Beagador: how to recognise a Beagle × Labrador mix
A Beagador usually looks like a compact Labrador with a hound’s face: longer, softer ears, a narrower muzzle and often a white-tipped tail. Upload a photo to see which breeds your dog resembles most.
Also known as: Labbe, Labbe Retriever, Beagle Lab mix, Labrador Beagle mixCross of: Beagle × Labrador Retriever
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About the Beagador
The Beagador, sometimes called a Labbe, is a cross between a Beagle and a Labrador Retriever. It is not a recognised breed with the FCI, AKC or KC, and many arrive as accidental crosses rather than planned litters. Both parents are scent-led, sociable working dogs, so most Beagadors are friendly, greedy and busy noses on a walk. Expect a medium-sized, sturdy dog with plenty of stamina. Some lean towards the Labrador’s eagerness to retrieve and please; others keep the Beagle’s independent streak and the urge to follow a trail without looking back.
How to recognise a Beagador
- Short, dense double coat that sheds steadily; it lies flat and feels harder than a Labrador’s on some dogs.
- Colours range from solid black, yellow or chocolate to Beagle-style tricolour or lemon-and-white, often with a white chest patch.
- Drop ears set fairly low, longer and softer than a Labrador’s, often reaching towards the corner of the mouth.
- Head broader than a Beagle’s but with a slightly longer, narrower muzzle than a Labrador; brown, soft-looking eyes.
- Medium-sized, deep-chested body on sturdy legs, usually shorter in the leg than a Labrador.
- Tail of medium length carried high when moving, frequently with a white tip inherited from the Beagle.
Photo tip. Take a side-on shot with the head level so the ear length and tail are both visible; long hound ears and a thin tail separate a Beagador from a Labrador.
Beagador or look-alike?
Labrador Retriever
A Labrador has a thick “otter” tail that tapers from a wide base, shorter ears that hang just past the eye, and a broader skull. A Beagador’s ears are longer and its tail thinner.
Beagle
A Beagle is smaller and lighter boned, with a domed skull and a classic saddle pattern. Solid black or yellow coats and a heavier, wider chest point to Labrador in the mix.
Harrier or English Foxhound
These pack hounds are taller and leaner, with long legs, a tucked-up waist and almost always tricolour or pied coats. A Beagador is stockier and often a solid Labrador colour.
Borador
A black Borador has a longer, collie-like muzzle and ears that often fold or half-lift. A black Beagador keeps soft, low hanging hound ears and a more compact frame.
What a Beagador inherits
First-generation litters vary a great deal. One puppy can look almost like a small yellow Labrador while a littermate wears a Beagle’s tricolour coat and voice. Ear length, coat colour and leg length are the traits that shift most; the scenting nose and appetite come through in nearly every dog. Because Beagador is one of the labels Petus can recognise, the photo check may name it directly. Otherwise the result usually shows Labrador Retriever and Beagle as the closest breeds. Only a DNA test can give you the real percentages.
Health and care
- Both parents are among the breeds most prone to weight gain. Measure every meal, count training treats and keep the waist visible from above.
- Hip and elbow dysplasia are known in Labradors and hips in Beagles; ask for the parents’ hip and elbow scores where a breeder is involved.
- Long, heavy ears trap moisture, so check and dry them after swimming or rain. Ear infections are common in both parent breeds.
- Plan at least one long walk a day plus sniffing games. A bored Beagador will follow its nose, so a secure garden and solid recall training matter.
- Weekly brushing handles the short coat, with extra sessions during the spring and autumn moult.