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Beagle

 
Beagle

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Beagle



 
 
The Beagle is a breed
Dog breed

Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
 of small to medium-sized dog
Dog

The dog is a domesticated subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties....
. A member of the Hound Group
Hound Group

Hound Group is the name of a Breed Groups of Dog, used by Kennel club to classify a defined collection of dog breeds, and does not necessarily include all Hounds dogs....
, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound
Foxhound

A foxhound is a Dog type of large hunting hound. Foxhounds hunting in packs and, like all scent hounds, have a strong sense of smell. They are used in fox hunting, hence the name....
 but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hound
Scent hound

Scent hounds are a Dog type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than sight. The Scenthound Dog breed are generally regarded as having some of the most sensitive noses among Dog....
s, developed primarily for tracking
Tracking (hunting)

Tracking in hunting and ecology is the science and art of observing animal animal tracks and other signs, with the goal of gaining understanding of the landscape and the animal being tracked ....
 hare
Hare

Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Very young hares, less than one year old, are called leverets....
, rabbit
Rabbit

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genus in the family taxonomy as rabbits, including the European rabbit , Cottontail rabbit , and the Amami rabbit ....
, and other game
Game (food)

Game is any animal hunting for food or not normally Domestication . Game animals are also hunted for sport.The type and range of animals hunted for food varies in different parts of the world....
. They have a keen sense of smell and tracking instinct that sees them employed as detection dog
Detection dog

A detection dog is a dog that is trained to and works at using its senses to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, or blood. They are often known as sniffer dogs....
s for prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine
Quarantine

Quarantine is voluntary or compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease....
 around the world. They are popular as pets because of their size, even temper, and lack of inherited health problems
Dog health

The domestic dog's health is possibly one of the best-studied areas in veterinary medicine, since the dog has had such a long and close relationship with humans....
.






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Encyclopedia


The Beagle is a breed
Dog breed

Dog breeds are groups of closely related and visibly similar domestic dogs, which are all of the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, having characteristic traits that are selected and maintained by humans, bred from a known foundation stock....
 of small to medium-sized dog
Dog

The dog is a domesticated subspecies of the Gray Wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties....
. A member of the Hound Group
Hound Group

Hound Group is the name of a Breed Groups of Dog, used by Kennel club to classify a defined collection of dog breeds, and does not necessarily include all Hounds dogs....
, it is similar in appearance to the Foxhound
Foxhound

A foxhound is a Dog type of large hunting hound. Foxhounds hunting in packs and, like all scent hounds, have a strong sense of smell. They are used in fox hunting, hence the name....
 but smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hound
Scent hound

Scent hounds are a Dog type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than sight. The Scenthound Dog breed are generally regarded as having some of the most sensitive noses among Dog....
s, developed primarily for tracking
Tracking (hunting)

Tracking in hunting and ecology is the science and art of observing animal animal tracks and other signs, with the goal of gaining understanding of the landscape and the animal being tracked ....
 hare
Hare

Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Very young hares, less than one year old, are called leverets....
, rabbit
Rabbit

Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. There are seven different genus in the family taxonomy as rabbits, including the European rabbit , Cottontail rabbit , and the Amami rabbit ....
, and other game
Game (food)

Game is any animal hunting for food or not normally Domestication . Game animals are also hunted for sport.The type and range of animals hunted for food varies in different parts of the world....
. They have a keen sense of smell and tracking instinct that sees them employed as detection dog
Detection dog

A detection dog is a dog that is trained to and works at using its senses to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, or blood. They are often known as sniffer dogs....
s for prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine
Quarantine

Quarantine is voluntary or compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease....
 around the world. They are popular as pets because of their size, even temper, and lack of inherited health problems
Dog health

The domestic dog's health is possibly one of the best-studied areas in veterinary medicine, since the dog has had such a long and close relationship with humans....
. These characteristics also make them the dog of choice for animal testing
Animal testing

Animal testing / animal experimentation is the use of non-human animals in Experiment. It is estimated that 50 to 100 million vertebrate animals worldwide — from zebrafish to non-human primates — are used annually....
.

Although beagle-type dogs have existed for over 2,000 years, the modern breed was developed in Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
 around the 1830s from several breeds, including the Talbot Hound
Talbot (dog)

The Talbot Hound is an Extinction snow white hunting dog originating in Normandy and used and developed in Great Britain. It had a keen smell and was of such large stature that it was rumored of being capable of bringing down a white stag in the midst of winter, though there are no records of this....
, the North Country Beagle
North Country Beagle

The North Country Beagle, Northern Hound or Northern Beagle was a breed of dog that existed in Britain probably until early in the 19th century....
, the Southern Hound
Southern Hound

The Southern Hound was a breed of dog that existed in Britain probably until sometime in the 19th century. The exact date of its extinction is not known; it is likely that it was gradually interbred with other breeds until the the genuine Southern Hound bloodline ceased to exist....
, and possibly the Harrier
Harrier (dog)

The Harrier is a small to medium sized dog breed of the hound class,used for hunting hares by trailing them. It resembles an English Foxhound but is smaller, though not as small as a Beagle....
.

Beagles have been depicted in popular culture since Elizabethan
Elizabethan era

The Elizabethan era is associated with Elizabeth I of England's reign and is often considered to be the Golden Age in History of England. It was the height of the English Renaissance and saw the flowering of English poetry and English literature....
 times in literature and paintings, and latterly in film, television and comic books. Snoopy
Snoopy

Snoopy is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly ordinary dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character ? and among the most recognizable comic characters in the world....
 of the comic strip
Comic strip

A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story.Currently in the Western world, most comic strips are written and drawn by a comics artist or cartoonist, and many such strips are published on a recurring basis in newspapers and on the Internet....
 Peanuts
Peanuts

Peanuts is a print syndication daily strip and Sunday strip comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000 , continuing in reruns afterward....
 has been promoted as "the world's most famous beagle".

History


Early beagle-type dogs

Dogs of similar size and purpose to the modern Beagle can be traced in Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece

The term Ancient Greece refers to the period of History of Greece lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman Republic conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth ....
 back to around the 5th century BC. Xenophon
Xenophon

Xenophon , son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens and Xenophon of Thebes, was a soldier, mercenary and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates....
, born around 433 BC, in his Treatise on Hunting or Cynegeticus refers to a hound
Hound

A hound is a Dog type of dog that assists hunters by tracking or chasing the prey. It can be contrasted with the gun dog, which assists hunters by identifying the location of prey, and with the retriever, which recovers shot quarry....
 that hunted hares by scent and was followed on foot. Dogs of this type were taken to Rome
Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC....
 and may have been imported to Roman Britain
Roman Britain

Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410. The Romans referred to their province as Britannia....
. Small hounds are mentioned in the Forest Laws of Canute
Canute the Great

Canute the Great, also known as Cnut in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, or Knut was a Viking king of England, Denmark, Norway, and parts of Sweden ....
 which exempted them from the ordinance which commanded that all dogs capable of running down a stag
Deer

Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae . A number of broadly similar animals from related families within the order even-toed ungulate are often also called deer....
 should have one foot mutilated. If genuine, Canute's laws would confirm that beagle-type dogs were present in England before 1016, but it is likely they were written in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages

File:Karl 1 mit papst gelasius gregor1 sacramentar v karl d kahlen.jpgThe Middle Ages of European history are a period in history which lasted for roughly a millennium, commonly dated from the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century to the beginning of the Early Modern Period in the 16th century, marked by the division of Western Christi...
 to give a sense of antiquity and tradition to Forest Law.

In the 11th century, William the Conqueror
William I of England

William I , better known as William the Conqueror , was Duke of Normandy from 1035 and English monarchy from later 1066 to his death. William is sometimes also referred to as "William II" in relation to his position as the second Duke of Normandy of that name....
 brought the Talbot hound
Talbot (dog)

The Talbot Hound is an Extinction snow white hunting dog originating in Normandy and used and developed in Great Britain. It had a keen smell and was of such large stature that it was rumored of being capable of bringing down a white stag in the midst of winter, though there are no records of this....
 to Great Britain
Great Britain

Great Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the List of islands by area, and the largest in Europe. With a population of 58.9 million people it is List of islands by population....
. The Talbot was a predominantly white, slow, deep-throated, scent hound derived from the St Hubert Hound which had been developed in the 8th century. At some point the English Talbots were crossed with Greyhound
Greyhound

The Greyhound is a dog breed of hunting dog that has been primarily bred for coursing game and Greyhound racing, but with a recent resurgence of popularity increasingly as a pedigree show dog and family pet....
s to give them an extra turn of speed. Long extinct, the Talbot strain probably gave rise to the Southern Hound which, in turn, is thought to be an ancestor of the modern day Beagle.

From medieval times, beagle was used as a generic description for the smaller hounds, though these dogs differed considerably from the modern breed. Miniature breeds of beagle-type dogs were known from the times of Edward II
Edward II of England

Edward II, of Caernarfon, was Kingdom of England from 1307 until he was deposition in January 1327. His tendency to ignore his nobility in favour of low-born favourites led to constant political unrest and his eventual deposition....
 and Henry VII
Henry VII of England

Henry VII was the Kingdom of England and Lordship of Ireland from his usurpation of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty....
, who both had packs of Glove Beagles, so named since they were small enough to fit on a glove, and Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I was List of English monarchs and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the House of Tudor....
 kept a breed known as a Pocket Beagle, which stood 8 to 9 inches (20 to 23 cm) at the shoulder. Small enough to fit in a "pocket" or saddlebag, they rode along on the hunt. The larger hounds would run the prey to ground, then the hunters would release the small dogs to continue the chase through underbrush. Elizabeth I referred to the dogs as her singing beagles and often entertained guests at her royal table by letting her Pocket Beagles cavort amid their plates and cups. Nineteenth-century sources refer to these breeds interchangeably and it is possible that the two names refer to the same small variety. In George Jesse's Researches into the History of the British Dog from 1866, the early 17th century poet and writer Gervase Markham
Gervase Markham

Gervase Markham was an England poet and writer, best known for his work The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman first published in London in 1615....
 is quoted referring to the Beagle as small enough to sit on a man's hand and to the: Standards for the Pocket Beagle were drawn up as late as 1901; these genetic lines are now extinct, although modern breeders have attempted to recreate the variety.

Eighteenth century

By the 1700s two breeds had been developed for hunting hare and rabbit: the Southern Hound
Southern Hound

The Southern Hound was a breed of dog that existed in Britain probably until sometime in the 19th century. The exact date of its extinction is not known; it is likely that it was gradually interbred with other breeds until the the genuine Southern Hound bloodline ceased to exist....
 and the North Country Beagle
North Country Beagle

The North Country Beagle, Northern Hound or Northern Beagle was a breed of dog that existed in Britain probably until early in the 19th century....
 (or Northern Hound). The Southern Hound, a tall, heavy dog with a square head, and long, soft ears, was common from south of the River Trent
River Trent

The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its Source is in Staffordshire between Biddulph and Biddulph Moor. It flows through the English Midlands until it joins the River Ouse, Yorkshire at Trent Falls to form the Humber, which empties into the North Sea below Kingston upon Hull and Immingham....
 and probably closely related to the Talbot Hound. Though slow, it had stamina and an excellent scenting ability. The North Country Beagle, possibly a cross between an offshoot of the Talbot stock and a Greyhound, was bred chiefly in Yorkshire
Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a Historic counties of England of northern England and the largest in Great Britain. Because of its great size, over time functions were increasingly undertaken by its subdivisions, which have been subject to History of local government in Yorkshire....
 and was common in the northern counties. It was smaller than the Southern Hound, less heavy-set and with a more pointed muzzle. It was faster than its southern counterpart but its scenting abilities were less well developed. As fox hunting became increasingly popular, numbers of both types of hound diminished. The beagle-type dogs were crossed with larger breeds such as Stag Hounds to produce the modern Foxhound
English Foxhound

The English Foxhound is one of the four foxhound dog breed of dog. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent....
. The beagle-type varieties came close to extinction but some farmers in the South ensured the survival of the prototype breeds by maintaining small rabbit-hunting packs.

Development of the modern breed

Reverend Phillip Honeywood established a Beagle pack in Essex
Essex

Essex is a counties of England in the East of England England. The county town is Chelmsford, and the highest point of the county is Chrishall Common near the village of Langley, Essex, close to the Hertfordshire border, which reaches ....
 in the 1830s and it is believed that this pack formed the basis for the modern Beagle breed. Although details of the pack's lineage are not recorded it is thought that North Country Beagles and Southern Hounds were strongly represented; William Youatt suspected that Harriers
Harrier (dog)

The Harrier is a small to medium sized dog breed of the hound class,used for hunting hares by trailing them. It resembles an English Foxhound but is smaller, though not as small as a Beagle....
 formed a good majority of the Beagles bloodline, but the origin of the Harrier is itself obscure. Honeywood's Beagles were small, standing at about 10 inches (25 cm) at the shoulder, and pure white according to John Mills (writing in The Sportsman's Library in 1845). Prince Albert and Lord Winterton
Edward Turnour, 4th Earl Winterton

Edward Turnour, 4th Earl Winterton was a first-class cricketer who played 25 times for Sussex CCC, without much success....
 also had Beagle packs around this time, and Royal favour no doubt led to some revival of interest in the breed, but Honeywood's pack was regarded as the finest of the three. Although credited with the development of the modern breed, Honeywood concentrated on producing dogs for hunting and it was left to Thomas Johnson to refine the breeding to produce dogs that were both attractive and capable hunters. Two strains were developed: the rough- and smooth-coated varieties. The rough-coated Beagle survived until the beginning of the 20th century, and there were even records of one making an appearance at a dog show as late as 1969, but this variety is now extinct having probably been absorbed into the standard Beagle bloodline.

In the 1840s, a standard Beagle type was beginning to develop: the distinction between the North Country Beagle and Southern Hound had been lost, but there was still a large variation in size, character, and reliability among the emerging packs. In 1856, "Stonehenge" (the pseudonym of John Henry Walsh, editor of The Field
The Field (magazine)

Sorry, no overview for this topic
), writing in the Manual of British Rural Sports was still dividing Beagles into four varieties: the medium Beagle; the dwarf or lapdog Beagle; the fox Beagle (a smaller, slower version of the Foxhound); and the rough-coated or terrier Beagle, which he classified as a cross between any of the other varieties and one of the Scottish terrier
Terrier

A terrier is a dog of any one of many Dog breeds or landraces of terrier Dog type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs....
 breeds. Stonehenge also gives the start of a standard description:

By 1887 the threat of extinction was on the wane: there were 18 Beagle packs in England. The Beagle Club was formed in 1890 and the first standard drawn up at the same time. The following year the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles was formed. Both organisations aimed to further the best interests of the breed, and both were keen to produce a standard type of Beagle. By 1902 the number of packs had risen to 44.

Export

Beagles were in the United States by the 1840s at the latest, but the first dogs were imported strictly for hunting and were of variable quality. Since Honeywood had only started breeding in the 1830s, it is unlikely these dogs were representative of the modern breed and the description of them as looking like straight-legged Dachshund
Dachshund

The dachshund is a short-legged, elongated dog breed of the hound family. Variations of the pronunciation include d?ks'hoont, -h?nt, -h?nd, -?nd, d?ks-, d?ks-, d??-), the breed's name is German language and literally means "badger dog", from [der] Dachs, "badger", and [der] Hund, "dog"....
s with weak heads has little resemblance to the standard. Serious attempts at establishing a quality bloodline began in the early 1870s when General Richard Rowett from Illinois
Illinois

The State of Illinois is a U.S. state of the United States, the 21st to be admitted to the United States. Illinois is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern United States state and the fifth most populous state in the nation....
 imported some dogs from England and began breeding. Rowett's Beagles are believed to have formed the models for the first American standard, drawn up by Rowett, L. H. Twadell, and Norman Ellmore in 1887. The Beagle was accepted as a breed by the American Kennel Club
American Kennel Club

The American Kennel Club is a breed registry of purebred dog pedigree in the United States. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, the National Dog Show, an...
 (AKC) in 1884. In the 20th century the breed has spread worldwide.

Popularity

On its formation, the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles took over the running of a regular show at Peterborough
Peterborough

Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of as of June 2006. For ceremonial counties of England purposes it is in the Counties of England of Cambridgeshire....
 that had started in 1889, and the Beagle Club in the UK held its first show in 1896. The regular showing of the breed led to the development of a uniform type, and the Beagle continued to prove a success up until the outbreak of World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 when all shows were suspended. After the war, the breed was again struggling for survival in Britain: the last of the Pocket Beagles were probably lost during this time, and registrations fell to an all time low. A few breeders (notably Reynalton Kennels) managed to revive interest in the dog and by World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
, the breed was once again doing well. Registrations dropped again after the end of the war but almost immediately recovered. In 1959 Derawunda Vixen won "Best in Show" at Crufts
Crufts

Crufts is an annual international Championship conformation show for dogs organised and hosted by the Kennel Club , currently held every March at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England....
.

As a pedigree dog, Beagles have always been more popular in the United States and Canada than in their native country. The National Beagle Club of America was formed in 1888 and by 1901 a Beagle had won a Best in Show title. As in the UK, activity during World War I was minimal, but the breed showed a much stronger revival in the US when hostilities ceased. In 1928 it won a number of prizes at the Westminster Kennel Club's show and by 1939 a Beagle, Champion Meadowlark Draughtsman, had captured the title of top-winning American-bred dog for the year. On 12 February 2008, a Beagle, K-Run's Park Me In First
K-Run's Park Me In First

American Kennel Club K-Run's Park Me In First, aka "Uno" is a 15" beagle from Belleville, Illinois, who won Best in Show in the 2008 Westminster Kennel Club dog show....
, won the Best In Show category at the Westminster Kennel Club show for the first time in the competition's history. In North America they have been consistently in the top ten most popular breeds for over 30 years. From 1953 to 1959 the Beagle was ranked number one on the list of the American Kennel Club
American Kennel Club

The American Kennel Club is a breed registry of purebred dog pedigree in the United States. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, the National Dog Show, an...
's registered breeds; in 2005 and 2006 it ranked 5th out of the 155 breeds registered. In the UK they are not quite so popular, placing 28th and 30th in the rankings of registrations with the Kennel Club in 2005 and 2006 respectively.

Name

According to the Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary

The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press , is a comprehensive dictionary of the English language. Two fully-bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989; as of December 2008 the dictionary's current editors have completed a quarter of the third edition....
, the first mention of the beagle by name in English literature dates from ca. 1475 in the Esquire of Low Degree. The origin of the word "beagle" is uncertain, although it has been suggested that the word derives from the French
French language

French is a Romance language spoken around the world by around 80 million people as first language, by 190 million as second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired tongue, with significant speakers in 54 countries....
 begueule (meaning "open throat" from bayer "open wide" and gueule "mouth") or from an Old English
Old English language

Old English is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written in parts of what are now England and south-eastern Scotland between the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century....
, French, or the Gaelic
Goidelic languages

The Goidelic languages, , historically formed a dialect continuum stretching from the south of Ireland, through the Isle of Man, to the north of Scotland....
 word beag, meaning "little." Other possibilities include the French beugler (meaning "to bellow") and the German
German language

German is a West Germanic languages, thus related to and classified alongside English language and Dutch language. It is one of the world's world language and the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union....
 begele (meaning "to scold").

It is not known why the black and tan Kerry Beagle
Kerry Beagle

The Kerry Beagle is one of the oldest Irish Hounds, believed to be descendant from the Old Southern Hound or Celtic Hounds, detailed pedigrees date back as far as 1794....
, present in Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
 since Celt
Celt

Celts , is a modern term used to describe any of the European peoples who spoke, or speak, a Celtic languages. The term is also used in a wider sense to describe the Modern Celts of those peoples, notably those who participate in a Celtic culture....
ic times, has the beagle description, since at 22 to 24 inches (56 to 61 cm) it is significantly taller than the modern day Beagle, and in earlier times was even larger. Some writers suggest that the Beagle's scenting ability may have come from cross-breeding earlier strains with the Kerry Beagle. Originally used for hunting stags, it is today used for hare and drag hunting
Drag hunting

Drag hunting is a sport in which a group of dogs chase a scent that has been laid over a terrain before the hunt. The scent, usually a combination of aniseed oils and possibly animal meats, is dragged along the terrain by a volunteer for any distance up to several miles to a designated finish line before the hounds are released at the start...
.

Description


Appearance

The general appearance of the Beagle resembles a Foxhound
Foxhound

A foxhound is a Dog type of large hunting hound. Foxhounds hunting in packs and, like all scent hounds, have a strong sense of smell. They are used in fox hunting, hence the name....
 in miniature, but the head is broader and the muzzle shorter, the expression completely different and the legs shorter in proportion to the body. They are generally between 13 and 16 inches (33 and 41 cm) high at the withers
Withers

The withers is the highest point on the back of a non-upright animal, on the ridge between its shoulder blades....
 and weigh between 18 and 35 lb (8 and 16 kg), with females being slightly smaller than males on average.

They have a smooth, somewhat domed skull
Skull

The skull is a bone structure found in the head of many animals. The skull supports the structures of the face and protects the head against injury....
 with a medium-length, square-cut muzzle
Snout

The snout, or muzzle, is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw....
 and a black (or occasionally liver), gumdrop nose. The jaw is strong and the teeth scissor together with the upper teeth fitting perfectly over the lower teeth and both sets aligned square to the jaw. The eyes are large, hazel or brown, with a mild hound-like pleading look. The large ears are long, soft and low-set, turning towards the cheeks slightly and rounded at the tips. Beagles have a strong, medium-length neck (which is long enough for them to easily bend to the ground to pick up a scent), with little folding in the skin but some evidence of a dewlap
Dewlap

A dewlap is a flap of skin that hangs beneath the lower jaw of tetrapods, that is, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and their relatives....
; a broad chest narrowing to a tapered abdomen
Abdomen

In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity....
 and waist
Waist

The waist is the part of the Human abdomen between the rib cage and Hip . On proportionate people, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso....
 and a short, slightly curved tail tipped with white. The white tip, known as the "stern" or "flag" has been selectively bred for, as it allows the dog to be easily seen when its head is down following a scent. The tail does not curl over the back, but is held upright when the dog is active. The Beagle has a muscular body and a medium-length, smooth, hard coat. The front legs are straight and carried under the body while the rear legs are muscular and well bent at the stifles
Stifle joint

The stifle joint is a complex joint in the hindlimbs of quadruped mammals such as the sheep, horse or dog. It is the equivalent joint to the human knee....
.

Colouring

Beagles appear in a range of colours. Although the tricolour (white with large black areas and light brown shading) is the most common, Beagles can occur in any hound colour.

Tricoloured dogs occur in a number of shades, from the "Classic Tri" with a jet black saddle (also known as "Blackback"), to the "Dark Tri" (where faint brown markings are intermingled with more prominent black markings), to the "Faded Tri" (where faint black markings are intermingled with more prominent brown markings). Some tricoloured dogs have a broken pattern, sometimes referred to as pied. These dogs have mostly white coats with patches of black and brown hair. Tricolour Beagles are almost always born black and white. The white areas are typically set by eight weeks, but the black areas may fade to brown as the puppy matures. (The brown may take between one and two years to fully develop.) Some Beagles gradually change colour during their lives, and may lose their black markings entirely.

Two-colour varieties always have a white base colour with areas of the second colour. Tan and white is the most common two-colour variety, but there is a wide range of other colours including lemon, a very light tan; red, a reddish, almost orange, brown; and liver, a darker brown, and black. Liver is not common and is not permitted in some standards; it tends to occur with yellow eyes. Ticked or mottled varieties may be either white or black with different coloured flecks (ticking), such as the blue-mottled or bluetick Beagle, which has spots that appear to be a midnight-blue colour, similar to the colouring of the Bluetick Coonhound
Bluetick Coonhound

The Bluetick Coonhound is a dog breed of dog. It is a type of coonhound and typically bred in the southern United States....
. Some tricolour Beagles also have ticking of various colours in their white areas.

Sense of smell

Alongside the Bloodhound
Bloodhound

A bloodhound is a large dog breed of dog bred for the specific purpose of tracking human beings. Consequently, it is often used by authorities to track escaped prisoners or missing persons....
, the Beagle has one of the best developed senses of smell of any dog. In the 1950s, John Paul Scott and John Fuller began a 13 year study into canine behaviour. As part of this research, they tested the scenting abilities of various breeds by putting a mouse in a field and timing how long it took the dogs to find it. The Beagles found it in less than a minute, while Fox Terrier
Fox Terrier

The name Fox Terrier or Foxy refers primarily to two different Dog breeds of dog, the Fox Terrier and the Fox Terrier , that were independently bred in England in the mid-19th century....
s took 15 minutes and Scottish Terrier
Scottish Terrier

The Scottish Terrier , popularly called the Scottie, is a dog breed of dog best known for its distinctive profile and typical terrier personality....
s failed to find it at all. Beagles are better at ground-scenting (following a trail on the ground) than they are at air-scenting, and for this reason they have been excluded from most mountain rescue
Mountain rescue

File:Horsk? slu?ba - auto.JPGMountain rescue refers to search and rescue activities that occur in a mountainous environment, although the term is sometimes also used to apply to search and rescue in other wilderness environments....
 teams in favour of collie
Collie

A collie is a distinctive type of herding dog, ultimately originating in Great Britain, especially in the upland areas of the north and west....
s, which use sight in addition to air-scenting and are more biddable. The long ears and large lips of the Beagle probably assist in trapping the scents close to the nose.

Variations


Breed varieties

The American Kennel Club
American Kennel Club

The American Kennel Club is a breed registry of purebred dog pedigree in the United States. Beyond maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, the National Dog Show, an...
 and the Canadian Kennel Club
Canadian Kennel Club

The Canadian Kennel Club is the primary breed registry body for purebred dog pedigrees in Canada. Beyond maintaining the pedigree registry, the C.K.C....
 recognize two separate varieties of Beagle: the 13-inch for hounds less than 13 inches (33 cm), and the 15-inch for those between 13 and 15 inches (33 and 38 cm). The Kennel Club (UK) and FCI
Fédération Cynologique Internationale

F?d?ration Cynologique Internationale , is an international federation of kennel clubs based in Thuin, Belgium. The English language translation, World Canine Organisation, is not often used....
 affiliated clubs recognize a single type, with a height of between 13 and 16 inches (33 and 41 cm).

English and American varieties are sometimes mentioned. However, there is no official recognition from any Kennel Club for this distinction. Beagles fitting the American Kennel Club standard—which disallows animals over 15 inches (38 cm)—are smaller on average than those fitting the Kennel Club standard which allows heights up to 16 inches (41 cm).

Pocket Beagles are sometimes advertised for sale but the bloodline for this variety is extinct, and, although the UK Kennel Club originally specified a standard for the Pocket Beagle in 1901, the variety is not now recognised by any Kennel Club. Often, small Beagles are the result of poor breeding or dwarfism.

A strain known as Patch Hounds was developed by Willet Randall and his family from 1896 specifically for their rabbit hunting ability. They trace their bloodline back to Field Champion Patch, but do not necessarily have a patchwork marking.

Crossbreeds

In the 1850s, Stonehenge recommended a cross between a Beagle and a Scottish terrier as a retriever. He found the crossbreed
Crossbreed

A crossbreed or crossbred usually refers to an animal with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. Crossbreeding refers to the process of breeding such an animal, often with the intention of creating offspring that share the traits of both parent lineages, or producing an animal with Heterosis....
 to be a good worker, silent and obedient, but it had the drawback that it was small and could barely carry a hare. More recently the trend has been for "designer dogs" and one of the most popular has been the Beagle/Pug
Pug

The Pug is a small dog breed of dog with a wrinkly, short muzzled face . The word "pug" may have come from the Old English pugg or "puge", which were affectionate terms for a playful little devil or monkey....
 cross known as a Puggle
Puggle (dog)

Puggle is a type of domestic dog, a cross breed resulting from the mating of a Beagle female with a Pug male. Technically a mixed-breed dog, the Puggle is also described as a hybrid breed or a Dog hybrid....
. Less excitable than a Beagle and with a lower exercise requirement, these dogs are suited to city dwelling.
*

Temperament

The Beagle has an even temper and gentle disposition. Described in several breed standards as "merry", they are amiable and generally neither aggressive nor timid. They enjoy company, and although they may initially be standoffish with strangers, they are easily won over. They make poor guard dogs for this reason, although their tendency to bark or howl when confronted with the unfamiliar makes them good watch dogs. In a 1985 study conducted by Ben and Lynette Hart, the Beagle was given the highest excitability rating, along with the Yorkshire Terrier
Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkshire Terrier is a Dog breed of dog in the terrier category. The long-haired terrier is known for its playful demeanor and distinctive blue and tan coat....
, Cairn Terrier
Cairn Terrier

The Cairn Terrier is one of the oldest terrier List of dog breeds, originating in the Scotland Scottish Highlands and recognized as one of Scotland's earliest working dogs, used for hunting burrowing prey among the cairns....
, Miniature Schnauzer
Miniature Schnauzer

The Miniature Schnauzer is a dog breed of small dog of the Schnauzer type that originated in Germany in the mid-to-late 19th century. Miniature Schnauzers developed from crosses between the Standard Schnauzer and one or more smaller breeds such as the Poodle or Affenpinscher....
, West Highland White Terrier
West Highland White Terrier

West Highland White Terriers, commonly known as Westies, are a dog breed of dog known for their distinctive white coat. This breed is commonly recognised through its use as a mascot for Black & White , and on the packaging of Cesar brand dog food....
 and Fox Terrier
Fox Terrier

The name Fox Terrier or Foxy refers primarily to two different Dog breeds of dog, the Fox Terrier and the Fox Terrier , that were independently bred in England in the mid-19th century....
. 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. They do not generally feature in obedience trials; while they are alert, respond well to food-reward training, and are eager to please, they are easily bored or distracted. They are ranked 72nd in Stanley Coren
Stanley Coren

Stanley Coren is a psychology professor and researcher who has become best known for a series of books regarding the intelligence of dogs. Through television shows and media coverage that has been broadcast in Canada and the United States as well as overseas, he has become popular with dog owners, while continuing research and instruction in...
's The Intelligence of Dogs
The Intelligence of Dogs

The Intelligence of Dogs is a book on dog intelligence by Stanley Coren, a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver....
, as Coren places them among the group with the lowest degree of working/obedience intelligence.

Beagles are excellent with children and this is one of the reasons they have become popular family pets, but they are pack animals, and can be prone to separation anxiety
Separation anxiety

'Separation anxiety' may refer to:*Separation anxiety disorder or Separation anxiety test*...
. Not all Beagles will howl, but most will bark when confronted with strange situations, and some will bay (also referred to as "speaking", "giving tongue", or "opening") when they catch the scent of potential quarry. They also generally get along well with other dogs. They are not demanding with regard to exercise; their inbred stamina means they do not easily tire when exercised, but they also do not need to be worked to exhaustion before they will rest, though regular exercise helps ward off the weight gain to which the breed is prone.

Health

The median longevity of Beagles is 12.35 years, which is a typical lifespan for a dog of their size.

Beagles may be prone to epilepsy
Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizure s. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain....
, but this can be controlled with medication. Hypothyroidism
Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is the disease state in humans and in animals caused by insufficient production of thyroid hormone by the thyroid gland. Cretinism is a form of hypothyroidism found in infants....
 and a number of types of dwarfism
Dwarfism

Dwarfism is a medical term describing a person of short stature, with the most widely accepted definition of a dwarf being a person with an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches ....
 occur in Beagles. Two conditions in particular are unique to the breed: Funny Puppy, in which the puppy is slow to develop and eventually develops weak legs, a crooked back and although normally healthy, is prone to range of illnesses; Hip dysplasia, common in Harriers and in some larger breeds, is rarely considered a problem in Beagles. Beagles are considered a chondrodystrophic breed, meaning that they are prone to types of disk diseases.

In rare cases, Beagles may develop immune mediated polygenic arthritis
Immune mediated polygenic arthritis

An Immune-mediated disease inflammation of the joints of an animal caused by a dysfunction of the immune system, which attacks various components of the joint....
 (where the immune system attacks the joints) even at a young age. The symptoms can sometimes be relieved by steroid
Corticosteroid

Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones that are produced in the adrenal cortex. Corticosteroids are involved in a wide range of physiology systems such as stress , immune system and regulation of inflammation, carbohydrate metabolism, protein catabolism, blood electrolyte levels, and behavior....
 treatments.

Their long floppy ears can mean that the inner ear does not receive a substantial air flow or that moist air becomes trapped, and this can lead to ear infections. Beagles may also be affected by a range of eye problems; two common ophthalmic conditions in Beagles are glaucoma
Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of diseases of the optic nerve involving loss of ganglion cell in a characteristic pattern of optic atrophy. Raised intraocular pressure is a significant risk factor for developing glaucoma ....
 and corneal dystrophy
Corneal dystrophy

Corneal dystrophy is a group of disorders, characterised by a noninflammatory, inherited, bilateral opacity of the transparent front part of the eye called the cornea....
. "Cherry eye
Cherry eye

Cherry eye is the term used to refer to canine nictitans gland prolapse, a common eye condition in various dog breeds where the gland of the third eyelid known as the nictitating membrane prolapses and becomes visible....
", a prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid, and distichiasis, a condition in which eyelashes grow into the eye causing irritation, sometimes exist; both these conditions can be corrected with surgery. They can suffer from several types of retinal atrophy. Failure of the nasolacrimal drainage system can cause dry eye or leakage of tears onto the face.

As field dogs they are prone to minor injuries such as cuts and sprains, and, if inactive, obesity is a common problem as they will eat whenever food is available and rely on their owners to regulate their weight. When working or running free they are also likely to pick up parasites such as flea
Flea

Flea is the common name for insects of the order Siphonaptera which are wingless insects whose mouthparts are adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood....
s, tick
Tick

Tick is the common name for the small arachnids in superfamily Ixodoidea that, along with other mites, constitute the Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles and amphibians....
s, harvest mite
Harvest mite

Trombicula is a genus of harvest mites in the family Trombiculidae; in their larval stage they attach to various animals, including humans, and feed on skin, often causing itching....
s and tapeworms, and irritants such as grass seeds can become trapped in their eyes, soft ears or paws.

Beagles may exhibit a behaviour known as reverse sneezing
Reverse sneezing

Reverse sneezing or inspiratory paroxysmal respiration is a phenomenon observed in dogs, particularly in those with Cephalic index skulls....
, in which they sound as if they are choking or gasping for breath, but are actually drawing air in through the mouth and nose. The exact cause of this behaviour is not known, but it is not harmful to the dog.

Working life


Hunting

Beagles were developed primarily for hunting
Hunting

Hunting is the practice of pursuing living animals for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to law....
 hare, an activity known as beagling
Beagling

Beagling is the hunting of hares, rabbits, and occasionally foxes with beagles. A beagle pack is usually followed on foot. However, there is one pack of beagles in the U.S....
. They were seen as ideal hunting companions for the elderly who could follow on horseback without exerting themselves, for young hunters who could keep up with them on ponies, and for the poorer hunters who could not afford to maintain a stable of good hunting horses. Before the advent of the fashion for foxhunting in the 19th century, hunting was an all day event where the enjoyment was derived from the chase rather than the kill. In this setting the tiny Beagle was well matched to the hare, as unlike Harriers they would not quickly finish the hunt, but because of their excellent scent-tracking skills and stamina they were almost guaranteed to eventually catch the hare. The Beagle packs would run closely together ("so close that they might be covered with a sheet") which was useful in a long hunt, as it prevented stray dogs from obscuring the trail. In thick undergrowth they were also preferred to spaniel
Spaniel

Spaniel span-yl also span-l noun [Middle English spaniell, from Middle French espaignol, literally, Spaniard.A Spaniel is a Dog type of gun dog....
s when hunting pheasant
Pheasant

Pheasants are a group of large birds in the order Galliformes.Pheasants are characterised by strong sexual dimorphism, with males being highly ornate with bright colours and adornments such as wattle and long tails....
.

With the fashion for faster hunts, the Beagle fell out of favour for chasing hare, but was still employed for rabbit hunting. In Anecdotes of Dogs, Jesse says: In the United States they appear to have been employed chiefly for hunting rabbits from the earliest imports. Hunting hare with Beagles became popular again in Britain in the mid-19th century and continued until it was made illegal in Scotland by the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002
Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002

The Protection of Wild Mammals Act was passed by the devolved Scottish parliament in February 2002, making Scotland the first part of the United Kingdom to ban traditional fox hunting and hare coursing....
 and in England and Wales by the Hunting Act 2004
Hunting Act 2004

The Hunting Act 2004 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The effect of the Act is to outlaw hunting with dogs in England and Wales from 18 February 2005....
. Under this legislation Beagles may still pursue rabbits with the landowner's
Landowner

Landholder or landowner is a holder of the estate in land with considerable rights of ownership or, simply put, an owner of land.In the old Europe a landholder was usually a nobleman, see landed nobility....
 permission. Drag hunting
Drag hunting

Drag hunting is a sport in which a group of dogs chase a scent that has been laid over a terrain before the hunt. The scent, usually a combination of aniseed oils and possibly animal meats, is dragged along the terrain by a volunteer for any distance up to several miles to a designated finish line before the hounds are released at the start...
 is popular where hunting is no longer permitted or for those owners who do not wish to participate in blood sports but still wish to exercise their dog's innate skills.

The traditional foot pack consists of up to 70 Beagles, marshalled by a Huntsman who directs the pack and who is assisted by a variable number of whippers-in whose job is to return straying hounds to the pack. The Master of the Hunt is in overall day-to-day charge of the pack, and may or may not take on the role of Huntsman on the day of the hunt. Beagles may also be employed individually or in a brace (a pair).

As hunting with Beagles was seen as ideal for young people, many of the British public schools
Independent school (UK)

An independent school in the United Kingdom is a school financed by private sources, predominantly in the form of school fees and charitable endowments; and so not subject to the conditions of "maintained status" imposed by accepting state financing....
 traditionally maintained Beagle packs. Protests were lodged against Eton's
Eton College

Eton College, also known as Eton, is a world-famous British independent school for boys, founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England. It was founded as the King's College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor....
 use of Beagles for hunting as early as 1902 but the pack is still in existence today, and a pack used by Imperial College
Wye College

The College of St. Gregory and St. Martin at Wye, more commonly known as Wye College, is an educational institution in Kent, United Kingdom....
 in Wye, Kent
Kent

Kent is a Counties of England in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the River Thames estuary....
 was stolen by the Animal Liberation Front
Animal Liberation Front

The Animal Liberation Front is a name used internationally by Animal rights activists who engage in direct action on behalf of animals. This includes removing animals from laboratories and fur farms, and sabotage facilities involved in animal testing and other animal-based industries....
 in 2001. School and university packs are still maintained by Eton, Marlborough
Marlborough College

Marlborough College is an England Independent school , co-educational boarding school in the county of Wiltshire.Founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, the school now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs....
, Wye, Radley
Radley College

Radley College is a famous England Public school #Terminology situated on the edge of the village of Radley near Abingdon, England in Oxfordshire....
, the Royal Agricultural College
Royal Agricultural College

The Royal Agricultural College is a university college based at Cirencester in the Cotswolds in the county of Gloucestershire, England....
 and Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford

Christ Church , is one of the largest Colleges of the University of Oxford of the University of Oxford in England. As well as being a college, Christ Church is also the cathedral church of the diocese of Oxford, namely Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford....
.

Beagles have been used for hunting a wide range of game including Snowshoe Hare
Snowshoe Hare

The Snowshoe Hare , also called the Varying Hare, is a species of hare found in North America. It has the name "snowshoe" because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail leaves....
, Cottontail rabbit
Cottontail rabbit

The cottontail rabbits are the 16 lagomorph species in the genus Sylvilagus, found in the Americas.In appearance most cottontail rabbits closely resemble the wild European Rabbit ....
s, game birds, Roe Deer
Roe Deer

The European Roe Deer is a deer species of Europe, Asia Minor, and Caspian Sea coastal regions. There is a separate species known as the Siberian Roe Deer that is found from the Ural Mountains to as far east as China and Siberia....
, Red Deer
Red Deer

The Red Deer is one of the largest deer species. The Red Deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor and parts of western and central Asia....
, Bobcat
Bobcat

The Bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family, Felidae. With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern east Mexico, including most of the continental United States....
, Coyote
Coyote

The coyote , also known as the prairie wolf, is a species of canid found throughout North America and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States, and Canada....
, Wild Boar and fox
Fox

A fox is an animal belonging to any one of about 27 species of small to medium-sized Canidae, characterized by possessing a long, narrow snout, and a bushy tail, or brush....
es, and have even been recorded as being used to hunt Stoat
Stoat

The stoat is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. In North America it is known as the ermine or short-tailed weasel; elsewhere, "ermine" refers to the animal only when it has white fur, which it moults to in winter in snowy parts of its range....
. In most of these cases, the Beagle is employed as a gun dog, flushing game for hunter's guns.

Quarantine

Beagles are used as detection dogs in the Beagle Brigade
Beagle Brigade

Beagle Brigade is a team of beagles and their human handlers who, as part of the United States Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service , inspect luggage at U.S....
 of the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive departments responsible for developing and executing Federal government of the United States policy on farming, agriculture, and food....
. These dogs are used to detect food items in luggage being taken into the United States. After trialling several breeds, Beagles were chosen because they are relatively small and unintimidating for people who are uncomfortable around dogs, easy to care for, intelligent and work well for rewards. They are also used for this purpose in a number of other countries including by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (New Zealand)

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is the state sector organisations in New Zealand of New Zealand which deals with matters relating to agriculture, forestry and biosecurity....
 in New Zealand
New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous Islands of New Zealand, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands....
, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service is the Australian government agency responsible for enforcing Australian quarantine laws. AQIS forms part of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry ....
, and in Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
 and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China

The People's Republic of China , commonly known as China, is the largest country in East Asia and the List of countries by population in the world with over 1.3 billion people, approximately a fifth of the world's population....
.
Larger breeds are generally used for detection of explosives as this often involves climbing over luggage and on large conveyor belts, work for which the smaller Beagle is not suited.

Testing

Beagles are the dog breed most often used in animal testing
Animal testing

Animal testing / animal experimentation is the use of non-human animals in Experiment. It is estimated that 50 to 100 million vertebrate animals worldwide — from zebrafish to non-human primates — are used annually....
, due to their size and passive nature. Of the 8,018 dogs used in testing in the UK in 2004, 7,799 were Beagles (97.3%). In the UK, the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986
Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986

The Animals Act 1986 is an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed in 1986, which regulates the use of laboratory animals in the UK....
 gave special status to primates, equids, cats and dogs and in 2005 the Animal Procedures Committee (set up by the act) ruled that testing on mice was preferable, even though a greater number of individual animals were involved. In 2005 Beagles were involved in less than 0.3% of the total experiments on animals in the UK, but of the 7670 experiments performed on dogs 7406 involved Beagles (96.6%). Most dogs are bred specifically for the purpose, by companies such as Harlan
Harlan (company)

Harlan Sprague Dawley Inc. is one of the world's leading suppliers of animals and other services to laboratories for the purpose of animal testing....
. In the UK companies breeding animals for research must be licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act.
Dogs6cccopy
Testing of cosmetic products on animals is banned in the member states of European Community, although France protested the ban and has made efforts to have it lifted. It is permitted in the United States but is not mandatory if safety can be ascertained by other methods, and the test species is not specified by the Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is an Government agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for regulating and supervising the safety of foods, dietary supplements, Medications, vaccines, Biopharmaceutical, blood transfusion, medical devices, Electromagnetic radiation-emitting devices, veteri...
 (FDA). When testing toxicity of food additives, food contaminants, and some drugs and chemicals the FDA uses Beagles and mini-pigs
Pig

Pigs, also called hogs or swine, are a genus of even-toed ungulates within the Family Suidae. The name pig, hog, or swine most commonly refers to the Domestic pig in everyday parlance, but technically encompasses several distinct species, including the Wild Boar....
 as surrogates for direct human testing.

Anti-vivisection
Animal testing

Animal testing / animal experimentation is the use of non-human animals in Experiment. It is estimated that 50 to 100 million vertebrate animals worldwide — from zebrafish to non-human primates — are used annually....
 groups have reported on abuse of animals inside testing facilities. In 1997 footage secretly filmed by a freelance journalist inside Huntingdon Life Sciences
Huntingdon Life Sciences

Huntingdon Life Sciences is a contract animal-testing company founded in 1952 in England, now with facilities in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and Eye, Suffolk in the UK; New Jersey in the U.S.; and in Japan....
 in the UK showed staff punching and screaming at Beagles. Consort Kennels, a UK-based breeder of Beagles for testing, closed down in 1997 after pressure from animal rights groups.

Medical research

In the United States where the breeds of dog used are not specified (although Beagles feature heavily in published research papers) the number of tests performed each year on dogs dropped by two-thirds, from 195,157 to 64,932, over the period from 1972 to 2004. In Japan the laws on animal experimentation do not require reporting on the types or number of animals used, and in France the proportion of inspectors to testing facilities means the regulatory environment is essentially one of trust.

Beagles are used in a range of research procedures: fundamental biological research, applied human medicine, applied veterinary medicine, and protection of man, animals or the environment.

Other roles

Although bred for hunting, Beagles are versatile and are nowadays employed for various other roles in detection, therapy, and as family pets. Beagles are used as sniffer dogs for termite
Termite

The termites are a group of social insects usually classified at the Taxonomy of Order Isoptera . As truly social animals, they are termed eusocial along with the ants and some bees and wasps which are all placed in the separate Order Hymenoptera....
 detection in Australia, and have been mentioned as possible candidates for drug and explosive detection. Because of their gentle nature and unimposing build, they are also frequently used in pet therapy, visiting the sick and elderly in hospital. In June 2006, a trained Beagle assistance dog was credited with saving the life of its owner after using his owner's mobile phone to dial an emergency number.

In popular culture


Beagles have been featured across a wide range of media. References to the dog appear before the 19th century in works by such writers as William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English people poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist....
, John Webster
John Webster

John Webster was an England Literature in English#Jacobean literature dramatist best known for his tragedies The White Devil and The Duchess of Malfi, often regarded as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage....
, John Dryden
John Dryden

John Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of English Restoration to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden....
, Thomas Tickell
Thomas Tickell

Thomas Tickell, , was a minor England poet and man of letters....
, Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding

File:Henry Fielding - Jonathan Wild.pngHenry Fielding was an England novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satire prowess, and as the author of the novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling....
 and William Cowper
William Cowper

William Cowper was an English poet and hymnodist. One of the most popular poets of his time, Cowper changed the direction of 18th century nature poetry by writing of everyday life and scenes of the English countryside....
, and in Alexander Pope's
Alexander Pope

Alexander Pope is generally regarded as the greatest England poet of the eighteenth century, best known for his satirical verse and for his translation of Homer....
 translation of Homer's
Homer

Homer is traditionally held to be the author of the ancient Greek language epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey, as well as of the Homeric Hymns....
 Iliad
ILiad

The iLiad is an electronic handheld device, or e-book device, which can be used for document reading and editing. Like the Sony Reader or Amazon Kindle, the iLiad makes use of an electronic paper display....
.

Beagles appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons from the 1950s with the Peanuts
Peanuts

Peanuts is a print syndication daily strip and Sunday strip comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000 , continuing in reruns afterward....
 character Snoopy
Snoopy

Snoopy is a fictional character in the long-running comic strip Peanuts, by Charles M. Schulz. He is Charlie Brown's pet beagle. Snoopy began his life in the strip as a fairly ordinary dog, but eventually evolved into perhaps the strip's most dynamic character ? and among the most recognizable comic characters in the world....
 (billed as the "the world's most famous Beagle"), Odie
Odie

Odie is a fictional character in the Jim Davis comic strip Garfield. He has also appeared in Garfield and Friends, two live-action feature films, and two CGI films....
 from the comic strip Garfield
Garfield

Garfield is a daily-syndicated comic strip created by Jim Davis . Published since June 19, 1978, it chronicles the life of the title character, the cat Garfield ; his owner, Jon Arbuckle; and the dog, Odie....
, Walt Disney
Walt Disney

Walter Elias Disney was a multiple Academy Award-winning American film producer, film director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur and philanthropist....
's Beagle Boys
Beagle Boys

The Beagle Boys are a group of fictional characters from the Scrooge McDuck universe loosely based on the popular image of Ma Barker and the Barker-Karpis Gang....
 and Beegle Beagle, the constant companion of Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera

Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. , was an American List of animation studios that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century....
's Grape Ape.

They have appeared in numerous films, taking a central role in Cats and Dogs
Cats and dogs

Cats and dogs may refer to:#Cats & Dogs, a 2001 children's film#Cats and Dogs , a 1993 album by Royal Trux#Cats and Dogs , a 2003 album by Talisman ...
, and the title roles in the adaptation of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is an United States author best known for her Children's literature trilogy Shiloh , Shiloh Season and Saving Shiloh, all made into movies....
's book Shiloh
Shiloh (book)

Shiloh is a first person children's novel by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. It won the 1992 Newbery Medal. The movie Shiloh was made based on the book in 1996....
 and the live-action version of Underdog
Underdog (film)

Underdog is a 2007 in film film released on August 3, 2007 featuring the Underdog and several other characters from the cartoon. It is produced by Spyglass Entertainment and Classic Media and distributed theatrically in the United States by Walt Disney Pictures....
. They have played supporting roles in films including Audition
Audition (film)

is a 1999 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike and starring Ryo Ishibashi and Eihi Shiina. It is based on a Ryu Murakami novel of the same title. Over the years, the film has developed a cult film, particularly in the West....
, The Monster Squad
The Monster Squad

The Monster Squad is a comedy film/horror film written by Shane Black and Fred Dekker and directed by Fred Dekker . It was released by Tri-Star Pictures on August 14, 1987....
 and The Royal Tenenbaums
The Royal Tenenbaums

The Royal Tenenbaums is a 2001 in film Comedy-drama dark comedy directed by Wes Anderson about three gifted siblings who experience great success in youth, and even greater disappointment and failure after their eccentricity father leaves them in their adolescent years....
, and on television in Star Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise

Enterprise, retitled Star Trek: Enterprise at the start of its third season, was a science fiction television program created by Brannon Braga and Rick Berman and set in the Star Trek universe created by Gene Roddenberry....
, EastEnders
EastEnders

EastEnders is a popular and award-winning television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985. It currently ranks within the top of the most watched shows in the United Kingdom....
, The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years

The Wonder Years is an United States television Comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on American Broadcasting Company, from 1988 in television through 1993 in television....
, and To the Manor Born
To the Manor Born

To the Manor Born is a United Kingdom Situation comedy that aired on BBC One from 1979 to 1981 and in 2007. Starring Penelope Keith and Peter Bowles, the first 20 episodes and the 2007 special were written by Peter Spence, the creator, and the 1981 finale by Christopher Bond, the script associate....
 among others.

Bagel, one of Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow

Barry Manilow is an United States singer-songwriter, musician, arrangement, record producer and conducting, best known for such recordings as "I Write the Songs", "Mandy ", "Weekend in New England" and "Copacabana "....
's two Beagles, appeared on several of his album covers. Former US President Lyndon Baines Johnson had several Beagles, and caused an outcry when he picked up one of them by its ears during an official greeting on the White House lawn.

The ship on which Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin Royal Society was an English people natural history who realised and presented compelling evidence that all species of life have evolution over time from common descent, through the process he called natural selection....
 made his voyage
Second voyage of HMS Beagle

The second voyage of HMS Beagle from 27 December 1831 to 2 October 1836 was the second survey expedition of HMS Beagle, under captain Robert FitzRoy who had taken over command of the ship on its first voyage after her previous captain committed suicide....
 which provided the material for his travel book The Voyage of the Beagle
The Voyage of the Beagle

The Voyage of the Beagle is a title commonly given to the book written by Charles Darwin published in 1839 as his Journal and Remarks, which brought him considerable fame and respect....
 and much of the inspiration for On the Origin of Species was named HMS Beagle
HMS Beagle

HMS Beagle was a Cherokee class brig-sloop 10-gun sloop-of-war#Rigging of the Royal Navy, named after the beagle, a breed of dog. She was ship naming and launching on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames, at a cost of ?7,803....
 after the breed, and, in turn, lent its name to the ill-fated British Martian
MARS

In cryptography, MARS is a block cipher that was IBM's submission to the Advanced Encryption Standard process. MARS was selected as an AES finalist in August 1999, after the AES2 conference in March 1999, where it was voted as the fifth and last finalist algorithm....
 lander Beagle 2
Beagle 2

Beagle 2 was an unsuccessful United Kingdom landing spacecraft that formed part of the European Space Agency's 2003 Mars Express mission....
.

Citations


External links