Beagle Golden Retriever Mix: Beago Breed Information

The Beagle Golden Retriever mix is a designer dog that people are attracted to when they want a Golden Retriever personality in a slightly smaller package.  Also known as the Beago, this is one of the more common Golden Retriever mixed breed dogs that you’ll find.  While there are more popular mixes with a beagle as a parent, this still remains one of the most family-friendly options in the designer dog world.

While there are some known Beago breeders, this mix also sometimes appears just out of happenstance. This means that you are also likely to find them lurking at Beagle or Golden Retriever shelters, so don’t rule out adoption before you start looking to bring home a pup.

The Beago will be slightly more independent than the Golden Retriever, but loses none of the friendliness.  Both parent breeds are excellent with children, with both breeds being considered excellent family dogs. Below we will look at the parent breeds, a little bit about their history, and dive in to cover all aspects of the Beago so you can decide if this is the right mix for your next family companion.

Parent Breeds

The Golden Retriever Beagle mix is comprised of two classic breeds. Both the Golden Retriever and the Beagle have massive followings across the world. Usually, a new designer dog starts to increase in popularity when people want a mix of both personality traits. Almost all mixed breed dogs are a toss-up between which parent your pup will likely take after more, but usually, you’ll get a nice blend of both traits.  Let’s look at the parent breeds in a little more detail, so you can understand the traits and temperament of each.

Beagle

The Beagle is 6th on the AKC’s popularity chart, and is described as both curious and loving. The Beagle is a hound breed, which means their nose is perfect for seeking and trailing prey as a hunting dog. They are fantastic with children and makes a wonderful family companion. They enjoy being next to their family, and cozying up on the couch to watch a long movie.

The Beagle has two different sizes, the standard, and the pocket Beagle.  There is some controversy over pocket Beagles as they are specifically bred to be smaller, with smaller sized parents. Some breeders view this as a dangerous breeding habit, and wouldn’t consider this true to the Beagle breed. Pocket Beagles are usually under 20 pounds and are smaller.  The standard beagle is between 20 and 30 pounds, and can get up to 15 inches tall in size, making it a small to medium-sized dog.

Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever originated in Scotland during the 1800’s as a hunting companion.  Like all purebreds, the Golden Retriever was defined through breeding several other dog breeds.  It took several decades to perfect the breed, and it was revered due to their soft mouth.  The “soft mouth” skill was intended for the dog to be able to retrieve hunted fowl without damage, but also helped ensure that these dogs would be incredibly gentle with kids too.

The Golden Retriever is possibly the perfect family dog. They train very easily and are often recommended for first-time dog owners as a result of their trainability. They can be nervous at times and suffer from separation anxiety when they alone if not properly trained and exposed to being alone during puppyhood.  The Golden Retriever is extremely intelligent, and harsh training is not needed to get them to learn basic commands.

Beago

The Beago is a newer breed to the designer dog circle, but crossbreeding has been around for centuries. The beago is very laid back, coming from the Beagle Parentage. They typically also carry the eager to please attitude carried from their Golden Retriever parent.

This playful dog does well with family, young kids, and is also well suited for a multi-pet household.  Below we dive into each and every aspect of the Beago, in order to give you a full view on if you think this pup could be your next family addition.

Temperament

The Beago’s temperament is going to be one that almost every family will enjoy to be around. During puppyhood, this mix will have less energy than a Golden Retriever puppy. This can be a welcome benefit as Goldens are known to be high strung when they are young.  The Beago likes to bark when strangers are near. If that’s an unwanted behavior, you will need to address it in the early training stages.

Once the Beago clears about 2 years in age, they will start to mature. Most Beagos will revert to their Beagle parent’s lifestyle and attitude, which is laid back and carefree.  These pups will be couch potatoes as they age, making them a perfect dog for people that just want a lapdog companion.

Size & Appearance

The Beago will typically end up between 30 and 60 pounds when fully grown.  This is a medium sized mixed breed. They will be sized somewhere in between a purebred Golden Retriever and their Beagle parent.  The appearance of this mix will also vary by dog. Your Beago will likely end up anywhere between 14 to 20 inches in height, depending on which parent breed they take after.

Most mixed breed pups will lean more towards one parent or the other when it comes to their looks. Overall you can expect a medium-sized dog that won’t put too much of a strain on your living space, even if you are in an apartment.

Coat & Colors

The Beago’s coat and colors are going to be a complete toss up! You could get a pup that looks pretty close to a Golden Retriever, with a few other colors mixed in. Or, you may end up with a mix that has some of the redder shades of Golden Retriever coat as well.

You could also get a pup that has the same colors as the Beagle, with slightly longer hair.  This mix can be all over the place, but it’s not uncommon to have some mix of tan, white, black and gold in their coats.

Exercise & Living Conditions

The Beago is going to require more exercise as a puppy in the first 12 months of their life. They will still be active dogs and don’t fully mature until about 3 years of age. The Beagle Golden Retriever mix can live just fine in an apartment if sufficiently exercised, but will do well in a home with a small yard.

If you have a large yard, that’s even better, giving your dog plenty of room to roam.  The Beago will need about 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise to keep themselves adequately entertained. They typically don’t engage in destructive behaviors, but ensuring they are active and burn off energy will help ensure that they don’t pick up bad habits.

Training

Training your Golden Retriever Beagle mix early on is recommended. Because the Beago learns easily, you can start young and confidently train proper behavior at an early age. These pups are highly intelligent, so you won’t spend the same amount of time training them as you would a breed with a lower than average IQ.

As with all breeds, we recommend you get your pup into a training class as soon as they are able to. Basic obedience lessons are recommended, and you can work on some entry-level dog tricks at home.

Health

Because of the nature of the Beago’s parents, there’s a possibility that your pup may end up with a few different health problems. The most common problems you are likely to experience have to do with their hips and their back.  Both breeds can suffer from Intervertebral disc disease.

While not as common in the Beagle parent, Hip Displaysia is also another common health problem that many Golden Retrievers experience.  Because of this, you’ll want to watch out for these issues as your Beago advances in age.  Most Beagos live until they are around 8-12 years of age, so they live a little longer than many medium-sized breeds.

Nutrition

Nutrition-wise, the Beagle Golden Retriever mix is easy.  This pup will do well on a traditional dry dog food diet. They aren’t known to have sensitive stomachs, and will likely be able to live on dry kibbles made for Golden Retrievers, which are also generally medium-sized dogs.

You’ll want to keep them on puppy food until month 12 to 15, then transition to an adult food until about the age of 7. Because they have the ability to develop hip and joint issues as they age, you’ll likely want to put transition them to a food that has a boost of glucosamine. There are some senior formulas that accomplish this naturally, and also some recipes superficially made for the glucosamine boost.

Grooming

Can you say double-coated dog breed? Both the Golden Retriever and the Beagle are double-coated, which means your Beago will definitely shed.  You’ll want to shampoo them with an anti-shedding formula in order to keep their blown coat shedding to a minimum during shed season twice a year.

You’ll want to groom them with a brush on a weekly basis as well.  Deshedding isn’t typically needed like it is for other longer coated breeds. Overall the Beago’s grooming needs aren’t awful, but they are far from a Hypoallergenic dog.

Puppies

Golden Retriever Beagle mix puppies are going to generally be cheaper than either purebred parent.  Some breeders have been breeding the Beago for at least a few generations. These pups may be more expensive.  We typically recommend you avoid backyard breeders.

Many nonlicensed breeders will breed mixes like the Beago to turn a profit on the weekends, charging more than needed.  Expect to pay anywhere from $800 and up for a Beago puppy. As always, we recommend you adopt before you shop. You are likely to be able to find a Beago at a rescue center for a lower cost than buying one from a breeder.

Breeders

To find a reputable breeder for your Beago puppy, you’ll want to first check online forums and social media.  You should be able to find online groups in your area that will be able to recommend a breeder closer to you. The Golden Retriever Beagle mix is a designer dog.

This means it may take some time to find a breeder that’s been working with this mix for a while.  They are rarer than purebreds as puppies. Be prepared that it may take time to find the breeder that fits both your budget and health pedigree. Always ask to see health certifications from a breeder if you intend to buy one as a puppy and not adopt.

Rescues & Shelters

Beagos can sometimes find their way into rescues and shelters. We ALWAYS recommend you check there first before heading to a breeder and paying top dollar for a puppy. Shelters are a great way to save a life.  Rescue dogs aren’t for everyone though. Even though the Beagle Golden Retriever mix can be mellow for the most part, you may still find yourself correcting some bad habits that your pup has taken on from a prior owner.

If you get lucky, you may find a rescue that has the Beago as a puppy.  These pups often find their way into both Golden Retriever and Beagle Rescue centers, so we recommend you start with the parent breeds first if you’d like to adopt instead of shop.

As Family Pets

The Beago is an absolutely amazing family pet. This mix is known to do extremely well with Children. They cooperate in multi-pet households and are all-around amazing dogs, no matter the situation. Their size makes them easy to bring along with you no matter where the family decides to go, and their laid back temper ensures that they will do well in crowds if your family attends dog-friendly events.

Overall, it’s one of the better mixed breeds temperament wise when it comes to trusting them with your family.  Every dog is different, so we always recommend having an introduction to family and other family pets when possible.

Final Thoughts

The Beago is a dog that’s sure to entertain and bring a smile to your face for many years to come. With very few health problems, this is one of the less costly mixes you can bring home to your family. This dog is sweet-natured, loving, respects boundaries well, and can be a great watchdog. They will alert you anytime someone new is nearby.  As long as you set firm boundaries and don’t overcorrect them when training as young pups, you aren’t likely to find a better mixed-breed dog for your family!