History of the Beagle

History of the Beagle

The origin of the Beagle, like that of most other hound breeds, cannot be positively traced; it appears buried in antiquity. In the second century AD, Onomasticon, a Greek dictionary in ten books by Iulius Pollux, mentions the dog being used by man for hunting purposes about 1300 BC. The ancient Greek author Xenophon made references in his writings of about 450 BC to small hounds used to hunt hare on foot. While no formal name was given to these small hounds, they were undoubtedly the prognosticators of the dog we have come to know today as the Beagle.

Early man hunted animals for survival itself but, through the centuries, hunting evolved from a means to sustain life into a sport. The landed gentry and nobility of England, as early as the fourteenth century, participated in blood sports as a social activity. They used horses and large and small hounds, along with small terriers, in the pursuit of deer, fox, badger and hare.

Selection for desired physical characteristics and mental traits to suit a purpose is how the various purebred dog breeds came into being. In prehistoric times, the breeder was the caveman looking for a dog whose basic instincts were strong, and he used the best of these dogs to assist him in finding and catching food. Later, the breeder was the farmer, who found that keeping a hardy and energetic dog around helped keep meat on the family’s table. The caveman and, much later, the farmer both followed the dogs on foot.

Later, when the Beagle was kept by the British aristocracy, stockmen were employed and it was their job to make the selection of stock. The aristocracy, having the wealth to do so, kept large numbers of hounds together in packs; the evenness of type in these packs was highly regarded. The terrain varied from county to county throughout England and so the desired type varied from pack to pack to serve the challenges of the local hunt. The groups of wealthy sportsmen usually followed the hounds on horseback.

By repeatedly selecting desirable characteristics and traits to suit the purpose at hand, the breeder, whether the caveman, the farmer, the stockman, etc., fixed type within the dogs and these small hounds eventually were refined and bred with some consistency.

During the Middle Ages in England, there were two varieties of hound said to be quite numerous, known as Northern Hounds and Southern Hounds. There also were hounds of a larger type used for trailing deer, probably the Foxhound, and others of a smaller type used for trailing hare, thought to be Harriers and Beagles.

Little has been written to describe the Northern Hound but William Youatt, in his book The Dog, published in 1846, mentions "the shallow-flewed, more contracted lip of the Northern dogs” and claimed that this type was the swiftest. There is also mention of North-Country Beagles by seventeenth-century writers, including William Somerville (1675–1742), who refer to this dog as being fast and more slender than the Cotswold Beagle. Perhaps the Northern Hound and the North-Country Beagle are one and the same; it would seem so.

So what breeds of dog were put together to produce the Beagle? Some believe that the breed resulted from a crossing of the Harrier with the old South of England or Southern Hound. In some instances, they were referred to as "little Harriers.”

Most scholars seem to support the theory that the modern Beagle came down for the most part from the Harrier. Selection for the smaller dog, litter after litter, over and over again, fixed the size— what was once called a small Foxhound or a small Harrier is known today as the Beagle.

During the seventeenth century, Beagles were mentioned by many different but similar names: Northern Hounds and Southern Hounds; Rough-Coated and Smooth-Coated Beagles. The Southern Hound was described by Gervase Markham as having "a longer nose, ears and flews more shallow, his general appearance slender and greyhound-like. They had good noses and were fast but in respect of mouth they were a little sharp, with no real depth of tone or music.” William Youatt, in his book The Dog, agreed with Stonehenge (J. H. Walsh, a noted dog authority of the Victorian era) and felt that the Harrier crossed with the old Southern Hound was the combination that produced the Beagle.

In Cynographia Britannica, published about 1800, there are descriptions of Southern Beagles and Northern Beagles. The small hounds were described as varieties generally distinguished by the parts of the country in which they were bred, which lends support to the quote credited to William Somerville at about the same time, "A different Hound for every different chase; select with judgement.”

Northern Beagles were commonly wire-haired, straightlimbed and better formed in their shoulders and haunches, and endured bad weather and lengthy exercise better than the Southern Beagle. William Somerville described the Cotswold Beagle, whom he credited as producing some of his best Harriers when crossed with the old Southern Hound.

The author Beckford wrote in about 1750 of Fox-Beagles and described them as being exceptionally lively in temperament as well as fleet of foot. He records that he crossed his Harriers with them to give more dash and drive. Also mentioned are Rough-Coated Beagles and Wire-Haired Beagles, who almost certainly are the same, since both were found mainly in Devon in the South of England and in nearby Wales. William Youatt claimed the Wire-Haired Beagle was the stronger, stouter and better variety. Those familiar with both Fox Terriers and Beagles realize that there is cause to believe that Fox Terrier blood exists in present-day Beagles, perhaps the source of the Beagle’s legendary stubbornness.

Kerry Beagles are also mentioned repeatedly by scholars and were quite different from the general idea of what a Beagle should look like: upstanding, rather lightly built, black-and-tan and in many ways resembling the Bloodhound. This breed was said to have existed in Southern Ireland for hundreds of years, and the Ryan family of Scarteen claims to have owned them since 1735. They were not seen in England until the early twentieth century. Some think the presentday Beagle gets his keen nose from the Kerry Beagle, who was in color and general appearance a miniature Bloodhound.

Stonehenge, in his Manual of British Sports (1861), gave the varieties of Beagles as follows: "First, the medium Beagle, which may be either heavy and Southern-like or light and Northern-like; second, the dwarf or lap-dog Beagle; third the Fox Beagle, and fourth the rough or Terrier Beagle.”

Through the centuries, British royalty has favored the Beagle. During the reign of Henry VIII, Beagles are said to have been popular. There exists written evidence of Beagles during the reign of Henry’s daughter, Elizabeth I (1558–1603), as well as pictures that depicted members of her Court hunting with Beagles. There is also a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I with a Beagle at her side. Interestingly, the Beagles in Elizabethan times were very small. Described as dwarfs, Pygmy Beagles or Pocket Beagles, they ranged in height from 8 to 10 inches at the top of the shoulder and were small enough to be occasionally carried to the chase in a pair of panniers on the horse’s back.

Another royal who favored the Beagle is King James I (1566–1625), who enjoyed the sport of hunting the hare with his pack of Beagles. A century later, during the reign of King George IV (1762–1830), English Beagles were described as rough-coated or smooth-coated, with King George preferring the smooth-coated Beagle. While Prince of Wales, he enjoyed hunting with his pack of dwarf Beagles. These very small Beagles did not enjoy popularity much past this period.

Toward the end of the nineteenth century, organized dog activities began. The aristocracy, long committed to the hunt, owned packs of Foxhounds, Harriers and Beagles. They hunted mostly on horseback, chasing fox with the larger Foxhounds and Harriers, and hare with the smaller Beagle. "Beagling” is described as the art of hunting the hare in its natural surroundings with a pack of small hounds that rely solely on their noses to work out the intricate paths the hare has taken. Beagling became popular with the commoner, too, since the smaller Beagle could be followed on foot.

England’s Kennel Club was formed in 1873 and dog shows were then held on a regular basis. The first recorded mention of Beagles being shown in England was at the Tunbridge Wells Dog Society Show on August 21 and 22, 1884, with eight or nine Beagles entered. There was a separate class for Beagles of any size, and the best hound under 14 inches in this class was presented with a silver cup and a hunting horn.

The Beagle Club of England was formed in 1890, held its first show in 1896 and published its first Year Book in 1897. World War I (1914–1918) stopped much of the Beagle activities, but interest increased again during the two successive decades. World War II (1939–1945) again interfered, and Viscount Chelmsford is credited with restarting the club.

The UK’s Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles was founded in 1891. The association’s members were limited to those who were keeping, or had kept, registered packs that regularly hunt the hare. The object of both clubs was to further the interest of the Beagles. In the early 1950s, there was a great deal of renewed interest in the Beagle that carries through to this day. Since 1962, a number of regional Beagle clubs have formed around the British Isles.

Today, Beagles have classes at most of the Open Shows in the United Kingdom and at all of the General Championship Shows that come under the rules and regulations of The Kennel Club. Entries are large, often 100 or more, and sometimes twice that number.

Did you ever wonder where the Beagle breed came from and what took place in Beagle history?   It took quite a long time for the modern breed to be created. Let’s see where this all began and each step that happened to bring us the Beagle we know and love today.

5th Century

To begin, we must look back over a thousand and one-half years. The history of the Beagle begins with the dog's ancestors who originated in Ancient Greece.  Dogs of similar size and purpose (hunting) to the modern Beagle can be traced back to the 5th century in Ancient Greece.

8th Century

In the 8th century there was a breed known as the St. Hubert Hound, which was a scent hound (a hound dog used for hunting).  From this St. Hubert Hound, a newer breed was created: the Talbot Hound.  The Talbot had a mostly white coat of fur and a very deep bark.  It’s one feature that did not serve well for hunting, was that this dog was a rather slow runner.

 11th Century - The Move into England

In the 11th century, William the Conqueror brought the Talbot Hound to England.  It is believed that the Talbot Hound was then bred with the Greyhound.  This was in an effort to give the Talbot Hound more speed when running.

Once this new dog breed was created, it was called the Southern Hound which, in turn, is thought to be an ancestor of today’s Beagle.

The Now Extinct Pocket Beagle

Beagle origin During medieval times, the word “beagle” meant any dog that was a hound dog.  At that time, there were very small hound dogs and they were called “Pocket Beagles”.  They were only 8 to 9 inches (20 – 23 cm) from ground to shoulder.

King Henry VII and Queen Elizabeth I were known for their love of this miniature breed.  They were called “Pocket Beagles” because they were small enough to fit into the pockets of men who hunted.  Once larger dogs found the prey, these little dogs were let loose to continue the chase through thick brush; a place where the larger dogs could not easily get through.

As the year 1900 approached, this small Pocket Beagle became extinct.   All genetic lines are no longer in existence.

The 1700’s

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

•    The Southern Hound (as mentioned above)

•    The North Country Beagle (or Northern Hound).

The Southern Hound, in comparison to today’s Beagle, was tall and heavy.  It did have long, soft ears just like today’s Beagle.

The North Country Beagle was smaller than the Southern Hound, and had a more pointed muzzle. It was faster than the Southern Hound; but its scenting abilities were not as good as the Southern Hound.

As fox hunting became very popular, both of these 2 dog breeds were then bred with the Foxhound to create a “perfect” hunting dog.

1830

In the year 1830, Reverend Phillip Honeywood of Great Britain, established a breeding program. It is believed that this formed the basis for the modern Beagle breed.

The North Country Beagles and Southern Hounds were involved. Records on this were not kept, therefore one can only speculate as to other breeds that were used.  The first new Beagle that was created were the Honeywood’s Beagles.  These were still different than today’s Beagle; they were smaller and had a pure white coat.

Still wanting to create a better breed, a man by the name of Thomas Johnson worked on producing dogs that had a great appearance and were also great hunters.  His work lead to two different breeds: One with a rough coat of fur and one with a smooth coat of fur.

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.

1840

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 new Beagles.

At this time, there were four different types: 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.

1887

In 1887, there were only 18  “packs” in England.  Those who loved the breed were determined to not allow any of the Beagles to become extinct as previous Beagle-type breeds had become.

1890 – 1902

The Beagle Club was formed in 1890 and the first standard of the Beagle was written. The following year the Association of Masters of Harriers and Beagles was formed. Both organizations aimed to further the best interests of the breed, and both wanted to produce one standard type of Beagle. By 1902 the number of packs had risen from 18 to 44.

The Move into America

General Richard Rowett from Illinois, USA imported some dogs from England and began breeding. Rowett's Beagles are believed to be the models for the first American standard.  The Beagle was accepted as a breed by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1884. In the 20th century the breed has spread worldwide as a very popular dog.  Now, the Beagle was not just used for hunting; the Beagle became a wonderful family pet.

Today’s Beagle

Some breeders will advertise that they have “Pocket Beagles”; however there is no such breed.   Sometimes, in an attempt to make people believe that “Pocket Beagles” still exist, unethical breeders will try to create dogs who are much smaller than nature intended.

Beagles who are smaller than the breed standard are “created” by breeding together 2 “runt” dogs. They are continually “bred down” to an unhealthy size. This can lead to many health issues.  In other cases, a breeder may falsify the age of a puppy or simply call a Beagle a “Pocket Beagle” when the dog will grow to be normal size. 

There is only one official Beagle breed across the world. Some clubs recognize 2 types of Beagles and some just one; but all do not recognize any “Pocket Beagle” or any other term that would imply a tiny breed.

Personality

Beagles are smart, affectionate, curious, friendly and playful. They are ideal family pets because of their size, groomability, and easy going nature with children. Beagles are full of energy, and benefit from an active family with a yard where they can run around and explore. Couch potatoes will want to steer clear of beagles; this breed loves constant activity and the outdoors.

Activity Requirements

Despite their compact size, beagles require a lot of exercise. At first glance they might seem like a good apartment dog, but families who don't have fenced yards for beagles to run in should be sure to walk them and take them to the park regularly in order to keep their weight down and to prevent boredom. Because they were originally bred to be hunting dogs, beagles like to stay active and love being outside. Breeders recommend several long walks a day, plus time for running.

Trainability

Beagles have been labeled stubborn dogs, and have a reputation for being difficult to train. It is recommended that obedience training be introduced as early as possible, before stubbornness can set in. Beagles respond best to training done with treats as well as positive reinforcement – punishments only cause them to develop avoidance behaviors.

The Beagle's response to scent is both a blessing and a curse. Their highly evolved sense of smell makes them some of the best hunting and tracking dogs around, but if your family beagle catches a scent while outside, he will employ what some trainers call, “selective deafness,” meaning he will tune you out completely and will not respond to your calls for him to return. For this reason, breeders recommend never leaving your beagle off-leash in an area that is not fenced in.

Behavioral Traits

Separation anxiety, barking, and destructiveness are common behavioral problems in beagles. Fortunately, they can almost all be prevented by keeping your beagle well exercised. Taking your Beagle for a long walk before leaving the house will leave him with little energy to be destructive. Beagles who bark or howl are often doing so because they are bored. Ensuring your dog has plenty of exercise and toys or bones to chew on, will keep him entertained and will stave off many of these undesirable behaviors.