The concept of Beagle dogs having webbed feet is a strange one, but you need to place it into context. Just as humans have that loose skin between our fingers, dogs have similar skin in between their paws. It’s webbing, but not in the classic sense of the word, like you might associate with a frog or a duck.
Do Beagles have webbed feet? All Beagles do have webbed feet and paws, but not as prominently as other certain other dog breeds. All dogs have webbed paws to a degree, which is the skin membrane between their toes. This skin is designed to help them provide stability and to assist with swimming.
All dogs have webbed feet and paws to a degree, but it the amount of webbing and how useful it is will dramatically vary between dog breeds. There are some dog breeds that are excellent swimmers, and a lot of this will be due to how prominent the skin membrane is between their toes.
Why do Beagles have webbed paws?
You might not believe me, and that’s fine. It’s a strange concept to think about, but if you remove from your mind what the classic conception of webbed toes is, it’s helps make sense of how this applies to Beagles.
Don’t believe me? Go check your Beagle’s paws. Stretch those toes out…
You see that thin layer of skin between their toes? That’s their webbing, and every single dog on the planet has it. Certain dogs have evolved to have better paw webbing than others.
Over time, your Beagle has evolved to develop physical traits that help it do the things Beagles are bred to do.
For example, Beagles have big ears to let them hunt (find out how this works). They have padded paws to help provide grip. They have webbing between their toes to help with stability and swimming.
What is the webbing between your Beagle’s toes?
Have a look at your own hands. The skin that connects your fingers together at the top of your palm is your own webbing. It helps you swim, and undoubtedly is an evolutionary trait from the time when we were all water dwellers.
And it’s the same with dogs.
All it is, is a membrane of skin that connects our fingers and toes together. Water based animals such as frogs and ducks have much more pronounced webbing which helps them to move through the water with speed and efficiency.
It works just like a boat paddle, creating a larger and flatter surface area to move water with more force, to propel the animal faster.
It’s not just about swimming better though. Your Beagle’s webbed toes will also help it walk easier on wet and muddy surfaces. It helps them to get more traction on the mud and not sink and labor as they walk.

Webbed feet are an evolutionary trait that most mammals have, including dogs. It’s something that has helped us all to adapt and thrive in the world we inhabit.
According to science, all land animals have some degree of toe webbing. It develops when they are in their mother’s womb, but before birth some of the webbing will actually disappear completely or reduce in size.
Just look at any image of a human baby in an embryo and you will see how pronounced the webbing is before the fingers start to separate and form.
And that’s the same with dogs. However, some dog breeds have more webbing in their paws than others as they are bred to keep this trait…which dictates what the breed of dog was designed to do.
For example, some dog breeds have been bred in history to be hunters, retrieving animals from the water. Those dogs need paws that are webbed more than the average.
Are Beagles good swimmers then?
Despite Beagles only having webbed feet, they are not the best of swimmers. Perhaps if the webbing in their paws was more pronounced, they could be better swimmers!
With a small amount of webbing membrane, Beagles aren’t really renowned for swimming, but it possible for them to learn.
What breeds of dog have webbed feet?
Whilst Beagles do have slightly webbed paws, they certainly aren’t as pronounced as other dog breeds were this physical trait is more obvious. Here’s a list of dogs that have very pronounced webbing in their paws.
- Newfoundland
- Portuguese Water Dog
- German Wirehaired Pointer
- Dachshund
- Weirmaraner
- Otterhound
- Chesapeake Bay Retriever
- Redbone Coonhound
- Novi Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
Conclusion
And there you have it; all Beagles do have webbed feet, however, it’s not significant enough to make them good swimmers – and you might not even notice the webbing between their toes unless you have a really close look.
Go take a look at your Beagle’s paws and see what yours are like!
Handy Hint: Beagles love running but unfortunately can injure themselves. Here are all the reasons I can think of for your Beagle limping.