Dog Breed Information, Description, Origin, History, Temperament, Height, Weight, Exercise, Life, Group, Articles, Health, Books, Photos, Posters,
Wallpapers, Training, Dog names, Links and more.
A Beagle is a medium-sized dog breed and a member of the hound group, similar in appearance to a Foxhound but smaller with shorter legs, and with longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds used primarily for hunting rabbits to larger hares.
History: In the eleventh century, William the Conqueror
brought the Talbot hound into Great Britain. A white scent
hound, the Talbot (now extinct) is thought to be a more recent
ancestor of the modern-day beagle.
The black and tan Irish Kerry Beagles are also considered
another possible link in the evolution of early beagles. A
small game hunter similar to the Bloodhound, Kerry Beagles may
be the reason for the strong scenting abilities of beagles
today.
Name: The first mention of the beagle in English
literature by name dates from 1475. The origin of the word
"beagle" is uncertain, although it has been
suggested that the word derives from the French begueule
(meaning "open throat", or more colloquially,
"loudmouth") or from an Old English, French, or
Welsh term beag, meaning "small." Other
possibilities include the French beugler (meaning "to
bellow") and the German begele (meaning "to
scold").
Hunting: appear to have been used for hare hunting in
England as early as the reign of Edward III, who had a pack of
up to 120 hare hounds with him on the battlefield during the
Hundred Years' War. Beagling has been referred to as "the
poor person's foxhunting," as a Beagle pack (30–40
dogs) is followed on foot, not horseback.
The usual quarry is the hare. Beagles are admired by some
for the bloodcurdling "Beagle music" they emit when
in full pursuit, also called tonguing. Beagling, like
foxhunting, is banned in England. In some countries, like
Norway and Sweden, Beagles are used for hunting Hare, Roe Deer
and in some cases Red Deer and Fox. In these countries Beagles
are not used as a Beagle pack. The Hunter(s),strategically
placed in the terrain, wait while the Beagle is chasing. The
quarry tend to circle within a certain area while using one
dog, increasing the odds for success with few hunters. Drag
hunting is another Beagle sport.
Appearance: The Beagle has a smooth, somewhat oval
skull; a medium-length, square-cut muzzle; a black, gumdrop
nose; large, hound-like hazel or brown eyes; long, velveteen,
low-set ears (big), turning towards the cheeks slightly and
rounded at the tips; a medium-length, strong neck without
folds in the skin; a broad chest narrowing to a tapered
abdomen and waist; a short, slightly curved tail; an overall
muscular body; and a medium-length, smooth, hard coat. One
standard calls for ideally shaped beagles to be twice as long
as tall, and twice as tall as wide.
They appear in a range of colors, not limited to the
familiar tricolor (white with large black areas and light
brown spots). Two-color varieties are always white with
colored areas, including such colors as "lemon", a
very light tan; "red", a reddish, almost orangish
brown; and "liver", a darker brown (liver is the
only colour not allowed in the British Standard).
"Ticked" varieties may be either white or black with
different colored spots ("ticking"), such as the
bluetick beagle, which has spots that appear to be a
midnight-blue color, similar to the Bluetick Coonhound. Some
tricolor beagles also have ticking of various colors in their
white areas.
Beagles are almost always born black and white, with the
brownish areas developing later. The brown is usually the last
color to appear, taking sometimes 1-2 years to fully develop.
Some beagles gradually change color throughout their lives.
Beagles typically have a white-tipped tail, or
"flag", which is important in locating them in the
field due to their short height.
Breed varieties: The American Kennel Club and the
Canadian Kennel Club recognize two separate varieties of
Beagle: the 13-inch for hounds less than 13 inches, and the
15-inch for those between 13 and 15 inches. The Kennel Club
(UK) and FCI affiliated clubs recognize a single type, with a
height of between 13 and 16 inches. These standard dogs can
reach 35 lb or more.
In Medieval times, there was a breed called a pocket
beagle, which stood at 8 to 9 inches. Small enough to fit in a
"pocket" or saddlebag, they rode along on the hunt.
The larger foxhounds would run the prey to ground, then the
hunters would release the small beagles to continue the chase
through underbrush into their burrows. Queen Elizabeth I often
entertained guests at her royal table by letting her pocket
beagles cavort amid their plates and cups. This genetic line
is now extinct.
Temperament: The Beagle has a very good temper and
gentle disposition. Beagles are intelligent, but are stubborn
and may be hard to train (due to their strong will). They are
an especially loyal breed and are very friendly. They rarely
show signs of aggression, and are excellent with children.
They also get along with other dogs, provided that they have
been socialized correctly.
They are playful and energetic dogs who enjoy long walks.
Being scent hounds, if released, they may follow a scent
endlessly or will incessantly try to tag along with other dogs
regardless of cars, strangers, etc. They can be quite
difficult to walk, especially when distracted by enticing
smells. Because of their curiousity and spirited temperament,
beagles are famed escape artists and humane societies and
pounds often pick up stray beagles.
Beagles are pack animals, and can be prone to separation
anxiety. They are best kept with other dogs if they are going
to be alone for long periods of time. A common misconception
is that all Beagles howl incessantly. In reality, some are
more vocal than others and some do not bark often at all. The
breed has thousands of representatives and each has his or her
own personality.
Health: Beagles are a healthy breed, often living
for 12 to 15 years, but they do have a few common health
problems.
The Beagle's ears are long and floppy, which can trap warm
moist air or prevent air from reaching the ear canals. This
condition can be successfully treated with regular cleaning
daily and sometimes medication for major cases. A good
preventative measure is a diet consisting of lamb and rice dog
food. Careless bathing can get water into their ears,
potentially causing ear infections.
Sometimes their eyelashes grow into the eye and irritate
the eye, also known as distichiasis; this might require
surgery to remove the eyelashes.
Obesity is a common health problem due to people
overfeeding them in response to their playful and gentle
behavior. Most will overeat if given the chance. A healthy
Beagle should have some definition to its waist and have an
hourglass appearance when viewed from above. You should be
able to feel their ribs. Excessive weight can lead to problems
such as hip dysplasia and heart trouble. They need exercise
and a good diet.
Some Beagles are prone to congenital heart disease.
In some rare cases the breed may develop polyarthritis
(where the immune system attacks the joints) even at a young
age. This can be sometimes treated effectively with cortisone.
They are also prone to seizures and epilepsy. This disease
is treatable with medication.
Working life: Beagles have superb noses and, despite
their self-willed temperament, are sometimes used as sniffer
dogs for drug detection. More often, though, they are the
breed of choice of the United States Department of Agriculture
to detect food items in luggage being transported into the
U.S. The force is called the Beagle Brigade and these dogs
wear a green jacket.
Beagles were chosen because they are small and easy to care
for, and because they are not as intimidating for people who
are uncomfortable around dogs. They are also used for this
purpose by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in New
Zealand and by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection
Service (for whom they wear maroon jackets).
They are the dog breed most often used in animal testing,
due to their passive nature.
In June 2006, a trained Beagle saved the life of its master
by using her mobile phone to dial an emergency number.
Beagles in popular culture:
The Peanuts comic strip character Snoopy and his
siblings are beagle mutts, i.e. mixes, rather than
purebreds, though creator Schulz says that Snoopy (and his
relatives) are mostly beagle. When Snoopy makes
appearances at theme parks, he is billed as "The
World's Most Famous Beagle."
Buster in The Wonder Years.
Poochie, the short-lived Itchy and Scratchy character,
on The Simpsons.
Porthos in Star Trek: Enterprise.
Toby in Used Cars.
Lou in Cats and Dogs.
Buckley in The Royal Tenenbaums.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Shiloh trilogy is about a
beagle.
The Beagle Boys in Disney's DuckTales or Scrooge McDuck
comics.
Character Audrey fforbes-Hamilton has a Beagle in the
BBC series To the Manor Born.
According to Garfield, Odie is half-beagle and
half-brick.
Gromit from the animated cartoon Wallace & Gromit is
a beagle.
The Grape Ape had a friend named Beegle Beagle (also
known as Beegley Beagley).
In Three's Company, the characters frequented a
restaurant called "The Regal Beagle."
HeyDogs is an easy to use site that keeps both dog professionals and dog enthusiasts up to date on the latest information on dogs. You can find the best in dog training, behavior, natural health, agility, clicker training, and other dog related topics
Looking for the perfect
Dog name? Dogs names for your new Puppy.
Browse thousands of Dog names, names for both male
and female dogs, Start looking by clicking on a
letter!
Hi Cats is a website you can find extensive information on all Cat Breeds, Articles, Health, Books, Photos, Desktop Wallpapers, Posters, Training, Cats names, Links and more.
HeyDogs.com Dog Breeds Information
Guide menu 
