Beagle dog

The origin of the word beagle is not clearly understood. It is possible that the word was derived from the French begueule, which means open throat, or a loud mouth or loudmouth. The French term beugler would be possible, which means to shout, or the German Begel, said to be an old term meaning to blame or to scold. Similarly, the old English, French or Welsh term beag would be possible, which means small.

The beagle is a hound that was originally bred in England, and especially loves to run as a pack dog, hunting for hare and wild rabbits. Beagles hunt mainly in the pack and lead hunters on foot, in contrast to the foxhounds, which are mainly attended by horsemen out hunting foxes. Therefore, the beagle has been previously referred to as the “hunting dog of the poor”.

The origin of the breed is suggested to be partly in Normandy, in France. The Hubert white dog (also known as the Ardennes hound or Chien St. Hubert) is also thought to be an ancestor of the beagle. These dogs arrived in England in 1066, being brought by the Norman Talbot family for the army of William the Conqueror. Their origin goes back to the ninth century, being a breed listed by the monks at the Holy Monastery of St. Hubert in the Ardennes. They called these dogs white Talbot hounds and then 600 years later, Northern hounds or Norman hounds. The Northern hounds have been described as a lean breed of dog, which was quickly and safely on the track, but with a shrill, shallow and unpleasant spurlaut.

By 1400, during the Hundred Years’ War in the South of France, in Gascony, the British found breeds previously unknown to them. They were impressed by the medium-sized, colorful, mottled and speckled dogs that were going about their tireless passion for hunting and also providing the finest tracks to follow for a long time. Their deep spurlaut could be well heard. They were also described as slow and difficult, with lots of skin substance. These dogs were later called Southern hounds. Unlike the Northern hounds, Southern hounds were black and brown with dots and plates coated on a white background.

Until driven to extinction, these were used for hunting large game, like deer, and also for species that were in hiding during the day that could only be hunted by tracking its scent. The Northern hound’s nose, however, was not fine enough. Breeding became primarily focused on the usefulness of the hound and not on appearance. One can assume the origin of today’s breeds of hounds trace back to both the Northern and the Southern hounds.

In the year 1515, there was a notation in the financial books of King Henry VIII regarding the “Keper of the Begles.” In 1615, L.R. Jackson (also known as Gervase Markham) mentioned the little hunting beagle in his general description of all major breeds. The small beagle eagerly pursued the trail. The dog himself rarely killed, but tired the game so the hunter could easily bag his prey.

He also reported a pack of beagles that were so small they could be found in a saddlebag. Indeed, Queen Victoria’s beagles depicted in the picture Mr. Maynard and Her Majesty’s Beagles, by William and Henry Barraud, presented the dogs to be about the size of shoes.

At that time, the term beagling described a form of hunting characterized by dogs hunting in a pack. As a truly independent breed of dog, the beagle has existed only since 1890, when it was recognized by the Kennel Club of Great Britain.

Description

The AKC and KC place the beagle in the Hound group. According to the description of the FCI, he is a rugged, compact hound that gives the impression of quality without coarseness. Beagles are 33 to 40 cm high at the withers and up to 18 kg in weight. Enclosed in a short and weatherproof coat, all known hound colors except liver are allowed. The mainly occurring color variations are: two-tone tan and white, brown and white, red and white, and lemon yellow and white; or tri-color black, brown and white (referred to as “tricolored”). With a perforated edge, one also speaks of “tricolored broken”. Furthermore, three different “pied” variants exist.

The head is of moderate length, powerful without being coarse, with a pronounced stop. The short legs are very strong and muscular, but not fat. The eyes are dark or hazel, and are fairly large with a soft, appealing expression. The bite has strong jaws with a perfect, regular, and complete scissor bite. The deep-set ears are long and rounded at the end, put forward, ranging almost to the tip of the nose. The ear leather is thin and rests against the cheek. The tail is thick, high set and carried gaily over the line of the back, but not curled or inclined forward from the root. The tip of the tail, the paws, and the mouth are white, and the head and ears reddish brown.

Care

The beagle is a happy dog. His manner is charming and alert, showing no aggression or anxiety. While hunting, he shows toughness and determination. Beagles are pack dogs, preferring the company of other dogs or familiar people. They should not be kept alone in a kennel.

Like all Bracken they have an excellent nose, and until the twentieth century were primarily bred for hunting in a pack and, therefore, need lots of exercise and movement. As a pack dog, the beagle tends to eat excessively.

Use

Hunting applications

The beagle is rarely used in Germany for hunting. The statutory provisions governing the minimum required area of 1,000 hectares of brackish hunting heavily limits the possibilities. A beagle hunting a hare will pursue spurlaut with a strong persistence. Once hunting is begun, it is almost impossible to retrieve the dog. Because of the strong hunting instinct there are only two ways to end the hunt: through procurement of the prey or because of fatigue.

His strong will to find the trail can make him a little boisterous. With regular practice, however, he stubbornly remains on the sweat track, even for up to forty hours.

The beagle is not a retriever. An adult rabbit is too heavy for him. But his desire for employment, especially for the nose, makes the beagle particularly suitable for work on the trail. He will chase a rabbit for the hunter, even over long distances. This dog likes the water and will also bring game birds. The beagle is certainly a candidate for the hunting test and the sweat test.

Attitude as a family dog

This dog breed has been bred for centuries only to hunt in a pack. Beagles that were less than optimal at hunting for clues, and those who showed aggression within the pack, were ruthlessly pruned. This has led to his special abilities and his appearance. The beagle was originally a function of the dog and, at least into the twentieth century, was not bred as a family pet. This heritage is still in this breed. The holder requires experience, a firm hand, a lot of patience, and a lot of love in the rearing of beagles. Gluttony and the tendency to hunt, even today, determine the nature of many beagles.

Other Uses

In the pharmaceutical industry, beagles are kept in the laboratory as experimental animals.
The so-called Beagle Brigades are used in the United States by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Customs and Border Protection (USCBP). They are used especially at border crossings, ports and airports to search for illegally imported foods, plants and animal parts.