Do Beagles Like Water? (Solved)

The Beagle. My favorite breed.

I’ve learned a lot about Beagles over the years. When I got my first Beagle, I didn’t know much about their personalities, likes, and dislikes.

It was years before my Beagle had his first swim. I had no idea how he’d respond to it.

It was a hot summer day and was unplanned. His reaction to it told me all I needed to know.

Do Beagles Like Water?

The short answer is no, beagles do not like water. Beagles are not water dogs. They have a natural aversion to it- so much so that some owners will actually train them to avoid the water. They can learn to tolerate it though if trained at a young age.

There are exceptions. Some beagles enjoy swimming in pools or ponds from time to time. Still, this behavior is rare and usually seen in Beagles trained to get into the water as puppies.

The Beagle’s aversion to water is partly because they are a scent hound and rely on their noses more than any other sense. Hence, a large body of water makes it uncomfortable for Beagles.  

It’s like blindfolding them since they rely on their sense of smell so much.

They have stubborn personalities and are not naturally drawn to water. It can be difficult to train your Beagle to get into the water in the first place.

Can Beagles Swim Well?

No, Beagles can swim, but their body type does not do well in the water. Some Beagles are natural swimmers, but many refuse to touch water altogether. They aren’t designed for swimming.

If submerged in water, their instincts usually kick in, and they will swim, but this is not a guarantee.

It also depends on the physical fitness level of the dog. An overweight Beagle will have a much harder time swimming than a Beagle that’s in shape.

The most important thing is not to force your dog into the water if they are uncomfortable with it. You should be gentle and patient when training a Beagle to get into the water.

Are Beagles Scared of Water?

Beagles do not like water. They are not scared of it, they just do not like to be in the water. They may look at the pool or lake and run away from that area because they don’t want to get wet.

Beagles are a stubborn breed. Getting them to do anything they don’t want to do is difficult enough–without adding wetness as an additional deterrent for them.

Why Beagles Don’t Like The Water

Your Beagle navigates the world with his nose. Sure he uses his other senses, but hound noses are unlike any other breed. He’s receiving an unimaginable amount of information through his nose.

You and I will never be able to understand it. Beagles rely on their noses just as much as they do their eyes and ears.

Water interferes with their ability to smell. It’s like cutting off one of their senses.

The only thing we can compare it to would be to suddenly lose our hearing or our eyesight.

Putting a Beagle in water is like blindfolding him. He can be trained to do it, but it doesn’t come naturally to him.

Beagles were bred for hunting small games such as rabbits and hares. For hundreds of years, these dogs would spend all day outside in varying terrain on the hunt with their large pack.

They are said to have been used to track prey quickly and efficiently while also negotiating water obstructions. Beagles are hounds, and water interferes with their scenting ability.

Beagles would have been discouraged from entering water while on the hunt. At least until the prey had been caught and killed. Swimming was likely a trait that was bred out of them.

How To Know If Your Beagle Can Swim

Have you ever wondered whether or not your dog has been born with the natural ability to swim? Well, it’s time that we find out! You’ll need a shallow pool of water for this test. 

Take note: most dogs will start paddling their paws as soon as they realize that they can’t touch the ground. However, beagles are 50-50 in having this quality, and before taking them on a test swim, make sure to put an aquatic life jacket on your pup first thing!

How To Teach a Beagle To Swim

Training your Beagle to swim is a good idea if you’ll take him to any lakes or rivers.

Step One: Use a lifejacket. Take precautions if you’re unsure of your dog’s swimming abilities before taking him on a swim.

Step Two: Show the pup how to get in and out of the water. Encourage them verbally and try to get them to do it themselves. Many Beagles will refuse. If this happens, you can try to lure him in using a treat.

If he still refuses to get in the water, you can try using a heavy-duty raft or float. Make sure his nails are trimmed so he doesn’t puncture and deflate them.

Step Three: Bring your dog into the shadow end of the lake or pool. If he doesn’t get in himself, then carry him into a shallow area with you.

Suppose he happens to be afraid of the water and is visibly trembling and experiencing lots of fear. In that case, it may be better to just get him comfortable being around water first.

He may naturally resist the water, which doesn’t mean he is fearful of it. Some dogs do develop a fear of water though, so you need to tell the difference.

Be sure his feet can touch the ground. Get him accustomed to being in the water.

Step Four: Bring him into a deeper area where his feet cannot touch the ground.

Build your Beagle’s self-confidence in the water by teaching him to swim with a lifejacket on. This will help build his confidence and make swimming seem less scary for future trips into the pool or lake.

Keep things simple and stay by his side.

If he doesn’t have a life jacket, then you should be holding him and making sure his head stays above water.

Step Five: To help your pup gain confidence in the water, you can use treats or toys to teach them that swimming is fun!

How Long Can Beagles Swim?

Beagles can’t swim very far without a life vest, a few minutes or more. They can swim longer, up to 30 minutes, with a properly attached life vest. It depends on the Beagle and the amount he exerts himself, but 30 minutes is doable.

Do Beagles Like The Beach?

Beagles love the beach, though they may not like the water. Walking along the shore and getting your Beagle comfortable with the tide coming in and out can be a good way to introduce them to it, but don’t expect him to swim.

Walking along the shore can still provide plenty of entertainment with interesting smells as well, giving your Beagle plenty of stimulation.

Do Beagles Like Baths?

Most Beagles don’t like baths. They dread getting in the water, but they do tolerate it well once they are in the tub. The water needs to be warm, and the doggy shampoo should never have any kind of fragrance.

Beagles are more prone than other breeds to developing skin irritation issues with harsh chemicals in shampoos.

Be sure to rinse the soap off them completely. They will be able to smell it and it could irritate their skin if it’s not all washed away.

My Beagle loves it when he gets out of the bathtime. After I towel dry him, he runs around the house like a mad-man…dog.

Why Do Wet Dogs Smell After a Bath?

The smell of a wet dog is unmistakable. The odor is caused by a buildup of bacteria and yeast. It lives in their fur and mixes with the oil on their skin. The smell is released only when they get wet. When the coat dries, it doesn’t release as strong of an odor.

Poor Beagle. They know they smell bad when their fur gets wet.

Without water touching them, these nasty smells are dormant. Still, as soon as H2O is present, you can bet that funk will be released into the air! 

Do Beagles Like the Rain?

Most Beagles don’t mind light rain, and many enjoy it. It seems to energize them and puts a pep in their step. Heavy rain, on the other hand, is something Beagles hate. They dislike being soaked and caught in downpours.

They make rainjackets for Beagles. A Beagle can be trained to wear these, but it does take some time. They prevent your dog from having to shake his fur dry every few minutes.

Beagle rain jackets are also helpful for minimizing that wet Beagle smell we all enjoy! 😉

Water Safety

Never ever leave your dog unsupervised around the water. Always use a life jacket if your Beagle will be in water that he can’t stand in. Even if he’s going to be on a boat, be safe and get him his own life vest. It could save his life!

Once your pup has had plenty of time to figure out how his life vest works and is comfortable wearing it in the water, introduce him to swimming.

Once he’s had plenty of time (a month) and has passed all his swim tests with flying colors, now it’s finally safe for him to get into deep waters, with your supervison of course.

Closing Thoughts

Do Beagles Like Water? No! Now you really should know. If you’re not convinced, then get a Beagle and test this out. Let me know what happens!

If you have one of those rare Beagles that loves water, tell us about it in the comment section! Did you have to train him for it?

I bet you did 🙂