (HUU)
Autosomal recessive
low <0.1%
n = 5,292 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001033-9615 · omia.org →
SLC2A9what this gene does

SLC2A9 is a gene that helps regulate uric acid levels in a dog's body. It plays a role in how the kidneys handle this substance.

For your dog: If your dog is one of the breeds known to carry this gene variant, it’s worth discussing with your vet to understand any potential urinary health concerns.

Skeletal Dysplasia 2 (SD2)
Autosomal recessive
low <0.1%
n = 5,292 dogs · 1 variant tested · OMIA:001772-9615 · omia.org →
COL11A2what this gene does

COL11A2 is a gene that helps produce a type of collagen important for healthy bones and cartilage.

For your dog: If your dog is from a breed known to carry COL11A2 variants, it's worth discussing genetic testing with your vet to understand any risks.

Show the other 16, ordered after these by severity, then carrier frequency.
Cystinuria Type I-A (SLC3A1 p.I192V) <0.1% n = 5,292
MDR1 (Multidrug Resistance 1) Medication Sensitivity <0.1% n = 5,292
Primary Lens Luxation (PLL) <0.1% n = 5,292
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (Discovered in the Giant Schnauzer; NECAP1-related) <0.1% n = 5,292
Canine Multifocal Retinopathy 1 (Discovered in Mastiff-related breeds; CMR1) <0.1% n = 5,292
Early-Onset Progressive Polyneuropathy (Discovered in the Greyhound) <0.1% n = 5,292
Acral Mutilation Syndrome (AMS) <0.1% n = 5,292
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 8 (Discovered in the Australian Shepherd; NCL8) <0.1% n = 5,292
Polyneuropathy with Ocular Abnormalities and Neuronal Vacuolation (Discovered in the Black Russian Terrier and Rottweiler; POANV) <0.1% n = 5,225
Myeloperoxidase Deficiency (Discovered in the Italian Hound) <0.1% n = 5,289
Congenital Hypothyroidism (Discovered in the Toy Fox and Rat Terrier) <0.1% n = 5,291
Canine Scott Syndrome (CSS) <0.1% n = 5,292
Craniomandibular Osteopathy (Discovered in the Cairn, Scottish and West Highland White Terrier) <0.1% n = 5,292
Ichthyosis (Discovered in the Golden Retriever) <0.1% n = 5,292
Neuroaxonal Dystrophy (Discovered in the Rottweiler; VPS11-related) <0.1% n = 5,292
Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis 7 (Discovered in the Chinese Crested Dog and Chihuahua; NCL7) <0.1% n = 5,292
Source: Donner J et al. 2023. Genetic prevalence and clinical relevance of canine Mendelian disease variants in over one million dogs. PLOS Genetics 19(2):e1010651 · Evidence: Limited (DTC ascertainment, tag-SNP proxy) · Confounding MEDIUM · License CC-BY-4.0 · Phene IDs from OMIA (Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney; DOI 10.25910/2AMR-PV70).
Sample size in this breed: 5,292 dogs from the Donner 2023 cohort.
In plain terms

What these results mean for a Beagle

Chondrodystrophy and disc disease risk (CDDY)

93.5% of Beagles in the Donner 2023 cohort carried it (n=5,245).

  • Two extra copies of a growth gene, FGF4, shape dog legs and spines. The one on chromosome 12 is the one tied to disc disease; the one on chromosome 18 shortens legs.
    OMIA 000157-9615

    “Two FGF4 retrogenes (FGF4L1 on chromosome 18 and FGF4L2 on chromosome 12) have been identified to cause dwarfism across many dog breeds.” OMIA 000157-9615

    “Brown et al. (2017) reported that an FGF4 retrogene insertion in chromosome CFA12” OMIA 000157-9615

  • Carrying it raises risk. It does not say which dog will have a disc problem. In Dachshunds researchers found the test is not a valid risk indicator on its own.
    OMIA 000157-9615

    “the FGF4 retrogene insertion on CFA12 is not a valid risk indicator on its own” OMIA 000157-9615

What to do
Ask your veterinarian what a carrier result changes for your dog. What lowers risk in a carrier is not established in the sources this page draws on.

No test, or a mix
Without a test nobody can say whether a dog carries it. Leg length alone does not tell you: the disc-disease copy and the short-leg copy are different insertions.

Degenerative myelopathy (DM)

1.7% of Beagles in the Donner 2023 cohort carried it (n=5,292).

  • DM is a loss of function in the spinal cord that begins in adulthood and progresses to paralysis of the back legs. There is no treatment that stops it.
    OMIA 000263-9615

    “This is an adult onset degeneration of the spinal cord that progresses to paraplegia and tetraparesis. There is no successful treatment. A genetic test is available.” OMIA 000263-9615

  • Two copies of the SOD1 variant mean at risk, not affected. Some dogs with two copies never show signs.
    OMIA 000263-9615

    “some homozygous mutant dogs had no signs of degenerative myelopathy, which suggests incomplete penetrance or other causative loci” OMIA 000263-9615

  • One copy makes a dog a carrier. In the study that found the variant, every affected dog tested had two copies.
    OMIA 000263-9615

    “All affected dogs tested were homozygous mutant.” OMIA 000263-9615

What to do
A DNA result is not a diagnosis. Take the result, and any change in how the dog walks, to a veterinarian.

No test, or a mix
Without a test nobody can say how many copies a dog has. A breed's carrier frequency describes the breed, not this dog.

Dilated cardiomyopathy marker (PDK4-related, first reported in Dobermans)

Marker disputed

1.1% of Beagles in the Donner 2023 cohort carried it (n=5,292).

  • This is a marker, not an established cause. The curated record says a test based on it is not a good indicator of heart disease risk even in Dobermans, the breed it was found in.
    OMIA 000162-9615

    “it is evident that any DNA test based on this marker will not be a good indicator of liability to this disorder in Dobermans” OMIA 000162-9615

What to do
A carrier result for this marker is not, on its own, a reason for heart screening. Heart screening is a conversation with your veterinarian about the breed and the dog.

No test, or a mix
What this marker means in breeds other than the Doberman is not established in the sources this page draws on.

Which Mendelian variants matter most for Beagles?

The Mendelian-disease table above lists variants screened in 5,292 Beagles (Donner 2023). One variant dominates by frequency. Several others matter by clinical impact despite lower carrier rates.

Factor VII Deficiency

Factor VII Deficiency in Beagles is a recessive bleeding disorder caused by mutations in the F7 gene. Affected dogs have prolonged clotting times and are at risk for spontaneous bleeding, especially after trauma or surgery. The disorder is manageable but requires informed care.

10.5% of Beagles in the Donner cohort carry the variant (n=5,263). The penetrance is incomplete: only 6 of 33 at-risk dogs in the Donner phenotype-confirmed set showed clinical bleeding signs (Donner S4 penetrance: 6/33, max 18%). Testing is available. Affected dogs are managed with factor VII replacement before elective surgery and monitoring during acute illness.

Cone-Rod Dystrophy (cord1-PRA/crd4)

Cone-Rod Dystrophy in Beagles is an autosomal recessive form of progressive retinal atrophy with incomplete penetrance. Affected dogs develop vision loss starting in the cone-dominant areas of the retina; the age of onset is variable and not yet precisely characterized in Beagles. The progression to blindness is gradual.

10.5% of Beagles carry the variant (n=5,273). Testing is available from most commercial canine genetics labs. The Beagle’s use as a scent hound means early vision loss may be functionally less critical than in sight-dependent breeds, but affected dogs still benefit from stable home environments and careful exercise management as the condition progresses.

How should I test my Beagle?

A breed-specific panel from a CLIA-accredited lab is the high-yield path. The minimum useful set for Beagles is the FGF4 retrogene (CDDY), F7 (Factor VII Deficiency), and cord1-PRA (Cone-Rod Dystrophy). Testing breeding stock for these three variants is the current standard of care within the Beagle health community.

What should I feed a Beagle?

Beagles were bred for eight-hour hunting days and their metabolism still expects them. Food-motivated weight gain is the most common Beagle health failure, and the food bowl is where it starts.

The breed’s intervertebral disc disease risk, present in 93.5% of Beagles as carriers of the CDDY variant (Donner 2023, n=5,245), makes weight management the single most important nutritional intervention. Overweight Beagles place excess load on an already-vulnerable lumbar spine. A 25% weight gain in a 20-pound Beagle is not a cosmetic issue. It is a spine-disease accelerator.

Feed to the breed’s actual activity level, not the breed’s ancestry. A pet Beagle living in an urban apartment is not burning the calories of a field-hunting pack hound. Most owners underfeed their own appetite cues and overfeed their dog’s. The honest baseline: measure kibble by scale, not eyeball. A four-year-old Beagle in moderate activity burns roughly 350 to 450 calories per day depending on body composition (NRC 2006). Kibble caloric density varies by brand; check the label and treat that figure as a ceiling, not a starting point.

Choose a formulation with named protein sources and stable fiber. Beagles’ scent-drive means they will eat anything offered. The food choice is the owner’s responsibility. A mid-tier kibble with chicken meal or fish as the primary protein and a fiber content in the 4 to 6 percent range supports satiety without excess calories. Grain-inclusive formulations are fine for the breed; the 2018 FDA concerns around grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (FDA advisory, July 2018) apply less acutely to Beagles than to Goldens, but the conservative default is still grain-inclusive.

Puppy feeding matters for skeletal development and IVDD risk. Large-breed puppy formulations are not appropriate for Beagles despite the breed’s moderate size. Beagles are small to medium dogs with a calcium-to-phosphorus ratio target of 1.1:1 to 2:1 (NRC 2006). Slow, steady growth reduces spinal stress. Feed to predicted adult weight, not current appetite.

Treats are the hidden calorie bomb. A Beagle that weighs 20 pounds and receives one 100-calorie treat per day is consuming roughly 25 percent of daily calories in treats alone. Most owners underestimate treat frequency. Carrot pieces, green beans, or low-calorie chews are the practical default. Reserve higher-calorie treats for training only.

What we don’t know

The relationship between the near-ubiquitous CDDY variant and symptomatic IVDD in Beagles is incompletely understood. We do not yet know which Beagles in that 93.5% carrier pool become symptomatic and which remain clinically unaffected throughout their lives. Environmental factors, activity level, weight, jumping frequency, clearly matter, but the quantitative contribution of each is unmapped.

Factor VII Deficiency shows incomplete penetrance even in homozygous dogs. The Donner phenotype-confirmed set found clinical bleeding in at most 18 percent of at-risk dogs (6 of 33; Donner 2023, S4). We do not yet know which genetic or environmental modifiers determine whether a carrier dog will experience spontaneous bleeding.

Cancer rates in Beagles are not well-characterized in the current literature. The breed’s use in research, its moderate size, and its cited life expectancy of 12.5 years (McMillan 2024 / VetCompass, n=4,678) (Donner 2023) make it a candidate for late-life neoplasia, but published breed-specific incidence data are sparse.

Frequently asked questions about Beagles

Are Beagles good with kids? Yes. Beagles are sturdy, playful, and tolerant of child interaction. Their small to medium size makes them manageable around young children compared to large breeds. Supervision is standard for any dog and child together, but Beagles are known for patience.

How long do Beagles live? Cited life expectancy is 12.5 years (McMillan 2024 / VetCompass, n=4,678, 95% CI 12.3 to 12.7). Individual dogs vary widely based on genetics, health screening, and environmental factors. The oldest Beagles in the genetic atlas lived into their mid-teens.

What is the most common health problem in Beagles? Intervertebral disc disease. The FGF4 retrogene (CDDY) is present in 93.5% of Beagles (Donner 2023, n=5,245). The breed’s vulnerability to disc herniation, especially in the lumbar spine, is the defining genetic health issue. Weight management and spine-protective exercise are the primary owner-level interventions.

Do Beagles have weight issues? Yes, structurally. Beagles are scent-driven foragers bred for sustained activity. In sedentary home environments with ad-lib food access, obesity is very common. The breed’s food motivation means consistent portion control and measurement are non-negotiable. Obesity accelerates IVDD onset and severity.

Should I do a DNA test on my Beagle? For breeding stock, yes. Testing for the FGF4 retrogene (CDDY), Factor VII Deficiency (F7), and Cone-Rod Dystrophy (cord1-PRA) covers the highest-frequency Mendelian variants. For pet Beagles, testing for CDDY is useful for management planning: knowing your dog is a carrier informs exercise and weight-management decisions.

Can Beagles go off-leash? With extreme caution. Beagles have a scent-driven prey drive that overrides most recall training. A Beagle that catches an interesting scent will pursue it into traffic or over a hill without hesitation. Secure fencing and on-leash outdoor time are the safe default for the breed.

What is the best diet for a Beagle? A measured portion of a mid-tier kibble with named protein sources, stable fiber, and grain inclusion. Portion control is more important than brand. Most Beagles thrive on 350 to 450 calories per day at moderate activity (NRC 2006). Weigh kibble by scale, not volume, and account for all treats in the daily total. Excess weight accelerates intervertebral disc disease.

Are Beagles prone to ear infections? Yes. The breed’s pendant ears and active lifestyle make them susceptible to otitis externa, especially if ears stay moist after swimming or grooming. Weekly ear cleaning with a dry cloth and avoidance of water in the ear canal reduce infection frequency.

Temperament

What Beagles tend toward

Tendencies from owner surveys of purebred Beagles — a leaning across the breed, not a prediction for any one dog. A bar’s strength shows how much of that behavior breed actually explains: for most it’s faint, because the rest is your dog, their training, and the life you give them.

Biddabilitybreed ~18%
biddableindependent
Toy-directed Motor Patternsbreed ~18%
toy-directednot toy-directed
Proximity Seekingbreed ~13%
affectionatealoof
Arousal Levelbreed ~8%
arousedcomposed
Human Sociabilitybreed ~11%
less sociablehighly sociable
Agonistic Thresholdbreed ~9%
assertivediffident
Environmental Engagementbreed ~9%
high engagementlow engagement
Dog Sociabilitybreed ~8%
less sociablehighly sociable
n = 38 dogs · Morrill et al. 2022, Science, Darwin's Ark (CC0)
Owner-reported purebreds; each factor n ≥ 25. "Breed ~%" is the share of this behavior explained by breed.
Names & origins

Other names

The Beagle is also recorded as English Beagle.

Identified as Beagle (VBO:0200131) in the Vertebrate Breed Ontology (Mullen et al. 2025, CC-BY 4.0) · registry IDs FCI 161 · iDog 24 · VeNom 13683.

For researchers Population genetics, disease models and every recorded condition Open the research detail for the Beagle
What the atlas says about Beagle

In the atlas, the Beagle clusters consistently as Beagle (100% of the 46 dogs here). Dogs here sit in a relatively sparse region of the atlas, fewer close neighbors than typical.

Low breed predictability score (0.23), individual dogs of this breed vary widely in genetics, suggesting active substructure or sub-population diversity.

Genetic dimensions · CanVAS atlas

What the atlas genotypes say about Beagle

Computed from the 14,478 CanVAS dogs in the Atlas, on an imputed genotype backbone: 77,215 directly typed sites per dog, imputed to 9.67 million variants.

The confidence below counts dogs, not reads: it is the size of the sample, and it is separate from how the genotypes were measured.

Dogs in the Atlas
46Founders
25 from Hayward2016, 10 from Spatola, 6 from Shannon
Genetic diversity
0.32Moderate
Mean heterozygosity across the breed. 41st most diverse of 107 ranked populations.
What does genetic diversity mean?

How varied a breed's gene pool is — the share of gene spots where a typical dog of the breed carries two different versions rather than two identical ones.

How to read it: Higher = more diverse. Among well-sampled breeds it ranges roughly 0.22 (least diverse) to 0.33 (most diverse).

Diversity is a strength, not a verdict on any individual dog. Lower diversity means it's worth paying attention to recessive-risk testing — not that a dog is doomed.

Cluster structure
Splits into two genetic sub-populations
Intra-breed RMS distance: 27.68 · likely working/show-line, regional, or kennel lineage split.
What does within-breed variation mean?

How much individual dogs within the breed differ from each other genetically.

How to read it: Higher = more internal variety among individuals of the breed.

Sensitive to how many dogs of the breed we've sampled.

Related breeds
In the Hound group
Explore the full lineage map →
VBO foundation stock (breeding records) · AKC breed group
Relatedness is documented lineage + kennel family. Genetic-ancestry distance measures diversity, not kinship, so it isn't used here.
How long they live
12.5years (life expectancy)
95% CI 12.3–12.7 · VetCompass, McMillan 2024, n=4,678. source
What does typical lifespan mean?

The median age dogs of the breed tend to reach.

How to read it: Higher = longer-lived. Compare to longevity-for-size to see whether it's just a size effect.

Drawn from population lifespan records; individual dogs vary widely with care, genetics, and luck.

n = 46 dogs · moderate sample · CanVAS (Brundage 2026) · Sniff Atlas
A gift to human medicine

Beagles are a natural model for human disease

Because the same genes cause the same conditions across species, the inherited conditions documented in Beagles help researchers understand, and work toward treating, the human diseases they model. This is the dog advancing human medicine. The breed models the human disease; it does not have it, and this is not a prediction for your dog.

  • amyotrophic lateral sclerosis type 1, modeled by the breed's Degenerative myelopathy via SOD1, the same underlying biology.
  • GM1 gangliosidosis type 1, modeled by the breed's Gangliosidosis, GM1 via GLB1, the same underlying biology.
  • hemophilia B, modeled by the breed's Haemophilia B via F9, the same underlying biology.
  • acatalasia, modeled by the breed's Hypocatalasia via CAT, the same underlying biology.
  • Krabbe disease, modeled by the breed's Krabbe disease via GALC, the same underlying biology.
  • narcolepsy 1, modeled by the breed's Narcolepsy via HCRTR2, the same underlying biology.
Human equivalents via OMIA → Mondo / OMIM. Model-of, not identity. The named gene is the canine locus, not a claim that a pet has the human disease.
Documented in OMIA

Every condition recorded in the Beagle

Beyond the testable carriers above, OMIA's literature catalogue records 37 genetic conditions in the Beagle, 27 of which have a known human equivalent. This is the documented landscape across all Beagles ever studied, not a prediction for any one dog.

Plus 19 more conditions recorded in the Beagle in OMIA.

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA); Nicholas, Tammen & Sydney Informatics Hub, DOI 10.25910/2AMR-PV70
Documented in the breed's literature is not carrier status and not a forecast for an individual dog. Human equivalents are mapped via Mondo/OMIM. Carrier frequencies (above) are the separately-measured testable subset (Donner 2023).
The data behind this page

Where every number on this page came from.

This page draws on three primary data sources. Carrier frequencies for the Mendelian section come from Donner et al. 2023 (CC-BY-4.0). We grade these data at evidence Limited because the cohort is a direct-to-consumer ascertainment, which biases toward owners who chose to test their dogs. The panel also uses tag-SNP proxies for some variants rather than direct causal-variant assays. Limited is a study-design grade, not a quality grade: the Donner cohort is the largest open canine-genotype dataset in existence and we are grateful for it. We rate the confounding MEDIUM.

Population-genetic dimensions (heterozygosity, intra-breed PCA distance, nearest neighbors, trait-locus frequencies) come from CanVAS (Brundage 2026), harmonized through the Sniff Atlas. The exact release date and verification commit are pinned at the bottom of the page so a researcher can trace a number back to a specific snapshot. The disease-gene-variant graph comes from OMIA (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals; Nicholas, Tammen, and the Sydney Informatics Hub at the Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney; retrieved April 2026, DOI 10.25910/2AMR-PV70).

What this page does not yet have. Inheritance modes and per-disease penetrance evidence from Donner 2023 are in the structured data for every variant the panel covers. Mondo, OMIM, Ensembl, and HGNC cross-references live on the gene and disease pages this page links to, rather than being repeated here. What is still absent from this breed page is anything not in the cited panel, and each such gap carries its cause where it appears.

How to cite this page. The computed dimensions on this page are derived from the open Sniff Atlas v1.0.1 (Gehring 2026, doi:10.5281/zenodo.20566358, CC-BY 4.0). Full citation formats including BibTeX, RIS, and CITATION.cff at sniff.world/cite.

Some things about living with a beagle never make it into a database. Add what you know as a Keeper, in your words →

Lived experience, kept beside the science.
Add your beagle to the atlas

We have 46 beagles. We do not have yours.

Every beagle added sharpens the breed's genetic neighborhood. Enrollment is free. The data stays open. The star is permanent.

Add your beagle now as a Charted star
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References
  1. Donner J, Freyer J, Davison S, Anderson H, Blades M, Honkanen L, et al. (2023). Genetic prevalence and clinical relevance of canine Mendelian disease variants in over one million dogs. PLOS Genetics 19(2):e1010651. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1010651
  2. Brundage DM (2026). CanVAS: A Harmonized and Imputed Canine Variant Atlas. bioRxiv. doi:10.64898/2026.04.13.718238
  3. Nicholas, F.W., Tammen, I., & Sydney Informatics Hub. (2026). Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals (OMIA) [dataset]. The University of Sydney. https://omia.org. doi:10.25910/2AMR-PV70 (retrieved April 2026).
Last updated
Sources: CanVAS (Brundage 2026) · Donner 2023 · OMIA