English Speagle (Beagle & English Toy Spaniel Mix) Info, Pictures

The English Speagle is an interesting mix between a Beagle and an English Toy Spaniel. Both dogs have long been loved, though they have quite different histories. When combined, the English Speagle that results is a loyal, faithful companion that’s just as happy to play around with you as it is to curl up beside you while you watch TV.

Beagles have been used as hunting dogs since the 1800s. They are active dogs with very strong noses that have been used to hunt all sorts of game. The English Toy Spaniel had a very different history. It was enjoying the high life as a favorite dog of nobility.

Though there can be a lot of variation in the looks of an English Speagle, even among the same litter, they still have some physical similarities. They generally stand about 12 to 16 inches tall and top out around 30 pounds. Commonly, they’ll have big heads with floppy ears, and a long body on short legs.

These are loving pups that make excellent companions. They’re not overly energetic, but they still love to play and have fun. They’re very people-oriented and want to be with their family all the time.

English Speagle Puppies

If you’re hoping to add a loving English Speagle to your family, you may be delighted to find out that they’re actually not very expensive dogs. Since they’re a designer dog, they don’t have any papers and aren’t recognized by the major canine associations. But this can also make them difficult to find.

With most dogs, it’s cheaper if you can find one that’s available for adoption. But since the English Speagle isn’t a very expensive breed to begin with, you won’t save much by searching for one to adopt.

If you can find a breeder for the English Speagle, make sure to do your research. Try to find out a bit about the breeder’s reputation and history. Are they known for producing healthy puppies?

There are other costs associated with taking a puppy home that you don’t want to forget. You’ll also have to think about shots, tests, deworming, and other medical needs. Plus, you’ll need certain items for the dog like a leash, crate, food and water bowls, a collar, and more.

3 Little-Known Facts About The English Speagle

1. They are known to bark a lot.

Beagles are known for barking and howling quite a lot. If your English Speagle takes after the Beagle side of the bloodline more than the Spaniel side, then you’re likely to have a pretty barkative dog.

Other than the barking, English Speagles make great apartment dogs. But you’ll have to take the barking into account before moving one into your apartment. Your neighbors may not appreciate the new guest as much as you do!

2. Temperaments vary depending on which parent they take after.

Because the English Speagle is a designer breed, there’s a lot of variation in how the pups turn out. They can take after either side of the family tree in any proportions. This means there’s no real uniformity to what the English Speagle is like; looks or personality-wise.

Depending on which parent your English Speagle takes after more, you could end up with a very different dog than you might have expected. Designer dogs can take their looks, temperaments, behaviors, and more from either parent, so your English Speagle might look more like a Beagle or more like a Spaniel, and it could act like either one or a perfect blend.

3. They shed heavily.

Beagles and English Toy Spaniels are both pretty low-maintenance dogs. But the English Speagle doesn’t tend to follow suit. They shed constantly, so you’ll need to perform more grooming with this breed than with other similarly-sized breeds.

In general, you should expect to groom your English Speagle at least three times a week. Otherwise, you’ll likely end up with a home full of hair-piles at every corner.

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Temperament & Intelligence of the English Speagle 🧠

In the last two decades, both parent breeds of the English Speagle have made very popular companions for families all over. The English Toy Spaniel had long been a companion breed, but the Beagle had been a hunter turned family pet.

One reason people love the English Speagle is that it seems to have the same easy-going temperament as its parents. They love to play and have plenty of energy without being high-strung. But they don’t always need to be playing. An English Speagle is usually just as happy to curl up in your lap while you read as it would be to play with you.

These are smart and loyal dogs. They’re friendly and social, getting along with most people well.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡

The English Speagle can be a great family dog, but not always. A lot of it depends on the family and which side of the gene pool that particular Speagle took more cues from.

If the family has small children, then the temperament of the dog will matter a bit more. English Toy Spaniels aren’t known for being great with kids. If your English Speagle takes more after the Spaniel side of the family, it might not be good with kids either.

But if your family doesn’t have young children, then this might not be an issue. Your English Speagle should do fine getting along with older kids and multiple family members, just not the youngest kids.

Aside from that, English Speagles generally do well with families. This breed likes a lot of attention and doesn’t want to be left alone. They also need a fair bit of exercise, so having multiple people that are willing and able to provide all that activity and engagement can be a big benefit.

However, this isn’t a large breed and they don’t need tons of space. They can even do well in apartments without a yard to run around in, provided they get plenty of walks and other playtime. But keep in mind that they’re known for barking and apartment neighbors aren’t known for liking dogs that bark a lot!

Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets? 🐶 😽

When it comes to pets, it’s often the Beagle side that causes issues. Remember, Beagles were bred to hunt. Naturally, they have a pretty strong prey drive. When it comes to other pets in the home, particularly smaller ones, that natural prey drive might take over and cause your English Speagle to chase.

Of course, this issue can be mitigated substantially with proper socialization. You’ll want to socialize early on and often, as this can help to reduce or eradicate such behaviors.

Things to Know When Owning an English Speagle

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

The English Speagle is a small to medium-sized dog. As such, they don’t have large food requirements. Likewise, they don’t have any special dietary needs to consider.

Your English Speagle should do well on any high-quality dry dog food. But be careful not to overfeed them because they’re likely to continue eating past the point they need to. This can cause weight gain and result in an overweight or obese dog.

Exercise 🐕

English Speagles aren’t overly-energetic dogs. They don’t have the same exercise requirements as some higher-maintenance breeds, but they still do need daily exercise.

For your English Speagle, 30 to 45 minutes of physical activity should be adequate. This could be all at once or split into smaller sessions. These sessions could involve anything from a walk around the block to a game of fetch. Whatever gets your Speagle moving and keeps them active and going.

Training 🦮

This breed is smart, but that doesn’t mean they’re always easy to train. In most cases, they won’t be too difficult. But sometimes, they can develop quite a stubborn streak that can require a very firm hand to train out.

Luckily, the English Speagle does want to please, so with plenty of positive reinforcement, you can usually train one of these dogs without too much headache.

Grooming ✂️

Though small in size, the English Speagle needs a surprising amount of grooming. They can inherit a range of coats from their parents but generally have a medium-length wavy coat. But no matter how your Speagle’s coat appears, they’re surely going to shed constantly.

To help reduce the amount of loose hair that piles up in your home, you’ll want to groom your Speagle at least three times each week. This will help remove all the loose and dead hair, keeping your dog’s coat looking great and reducing the hairy mess in your home.

Health and Conditions ❤️

One reason that many people have been gravitating toward designer dog breeds is that by mixing two pure breeds, it’s thought that you can reduce the instances of health concerns that are common to either breed showing up in the offspring. This often results in designer dog breeds that are thought to be hardier and less prone to adverse health conditions than their purebred parents.

With the English Speagle, there aren’t too many serious health concerns that you have to worry about. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to consider what could happen! There are a few minor conditions that you should watch out for and one serious condition to keep an eye on as well.

Pulmonic stenosis: This serious congenital heart defect obstructs blood flow between the heart and lungs. It can range from mild to severe and may be associated with other congenital heart problems as well.

Deafness: A loss of hearing ranging from partial to complete hearing loss.

Mitral valve disease: This disease causes the mitral valve of the heart to wear out and leak. It’s so common that it’s responsible for 80% of heart disease in dogs. It usually starts as a heart murmur but can eventually lead to heart failure. This condition can be treated in dogs using drugs.

Intervertebral disk disease: This is a leaky disc in your dog’s vertebrae caused by a rupture or herniation.

Male vs Female

Though differing in size, male and female English Speagles don’t differ too drastically in temperament. You’ll see so much variance in the personalities of pups from a single litter that it would be hard to tell what differences were due to genetic variation and which were caused by differences in gender.

But you can expect the males to generally reach a larger size and weight than the females. And similar to many breeds, you’re more likely to experience some aggressive or dominant tendencies with the males, though females could turn out to be more stubborn.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a companion dog for yourself or your family and you want one that’s playful and engaging but never too overbearing, the English Speagle is a great choice. They’re smart, fun, and have plenty of energy, but they’re not high-strung, needy, or particularly high-maintenance.

Still, you can expect to groom your Speagle at least three times each week to contend with the shedding. And keep in mind, if your Speagle takes after the Spaniel side of the gene pool more than the Beagle, then it might not be great with small kids. On the other hand, if it takes more after the Beagle, then it might not be great with other pets.

These dogs need about 30-45 minutes of exercise each day, but they don’t require lots of space. You can keep one in an apartment; a large yard isn’t necessary. But don’t forget about their propensity for barking! You’re likely to annoy your neighbors with your new barking family member. But you can keep barking to a minimum by providing plenty of attention, playtime, and exercise.

See Also:

• Bull Jack (English Bulldog & Jack Russell Terrier Mix)
• Chonzer (Miniature Schnauzer & Bichon Frise Mix)

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Featured Image Credit: Andy Ginns, Shutterstock