Beagles: The Sniffer Dogs

History of the Beagle

The adorable beagle has become a mainstay in homes around the world, especially in the United States and the United Kingdom. Their cheerful nature, playfulness, and amusing antics have earned them a special place in our hearts. As of 2024, beagles are the seventh most popular dog, according to the American Kennel Club. 

The lovable and mischievous character of Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip created by Charles Schulz has endeared us to beagles for many decades. Beagles often have their noses to the ground, following the scent of whatever has gained their focus, making them popular hunting dogs. More often than not, a beagle will find whatever it is after.

Full disclosure, I have had beagles and beagle mixes for most of my life. I find them to be the absolutely perfect dog…well almost perfect. They aren’t too big, and they aren’t too small - “big for their inches” as some people say. They love long walks and lots of play, get along well with other dogs, and love children. Beagles can be quite amusing, with their soulful eyes, floppy ears, and playful antics. They are curious and energetic, and can remain active for long periods. But, the reason I say “almost perfect” is this…they are incredibly food driven. In their eyes, your food is their food. But with proper, consistent training, this can be overcome.

So let’s take a look at the evolution of the beagle.

In the fifth century BCE, Greek historian Xenophon wrote, “Hunting and hounds were first an invention of the gods”, in a published work describing the use of small dogs to hunt for hares. These weren’t modern beagles, but an ancient ancestor. In England, there is evidence of small packhounds being used for hunting rabbits and hares before Julius Caesar arrived in Britannia in 55 BCE. Interbreeding with dogs brought by the Romans with the British packhounds almost certainly occurred, and over time, more desirable traits emerged through selective breeding. By 200 AD, beagle-type dogs were being used for hunting across the island. 

William the Conqueror brought white talbot hounds to Britain starting in 1066, following the Norman Conquest. These dogs were bred with the existing packhounds, resulting in the hounds of Southern England - the foxhound and the beagle. 

The name “beagle” first appeared in English literature in 1475, mentioned by the likes of Chaucer and Shakespeare. In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Sir Toby Belch remarks, “She’s a beagle, true-bred, and one that adores me.” The origin of the name is uncertain, but it is believed to be derived from the Gaelic word  “beag”, meaning small, which would match the size of the small hounds used by the Celts at one time. Others believe it comes from a French bit of onomatopoeia, to describe the sound of their baleful howl, “be’geul”. 

By the 1500’s, the beagle flourished in Italy, Greece, France, and England, and they were widely used by large landowners to hunt for hares, while foxhounds were used to track larger prey. One English gentleman remarked, “the beagle is the 'foothound of our country, indigenous to the soil.” The phrase “foothound” is significant. Larger packhounds such as foxhounds required hunters to follow on horseback, but the beagle could be followed on foot. This allowed those without the means to purchase a horse, and those who could not physically endure long days on horseback, to engage in hunting. The use of beagles opened up new possibilities for many across Europe.

The English royal family became quite fond of beagles, especially a miniature beagle, or pocket beagle, standing only about 9 inches high. Queen Elizabeth the first especially fancied them, and had a large pack of the tiny hounds. They were small enough to be carried in saddle bags. Also called “glove beagles”, they were said to be small enough to stand on an outstretched hand.

In the mid-18th century, foxhunting using the larger foxhounds became a popular aristocratic sport. The “blooded gentry” considered it a gentlemanly sport, and hare hunting with beagles fell out of style with the wealthy landowners. However, hunting hares with beagles continued, but mostly by smaller farmers in southern England, Wales, and Ireland, allowing the breed to continue to flourish.

Some early settlers in the American colonies brought some scent hounds with them, including beagles, but little is known, if so. In the 1870’s, General Richard Rowett, a veteran of the Union Army during the American Civil War, imported a good stock of beagles from England to breed locally in Illinois. Through his breeding efforts, he improved the beagle, if that is the correct word, and the interest in Rowett’s beagles exploded.

Beagles excelled in early dog shows, and the American Kennel Club registered its first beagle , named “Blunder” in 1885. The Beagle Club in England was established in 1890, and the National Beagle Club of America was formed shortly after, to promote the breed in both field trials and the show ring.

In 1892, the American Kennel club divided beagles into two classes for show purposes - those standing under 13 inches from the shoulder, and those that are 15 inches. Both varieties are described as sturdy, compact, and solid dogs. Their colors include lemon and white, red and white, black and white, blue and white, tan and white or tricolor. Their broad head is accentuated by its long, floppy ears, brown or hazel eyes, and often a white stripe down the snout.  The Royal Kennel Club, or simply the Kennel Club, describes the beagle as such: A merry hound whose essential function is to hunt, primarily hare, by following a scent. Bold, with great activity, stamina and determination. Alert, intelligent and of even temperament. While the AKC has divided beagles into two classes, the Royal Kennel Club defines the a single class between 33 and 40 cms, or 13 to 16 inches.

In the 1900’s beagles continued to increase in popularity as the quintessential family dog. Norman Rockwell often included beagles in his folksy Americana paintings. The May 26, 1943, edition of the Saturday Evening Post featured Rockwell’s painting, “The Homecoming G.I.,” depicting a tricolor beagle running to out to greet the soldier. October 4, 1950, cartoonist Charles Schulz introduced his character Snoopy to the world. Charlie Brown’s now famous beagle has been seen and loved by hundreds of millions of people in comic strips, television, the stage, and the iconic giant balloon that is a staple of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The AKC made its one and only exception that all dogs must be real, when it awarded a registration to Snoopy, with registration number Beagle-1. In 1953, the beagle surpassed the cocker spaniel as the AKC’s most popular dog.

Other famous beagles include a pair of littermates named Him and Her, belonging to U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson. In 1964, during an official meeting to discuss foreign investment at the White House, Johnson playfully lifted one of the dogs by its ears, causing the beagle to yelp loudly. He joked, “You see what a dog will do when it gets around bankers.” What was labeled as “the great earlift” wasn’t funny to the AKC, or the New York SPCA. 

With more than more than 225 million scent receptors, beagles have super-powered sniffers. Human beings have only 5 million, by comparison. In addition to being first class family pets, and outstanding hunting dogs, beagles are often used by law enforcement to sniff out illegal drugs and contraband. The US Department of Agriculture unveiled its “Beagle Brigade” in 1984, a team of beagles that have resulted in more than 75,000 annual seizures of illegal foods at airports, seaports, and border crossings.

The beagle remains one of the most popular breeds today, providing loyal, adorable, and lovable companionship worldwide.

If you are interested in owning a beagle, please contact the Beagle Freedom Network, a global organization dedicated to rehoming rescued beagles, many of which were used in animal testing laboratories. Visit bfp.org for more information. A link will also be included in this episode’s show notes. 

I also strongly urge anyone seeking to add a pet to their home to contact their local SPCA, Humane Society, Animal Control, rescue organization, or other nearby animal shelters, where millions of adoptable pets are waiting to find their forever home. And please, spay or neuter your pets to help reduce the homeless animal population. 

Now, it’s time to announce the next dog to be featured on Doggone History…I’ll start the randomizer, and here we go…It’s the Shih Tzu!

Please join me again next time. But until then, say hello to your dog for me, won’t you?