The Beagle

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The Beagle is a  medium-sized breed of Scent Hound, originally used for tracking rabbits, hares and other small game. This breed has been around since Roman times and was developed in Britain from Talbot Hounds, brought in by William the Conqueror. Like all the Scent Hounds, the Beagle has a strong sense of smell and is often used by Customs officials for detecting prohibited substances such as drugs and foodstuffs.

A 13 year study carried out in the 1950's, demonstrates just how powerful the beagle's sense of smell is.  As part of their research, they tested the scenting abilities of various breeds by putting a mouse in a one acre field and timing how long it took the dogs to find it. The Beagles found it in less than a minute, while Fox Terriers took 15 minutes and Scottish Terriers failed to find it at all.

The Beagle is one of the most popular breeds, being the fifth highest in the breed registrations of the American Kennel Club in 2006. Their popularity is explained by their compact size, their friendly temperament and their reputation for good health. This breed is excellent with children and they enjoy company, which means that they do not like to be left alone and are prone to Separation Anxiety

They are always ready to bark at unfamiliar sights and sounds, which makes them good watch dogs but their generally friendly nature means they are poor as guard dogs.   

Beagles are intelligent, but as a result of being bred for the long chase are single-minded and determined, which can make them hard to train. They are generally obedient but can be difficult to recall once they have picked up a scent and are easily distracted by smells around them. If you would like to improve your beagle's behavior and make him more responsive to your commands, click the banner below ->

Snoopy, in Peanuts is probably the best known beagle in the world.

Beagles are somewhat like a smaller version of the Foxhound but more compact. They normally weigh between eighteen and thirty five pounds and stand about 13 to 16 inches tall. Their ears are large and soft, in common with all the Scent Hounds. Beagles have a distinctive white tip to their tail, known as the "flag" and it is easy to see why. The tail is carried erect when tracking a scent and the white tip makes it easy to see when his head is to the ground. 

Beagles appear in a range of colors. The base color is white, with large areas of black and tan. Tan and white is the most common combination. 

The average life span of the beagle is about twelve years. They are greedy eaters, so care should be taken not to overfeed them. If not given a reasonable amount of exercise, they are prone to obesity as they get older.

Browse this huge selection of books and calendars on the Beagle at Amazon.com (Over17,000!)

Here are the Breed Standards for the American Kennel Club

Here are The Breed Standards for the UK Kennel Club