Understand why a Beagle mat is unusual and localised
A Beagle's short, weather-resistant double coat does not mat across the whole body the way a long coat does, so a mat on a Beagle is a clue about one specific spot. The usual places are the softer, finer hair behind the ears, the armpits where the front legs rub, the groin, and anywhere a collar or harness sits against damp or dirty hair after a walk. Finding the mat's cause matters as much as removing it, because a tangle that returns to the same place is pointing at friction, trapped moisture, or a patch of skin the dog has been scratching.
Work on a calm Beagle who is settled on a non-slip surface, ideally after a walk rather than when he is full of morning energy. Gather fingers, a steel comb, a slicker brush, and small blunt-tipped scissors before you start, and work in short bursts.
Loosen a Beagle mat with fingers before any tool
Fingers come first on a Beagle mat, because you can feel exactly how tight it is and how close it sits to the skin. Hold the base of the mat firmly between thumb and finger so that any pull lands on your hand, not on the Beagle's skin, then tease the outer edges of the tangle apart a few hairs at a time, working inward. Sprinkling the mat lightly so it is barely damp can help the hairs slide, but do not soak it, which tightens a felted tangle further.
Once the edges loosen, bring in the end teeth of a steel comb and pick through the opened sections in the same edge-to-centre direction. Keep checking the dog, not just the coat: a Beagle who freezes, turns his head toward your hand, or starts lip-licking is telling you the skin is being pulled despite your grip, so stop, re-grip closer to the base, and take smaller bites of hair. Most small Beagle mats surrender at this stage within a few patient minutes.
Trim a stubborn Beagle mat out without nicking skin
Cutting is the right answer when a Beagle mat is small, rock-hard, and tight to the skin, because combing a felted lump like that hurts no matter how careful you are. Slide a comb flat between the mat and the skin as a guard, then cut above the comb with blunt-tipped scissors, cutting upward through the mat in thin slices rather than slicing it off in one piece near the body. Never point scissor tips toward the skin, and never pull a mat up and cut underneath it blindly — Beagle skin behind the ears is loose and lifts with the hair.
If the mat sits somewhere you cannot guard properly with a comb, or the skin under it looks red, sore, or broken, leave it and let a groomer or vet clinic remove it with clippers and a clear view. That is not failure; mats tight over irritated skin are exactly the ones home removal turns into a wound. Clippers, if you have them and the dog accepts them, are safer than scissors for a truly felted Beagle mat because they glide under it without pointed blades near skin.
Prevent the next Beagle mat at the same spot
After removal, brush the area smooth, check the skin for redness once the hair is out of the way, and let the spot rest rather than scrubbing it. A quick brush of the ear backs, armpits, and collar line once a week prevents most Beagle tangles, because the coat is short enough that a forming knot is easy to catch while it is still loose. Dry those same areas thoroughly after wet walks and baths, since damp fine hair left pressed under a collar is how the next mat starts.
Note exactly where the mat formed and what likely caused it — a new harness, a wet week of walks, extra scratching at one ear. Logging that spot for your Beagle in KinsLe through Care Teams means whoever grooms him next checks the ear backs and armpits before a tangle takes hold again.