The breeds · side by side
for a family hound
Beagle or Basset Hound.
Two scenthounds that became house dogs without forgetting the nose. The exercise ask and the build are the practical lines; a hound bred to run rabbits gives voice, and the yard hears it.
Every value below shows its source and how sure we are. Breed sets the odds; the parents set the dog. Nothing here is a prediction about one dog.
What the question turns on
Exercise need
RKC: up to 1 hour per day.
RKC: up to 1 hour per day.
Height at the shoulder
13-inch line13 in
15-inch line13 to 15 in
13 to 15 in
Energy
4 of 5
Not recorded for this breed yet.
Primary game
Rabbit and hare. AKC: dogs run in packs of two or more to follow a rabbit or hare; large pack trials are run on hare. FCI: primarily hare.
Hare (FCI 163: 'his natural prey, the hare'); AKC field trials run on rabbit or hare.
The rest, read the same way
Weight
13-inch line20 lb
15-inch line20 to 30 lb
40 to 65 lb
Coat
AKC: a close, hard, hound coat of medium length (a short, thin or soft coat is a defect). FCI: short, dense, weatherproof. UKC: close, hard, medium length. Color: any hound color; AKC and UKC disqualify merle and brindle, UKC also solid color and albinism.
AKC: hard, smooth and short, with sufficient density for use in all weather; a distinctly long coat is a disqualification. UKC: smooth, close and hard; a long-haired or soft coat is a very serious fault. FCI: smooth, short and close, free from feathering. Color: any recognized hound color.
Shedding
Shedding 3 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)
Not recorded for this breed yet.
Heat tolerance
4 of 5 · AKC: a close, hard hound coat of medium length. FCI: short, dense and weatherproof.
4 of 5 · AKC: coat hard, smooth and short, dense enough for all weather; loose elastic skin. UKC: smooth, close and hard. FCI: smooth, short and close.
Median lifespan
12.5 years (12.3 to 12.7)
12.5 years (12.2 to 12.7)
Life expectancy at birth
9.8 years (9.2 to 10.2)
Not recorded for this breed yet.
Grooming load
2 of 5 · RKC: grooming once a week; short coat; sheds.
2 of 5 · RKC: grooming once a week; short coat; sheds.
Role
FCI 161: scent hound whose essential function is to hunt, primarily hare, by following a scent; still used in packs. AKC: a miniature Foxhound for 'the chase', and the AKC standard also carries a judging scale for packs of Beagles. UKC: a total dog, excelling as a hunter while possessing good conformation. National Beagle Club: its mission includes field trial events to improve field qualities as well as type.
FCI 163: tenacious scent hound with a pack instinct and a deep melodious voice, bred to hunt in heavy cover; hunts hare persistently at a relatively slow pace over long distances. UKC: a working hound that hunts by scent, capable of great endurance. AKC: equipped to follow a trail over and through difficult terrain.
Search pattern
AKC says judges look at ability to search and explore, to pursue and keep control of a trail, accuracy in trailing, endurance, adaptability to changes in scenting conditions, patience and determination, depending on the trial. UKC: has a good hound voice. FCI: a pack in pursuit with heads down to the scent, sterns up. Chop versus open mouth is not stated in any source read.
UKC: hunts by scent, deep melodious voice. AKC standard: holds its nose low to the ground when scenting. FCI: holds its nose close to the ground. Sports Illustrated (1960) on a BHCA field trial: judges weighed the ability to straddle the rabbit's trail, to give the proper tracking signals (a basset is obliged to bay when on the trail and to button his lip when off it) and to recover the scent if lost.
Field trial standard
AKC formats: Brace (two or three hounds, judged mainly on trailing accuracy on rabbit); Small Pack Option (packs of seven; find and pursue with enthusiasm while keeping control of the trail); Large Pack (up to 25 hounds, run on hare, Open class minimum 3 hours, the class that earns Field Championship points); Gundog Brace (pairs cast to find their own rabbit, gun fired on the trail to test gun-shyness); AKC Hunt Test for Two Couple Packs (packs of four, minimum 20 minutes, Master Hunter title). Entry: at least six months old, AKC registered, spayed/neutered allowed. National Beagle Club Triple Challenge: 30 hounds each run a brace-format trial, a 3-hour pack stake and a conformation show, with the best of each size variety (13 and 15 inch) recognized.
AKC Basset Hound field trial formats: Brace (two or three hounds, judged mainly on trailing accuracy on rabbit); Small Pack Option (packs of seven); Large Pack (up to 25 hounds, hare, Open class minimum 3 hours for Field Championship points); Gundog Brace (pairs cast to find their own rabbit, followed by a gun-shyness test on the trail). Hounds must be at least six months old and AKC registered; spayed/neutered allowed. AKC states the event shows the dog's scenting skill, not hunting skill. The BHCA site lists Field Trials and BHCA Hunt Tests among its performance events.
Hip dysplasia
18.6% · 1,789 OFA hip evaluations, current all-data, accessed Oct 8 2026; 18.6% dysplastic (mild 15.8, moderate 2.7, severe 0.1), 79.2% normal (excellent 4.0, good 49.7, fair 25.5)
39.4% · 287 OFA hip evaluations, current all-data, accessed Oct 8 2026; 39.4% dysplastic (mild 31.4, moderate 6.3, severe 1.7), 57.8% normal (excellent 0.0, good 26.5, fair 31.4)
Elbow dysplasia
0% · 412 OFA elbow evaluations, current all-data, accessed Oct 8 2026; 0.0% abnormal, 100.0% normal
Not recorded for this breed yet.
Aggression, as studied
Duffy, Hsu and Serpell 2008 (C-BARQ, online sample n 63 Beagles): Beagles were among the breeds with the greatest percentage of dogs showing serious aggression toward owners (bite or attempt), and the Beagle is named among breeds rated above the median for aggression toward household members. The Beagle is not in the paper's Table 5 of breed means, so no mean score is recorded.
Duffy, Hsu and Serpell 2008 (C-BARQ, breed-club sample n 151 Basset Hounds): the Basset Hound is named among breeds scoring below the median for stranger-directed aggression, and among breeds rated above the median for aggression toward household members. The paper's Table 5 of breed means does not include the Basset Hound, so no mean score is recorded.
What to ask a breeder for
Clearances
- Elbow evaluation · US
- Hip evaluation · US
- Hip evaluation · US
The health clearances each breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.
The selector
Which one, for your life?
A few minutes of honest answers: the birds, the ground, the water, the house, the week. The selector ranks both of these against what you said, explains every rank, and shows exactly where the one you came in wanting lands.
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