Beagle guide
Beagle Colors and Markings: Tricolor, Lemon, Blue Tick, Black and White and More
Beagles come in more colors than most people realize. The breed standard simply asks for "any true hound color", so you'll see everything from the classic black, tan and white tricolor to pale lemon, rich red, chocolate and ticked "bluetick" coats. Color has no effect on temperament or health in beagles — it is purely a matter of taste.
The main beagle colors
| Color | What it looks like | How common |
|---|---|---|
| Classic tricolor | Black saddle, tan head and legs, white chest, legs and tail tip | Most common |
| Faded or "open" tricolor | Tricolor with tan that spreads into the black as they age | Common |
| Red and white | Rich red or deep tan patches on white | Common |
| Tan and white | Lighter tan patches on white | Common |
| Lemon and white | Pale yellow-cream patches on white | Less common |
| Chocolate tricolor | Brown (liver) instead of black, with a brown nose | Uncommon |
| Blue tricolor | Diluted, slate-gray instead of black | Rare |
| Black and white | Black patches on white with little or no tan | Rare |
| Ticked (bluetick, redtick) | Small flecks of color through the white | Common as a pattern |
Tricolor beagles
The tricolor is the beagle everyone pictures: a black "saddle" across the back, a tan head and legs, and white on the muzzle, chest, legs and tail tip. Tricolor puppies are born mostly black and white; the tan spreads as they grow, so a puppy's adult color can look quite different from their baby photos.
A chocolate tricolor has brown where a standard tricolor has black, with a brown nose and often lighter eyes. A blue tricolor has a soft gray instead of black — this dilute color is rare.
Lemon beagles
Lemon beagles are a pale, buttery yellow and white. They're born almost entirely white, and their color develops over the first weeks. Many people think they're a separate breed; they're not — just a lighter version of the beagle's red-tan pigment. Read our full guide to the lemon beagle.
Red and white, and tan and white beagles
These two-colored (bicolor) beagles have no black saddle: just red or tan patches on white. Red and white beagles tend to have a deep, rich coat; tan and white beagles are a little lighter, between red and lemon.
Blue tick and red tick beagles
"Ticking" means small flecks or spots of color through the white parts of the coat. On a black-based beagle, the ticking can look bluish-gray from a distance — that's a bluetick beagle. On a red or lemon beagle it looks reddish — a redtick. Ticking usually appears as a puppy grows and becomes more visible with age.
A bluetick beagle is still a purebred beagle. It's not the same as the Bluetick Coonhound, a separate, much larger hound breed.
Black and white beagles
True black and white beagles — with no tan at all — are rare. Most beagles described as "black and white" are tricolors with very little tan, or puppies whose tan hasn't come in yet. If a black and white coat matters to you, ask the breeder to show you the parents and older puppies from the same pairing.
Do beagle puppies change color?
Yes — a lot. Tan spreads, black saddles can fade or "open", lemons darken from almost white, and ticking appears through the first year. The parents are the best guide to how a puppy will look as an adult, which is why both are listed on every Beagle Brook puppy page.
Does color affect price or health?
It shouldn't affect either. Be cautious of anyone charging much more for "rare" colors: color says nothing about a puppy's health, temperament or breeding. What matters is healthy, well-tested parents and a good start in life. See how much does a beagle cost?
Questions
What is the most common beagle color?
The classic tricolor — black, tan and white — is by far the most common.
What is the rarest beagle color?
Blue (dilute) tricolors and true black and white beagles with no tan are among the rarest.
Is a lemon beagle rare?
Lemon beagles are less common than tricolors and red and white beagles, but they're not extremely rare. They are a recognized beagle color, not a separate breed.
Are white beagles real?
Beagles that look almost all white are usually lemon and white or very light tan and white. Lemon puppies in particular are born almost completely white.
Is a bluetick beagle a purebred beagle?
Yes. "Bluetick" describes the ticked pattern of the coat. It's different from the Bluetick Coonhound breed.
