Beaglier Dog – The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Beagle Mix

A cross between the Beagle and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, the Beaglier (Pronounced Beagle-ear to rhyme with Cavalier) has a mix of attributes of both. He is gentle, playful, and good with families. He is also adaptable. His big brown eyes and slightly short nose lend a puppy-like appearance even as an adult.

What’s In This Guide

• Beaglier At A Glance
• In-depth Breed Review
• Beaglier Training And Care
• Pros And Cons Of Getting A Beaglier

Beaglier FAQs

Our readers’ most popular and frequently asked questions about the Beaglier.

• Are Beagliers good family dogs?
• How big do Beagliers get?
• How much do Beagliers cost?
• Are Beagliers good with cats?

Beaglier: Breed At A Glance

• Popularity: Very popular in Australia. Gaining in popularity elsewhere
• Purpose: Hound dog (Beagle) + Royal Companionship (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel)
• Weight: 10-20 lbs
• Temperament: Gentle, playful, affectionate

Here is an overview of what we’ll cover.

Beaglier Breed Review: Contents

• History and original purpose of the Beaglier
• Fun facts about Beaglier
• Beaglier appearance
• Beaglier temperament
• Training and exercising your Beaglier
• Beaglier health and care
• Do Beagliers make good family pets
• Rescuing a Beaglier
• Finding a Beaglier puppy
• Raising a Beaglier puppy
• Beaglier products and accessories

Let’s take a look at the history of this mixed breed.

History and original purpose of the Beagle Cavalier mix

This relatively new designer dog was first bred in Australia in the 1990s.

The King Charles cavalier beagle mix was bred to produce a dog with a less active scent drive than the Beagle. The even-tempered Cavalier King Charles Spaniel seemed an obvious choice.

This breed mix is designed for companionship, yet the sporting traits of the Beagle will likely show through to some degree.

While the Beaglier finds most of its popularity in Australia, it can also be found throughout Europe and North America.

Fun facts about Beaglier

• A Beagle Cavalier mix, Molly, stars in “A Dog’s Journey”
• Beagliers are very curious dogs

So what does the Beagle + Cavalier King Charles Spaniel cross look like?

Beaglier appearance

Beagle Cavalier mixes can have physical traits of either the Beagle or the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, or a mixture of both.

Let’s look at the parent breeds.

The Boisterous Beagle

A member of the Hound Group, and ranked 5 of 194 according to The American Kennel Club, the Beagle is a sweet-natured, adorable and loyal dog.

Beagles have a powerful scent drive and make great hunting dogs.

They have two sizes, under 13 inches and between 13 and 15 inches, ranging in weight from under 20 pounds to between 20 and 30 pounds.

Beagles can be lemon and white, tri-color, or red and white. They are generally happy and friendly, loving their family members unconditionally.

The Sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is regal, befitting of its royal history, but not above being silly and playing in the yard with their human companions.

They are toy spaniels, combining the size and affability of the toy group with the athleticism of the spaniels.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel ranges in size from 12 to 13 inches and 13 to 18 pounds.

The Beaglier

Beagliers can be found red and white, lemon and white, tri-color and sometimes even all black.

Their coat is short to medium and can have the coarseness of a Beagle or the silkiness of a Cavalier.

Beagliers can range in size from 12 to 16 inches and weigh anywhere from 10 to 25 pounds.

The Beaglier is a cute smaller dog. How does the temperament match up?

Beaglier temperament

Beagles and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels both enjoy glowing reputations as sweet natured dogs.

They are both gregarious, confident, great with kids, and rarely aggressive.

But of course they also have traits which make them unique.

And as with any crossbreed – especially first generation crosses – there’s no way of predicting what cocktail of characteristics a Beagle Cavalier mix is going to take from each parent.

For a start, Beagles are NOISY.

Anecdotally Beagliers do not tend to bark much. However, that’s not to say they can’t inherit the unmistakable chatter and hound howl of a Beagle – and some will!

It is also important to note that due to the hunting dog genetics, the sweet-tempered Beaglier is not a good fit for a home with cats or other small pets.

They are also reported to sometimes have a stubborn streak, which makes patient and consistent training extra important.

Training and exercising your Beaglier

This is another area with no guarantees about what you’re going to get.

The Beagle Cavalier mix might possess the Beagle’s reported stubbornness, making training that little bit more difficult.

Or, the Cavalier’s eagerness to please might make the process a little smoother.

In any case, you should not have to be addressing any aggressive behaviours in this gentle mix when well socialized.

Socialization is important for these small dogs to become confident in a variety of situations. Training should be firm and consistent with lots of positive rewards.

If the possibility of a big commitment to training puts you off, gambling on a Beaglier might not be the right dog choice for you.

Exercise

When it comes to the great outdoors, Beagles and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels couldn’t be more different.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniels have been bred to keep their owners company at home. Of course they need exercise, but their appetite for walks won’t wear you out.

Beagles on the other hand have been selected to follow a scent for miles without flagging.

Your Beaglier could end up like either, and probably somewhere in between.

Physical Limitations on Exercise

There are a few physical health problems that can affect the ability both breeds to exercise. Both may be susceptible to hip dysplasia, so it is important that parents have been checked. The Cavalier alone also is prone to elbow problems. Many of the more serious health issues affecting both breeds could affect exercise ability. That said, these may be far less common in a mix breed.

If your walks involve swimming, be aware that while both parent breeds tend to be ok at swimming, the stamina in the water from the King Charles Spaniel side means the pup may tire quickly in the water.

Owners often report that the Beaglier is an energetic dog and will require a lot of exercise, at least an hour a day, including but not limited to leash walks and romps in fenced in areas.

You’ll need to be sure that your Beaglier cannot escape because, as the hunting drive is still prevalent in the breed, they might run away, chasing some scent or another.

Be sure to offer your Beaglier an assortment of toys to chew to pass the time indoors – that is, unless you want your furniture, shoes and other personal items to be destroyed!

The mix breed is far less likely to suffer from joint disorders such as patellar luxation that are common in the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

Beaglier health and care

As with humans, dogs can inherit genetic issues from either parent, so it is prudent to take a look at the problems associated with each parent breed.

Conformational defects causing disability

Hip dysplasia is when the hip joint doesn’t grow into the proper shape, potentially causing painful arthritis and lameness.

Beagles as a breed are exceptionally prone to hip dysplasia – nearly 1 in 5 Beagles are thought to be affected.

Responsible breeders will screen for this issue and be happy to share the results of their dogs’ hip assessment with you.

We’ve got a guide to understanding those results here.

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is only the second most likely breed to suffer from patellar luxation (dislocation of the kneecap). This can cause pain and ultimately osteoarthritis of the knee joint.

Though the bone defect leading to patellar luxation is much less likely in a mixed breed, it is still wise to check that it is not common in the breeding lineage.

Other major health issues in the parent breeds

Sadly, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel also suffers a high rate of syringomyelia, a brain and spine disease that can be incredibly painful.

Caused by a malformation of the back of the skull, syringomyelia causes the lower part of the brain to be herniated through the bottom of the skull and into the spinal cord. It can require regular medication and at times surgery for treatment.

We’ve written more about syringomyelia here.

The Beagle Association in the UK have identified as epilepsy as a specific breed concern for Beagles.

Epilepsy usually starts when Beagles are still puppies, so it is a lifelong condition.

It can usually be controlled with medication, but don’t underestimate the emotional and financial investment in doing so.

The most common cause of death for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is mitral valve disease which has lead to heart failure. Many Cavalier King Charles Spaniels are afflicted with this disorder.

Common minor issues in the parent breeds

Almost half of Beagles will have some sort of brush with teeth or gum trouble by the time they’re two years old.

This can include swollen gums, and bad breath.

A good vet can help you plan a dental hygiene routine to keep your dog’s teeth fresh – but you’ll need to stick to it!

Nearly 1 in 5 Beagles assessed by the Canine Eye Registration Foundation between 200 and 2005 had abnormally placed eyelashes which were rubbing the surface of the eye.

Left untreated this can lead to ulcers on the cornea.

You can read more about these and other conditions which particularly affect affect Beagles in our complete breed review.

Importance of testing

The good news is, many of these conditions can be screened for. They also tend to be less common in the mixed breed — one big reason to consider a mix.

Breeding programmes which enforce compulsory screening for mitral valve disease are already producing litters of puppies with far lower frequencies of heart disease.

Any responsible breeder will ask a vet to perform an MRI scan of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel’s skull before they are used for mating, to assess the risk of them passing this horrendous condition to their puppies.

And of course, your breeder should be happy to share the results and discuss them candidly with you.

Knowing the parent dogs’ health issues can help predict future issues in a Beagle Cavalier mix.

A Beaglier might be protected from Syringomyelia because their Beagle-ish shape affords them more room in their skull.

But it is wise to be vigilant for the symptoms of any condition which can affect either breed.

One way to give your Beaglier the best possible start in life is to get them from a responsible breeder.

What is the Big Deal with Designer Dogs?

Pedigree purists insist that the pure breeds they advocate for are selectively bred for specific attributes and allow certain breed-specific genetic ailments to be selected against.

It makes the resultant puppies more predictable in their appearance, nature and health.

While this can be true if the breeder is reputable, and takes care to screen all of their dogs, some breeders are not as careful and allow these inheritable ailments to proliferate.

Additionally, problems are more prevalent when the breeding gene pool is smaller, as it tends to be with purebred dogs.

Advocates for crossbred – or “designer” – dogs point to the wider gene pool and say that the hybrid dogs have less inbreeding and less of the weaknesses prevalent in pure breeds.

And researchers at The Institute of Canine Biology have evidence that this logic is sound.

However, the mix-breed pups will also have less predictable physical and temperamental traits.

This is especially true of first generation hybrids between two very different pedigrees..

Expected lifespan

The average lifespan of the Beagle is 12-13 years (https://www.researchgate.net/figure/For-each-of-the-165-breeds-experiencing-a-total-of-15-881-deaths-over-the-10-years_tbl1_47620165) and some live to nearly 18 years.
The average lifespan of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is 11-12 years and up to 18 years.

The expected lifespan for the Beaglier should be somewhere in between, but may be somewhat on the longer side due to avoiding some of the health concerns of the purebred breeds.

Special care needs

Maintaining consistently good dental hygiene is especially important for this breed due to the dental problems that can affect the Beagle.

Grooming

Because of their coat length, trimming the Beaglier is unnecessary.

You will need to brush the coat regularly to remove dead hair and keep it shiny (which is also a great opportunity to keep familiar with their overall health and condition!)

There may be heavier shedding a few times a year, during which you will need to brush for 5-10 minutes daily.

Bath times can be on an “as needed” basis, if they get grubby or roll in something particularly foul smelling.

You’ll also want to clean the ears and trim toenails on a regular basis to keep your pup comfortable.

Do Beagliers make good family pets

The gentle and playful temperament of the Beaglier makes it an excellent choice of family pet if kids are old enough to be gentle with this smaller dog.