Breed Description: Beagle

©1997 by Bonnie Dalzell

Registration Organization and Dog Group:

• AKC: Hound
• Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI); Group 6 (Scent Hounds and related breeds ) , Section 1.6 Small Scent Hounds

  The FCI registers dogs in Puerto Rico, South America, Morocco, and Europe.

  • Breed 161 (Beagle)
• Kennel Club, United Kingdom (KC[GB]):
• Canadian Kennel Club (CKC)

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• AKC National Breed Club: National Beagle Club
• Secretary,

  Susan Mills Stone, 2555 Pennsylvania NW, Washington, DC 20037

• Breeder Contact,

  Patricia Staub, 3 Rosehaven St.,Stafford, VA 22554 (540)752-0507

• Rescue: 

Breed Description:

Varieties:

• under 13 inch
• 13 to 15 inch (US)

Original purpose and special abilities:

Beagles were bred as a small scent hound to use on small game such as hares and rabbits by a hunter who was traveling on foot. They are hunted in pairs or in small packs in heavy undergrowth and their giving tongue (baying on the trail) enables the hunter to keep track of their progress during the hunt.

Breed History:

Beagles are a fairly old breed.

In the United State the National Beagle Club was formed in 1888 and held first field trials that year. These small dogs are used in hunting by following a scent and flushing prey (usually rabbits). The owner then shoots at the flushed prey. They are often hunted in packs, the pack handler beign on foot.

Country of Origin: England

National Club established in the US: 1888

AKC Registration Statistics:

56946

Numbers of AKC Registered Beagles 1968-1996
1968	1982	1986	1994	1996
56940	35548	41972	59215

Size:

• There is almost no difference in size between the sexes (no sexual dimorphism)
• Weight (AKC breed standard) 16 - 30 (pounds)
  
• Height AKC under 13 and 13 to 15 (inches)
  
• Height KC(United Kingdom) maximum size is 16 (inches)
  

Life expectancy:10-14 years

Eye color:

Brown or hazel, the desirable expression is a gentle pleading look.

Lips: For a drop eared hound these little dogs have tight lips and are not noted as droolers.

Ear type:

Long pendulous ears, reaching when drawn forward practically to the tip of the nose. Beagles may be prone to ear problems if ears are not regularly cleaned.

Disqualifications:

Breed disqualifications can lead to a dog be offered as a pet animal. One should never pay more for a dog with breed disqualifications because it is rare or unusual !

• Any Beagle measuring more than 15 inches.
• Absence of two apparently normal, fully descended testicles in the scrotum in males is a general disqualification in most registries.

Cosmetic Surgeries (to establish 'breed look') None are called for but if an individual is born with a fifth toe on the hind legs, this is removed.

Color:

The typical color is the black saddled with tan head, legs belly (this is called 'a traditional hound color') and is assigned to the A-locus black saddle markings gene a-s. They generally have an overlay of white spotting or white collie (irish s-i markings) producing a color called tricolor. The standard states "Any true hound color". Brindle is not seen.

Coat Type:

A medium-short (1/2 inch to 3/4 inch long) fairly thick, hard coat. Tail fur with a slight bush to it (as opposed to a thinly haired 'rat tail').

Temperament:

These are amiable, gentle little dogs with a strong desire to scent trail. When hunting they are bred to work independently from owner control and in co-operation with other beagles. This is why they are relatively independent and yet get along well with other dogs. The breed focus is on scent hunting, generally as a small pack. The general activity level of a beagle is only moderate, in the absence of hunting the dogs are quiet and mellow. However boredom will produce hunting behaviors and these dogs have great endurance.

They are fairly quiet if not alerted by external attractor. However can howl with boredom. They have deep howl type bark rather than a sharp yip type bark. They bay on the trail when hunting.

Special Requirements:

Fenced yard and the companionship of a second dog. The scent hunting drive is intense in these dogs and they will dig out of the yard to hunt. This is not modified by neutering as it is a hunting drive and not a mate seeking drive. If left in a yard or kennel the fence row must be proofed against digging. These dogs are not for the person who objects to burrows dug in their yard.

Typical Competitive Activities for this Breed:

Beagle field trials, hunting, obedience, tracking, agility.

Genetic problems commonly encountered in this breed:

As with many somewhat short legged breeds there is a tendency towards intervertebral disk disease.

Progressive retinal atrophy has been reported in Beagles but the exact type has not been classified. zm

Non-genetic health problems commonly encountered in this breed:

Being hit by cars. The intensity with which a Beagle who is at liberty will follow a scent trail and otherwise remain oblivious to the world makes them especially vulnerable to being hit by cars. I once saw two beagles squashed on a freeway in Colorado, one after the other, the second completely oblivious to the fate of the dog it was accompanying on what was apparently an intense scent trail.

Breed Pluses:

These are small clean dogs with tight enough lips that they do not drool. They are generally gentle when handled by people including children and are generally accepting of the presence of other dogs.

Breed Minuses:

Difficult to contain, tendency to go hunting, hunting behavior can easily lead to them traveling miles and becoming lost. When they are on their own their concentration on the scent trail they are following can cause them to ignore danger such as cars. Bored dogs kept in isolation may howl.

Who should own this breed?

People who are looking for a small gentle dog and can cope with the fact that they are a small tracking hound with intense interest in following scent.

Who should not own this breed?

People expecting a highly attentive dog, especially an intense obedience prospect. People who have an unfenced yard. (However because of their size beagles do well as apartment dogs for owners who plan to exercise them on a leash).

Esthetic Defiencies: Often these are also the breed disqualifications and are legitimate reasons for a dog to be sold at a pet price on a 'neuter contract'. These should not detract from the health of the dog or its suitability as a pet.

• Size Show breeders will sell oversized Beagles to pet homes.
• Uniformity of Markings Show breeders will sell Beagles with excessively assymetrical markings to pet homes.
• Tail Show breeders will sell Beagles with tightly curled spitz type tails to pet homes.
• Eyes Show breeders will sell Beagles with blue eyes to pet homes. Since the merle gene is unknown in beagles there is no reason to suspect any defect associated with blue eyes in an otherwise normally colored beagle. Deafness might be present in a blue eyed, all white beagle. Such a puppy should be examined by a veterinarian for deafness.
• Ears Show breeders will sell Beagles with short stiff ears to pet homes.
• Dentition Undershot or overshot, missing teeth.
• Gun Shyness Breeders of field trial dogs will offer gun shy dogs to pet homes. These should not be bred from but will make ok pets although they may panic during thunder storms.
• Lack of hunting ability Breeders of field trial dogs will offer dogs that have no hunting interest to pet homes. These should not be bred from but may make superior pets as they have a reduced tendency to hunt.

Do not buy a puppy that is 'sold as a pet because it is/has':

• It is excessively fearful or excessively aggressive.
• It has a really exaggerated posture - front feet flat on the ground to the stop pad, hind feet flat on the ground.
• Chronic lameness in a 2 to 5 month old puppy.
• The unhealthy scrawny pup in the litter. This pup may have any one of a number of life treatening congenital illnesses such as a major heart anomaly, pancreatitis, severe food sensitivities.
• An extremely large puppy for its age with very large, tender or hot to the touch "growth knobs" at the wrists and ankles. Very rapidly growing puppies are much more likely to have joint problems later in life. This is in part a management problem. These dogs can be fed too rich a diet as pups and pushed to grow too rapidly. Too rapid growth is generally an error made by novice owners and breeders.
• A pup from an excessively inbred litter.

Author (i.e., person to flame if you take exception to this breed description) - Bonnie Dalzell