The origins of Beagles
A Roman They Would Go
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According to the American Kennel Club, The actual origin of the Beagle
seems to be obscure with no reliable documentation on the earliest days
of development. There are accounts of packs of hounds in England before
the times of the Romans, and these dogs are thought to be the basis of
both sight and scent hounds. By the 18th century, fox hunting became quite
popular, and the Foxhound was developed by crossing a buck hound and a
Beagle. Two distinct types came through this mixture, one of which was
named the Southern Hound and the other the North Country Beagle.
Previous to 1870 in the United States, the little hunting hounds of the
southern states, then called Beagles, were more of the type of
straight-legged Bassets or Dachshunds with weaker heads than the
Bassets. These dogs were snappy, tireless hunters full of energy and
quickness but lacking in type. The turning point for American Beagles came
in the 1860's, when dogs from a well-bred strain in England were imported
to inject beautiful breed type. Then in 1888, the National Beagle Club was
formed and held its first trial. From that time on field trials carrying
championship points sprang up rapidly all over the United States, and
classes developed for hounds under 13 inches and 13-15 inches.
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