Beagle

The origin of the Beagle is not truly known. It is said that in the middle of the 19th century, fox hunting became popular with the younger generations who wanted something quicker and more exhilarating than watching hounds puzzling out the intricate windings of a hare. The Foxhound was evolved from a mixture of buck hound and Beagle. By this time, the groups of breeders who produced two distinct types of hare-hunting hounds, one of which was called the Southern hound and the other the North Country Beagle. The former was slow and ponderous, with long ears and a deep voice, while the other was the exact opposite.

In 1870 in the United States, the little hunting hounds of the southern states, then called Beagles, were more of the type of straight-legged Bassets or Dachshunds with weaker heads than the Bassets and were mostly white with a few dark markings. They were said to be snappy, tireless hunters, but not handsome in outline.

The importation's of General Richard Rowett of Carlinsville, Illinois in the 1860s mark the turning point in the history of the American strain of Beagle and brought to this country an acquisition of canine beauty. From what packs in England General Rowett obtained his hounds is not known.

In 1888 the National Beagle Club was formed and held the first field trial. At all of these, packs were run in single classes for hounds 13 to 15 inches in height and classes for those dogs under 13 inches.

In addition to the regular all breed American Kennel Club shows, almost all the field-trial clubs conduct specialty shows in connection with their field trials, and in addition to this again, there are hound shows limited to the various breeds of hounds.

Beagles have two varieties. The "13 inch" is for those not exceeding 13 inches. The "15 inch" is for hounds over 13 inches, but not exceeding 15 inches. Both sizes can come from the same litter.

Beagles are very sweet and gentle dogs, however they can be extremely stubborn. They have a very loud baying cry that they will let out whenever they are bored or excited. They can be very destructive if left alone especially at a young age. Many Beagle owners use doggy day care for their young Beagles while they work in order to prevent destruction in their homes.

Beagles should never be trusted offlead as they will take off if they spot a squirrel, rabbit or other similiar creature. They will not listen to your calls while in pursuit, so never allow your Beagle offlead unless in a confined area.

Health concerns with the Beagle include elongated soft palate which can cause breathing problems, megaesophagus which can cause regurgitation of undigested food since the esophagus muscles fail to force swallowed food to the stomach. They are also prone to benign growths in the perianal area that may hemorrage.

Other concerns are cancer, thyroid problems, pulmonic stenosis, eye problems such as glaucoma, epilepsy, hip dysplasia, heart disease, and allergies. The Beagle is also prone to chronic ear infections so the ears should be checked weekly to make sure the ears don't have a waxy build up or infection.

As with any breed, it is important to locate a breeder who tests their dogs for health concerns prior to breeding. This will help assure that your Beagle will not be likely to have the health issues mentioned above.

For those who aren't sure what a Beagles bark can be like, please watch this video-

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This dog was outside for a walk and had finished her 'business'- she was not alone- had 2 people as well as a dog she lived with and she still insisted on barking- for no apparent reason at all.