Raggle (Beagle & Rat Terrier Mix): Info, Pictures, Care & More

The Raggle is a designer dog breed that mixes the Rat Terrier and Beagle breeds. They are lively dogs that make great family pets, thanks to their loving and trusting nature. However, they can be very lively and may prove headstrong. They get on very well with children, especially those that are old enough to play, and they can get on with other family pets and dogs outside the household, as long as they are socialized and trained from an early age.

Breed Overview

As both parent breeds are hunters of sorts, the Raggle can have a strong prey drive, which means that an older dog of this breed might not be a suitable introduction to a family with cats and other small pets.

The Raggle’s exercise needs are high, but they are an intelligent, albeit strong-willed, breed. They can be trained well, but typically do better in the hands of an owner with previous experience in training this type of breed.

Read on to see whether the Rat Terrier and Beagle mix is the right dog for your family, and to determine their requirements.

Raggle Characteristics

Raggle Puppies

Like a lot of smaller dogs and hybrid breeds, the Raggle is a fairly affordable family pet option.

When buying any dog, it is highly recommended that you get as much information about the parents as possible, ideally meeting one or both before taking on a new dog. This is especially important in a breed like the Raggle, which can have a high prey drive and be a headstrong dog. Although your puppy will not necessarily adopt the same traits as his parents, knowing that he comes from a stock that is happy, friendly, and well adjusted, does increase the chances that you will get an equally well-adjusted dog.

Good breeders will also have had any necessary and advised health checks performed, and in the case of the Raggle this means checking for early signs of epilepsy and eye problems.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Raggle 🧠

The Raggle is a high-energy breed, so it will benefit from being in a home with active family members. If he doesn’t get enough exercise, he can run amok in the home as he finds ways to entertain himself. He can settle into life in an apartment but will require regular outdoor exercise. He will also enjoy playing at home, with his family, and would especially benefit from having older children in the home to keep him entertained.

Training and socializing the breed are very important. This will help ensure that they settle into the family home and that they are less inclined to chase small animals or become aggressive with other dogs and pets.

Although the Raggle will love to run off his lead, this should be avoided unless he has an exceptional recall. He may be a small dog, but he still has a high prey drive so he will often chase cats, squirrels, and other small animals.

As long as you have the time and energy to keep up with a Raggle and are willing to put in the time to train and socialize properly, he will make an excellent pet.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡

Raggles make excellent family pets with the right training and socialization. He will especially appreciate having older children around the house, who are willing to pick up a ball or toy and play. Your dog will have seemingly boundless energy and will be happy to enjoy hours of uninterrupted playtime.

You should take care with small children. They have a tendency to grab dogs’ ears and other parts, and this can lead to discomfort and possible nipping from your Raggle. Raggles can also get very excited when playing, which can lead to accidental injuries.

Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets? 🐶 😽

The Raggle is a mix of two hunting breeds. As such, he does have a strong predator instinct and is likely to want to chase small animals. This means that he is better walked on the lead, rather than off it, and it means that care will need to be taken when introducing him to cats and other small animals. Never leave a dog unattended with small animals when they are out of the cage. A Raggle can be introduced to a cat, but this should be done slowly and carefully. He will usually get along with other dogs and may benefit from having a play partner, especially if you will be out of the house during the day.

To ensure your Raggle gets on well with other dogs in the park or on walks, socialize him as early as possible. Attend puppy classes. Classes teach you the basics of training, and your dog will learn some of the basic commands required. They also provide you with a safe and sympathetic environment where you can introduce your puppy to other people and other animals. When he has mastered the basic walking skills, take him to the dog park but leave him on his leash.

Things to Know When Owning a Raggle:

The Raggle is a descendent of the Beagle and the Rat Terrier. He will usually be small like the terrier and have a short, dense, thick coat that requires minimal maintenance.

In terms of physical appearance, the Raggle is usually the same size as the Rat Terrier parent breed but has some of the markings of the Beagle. He will have floppier ears than a terrier and, although you should check them regularly, they are not as prone to ear infections as other floppy-eared dogs.

The Raggle is a hardy and healthy breed, more likely to suffer injuries while digging or charging around than developing an illness, but there are some health conditions that owners should be aware of.

Food & Diet Requirements

You should feed approximately one cup of food a day, usually over two meals. Because your Raggle has very high energy levels, this should be good quality food that contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals. The breed does have a tendency to pack on weight if fed too much, and the ratting instincts in this breed mean that they are skilled at ferreting out what they perceive to be treats.

Exercise 🐕

This hybrid breed might be small, but it has very high energy levels and similarly high exercise requirements. They will appreciate running or jogging and you should expect to run for about 45 minutes a day to burn off most of their energy. Brisk walking is also a good means of exercise, but it will take more work to tire them out. Try to provide two brisk walks for a total of an hour to an hour and a half a day.

The small size of the Raggle means that he can burn a lot of his energy off in and around the home. He will settle into life in an apartment but be prepared to play tug of war and other active games when at home. If you do have a yard, ensure that it is fully secure. Raggles can dig and jump, so they are capable of escaping a lot of yards.

Training 🦮

The Raggle is an intelligent dog that loves its owners. However, he is also headstrong and can be petulant. If you can get past this, through consistent training and the use of positive reinforcement and praise, he will pick up positive traits and you will be able to train him well. Early training will likely involve trying to ignore other animals and distractions: your Raggle will have a keen interest in anything new, especially cats and other dogs.

Grooming ✂️

Although the training requirements of a Raggle are best met by an experienced owner, his grooming requirements are easy for those with any level of experience. The breed requires very little grooming, although weekly brushing will help keep his short wiry hair under control. Although he has floppy ears, which should be checked every week, they will rarely get infected. Brush his teeth two or three times a week to avoid dental problems.

Health and Conditions ❤️

The Raggle is a generally healthy dog although he may be prone to injuries caused when digging and charging around. He has an average life expectancy between 12 and 15 years, and because he is a hybrid breed, we have to consider illnesses that his parent breeds are prone to. Look for signs and symptoms of Intervertebral Disk Disease, Hypothyroidism, and Beagle Dwarfism, as well as Hip Dysplasia.

Male vs Female

There is very little discernable difference between the male and female of the Raggle breed. The dominant parent breed is more likely to govern the attributes of your dog.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Raggle

1. Beagles Have an Incredible Sense of Smell

The beagle was first bred and raised as a hunting dog, and the Raggle gets a lot of its attributes from this parent breed. The Beagle has more than 200 million scent receptors in their nose, which is nearly 50 times as many as humans have. The breed is used by police and the armed forces to sniff out explosives, drugs, and other contraband, and they are often referred to as a nose with feet. They can recognize as many as 50 different smells, with rigorous training. While your Raggle’s sense of smell may have been diluted a little, through breeding, it retains a very high scent drive. Your puppy will certainly be able to smell when you’re cooking in the kitchen.

2. Raggles Can Be Prolific Barkers

This is another trait that can be attributed, at least in part, to the Beagle parent breed. The name Beagle is thought to originate from the French words bee gueuele, which means open-throated, and refers to the fact that they do have a tendency to run their mouths off. The beagle will whine for attention, bark to warn of danger, and will yap when following a scent. Some examples of the breed have been trained to make a different sound depending on the type of scent they have discovered. When combined with their incredible sense of smell, it is little wonder that Beagles have proven such effective hunting dogs and are used as scent dogs by police and other services.

3. Rat Terriers Are Exceptional Ratters

As the name suggests, the Rat Terrier is prized for his ability to hunt and clear out rats and other vermin. According to some legends, one Terrier nicknamed “The Rat” cleared out 2,500 rats in under seven hours from a single barn. Although the stories cannot be confirmed or denied, modern owners with any experience of this breed will hardly be surprised to learn of this feat. The Rat Terrier is still used for this purpose today, and this is one of the reasons that the Raggle hybrid breed potentially has a very high prey drive. It is also the reason why they are so skilled at getting into and out of small tunnels, many of which they are happy to create themselves. You will need a secure fence around your property, but this may not be enough to stop your Raggle from digging under fences and walls.

Conclusion

The Raggle is a small hybrid dog breed that's a Rat Terrier Beagle mix, with all the characteristics that we have come to expect from this type of dog. They have huge reserves of energy and love to run and exercise. They are also instinctive hunters and may chase cats and smaller animals without proper socialization and training from a young age. They can be headstrong and challenging to train, especially for a first-time owner, but they do reward your efforts with love and playful energy.

The Raggle can live in an apartment but would also benefit from a home with a decent yard, and he will happily mix with children as well as adults. Although there are several health issues that can afflict this breed, they have a good life expectancy and can make an excellent addition to any family.

Featured Image Credit: LSAB Photography, Shutterstock