A charming golden retriever or an adorable beagle? Are you confused between the two? We have put together a comprehensive guide to help you set things straight. Read on to get clarity.
Beagle vs Golden Retriever, which is the better breed?
The golden retriever is among the most popular breeds in the USA. It is a wonderful companion and an intelligent and fun-loving dog. It is always eager to please.
Beagles are sturdy, compact hounds with an excellent temperament. They are amazing companions and happy dogs.
Now choosing between the two has more to it than just how they look. Here is a comprehensive guide to see things clearly.
| Beagles | Golden Retrievers | |
|---|---|---|
| Breed Type | Purebred | Purebred |
| Hypoallergenic | No | No |
| Lifespan | 10 to 15 years | 10 to 12 years |
| Size | Medium | Large |
| Weight | 20 - 30 pounds | 55 - 80 pounds |
| Intelligence | Medium | Medium |
| Origin | Greece | Scotland |
| Training | Hard to Train | Easy to Train |
| Personality | Stubborn | Willing to Please |
| Apartment Friendly | Yes | Yes |
| Needs a Yard | Preferred | Yes |
| Barking | High | Medium |
| Coat Maintenance | Low | High |
| Shedding | Medium | High |
| Costs | Low | High |
A healthy Golden Retriever will live for about 10-12 years. A beagle’s average lifespan is 12-15 years.
You can also ensure they live to their fullest by giving them quality lives. Get your pup from a reputable breeder, and be regular with grooming and exercising.
You also need to keep their weight in check. Overweight dogs are unhealthy dogs. Understand what you can feed them and what you cannot.
There is a considerable difference in the size of a golden retriever and a beagle.
Beagles come in two sizes. A medium-sized beagle stands 15 inches tall and a small beagle is at 13 inches.
The large one can weigh up to 35 lbs and a pocket beagle can weigh 22 to 30 lbs.
Golden retrievers weigh about 50-80 lbs.
Males grow to be 23-24 inches tall and weigh 65-75 pounds, while females grow to be 21-22 inches tall and weigh around 55-65 pounds.
The ideal breed size depends on your individual needs and the amount of space available.
There are more than 300 dog breeds, but each breed has something unique that makes it stand out.
Beagles are solid hounds. They are muscular and have a slightly domed skull. Their nose is broad and they have an almost square muzzle. Their chest is deep and the back straight. The tail is of moderate size that they hold high.
Their long, floppy ears are adorable and the most distinctive feature is their white-tipped tail.
A golden retriever has a strong and broad head with ears that sit high on their heads. The ears are not that long and hang above the jawline. The chest is deep and the body well-balanced. This breed carries its feathery tail merrily.
The physique of a golden retriever varies from broad and dense to leaner and athletic. They come in different shades of golden, thus the name. Common colors are light golden, cream, or dark golden.
The choice of coat depends entirely on you.
Everyone loves a stunning coat, but a magnificent coat also needs a lot of maintenance.
Beagle is a working dog with a double coat. The coat of a beagle is medium in length, thick and lush. The undercoat is dense and fluffy and keeps the body warm. The outer layer is weather-resistant and shields the undercoat from sun, wind, and rain.
It has distinctive hunting colors like black, tan, and white. A beagle can be bi-colored, black and white or lemon and white, or other earthy colors.
Golden retrievers were bred for hunting and retrieving birds like geese and ducks. As a result, they have a water-repellant, dense outer coat. This outer coat is either wavy or flat. The undercoat is thick, soft, and protective.
What makes this breed so attractive is the feathering on its coat which makes them look like angels. They have heavy feathering on the chest, tail, behind the legs, and underside.
Dogs shed, period. And not everyone can tolerate excessive shedding. So, do any of these dogs shed profusely?
Don’t get carried away with the medium coat of a beagle. Beagles don’t shed less either. Their hair too will get on everything you own.
They will shed moderately all year and heavily during shedding seasons. You will have to take time out to brush the coat several times a week.
Golden retrievers shed a lot. They shed moderately in the winter and summer and quite heavily come spring and fall.
Brushing daily will go a long way in keeping shedding in check.
Some dog breeds need a lot of grooming, while others can get by with minimal effort at your end.
If you feel you can do without the extra grooming hours, beagles are your pick. All they need is some regular brushing to tone down the shedding.
Their coat doesn’t require much maintenance.
Their long ears are prone to ear infections, so weekly ear care will be a priority.
Golden retrievers require a lot of grooming. They shed a lot, so daily brushing is a must.
Their coat also requires daily care and maintenance. Bathing once a month is advisable. They love water so that won’t be a problem.
They need nail trimmings once or twice a month, teeth brushing once or twice a week, and regular ear checks.
Their ears are also prone to bacterial infections, so weekly ear care is a must.
A beagle will cost between $500 – $800 and is relatively inexpensive to take care of.
A golden retriever will cost you anywhere between $500 to $3,000. The estimated cost in the first year you bring in a golden retriever pup is about $2,077.53 – $2,947.53 and $1,506 – $2,464 yearly thereafter.
Most dog breeds need attention and care. Some need more care than others. While maintaining them can be fun, some dog breeds may not be ideal for you if you’re already quite busy in your daily life.
Beagles are low-maintenance dogs. A few hours a week is typically good enough. However, they need a lot of attention and cannot be left alone for long hours.
Golden retrievers need regular grooming sessions to keep their coats looking beautiful. They also need regular exercise, attention, and a measured intake of food.
A golden retriever is the happiest when in the company of the people it loves the most. They are not just pets but a part of the family and need to be treated like one.
Some dogs are easy to train, some require more patience and time. Beagle vs golden retriever – which breed can be trained better? Let’s find out.
Beagles are stubborn, and can be difficult to train.
However, they are highly intelligent animals, and if you start training at a young age, you could achieve wonders with beagles.
Positive reinforcement techniques go a long way since they love food.
Golden retrievers are also service dogs and love pleasing humans. They respond well to obedience training. Golden retrievers are among the top dog breeds that can be trained easily.
Golden retrievers are smart. You can teach them indoor and outdoor manners as well as basic prompts.
Both breeds love to communicate through woofs, barks, and howls. Find out which breed barks more.
Expect them to be loud and noisy pets.
Beagles are hounds. They are not, particularly a quiet breed. They love to communicate with you through their barks.
Golden retrievers don’t bark unless necessary. They are the most lovable breeds and are unlikely to cause a ruckus by barking their hearts out.
You won’t get any complaints from neighbors with a golden retriever. In fact, they rank among dog breeds that bark the least.
While some breeds live better on their own, others love interaction and bond well with others. Are both these dog breeds friendly? Let’s find out.
Beagles are friendly dogs. They are merry hounds who love playing and are affectionate.
Beagles are great around small kids, and also get along well with other pets in the house.
Golden retrievers are the poster dogs when it comes to friendliness. They are not easily bothered by commotion and activity and are quite tolerant of kids.
They can also be trained to adjust to other pets in the house.
Some breeds are calm, lovely, and affectionate while some are aggressive and snappy.
Socialized beagle pups are affectionate and get along well with everyone. They are friendly hounds and love attention.
Beagles are social and have an excellent temperament.
Golden retrievers have the best temperaments. They make friends easily and are social. Golden retrievers won’t get attached to one person alone. They like being around their humans.
Golden retrievers love attention and are quite good at getting it. They have an even temper and are intelligent and affectionate.
Exercise keeps a dog fit and healthy. Some dogs need as little as 15 – 30 minutes of exercise, while others might need upwards of 90 minutes of exercise per day.
Beagles were originally bred to be hunters. Allowing them to follow a scent every now and then does wonders for their overall well-being. Beagles have a lot of energy and need adequate physical activity to stay fit.
Your beagle will need about 60 minutes of exercise per day.
Loving, enthusiastic, and playful, golden retrievers are high in energy. And they won’t stay calm until this energy is addressed. Take them on outings, long runs, and hikes.
They need to exercise for 60 – 90 minutes every day.
Golden retrievers love water so you can take them out on a swim. They also love a great fetch game.
If you don’t exercise them daily, they will resort to undesirable behavior.
Some dog breeds are naturally intelligent and can impress you with how well they understand what you want them to do.
Beagles are extremely smart and intelligent animals.
They can learn up to 150 words and pick up gestures. When trained from a young age, beagles can be extremely disciplined dogs. That’s not going to stop them from following a scent though.
Golden retrievers rank fourth among the smartest breed for their obedience and working intelligence.
They are quick-witted. They pick on human emotions easily and learn commands quickly.
Give them puzzles and train them. They love to learn so you will have to keep them challenged and satisfied.
There are a number of breeds like the Australian cattle dog that are naturally healthy. Yet, other breeds have a number of health risks. Find out more about common health issues that affect beagles and golden retrievers.
Beagles are also considered to be a healthy breed, but they are prone to a condition called Musladin-Lueke Syndrome (MLS).
Beagles are also prone to obesity and you have to measure their food intake because they can end up overeating.
Although generally healthy, golden retrievers can have certain health conditions.
Hip dysplasia and cancer are more likely in golden retrievers as compared to other breeds.
They are also likely to put on weight since they love eating.
Other conditions that are not common are elbow dysplasia, heart diseases, cataracts, hypothyroidism, epilepsy, and gastric dilatation-volvulus. They are also likely to have certain allergies.
Some dog breeds are generally alert and make good watchdogs while others are too friendly to trust with your house.
Beagles are protective of their owners but are unlikely to do anything more than alert you.
Their size won’t help in intimidating a burglar and neither is their personality aggressive to ward off anyone.
Golden retrievers are likely to wag their tails at anyone intruding on your home. They lack the instincts that guard dogs should ideally have.
They will get excited with strangers approaching them, but can easily be befriended.
Golden retrievers are considered to be the best companion dogs and rightly so. But catering to their high maintenance needs and keeping up with their need for mental stimulation is not for everyone.
Beagles are high on energy and love long walks. They are small in stature, gentle, and fun-loving. Beagles are for you if you are looking for an energetic, low-maintenance dog.
A digital marketing expert by profession, Andrews is a gifted writer and animal lover at heart. A self-confessed "pawrent", Andrews is well-versed in all things dogs. He uses his years of experience of raising puppies into show-quality dogs to help guide first-time pet parents. He believes in spreading the joy that comes with being a dog dad and advocates more families to adopt pets.
