A Beagle By Any Other Name Is Still A Beagle!

The Name Beagle,
The One Which Has Stayed With The Breed Since The Late 1400s,
Translates As "Smallest Of Hounds

A Beagle is a medium-sized dog breed and a member of the hound group, similar in appearance to a Foxhound but smaller with shorter legs, and with longer, softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds used primarily for tracking deer, bear, and other game. They are a loyal breed and most often very well tempered. Beagles love exercise and being around people. Beagle-type dogs have existed for well over 5 centuries, but the breed as popularly known was developed in the United Kingdom about 150 years ago.

In the eleventh century, William the Conqueror brought the Talbot hound into Great Britain. A white scent hound, the Talbot (now extinct) is thought to be a more recent ancestor of the modern day beagle. The black and tan Irish Kerry Beagles are also considered another possible link in the evolution of early beagles. A small game hunter similar to the Bloodhound, Kerry Beagles may be the reason for the strong scenting abilities of beagles today.

The first mention of the beagle in English literature by name dates from 1475. The origin of the word "beagle" is uncertain, although it has been suggested that the word derives from the French begueule (meaning "open throat", or more colloquially, "loudmouth") or from an Old English, French, or Welsh term beag, meaning "small." Other possibilities include the French beugler (meaning "to bellow") and the German begele (meaning "to scold").

Beagles were and still are used for hunting. They appear to have been used for hare hunting in England as early as the reign of Edward III, who had a pack of up to 120 hare hounds with him on the battlefield during the Hundred Years' War. Beagling has been referred to as "the poor person's foxhunting," as a Beagle pack (30–40 dogs) is followed on foot, not horseback. The usual quarry is the hare. Beagles will bay in a similar fashion to foxhounds when in pursuit of their quarry. This is generally referred to as "speaking" or "giving tongue". Many traditional aspects of Beagling, like foxhunting, are banned in England, though beagles may still pursue rabbits, an artificial scent or a hare injured through shooting. In countries such as Norway, Canada, United States of America and Sweden, Beagles are also used for hunting Snowshoe Hare, Roe Deer and in some cases Red Deer and Fox. In these situations Beagles are not always used as a Beagle pack. The Hunter(s),strategically placed in the terrain, wait while the Beagle is chasing. The quarry tend to circle within a certain area while using one dog, increasing the odds for success with few hunters. Drag hunting is another Beagle sport. In the United States, particularly down in the deep south, Beagles are used in groups of two with one hunter. The hunter lets the dogs go and they pick up on the trail of the game that they are hunting for, mostly deer sometimes bear and boar. Then when the Beagle chases them by the hunter the hunter takes aim and brings down the game. The Beagle loves this because it is the purpose for which these dogs were originally bred, and the beagle views it as a tremendously fun game.

The Beagle has a smooth, somewhat oval skull; a medium-length, square-cut muzzle; a black, gumdrop nose (the AKC Beagle standard states that for colours other than tri, for instance, red & white, a liver coloured nose is acceptable); large, hound-like hazel or brown eyes; long, velveteen, low-set ears (big), turning towards the cheeks slightly and rounded at the tips; a medium-length, strong neck without folds in the skin; a broad chest narrowing to a tapered abdomen and waist; a short, slightly curved tail; an overall muscular body; and a medium-length, smooth, hard coat. The Beagle's droopy ears should be very soft on the outside and fabricy on the inside. One standard calls for ideally shaped beagles to be twice as long as tall, and twice as tall as wide.

Tan and white 13 inch Beagle Puppy.They appear in a range of colors, not limited to the familiar tricolor (white with large black areas and light brown spots). Some tricolored dogs have a color pattern referred to as "broken." These dogs have mostly white coats with slightly circular patches of black and brown hair. Two-color varieties are always white with colored areas, including such colors as "lemon", a very light tan; "red", a reddish, almost orangish brown; and "liver", a darker brown (liver is the only colour not allowed in the British Standard). "Ticked" varieties may be either white or black with different colored spots ("ticking"), such as the bluetick beagle, which has spots that appear to be a midnight-blue color, similar to the Bluetick Coonhound. Some tricolor beagles also have ticking of various colors in their white areas.

Tricolor beagles are almost always born black and white, with the brownish areas developing later. The brown is usually the last color to appear, taking sometimes 1-2 years to fully develop. Some beagles gradually change color throughout their lives. Beagles typically have a white-tipped tail, or "flag", which is important in locating them in the field due to their short height.

The Beagle has a very good temper and gentle disposition. Beagles are intelligent, but are stubborn and may be hard to train due to their strong will, which is common in the breed because of its curiosity (especially for scents). However, if a newly-bought puppy has a dominant master in control, they can be easy to train and can obey basic commands. They are an especially loyal breed and are very friendly. Unaltered males will often howl, bark, or chase after another dog or object, but rarely physically harm it. Females tend to be less aggressive before their first heat cycle, but afterwards are protective of their puppies and families. Both genders are excellent with children (puppies especially) and can even play with toddlers. They also get along with other dogs, provided that they have been socialized correctly.

Beagles are playful and energetic dogs who enjoy long walks. Being scent hounds, if released, they may follow a scent endlessly or will incessantly try to tag along with other dogs regardless of cars, strangers, etc. They can be quite difficult to walk, especially when distracted by enticing smells. Because of their curiosity and spirited temperament, beagles are famed escape artists and humane societies and pounds often pick up stray beagles.

Beagles are pack animals, and can be prone to separation anxiety. They are best kept with other dogs if they are going to be left alone for long periods of time. A common misconception is that all Beagles howl incessantly. In reality, some are more vocal than others and some do not bark often at all. Puppies, however, will yelp and whine if left alone in a crate, kennel, or enclosed area such as a play pen. However, if a beagle incessantly barks, it is probably because it is not often corrected, and can take on the assumption that that type of behavior is acceptable. The breed has thousands of representatives and each has his or her own personality.

A well-bred beagle puppy is usually energetic, fun loving, and playful, but one always must have something for it to chew on, as in most of its puppyhood it is teething, which is a stage all breeds go through. The beagle puppy will gladly show affection to anybody, and will continue to do so as long as it has an attentive, dominant master, is frequently exercised (including playtime and walks), and is completely socialized through all stages of life. Puppies should usually be fed small amounts of food (never two bowls), and should not be coaxed to eat. Putting sauces on the food is discouraged and can lead to an overweight beagle. A puppy will grow to be more energetic as it matures, because newborns sleep on average about 2/3 of the day. Usually, a 12-week-old puppy will tire after a 15-20 minute run or walk, but the time will increase as it grows.

Beagles are a healthy breed, but they do have a few common health problems. A relatively common problem is yeast infections of the ears. The Beagle's ears are long and floppy, which can trap warm, moist air in the ear canals. This condition can be successfully treated with regular cleaning with a very dilute vinegar and water solution. If left untreated, prescription medication is usually required. A good preventative measure is a diet consisting of lamb and rice dog food. Dogs prone to yeast infections can also be fed a tablespoon or two of high quality plain non-fat yogurt with their meals. Any suspicious smell, discharge or noticeable discomfort of the dog should be checked by a veterinarian. Sometimes their eyelashes grow into the eye and irritate the eye, also known as distichiasis; this might require surgery to remove the eyelashes.

Obesity is a common health problem due to people overfeeding them in response to their playful and gentle behavior. Most will overeat if given the chance. A healthy Beagle should have some definition to its waist and have an hourglass appearance when viewed from above. You should be able to feel their ribs. Excessive weight can lead to problems such as hip dysplasia and heart trouble. They need exercise and a good diet. Some Beagles are prone to congenital heart disease. In some rare cases the breed may develop polyarthritis (where the immune system attacks the joints) even at a young age. This can be sometimes treated effectively with cortisone. They are also prone to seizures and epilepsy. This disease is treatable with medication. Some Beagles, like most dogs, are prone to various forms of cancer, such as lymphoma.

Usually beagles live from 10 to 15 years, though if well looked-after they may live to be 20 or even older. In old age, many Beagles, especially those more active in their younger years, contract arthritis. As with any purebred dog, the better the breeder the healthier the dog.

BEAGLES IN POPULAR CULTURE:

The Peanuts comic strip character Snoopy and his siblings are beagle mutts, i.e. mixes, rather than purebreds, though creator Charles M. Schulz said that Snoopy (and his relatives) are mostly beagle.
When Snoopy makes appearances at theme parks, he is billed as "The World's Most Famous Beagle." Buster in The Wonder Years.
Poochie, the short-lived Itchy and Scratchy character, on The Simpsons.
Porthos in Star Trek: Enterprise.
Brian from the Family Guy cartoon series.
Toby in Used Cars.
Lou in Cats and Dogs.
Cricket Giuli's dog.
Chomp Chomp in Pacman
Doidle in The Fairly Oddparents
Brain in the Inspector Gadget film.
Pete in The Monster Squad.
Buckley in The Royal Tenenbaums.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Shiloh book trilogy (also a film trilogy) is about a beagle.
The Beagle Boys in Disney's DuckTales or Scrooge McDuck comics.
Character Audrey fforbes-Hamilton has a Beagle in the BBC series To the Manor Born.
According to Garfield, Odie is half-beagle and half-brick. [3]
Gromit from the animated cartoon Wallace & Gromit is a beagle.
The Grape Ape had a friend named Beegle Beagle (also known as Beegley Beagley).
In Three's Company, the characters frequented a restaurant called "The Regal Beagle."
In "Where My Dogs At", Buddy is a Beagle.
The cartoon superhero Underdog is a Beagle.
In the 1970s and 1980s, singer-songwriter Barry Manilow owned two Beagles named Bagel and Biscuit. Bagel appeared on the back cover of three of Manilow's albums: Barry Manilow II (1974), Tryin' To Get The Feeling (1975), and Barry (1980).
Manilow also mentioned Bagel and Biscuit in many of his earlier albums liner notes. Mr. Peabody (of Rocky & Bullwinkle fame) is a beagle.

Eight ships of the Royal Navy
have been named HMS Beagle, after the beagle.

All are obscure except for the second Beagle, 1820–1870, that transported Charles Darwin around the world.

1st Beagle was a Cruizer-class brig-sloop in service from 1804 to 1814.
2nd Beagle was a 10-gun Cherokee class brig-sloop, launched in 1820, converted to a survey ship in 1825, a customs watchvessel in 1846, and sold in 1870.
3rd Beagle was a wooden-hulled screw gunboat launched in 1854 and sold in 1863, eventually becoming the Japanese vessel Kanko.
4th Beagle was a 1-gun schooner serving in Sydney from 1872 to 1883.
5th Beagle was a sloop in service from 1889 to 1905.
6th Beagle was a destroyer, the lead ship of her class, launched in 1909 and sold in 1921
7th Beagle (H30) was a B-class destroyer launched in 1930 and broken up in 1946.
8th Beagle (H319) was a Bulldog-class hydrographic survey ship launched in 1967 and sold in 2002.

HMS Beagle before World War Two