The Beagle is a British-origin hound. Hounds belong to the so-called running dogs: hunting dogs that use their keen nose to track game for the hunters. Similar to the term ‘briquet’ in France, the designation ‘Beagle’ in England was for a long time used for dogs that did not belong to an established breed and often varied in appearance but shared certain common traits.
They were usually not very large, which explains how the breed name ‘Beagle‘ came about. According to linguists, the name may derive from the Old English word ‘begle’, the Old French ‘beigle’, or the Celtic ‘beag’ (all three words meaning ‘small’).
The dogs had a special aptitude for hare hunting, where hunters went on foot, a form of hunting once widely and gladly practiced by the British nobility. The modern form of ‘beagling’ consists of walking behind a pack of Beagles, where the aim is to enjoy a group of working dogs. This sport is very popular not only in Great Britain but also in Ireland and the United States.
According to Dr. Jacques Bourdon, the author of a masterpiece about this hunting dog, the name ‘Beagle‘ was first used in the early 15th century by Edward, the second Duke of York. Between 1406-1413, he wrote a treatise on hunting called The Master of Game, which was inspired by the book Le Livre de Chasse by his famous French contemporary Count Gaston III of Foix and Béarn (Gaston Phebus).
Dame Juliana Berners, prioress of Sopwell, also mentions the Beagle in her Book of St Albans, a bestseller from the year 1486.
However, there are British authors who believe that the Beagle has a much older origin. They refer to Ancient Greece, particularly Xenophon of Athens, who around 400 BC in his Cynegeticos indeed mentions ‘small hunting dogs’ that ‘track the hare’.
He describes these dogs as ‘strong, muscular, with a broad chest and powerful legs, a flat head and a wide skull, and with black, slightly protruding eyes that have a lively and mischievous expression.’ This description does not greatly differ from the image of the present-day Beagle. It could indeed be that it descends from one of the original scenthound types, which lived scattered across Greece and Asia Minor and were taken by the Roman legions on their conquests across Europe.
Other experts hold a differing opinion. Some believe that the Beagle is simply a dwarf variety descended from the hounds that William the Conqueror brought from France to England in the 11th century. These hounds are thought to have been the ancestors of three main groups of hunting dogs known until the 17th century: the Northern Hound (a hunting dog with tremendous endurance), the Southern Hound (with a very keen nose and a beautiful voice), and the Talbot (a large dog with a white coat, a bloodhound, meaning a dog specialized in tracking blood trails).
According to others, however, the Beagle originated from southern France and only arrived in England in the 15th century, during the Hundred Years’ War. It is clear that the secret of the Beagle’s origins cannot easily be solved due to a lack of concrete data. Although much is known, there is still a lot that remains speculative. What makes it even more complicated is the fact that the French, English, and Scottish kings constantly exchanged entire packs of hounds as gifts back and forth.
Anyway, in the 16th century, Beagles really began to spread throughout England. King Henry VIII owned ‘a pack of Beagles and greyhounds for coursing,’ and his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I, had a famous pack of her own. These little dogs had a shoulder height of less than 25 cm. Some were so small that they easily fit into an iron glove. Riders sometimes transported entire packs in their saddle bags or in the pockets of their hunting coats to the place where the hunt would begin. This dwarfing – which was highly valued by some and influenced by fashion trends – was the result of selective breeding: choosing the most suitable breeding stock over several generations. Among the Beagles of that time, various sizes emerged. There were Pocket Beagles (which could be carried in a part of a garment), Glove Beagles (so small they fit in a glove), Rabbit Beagles (rabbit hunters), Dwarf Beagles, and Elizabeth Beagles (named after the queen).
By the end of the 17th century, there were three varieties: the Kerry Beagles or Southern Beagles, which had a black-and-white coat and a shoulder height of about 45 cm, the Northern Beagles, a medium build that was faster than the Southern Beagles, and the Cat Beagles or Rabbit Beagles, which had a shoulder height of less than 35 cm. The latter were very active, had a beautiful voice (call), which is why they were also called ‘singing Beagles’, and had a white coat with black or gray speckles, or wild-colored, orange, or black spots. However, the breed was far from being consistently defined as such, and until the end of the 19th century, the packs varied considerably from one another. This is evidenced by countless illustrations from that time as well as by the statement of the Englishman W. Macfie, huntsman of the Royal Rock pack: ‘When I buy dogs, I face great difficulties in finding hunting Beagles of a good type. In every pack, it is clear that there are different ideas about Beagles. Some dogs have a head and ears like a Fox Terrier, others look more like small bulldogs, and still others look like small Foxhounds.’
Beagles were hunting dogs, work dogs, and work dogs at that time were only bred for qualities such as willingness to work, health, suitability for hunting, speed, perseverance, determination, and courage. At the same time, breeding aimed for a degree of frugality. Dogs were not to be too demanding regarding their food, as maintaining a pack was always expensive. It was therefore logical that so-called functional crossbreeding was often undertaken in an attempt to breed a certain type of dog, for which many ‘recipes’ existed from individual hunters and breeders.
The first attempts to establish some uniformity among Beagles date back to the mid-19th century. Two organizations were involved in this. They were created to protect the interests of the breed, but it soon became clear that there was disagreement about the underlying philosophy of breeding itself. The Beagle Club, founded in 1890, included members who were all dog enthusiasts, owning Beagles both for hunting and as companion animals.
In 1891, a special association was established that only admitted members who owned a pack of Beagles that regularly participated in long hare hunts themselves. There were significant differences between the two types pursued, and even today the influence of the two British traditions remains clearly visible in the Beagle’s type.
In 1896, the first exhibition organized by the British Club took place. By then, the breed standard had already been established. Other exhibitions followed, each with great success, especially those in Richmond and at the Crystal Palace in London.
By 1900, there were about 60 Beagle packs in Great Britain, with only about half of the dogs having the correct type and shoulder height. But ten years later, much greater uniformity was already evident, as reflected by the comment of F.B. Lord, a hunter and important breeder of that time: ‘Unfortunately, the type was neglected until the Beagle Club took control. Since then, positive results have been achieved year after year, both in terms of type and working quality. It is now rare to see a poor Beagle at a show. In the past, I didn’t see much point in dog shows, but now I believe they can contribute to the improvement of a breed.’
However, the establishment of the desired positive traits led to the disappearance of the Beagle Elizabeth and the Pocket Beagle in 1935.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Beagle breeding in Great Britain experienced a great boom, which was almost wiped out by the First World War. When dog shows were organized again in 1920, the Beagle was a very rare sight at those events. Thanks to the persistent efforts and dedication of a number of enthusiasts, quality dogs were produced again within a few years. Then the Second World War threatened to disrupt the breed’s progress. But the breeders were warned and did not hesitate to import American dogs, which were crossed with dogs from the British stock. As a result, this new challenge was successfully overcome and perhaps the breed was even strengthened by it. At least, the numbers show this: in 1945 only 1 Beagle was registered by the British Kennel Club, but by 1955 that number had grown to 100, in 1958 to 635, in 1959 to 1092 and later in 1959 to 3979.
Just like in the 19th century, two types still exist in Great Britain: the show Beagles, which are also bred for that purpose, and the Beagles used for hunting. These are bred within packs and are selected for their suitability for the work they must perform (beagling), rather than for their appearance as prescribed by the breed standard.
