Beagles come in various color combinations; however, many dog lovers are interested to know about White Beagles.
I think Snoopy, the white beagle, is the reason why white-colored beagles are so popular today.
Purebred Beagles cannot be completely white. Beagles registered as white will always have markings and ticks of other colors. Being hound dogs, they cannot have one solid color. However, albinism, a rare genetic condition, can cause a lack of pigmentation and make them white.
Why can’t Beagles be Completely White?
The bloodline of beagles does not allow them to be completely white or any other color.
Beagles belong to the hound group. Hound dogs were specifically bred to have more than one color to make it easy for their owners to spot them in the wild. That’s why they are either bi-colored or tri-colored and have colored marking and ticks on their coat.
Explaining White Beagles
There are two ways beagles can be white, either they have albinism, or they have a color combination of white and yellow.
Albinism is extremely rare, and it can come with additional health problems. We will talk more about it in the next section.
Beagles come in various color combinations, out of which certain combinations can make a beagle look almost white.
The closest combination that can make a beagle appear white is Lemon-white.
Lemon-White Beagles
More than 60% of the coat of Lemon-White beagle is white in color. They have light-yellowish patches, usually on their ears and back.
In early age, the lemon color can be so light that the pup can appear completely white. However, as the puppy matures, the lemon color starts developing and gives a light yellow tint to the coat.
As these beagles are often born entirely white, breeders often market them as ‘White Beagles.’
This combination is not that common so if you plan to get a Lemon-white beagle, then be ready to pay a higher price.
Breeders can register their lemon-white beagle as white. However, this does not mean that they will grow up to be completely white. Beagles change the color of their coat as they grow. And even if the registration of a pup says ‘White Beagle,’ they will have shades of yellow in their adulthood.
In the above video, you can see a white beagle. However, she is not 100% white. She has some lemon color patches on his ear and chest. Her puppy seems completely white now, but he will develop patches as he matures.
Albino Beagles
People often confuse albino beagles as a type of beagle. Beagles who have a genetic condition called albinism, are called albino beagle.
Albinism is an extremely rare genetic condition in which the pigmentation is either completely or partly absent. Beagle with such condition can lose color from its coat, hair, skin, nose, and even eyes.
Albinism can be found in all animals, including humans.
Due to a lack of pigmentation, the coat of albino beagles is entirely white. Their nose and eyes may turn pink.
The health of Albino Beagles
Even if a Pure White Beagle may seem unique and desirable, but it comes with various health problems.
Albino beagles can have very sensitive skin. Direct sunlight can easily burn their skin. So the owner will need to protect the albino from sunlight.
Albino beagle owners often cover them with dog clothes, bodysuits, and hats.
Their eyes get vulnerable to the sun too. Many of them are born blind.
You can read more about this condition here.
What about Snoopy, the White Beagle?
Was snoopy white? Yes. But was he Completely White? No. If you remember, snoopy had black ears. He was never completely white.
Beagles come in white-black combination. However, I am not sure if snoopy was white-black. Because originally, Snoppy was a black and white comic, which means snoopy’s ear can be of any color.