Beagle

Modern Beagles have their roots in Essex, England in the 1830’s, where they were bred by Reverend Phillip Honeywood, primarily for the purpose of tracking game. A mix of a number of different breeds, including the Southern Hound, the North Country Beagle and the Talbot Hound, Beagles excelled as trackers because they have a great nose for sniffing out rabbits, hares and deer.

The small Beagle proved to be a great hunting companion for older hunters who couldn’t necessarily keep up with larger dogs, and for poorer hunters who couldn’t afford the most athletic horses. It was known as a ‘foothound’ because a hunter with a pack of Beagles could pursue game on foot, without the need for a horse at all.

Imported Beagles began arriving in America in the years after the Civil War, and their popularity among rabbit hunters in that country was immediate. Hunting hare with Beagles became known as beagling. This ‘sport’ was popular in the United States as well as Britain, only becoming illegal in England as late as the year 2004.

Beagles have long been much more popular in the United States and Canada than in their original homeland,  and for the past 30 years they have featured in the top 10 most popular breeds in America. Nowadays they are often utilised by security and police forces to sniff out contraband and serve all over the world in this role.

As hunting dogs, Beagles are an active and energetic breed, so it’s a good idea to walk them as often as possible – once or twice a day is great, with some longer walks or runs thrown into the mix. Note that their superior sense of smell can lead to all sorts of distractions while walking down the street or at the park, so keeping them on-leash, along with careful supervision, is a must.

Beagles enjoy having a job to do, like playing with the kids or ‘protecting’ them. Without an activity, they are likely to get bored and may become destructive, so stimulation in the form of play time and regular exercise is essential.

Their distractibility and their single-mindedness can cause them to be difficult to train. They are eager to please their owners, however, and food-reward style training often proves to be the best route, along with lots of patience and praise.

The Beagle has a smooth, dense double coat that gets heavier in the winter, so heavy shedding occurs in spring. They also shed moderately year-round.

Weekly brushing with a medium-bristle brush, a rubber grooming mitt or tool, or a hound glove will remove the loose hair and promote new hair growth.

Unless they happen to get into something particularly messy, Beagles don’t need to be bathed too often.