Why is my Beagle so small?
If you have an especially small Beagle, you may be concerned about his size. There are several possible explanations for low weight and height in Beagles:
Intestinal parasites
Intestinal parasites are common, but luckily easy to treat. Giardia, hookworms, roundworms etc. can be responsible for stunted growth and low weight. These are especially common in puppies. The good news is that intestinal parasites are easy to treat and puppies quickly catch up on their growth curve once cleared!
Small breeding
If your Beagle is the offspring of two small parents (or even one small parent, or small grandparents …), chances are he himself will be a small dog. If he is not underweight and does not show any sign of illness, don’t worry: He is most likely completely fine and simply a tiny specimen of the breed.
Mixed breeding
Unfortunately, a lot of irresponsible breeders produce puppies that are not pure-bred. They might cross Beagles with other small breeds, such as Pugs or Boston Terriers. The offspring are then sold as “pure-breds”, but fail to ever reach the size of a full-blooded Beagle.
If your breeder sold you your puppy without papers, mixed breeding is an unfortunate possibility. The only way to know for sure is to do genetic testing on your dog. Whatever the outcome might be though: He will still be an amazing companion and pet!