Beagles are arguably one of the cutest breeds of all.
Their small stature and compact size make them irresistibly endearing to almost everyone.
When a Beagle is looking up at you and wagging its tail begging for a treat, it is nearly impossible to deny them.
If you own a Beagle, or if you are thinking about getting one, you might be wondering when they stop growing.
While Beagles are small, they start out even smaller as puppies!
Beagles are wired for hyperactivity.
If you own a Beagle and you have been puzzled as to why they insist on being so incredibly hyper and active all of the time, you will be relieved to know that hyperactivity is a perfectly normal characteristic for this breed.
You may be surprised to hear that the hyperactivity that Beagles are known for has a clear relationship with their growth.
Beagles are considered to be skilled hunting dogs.
Their hyperactive behavior makes them well-suited for hunting as they are constantly looking for something to chase and ultimately catch.
Beagles are especially hyper in the early stages of life.
They tend to balance out for the most part once they reach one and a half years of age.
After this point, their zest for activity begins to slowly decline as they grow older.
Here’s a detailed guide explaining exactly when Beagles stop growing, along with some helpful tips.
What Age Does a Beagle Stop Growing?
Technically, Beagles stop growing at the same age that they start becoming less hyper, which is 1.5 years.
Once a Beagle reaches 1.5 years of age, its bones and ligaments are fully grown and will not continue to grow any more.
The skeletal system will be fully developed by the time they are 18 months years old.
Beagles are a mysterious breed in that they tend to become less active once their body has fully developed.
There is a strange irony in the fact that once a Beagle reaches 18 months of age, they become less active at the very same time that their body has reached a point where it can accommodate excessive amounts of activity.
Although it is important to keep your Beagle at a healthy weight, you should not try to force them to be as active as they were before.
This decline in activity is just a natural, albeit mysterious, part of a Beagle’s life cycle.
Besides, Beagles don’t need to be athletes, they can make you perfectly happy by being curled up and looking cute all day.
What Is the Size of a Fully Grown Beagle?
Now that you know more about when Beagles stop growing, you might want to know about the size of a fully grown Beagle.
So, just how large is a Beagle that is fully grown?
After reaching adult size at 1,5 years, or 18 months, a Beagle can be anywhere from 13-15 inches in height.
That said, you should know that there are two kinds of Beagles.
One group of Beagles is defined by the fact that they will not grow taller than 13 inches.
The second group may grow to be as tall as 15 inches in height.
Keep in mind, a Beagle’s height is officially measured from their shoulder.
If you measure their height from the top of their head down, you will get a different measurement, which will not be formally recognized.
Seeing as there is a difference in height between the two types of Beagles, in the world, it is only natural that there would be a difference in weight as well.
The shorter variety of Beagles has an average weight of between 20-30 pounds while the taller variety can grow to weigh as much as 35 pounds.
Female Beagles are usually significantly shorter than their male counterparts.
Of course, male Beagles tend to be heavier than female Beagles.
A fully grown male Beagle generally weighs somewhere between 22 and 24 pounds while a fully grown, 13-inch tall female Beagle weighs closer to between 20-22 pounds.
The Growth of a Beagle in Stages
Like most organisms, Beagles undergo several stages of growth throughout their lifecycle.
The first stage of growth for a Beagle is at birth, when they start out as a tiny, cute little puppy.
A newborn Beagle puppy has an average weight of somewhere between 5 and 10 ounces or 141 and 283 grams.
One of the mysterious things about puppies, including newborn Beagles, is that they actually lose weight and become lighter within the first 24 hours of being born.
The reason why they lose weight within the first 24 hours of birth is that newborn puppies expend urine and waste but are unable to regenerate it until the day after their birth.
After the first day, newborn Beagles and puppies more generally will start putting on weight normally each day.
If your newborn Beagle loses more than 10% of its body weight within the first 24 hours of being born, you should consult with a veterinarian.
They should now lose any more than 10% of their body weight within the first 24 hours.
Two Weeks of Age
The first two weeks of a Beagle’s life are critical for its success.
If the mother abandons them, they will be completely dependent on you because their eyes will be closed and they won’t be able to smell anything yet.
Without your help, the puppy will die.
When a newborn Beagle has been abandoned, you will have to help feed them with a tube until you can feed them with a bottle.
They will only weigh about one single pound at this stage of life.
Three Weeks of Age
By the third week of life, a Beagle puppy can reach 2 pounds.
Their vision, sense of smell, and ability to hear will begin developing in earnest at this stage.
Four Weeks of Age
At four weeks of age, Beagle puppies can grow to 3 pounds which means they will still be very small.
At this point, they will be able to explore more independently.
Six Weeks of Age
After six weeks, a Beagle puppy may reach 4 pounds in weight.
While they will not be dependent on milk from their mother at this point, they will start seeking out shoes and furnishing to destroy if left unchecked.
Eight to Twelve Weeks of Age
At two months of age, Beagles can grow to reach 6 pounds.
By twelve weeks, they can reach 9 or even 10 pounds.
At this point, they will be trainable.
Sixteen Weeks of Age
Beagles that are sixteen weeks old are fully developed mentally.
They can reach an average of between eight to twelve pounds and are more receptive to training.
Six Months of Age
When a Beagle reaches six months of age, it will have attained at least half of its total body weight.
The average weight for a six-month-old Beagle ranges between ten to fifteen pounds.
Eighteen Months of Age
As mentioned previously, Beagles stop growing when they reach eighteen months of age.
At this point, your Beagle will be 1.5 years old and fully developed.
What to do When Your Beagle Reaches Maturity and Stops Growing
When a Beagle reaches maturity, it is important to feed them properly and help them make sure they get plenty of exercise.
For the most part, if you take your Beagle on walks every day and do not feed them too much or give them too many treats, they will be perfectly healthy.
Conversely, if you do not take your Beagle on walks and feed it excessive amounts of food and treats, it will start gaining a lot of weight.
All of that extra weight will put an unhealthy and frankly unnecessary strain on their heart.
Owning a Beagle is something to be proud of.
When your Beagle reaches maturity at 18 months and stops growing, it means that you have done a good job raising them.
Without proper care, Beagles, and dogs more generally may not live past their first year.
Beagles are a highly-coveted and well-respected breed.
Taking care of a Beagle from the time that they were a puppy to the time they become a full-grown dog is a significant achievement.