How Much Exercise Do Beagles Need?

Do you have an adult or puppy Beagle? Are you wondering how much exercise Beagles need? Here’s everything you need to know about Beagles and exercise! 

How Much Exercise Do Beagles Need? Adult Beagles need at least 1 hour of exercise each day, but many are capable of exercising longer. Exercise could include walking, running or dog sports to keep them physically fit and mentally enriched. There should also be time for training and playtime too. 

Read on to find out how much exercise a Beagle puppy needs, how much a senior Beagle needs, what the dangers of over or under exercising them are, and what kinds of exercise Beagles enjoy the most.

Never use the advice in this article as a substitute for professional veterinary advice or treatment. I am NOT a Vet, qualified dog trainer or dog behaviourist. This article is based on research, personal opinion and experience of owning dogs over the last 12+ years. 

How Much Exercise Do Beagle Puppies Need?

Beagle puppies need 5 minutes of exercise per month of their age, up to twice a day. So, a 4-month-old Beagle puppy needs up to 20 minutes of exercise one to two times a day. However, this doesn’t include playing or time spent running around the home and garden.

It’s very important not to give your Beagle puppy too much high intensity exercise whilst they’re still growing and developing. This can cause issues with their joints in later life.

Although Beagle puppies are active and may seem as though they can do more exercise than this, you should still limit them.

Their skeletal system doesn’t finish developing until they’re around 18 months of age, so you should be cautious with their exercise until this point. 

Beagle puppies are very playful and most of them really enjoy playing with toys.

There’s no set limit to how much they can play with toys, though you should avoid letting them jump on and off furniture whilst they’re playing.

This can help to prevent damage to their muscles and joints whilst they’re still developing. 

Remember, your Beagle puppy should not leave your home or garden until they’ve had their vaccinations.

Until they’re allowed to explore the outside world, they can get enough exercise from running around at home.

If you have a friend of family member who either doesn’t have a pet, then you can take your Beagle puppy to visit them.

This’ll help with their socialisation while keeping them safe from developing illnesses or diseases, before they’re fully vaccinated. 

How Is It Best Exercise An Adult Beagle?

Adult Beagles need at least an hour of exercise each day. But, instead of giving them all of their exercise in one go, it’s better to split up this into at least two parts.

Two 30-minute-long walks at a brisk pace will be more beneficial than one hour long walk at a slower speed.

Brisk walks raise your Beagle’s heart rate so are a better form of cardio exercise than a slow stroll. 

Making sure your Beagle is regularly exercised will keep them healthier, fitter and stop them feeling bored or frustrated.

This may help to prevent behavioural problems from developing further down the line. 

Giving your Beagle enough exercise will also help to keep on top of their weight too.

Beagles are usually very greedy, so can quickly gain weight if they’re fed too much and not exercised enough.

Although it’s recommended that Beagles need at least one hour of daily exercise, this should be viewed as a minimum requirement. 

If you have any concerns about your Beagles weight or their behaviour, then increasing their daily exercise may help to reduce these problems. 

Even as adults, Beagles are still really playful. So make sure they have plenty of playtime and fun throughout the day.

This is also a great opportunity to spend some quality playtime with your Beagle, which can help to strengthen the bond you share with them!

What Kind Of Exercise Do Beagles Enjoy?

The types of exercise Beagles enjoy are:

Walking

Beagles love to get out and explore the great outdoors, and what better way to do that than taking them for a walk!

Not only is this great exercise for your Beagle, but you can make the walk easier or more difficult, depending on their needs. 

Running

Beagles often have great levels of stamina and can run fairly long distances.

You may want to try running with your Beagle or letting them run off leash in a secure location.

However, Beagles are known for having selective hearing for their recall, especially if they pick up a scent. So it’s important that the area is fully secured before you let them off leash. 

Sniffaris

Beagles absolutely love to sniff! You can give them the opportunity to sniff as much as they like on a ‘Sniffari’.

This is basically a walk where they’re allowed explore everything around them by giving it all a good sniff.

This is mental enrichment for your Beagle as well as physical exercise.

Dog Sports 

Beagles are intelligent and active dogs, which is a great combination for most dog sports.

Flyball, agility, hoopers, tracking and rally obedience are all great ways to exercise your Beagle and give them something to think about.

Swimming

Beagles are naturally strong swimmers, although not all of them enjoy swimming. So, don’t force them to swim if they don’t want to.

Swimming is a low impact exercise that’s useful if you’re trying to build your Beagle’s fitness levels back up. 

Hide And Seek

By combining your Beagle’s two favourite things – sniffing and food – you can create a really fun game for them!

Simply hide their treats around your home and garden and encourage them to sniff and search them out! 

How Much Exercise Do Senior Beagles Need?

Senior Beagles need up to 1 hour of exercise per day although this should be adjusted to suit their individual needs. They often prefer quieter, slower paced walks instead of the high-energy walks they may have previously enjoyed.

Consider the distance, type of terrain, weather conditions and any health issues your senior Beagle has to decide how much exercise they need.

Many senior Beagles will be fortunate enough to still have good mobility and energy levels. So they may be able to stay on a similar exercise regime to when they were adults.

If your Beagle does suffer with joint pain, or other mobility reducing ailments, they may prefer one or two shorter, low-intensity walks each day, instead of a really long one.

They may also find it more comfortable to walk on even, flat ground instead of steep or uneven surfaces. 

It’s important to not stop exercising your Beagle completely, just because they’re seniors. Instead, adjust the amount and type of exercise to better suit their needs.

If you stop exercising them altogether, it could actually make their mobility worse.

This can then make it harder for your Beagle to get up and about, which can be detrimental to their mental health too. 

What Are The Dangers Of Under Exercising A Beagle?

If your Beagle isn’t getting enough exercise, it can quickly lead to them gaining weight, developing joint issues or having behavioural problems. The likelihood of these issues developing can be reduced by making sure your Beagle gets plenty of exercise. 

Overweight Beagles are not only putting more pressure on their internal organs, but they’re also putting extra strain on their joints too.

They’re prone to gaining weight easily, so keeping on top of their weight is really important.

The best way to do this is by making sure that they’re getting the right amount of exercise each day and monitoring their food intake too.

The less your Beagle is being exercised, the more unfit they’ll become.

This means it’ll take much longer for them to get back up to peak fitness as their muscles and joints won’t be used to getting much exercise.

If you start trying to build their fitness back up again too quickly, this can cause injuries which can further set back their fitness regime. 

Because Beagles are such an active and intelligent breed, they can quickly get bored and frustrated without the right amount of exercise.

This can lead to them developing behavioural issues such as excessive barking, destructive behaviours and separation anxiety. 

Beagles that are well exercised regularly may be less likely to develop these behaviour problems. 

It’s also worth noting that Beagles don’t tend to do well being left alone for long periods of time.

So, if it’s not possible to avoid leaving your Beagle alone for most of the day, then it may be a good idea to consider a dog walker.

This not only reduces the amount of time your Beagle is being left, but also provides them with some much-needed exercise and stimulation.

What Are The Dangers Of Over Exercising A Beagle?

Over exercising your Beagle regularly can lead to them developing joint issues earlier, and could aggravate any existing joint conditions they have. They can also get sores or blisters on their paw pads.

The risks from over exercise are usually higher for puppies and senior Beagles, but it should be avoided for all age groups. 

A Beagle puppy’s exercise should be limited until they’re around 18 months old, when their bodies have fully matured.

If you don’t stick to this, it can put them at a higher risk of developing joint issues such as Arthritis at a much earlier age. Unfortunately, this can stay with them throughout their lives.

Just because your Beagle puppy may want to carry on and exceed their recommended daily exercise amounts, doesn’t mean they should be allowed to. 

Too much exercise is also bad news for senior Beagles too. If they already have age related joint conditions, these can be aggravated and worsened if they do too much.

Beagles are a naturally stubborn breed. So, even if they’re in pain, it’s likely they’ll still want to exercise as much as before.

Instead, their exercise amounts should be tailored to better fit their individual needs.

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So there you have it! Beagle puppies need just 5 minutes of exercise for every month of the their age, and adult Beagles need at least an hour of exercise each day. This could include walking, running or dog sports to keep them both physically and mentally healthy!