What does each club give for Height at the withers in the Beagle?

FCI, Height at the withers: 33–40 cm; AKC, Height at the withers: under 33 cm; UKC, Height at the withers: under 38.1 cm; KC, Height at the withers: 33–40 cm; CKC, Height at the withers: under 33 cm.

Beagle breed standards compared

Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.

Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC, KC, CKC.

Size

Size
Measure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Height at the withers	33–40 cm	under 33 cm33–38.1 cmover 38.1 cmDisqualifying	under 38.1 cmover 38.1 cmDisqualifying	33–40 cm	under 33 cm33–38 cmover 38 cmDisqualifying

Conformation

Conformation
Form	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
BiteScissors bite	Standard (“perfect, regular and complete scissor bite”)	No ruling	Standard (“meet in a scissors or level bite”)	Standard (“perfect, regular and complete scissor bite”)	No ruling
BiteLevel bite	No ruling	No ruling	Alternate (“meet in a scissors or level bite”)	No ruling	No ruling
BiteOvershot	No ruling	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Overshot bite. Undershot bite”)	No ruling	No ruling
BiteUndershot	No ruling	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Overshot bite. Undershot bite”)	No ruling	No ruling
DentitionFull dentition	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“A full complement of strong, white teeth”)	No ruling	No ruling
Ear carriageDrop (pendant)	Standard (“hanging gracefully close to cheeks”)	No ruling	Standard (“setting close to the head ... almost no erectile power”)	Standard (“hanging gracefully close to cheeks”)	Standard (“almost entire absence of erectile power ... setting close to the head”)
Ear setLow	Standard (“Set on low, fine in texture”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Set on low, fine in texture”)	No ruling
Ear setHigh	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Ears short, set on high”)
Eye setWide-set	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“The large eyes are set well apart”)	No ruling	Standard (“Eyes large, set well apart”)
Eye setProminent	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“or prominent and protruding”)
StopModerate	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“with the stop moderately defined”)	No ruling	Standard (“the stop moderately defined”)
Muzzle lengthMedium	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“The muzzle is of medium length”)	No ruling	Standard (“Muzzle of medium length”)
Muzzle lengthShort	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“or very short”)
Muzzle shapeSnipy	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“muzzle long, snipey or cut away decidedly below the eyes”)
Facial profileRoman (convex)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Roman-nosed, or upturned, giving a dish-faced expression”)
Neck lengthMedium	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“The medium-length neck rises free and light”)	No ruling	Standard (“of medium length”)
Neck shapeArched	Standard (“slightly arched and showing little dewlap”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“slightly arched and showing little dewlap”)	No ruling
DewlapSlight	Standard (“showing little dewlap”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“showing little dewlap”)	No ruling
DewlapPronounced	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Throat showing dewlap and folds of skin, termed throatiness”)	No ruling	Fault (“Throat showing dewlap and folds of skin”)
ToplineLevel	Standard (“Topline: Straight and level”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Topline straight and level”)	No ruling
ToplineRoach (arched)	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Very long, swayed, or roached back”)	No ruling	Fault (“Very long, swayed or roached back”)
ToplineSwayback	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Very long, swayed, or roached back”)	No ruling	Fault (“Very long, swayed or roached back”)
ChestDeep	Standard (“Chest: Let down to below elbow”)	No ruling	Standard (“The chest is deep and broad”)	Standard (“Chest let down to below elbow”)	Standard (“Chest deep and broad”)
ChestBroad	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“The chest is deep and broad”)	No ruling	Standard (“Chest deep and broad”)
Tail setHigh	Standard (“Set on high, carried gaily”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Set on high, carried gaily”)	No ruling
Tail carriageRaised (gay)	Standard (“carried gaily but not curled over back”)	No ruling	Standard (“carried gaily over the back with a slight curve”)	Standard (“carried gaily but not curled over back”)	Standard (“carried gaily, but not turned forward over the back”)
Tail carriageCurled over the back	Not recognized (“not curled over back”)	No ruling	No ruling	Not recognized (“not curled over back”)	No ruling
Tail lengthShort	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“It is short as compared with the size of the hound”)	No ruling	Standard (“short as compared with size of the hound”)
Tail lengthLong	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Faults: A long tail”)	No ruling	Fault (“A long tail”)
FeetCat foot	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“The feet are close, round, and firm”)	No ruling	Standard (“Feet close, round, and firm”)
FeetHare foot	Not recognized (“Not hare-footed”)	No ruling	No ruling	Not recognized (“Not hare-footed”)	No ruling
HocksWell let down	Standard (“Hock joint: Firm, well let down”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Hocks firm, well let down”)	No ruling
HocksCow-hocked	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Cowhocks or straight hocks”)
HocksStraight and parallel	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Cowhocks or straight hocks”)

Beagle colors and patterns

What each club's breed standard says about every Beagle color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.

Breed standards describe the Beagle in Black, White, Blue, Badger gray, Brown, Tan, Hare, Red, and Lemon. Standard patterns: Solid, Bicolor, Tricolor, Piebald, Roan, and Tan point.

Coat: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Black	Standard (“Tricolour (black, tan and white)”)	Standard (“Black Tan & White”)	Standard (“Usually tri-color (black, white and tan)”)	Standard (“Tricolour (black, tan and white)”)	Standard (“Tricolour (black, tan, and white)”)
White	Standard (“all white”)	Standard (“Black Tan & White”)	Standard (“Usually tri-color (black, white and tan)”)	Standard (“all white”)	Standard (“all white”)
Blue	Standard (“blue, white and tan”)	Standard (“Blue Tan & White”)	Standard (“all typical hound color combinations are acceptable”)	Standard (“blue, white and tan”)	Standard (“blue, white and tan”)
Badger gray	Standard (“badger pied”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling
Brown	Not recognized	Standard (“Brown & White”)	No ruling	Not recognized	Not recognized
Tan	Standard (“Tricolour (black, tan and white)”)	Standard (“Black Tan & White”)	Standard (“Usually tri-color (black, white and tan)”)	Standard (“Tricolour (black, tan and white)”)	Standard (“Tricolour (black, tan, and white)”)
Hare	Standard (“hare pied”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling
Red	Standard (“red and white”)	Standard (“Red & White”)	Standard (“all typical hound color combinations are acceptable”)	Standard (“red and white”)	Standard (“red and white”)
Lemon	Standard (“lemon pied; lemon and white”)	Standard (“Lemon & White”)	Standard (“all typical hound color combinations are acceptable”)	Standard (“lemon pied; lemon and white”)	Standard (“lemon pied; lemon and white”)
Fawn	Not recognized	Alternate (“Black Fawn & White”)	No ruling	Not recognized	Not recognized
Albino	Not recognized	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Albinism”)	Not recognized	Not recognized
Chocolate	Not recognized	No ruling	No ruling	Not recognized	Not recognized
Patterns
Solid	Standard (“all white”)	Alternate (“White”)	Disqualifying (“Solid color”)	Standard (“all white”)	Standard (“all white”)
Bicolor	Standard (“lemon and white; red and white; tan and white; black and white”)	Standard (“Lemon & White”)	Standard (“all typical hound color combinations are acceptable”)	Standard (“lemon and white; red and white; tan and white; black and white”)	Standard (“lemon and white; red and white; tan and white; black and white”)
Tricolor	Standard (“Tricolour (black, tan and white)”)	Standard (“Black Tan & White”)	Standard (“Usually tri-color (black, white and tan)”)	Standard (“Tricolour (black, tan and white)”)	Standard (“Tricolour (black, tan, and white)”)
Piebald	Standard (“badger pied; hare pied; lemon pied”)	No ruling	Standard (“all typical hound color combinations are acceptable”)	Standard (“badger pied; hare pied; lemon pied”)	Standard (“badger pied; hare pied; lemon pied”)
Roan	Standard (“all the above mentioned colours can be found as mottle”)	Standard (“Ticked”)	Standard (“all typical hound color combinations are acceptable”)	Standard (“all the above mentioned colours can be found as mottle”)	Standard (“all the above-mentioned colours can be found as mottle”)
Tan point	Standard (“blue, white and tan”)	Standard (“Black & Tan”)	Standard (“Usually tri-color (black, white and tan)”)	Standard (“Blue White & Tan”)	Standard (“blue, white and tan”)
Spotted	No ruling	Alternate (“Spotted”)	No ruling	Not recognized	Not recognized
Brindle	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Merle and Brindle Color Patterns”)	Disqualifying (“Brindle”)	Not recognized	Not recognized
Merle	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Merle and Brindle Color Patterns”)	Disqualifying (“Merle”)	Not recognized	Not recognized
Reverse brindle	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Merle and Brindle Color Patterns”)	Disqualifying (“Brindle”)	Not recognized	Not recognized
Double merle	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Not recognized	Not recognized

Eyes: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Brown	No ruling	Standard (“of a brown or hazel color”)	Standard (“brown or hazel in color”)	No ruling	No ruling
Dark brown	Standard (“Dark brown or hazel”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Dark brown or hazel”)	Standard (“Dark brown or hazel”)
Hazel	Standard (“Dark brown or hazel”)	Standard (“of a brown or hazel color”)	Standard (“brown or hazel in color”)	Standard (“Dark brown or hazel”)	Standard (“Dark brown or hazel”)

Nose: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	KC	KUSA
Black	Standard (“preferably black”)	Standard (“preferably black”)	Standard (“preferably black”)

What the rulings mean

Standard: Described by the club's breed standard.
Alternate: Registrable with the club but not described by its breed standard, such as an AKC alternate color.
Disqualifying: The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this color or pattern.
Not recognized: The club does not accept this color or pattern for the breed.

Color changes

How a Beagle's colors can change over its life.

Blackchanges toRust
Coat · With body condition · can change back
Blackchanges toGray
Coat · Progressive
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Whitechanges toRoan
Coat · With age · from 2 weeks
Tan pointchanges toSaddle
Coat · With age · from 6 to 156 weeks
Blackchanges toSnow nose
Nose · With the season · can change back
Blackchanges toPink
Nose · With the season · can change back

Sources

Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.

Published standards

Back to the Beagle guide Grooming styles for the Beagle