When a breeder is giving you a verbal description of a beagle, sometimes they will say "full saddle". This means that the puppy/dogs back is completely black with little to no white markings to break it up. When the breeder is referring to an "open marked" dog or pup this means that there is a considerable amount of white on its back breaking up that would be full saddle. Either way, you can rest assured your puppy is precious no matter the markings!

There are many different ways a beagle can be marked up and I would like to go over some of those with you! The first one I want to address seems to be popular among puppy owners. This is the white stripe between the eyes that most internet pictures have, it's called a "blaze". Most of the time the blaze will be bright white, but in some cases when the puppy is heavily ticked there will also be some ticking in the blaze. Not all dogs will have a blaze but its something I am always happy to see!

Ticking is the "freckles" or "speckles" that usually appear on the beagles legs or areas that would otherwise be white. Ticked coats are generally softer than a solid white color pattern. It is a dominant gene, so if your puppy has some ticking usually one or both parents will also be ticked. 

These are the colors I see the least often. This coloring comes from a genetic mutation, and even though those words sound scary, they aren't at all. Colors have no bearing on the health of the puppy. I like to think of Lavender and Silver as the lighter shades of the grey category, which is likely the hairdresser in me speaking. Any of you who have an education in cosmetology will relate to that statement! 

Hare-Pi coloring is not seen often. Sometimes it's hard to spot, while others times it's obvious. Hare-Pied dogs usually have a bright white coat with clear cut patches of gradient browns. They also have what is referred to as a butterfly nose, which is when the septum is darker than the rest of the nose and it gets lighter as it goes out toward the edges. This coloring will almost always have dark circles around the eyes, not like us ladies frown upon, but much more like they are wearing eyeliner! Hare-pied beagles are absolutely stunning and I always get excited when we have one!

The chocolate & white coloring is not as common as the previous three we talked about. This one is usually a darker brown, or as I like to call it "dark chocolate". The face and ears will not turn tan on this puppy because this is not a tricolor, there are only two colors on this variation. Sometimes there will be ticking (freckles) present, but not often. 

The Lemon and White Beagle is sometimes referred to as "Blonde". They are white with varying shades of yellow patches, and occasionally will have some ticking (freckles). As the puppy matures the yellow fur will usually darken, sometimes to a reddish shade. Unlike the tricolor puppies, the lemon & white pups will not have a tan head or ears. The markings they are born with will remain the same throughout their life.

Chocolate Tricolor consists of a medium brown, tan and white. This is what I like to call the milk chocolate coloring. Like the traditional tricolors, these pups will eventually have the tan ears and face over the course of approximately 12 months. Remember, the white will stay white! These are a beautiful variation of the classic tricolor. 

Traditional Tricolor is black, white and tan. The classic beagle look. However, when the puppies are newborn their head and ears will be black, sometimes they will have a tiny bit of tan above the eye and on the jaw. Over time the black will gradually start turning tan, but remember this only applies to their head and ears. If there is any white on them it will always remain white. It takes about a year for it to fully turn tan but you can start to see the progression of the color change before they ever leave here. So, when you see pictures of puppies on my website keep in mind that they will eventually have that classic beagle look that we have all come to know and love.

Many times I am asked "When can I give my puppy a bath after recieving him/her?" As soon as you get home! I give your new buddy a bath right before transport, but during the flight or car ride they often get motion sickness. This will leave a mess in their crate so that will also need rinsed out. Bathing your puppy will start the bond that you will carry for the life of your pet. When they look at you with those sweet beagle eyes as you're drying them off you can almost see yourself and your pup falling in love. 
So let's face it, it feels great to take a long bath after traveling and animals are no different, so grab a warm towel and get soapy!