[mpeccorini]

Hi everyone,

I have a registered tricolour beagle and she just had 6 puppies. The (supposed) puppies' father is also a registered tricolour beagle. Well, it turns out two of the puppies are completely black, the other four are mostly black with some white paws, white tips on the tails, white spots on the chin and/or white spots on the chest.

Is this possible or should I blame this mess on my cousins' brown labrador retriever?

If they are beagles, will they ever change their colours? How long should I wait for this to happen?

Thank you,

Mauricio

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Murphy was a tri-color when born, but had a lot of black. Most of his head has changed to brown now at 9 months, so there can be some color change.

 

[missmollygirl]

I definitely would be looking at the lab for the dirty deed. But, look at it this way, you have two of the most wonderful breeds mixed into one. However, I could be wrong. I have seen full bread beagles without a lick or white on them.

 

[Pack Leader]

I wouldn't blame the Lab unless you are sure there's a chance he got to her while she was in heat. Puppies of almost every breed can show significant changes in coloring from birth to puppyhood to full maturity. Heck, Dalmations are born pure white!

 

[beagletails]

As a Beagle breeder myself AND the owner of a Beagador, I say that if you have some that are solid black that the Labrador or some other cassanova got to your beagle while in heat. It can happen at any time during their cycle also! We use our stud dog for other females as well so we have approximately 200 puppies worth of experience in this area. It is also possible for a bitch to deliver pups from more than one father, so you could have some Beagles and some crosses. I'm attaching a photo of our tri-color pups immediately after birth. They are mostly black and white with a small touch of brown. By the time they go to their new homes they have a lot more brown as it changes daily.

Now with all of this said...our Beagador is the best dog I have ever had the pleasure of loving.

 

[ecemom]

I was so happy when we got Rocky and he had a very black face...he was 7 weeks. Now at almost 5 mths, his face is almost completely brown...also, his legs were pure white at first, now he is speckled with light brown spots.

 

[mpeccorini]

Thank you all for your answers. I've kind of lost my hopes of breeding pure Beagles at this time. The puppies I'm talking about are 4 weeks old and they haven't shown any brown at all.

I'll be more careful next time

Cheers,

Mauricio

 

[Pack Leader]

Aww, that stinks! I was thinking the pups were young, just a few days old. But like Donna said, what a fabulous mix! I bet their temperaments will be amazing, plus I think both labs and beagles are beautiful. I love my beagle mix more than any purebred

 

[Smeagle]

Originally Posted By: Henry's MomAww, that stinks! I was thinking the pups were young, just a few days old. But like Donna said, what a fabulous mix! I bet their temperaments will be amazing, plus I think both labs and beagles are beautiful. I love my beagle mix more than any purebred

Many crossbreeds are lovely dogs, but unfortunately there is never any guarantee on what you'll end up with. You could get the best of both breeds or have the less desirable traits be dominant. Unfortunately there are no guarantees when you breed crossbreeds, they do not have the predictability that purebreds do. Without a doubt every one of the pups in this litter will grow up to be of different type, size, temperament etc. There are just so many variables when you breed crossbreeds that you will never know what you end up with.

You also need to consider the size difference between a lab and a beagle. Not only is that very dangerous for the bitch to whelp pups that have been sired by a dog so much bigger than her, but it can mean that pups may develop serious joint and structural problem as they grow.

Labs are very prone to hip displaysia, and I bet because this was an accidental mating, that the lab that sired this litter was never x-rayed to have his hips scored like reputable do before they breed their labs.

Another thing to consider is that labs and beagles are very different breeds bred for very different purposes - labs are gundogs and beagles are scent hounds.

Hopefully, this mating was a once off, and the OP will never make the same mistake again - I'm sure he will be extra vigilant if he ever mates his bitch again

I also hope he finds homes that thoroughly understand and are prepared for the fact that there is no way to tell what their pup will grow up to be like and that they would be a suitable home for either a lab or a beagle.


ETA: To the OP, I think it would be a great experience for you to join your local beagle club or find a breeder to mentor you. A good breeder would have been able to tell the instant the pups were born that they weren't purebred, having an experienced breeder act as your breed mentor would be able to help you with these things and give you a way to learn as much as you can about breeding great beagles.

 

[Dixie21]

Hi everyone,

I have a registered tricolour beagle and she just had 6 puppies. The (supposed) puppies' father is also a registered tricolour beagle. Well, it turns out two of the puppies are completely black, the other four are mostly black with some white paws, white tips on the tails, white spots on the chin and/or white spots on the chest.

Is this possible or should I blame this mess on my cousins' brown labrador retriever?

If they are beagles, will they ever change their colours? How long should I wait for this to happen?

Thank you,

Mauricio

The Akc registry allows for beagles to make up to at least 3 changes in their color registry, because beagles do change colors drastically from newborn and continues to change until their old. My pure bred tri color beagle pups that are completely black changed over the weeks as tri color... your pups will be beautiful...

 

[Cassie]

Pictures!