Origins
The beagle is a breed of small hound that is similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle is a scent hound, developed primarily for hunting hare. With a great sense of smell and superior tracking instinct, the beagle is employed as detection dog for prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine around the world. The beagle is intelligent but single-minded. It is a popular pet due to its size, good temper, and lack of inherited health problems. Although beagle-type dogs have existed for 2,500 years, the modern breed was developed in Great Britain around the 1830s from several breeds, including the Talbot Hound, the North Country Beagle, the Southern Hound, and possibly the Harrier. Beagles have been depicted in popular culture since Elizabethan times in literature and paintings, and more recently in film, television, and comic books. Snoopy of the comic strip Peanuts has been called "the world's most famous beagle". The origin of the word "beagle" is uncertain, although it has been suggested that the word derives from the French begueule.
Lifestyle
It is in a Beagle's nature to be a loyal companion. They are usually gentle, but they can be as robust and as tough as you care to make it. ... Affectionate and obedient with its owners, a Beagle should never be nervous or aggressive under any circumstances. Alongside the Bloodhound and Basset Hound, the beagle has one of the best developed senses of smell of any dog, so plenty of long countryside walks are recommended for this lovely breed of dog.
Notable
Beagles have been featured across a wide range of media. References to the dog appear before the 19th century in works by such writers as William Shakespeare, John Webster, John Dryden, Thomas Tickell, Henry Fielding, and William Cowper, as well as in Alexander Pope's translation of Homer's Iliad.
Beagles appeared in funny animal comic strips and animated cartoons from the 1950s with Courage the Cowardly Dog and the Peanuts character Snoopy billed as "the world's most famous Beagle".
Former US President Lyndon Baines Johnson had several beagles.
The ship on which Charles Darwin made the voyage which provided much of the inspiration for On the Origin of Species was named HMS Beagle after the breed, and, in turn, lent its name to the ill-fated British Martian lander Beagle 2.
A Canadian bred 15 inch female Beagle with the registered name of Gr Ch Tashtins Lookin For Trouble
The Beagle named "Miss P" won the 2015 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Lifespan
The typical life expectancy of a Beagle is between 12-15 years, which is a common lifespan for dogs of their size.
Health
Beagles may be prone to epilepsy, but this can often be controlled with medication. Hypothyroidism and a number of types of dwarfism occur in beagles. Two conditions in particular are unique to the breed: "Funny Puppy", in which the puppy is slow to develop and eventually develops weak legs, a crooked back and although normally healthy, is prone to a range of illnesses; Hip dysplasia, common in Harriers and in some larger breeds, is rarely considered a problem in beagles. Beagles are considered a chondrodystrophic breed, meaning that they are prone to types of disk diseases. Weight gain can be a problem in older or sedentary dogs, which in turn can lead to heart and joint problems. In rare cases, beagles may develop immune mediated polygenic arthritis (where the immune system attacks the joints) even at a young age. The symptoms can sometimes be relieved by steroid treatments. Another rare disease in the breed is neonatal cerebellar cortical degeneration. Affected puppies are slow, have lower co-ordination, fall more often and don't have a normal gait. It has an estimated carrier rate of 5% and affected rate of 0.1%. A genetic test is available. Their long floppy ears can mean that the inner ear does not receive a substantial air flow or that moist air becomes trapped, and this can lead to ear infections. Beagles may also be affected by a range of eye problems; two common ophthalmic conditions in beagles are glaucoma and corneal dystrophy. "Cherry eye", a prolapse of the gland of the third eyelid, and distichiasis, a condition in which eyelashes grow into the eye causing irritation, sometimes exist; both these conditions can be corrected with surgery. They can suffer from several types of retinal atrophy. Failure of the nasolacrimal drainage system can cause dry eye or leakage of tears onto the face. Beagles may exhibit a behaviour known as reverse sneezing, in which they sound as if they are choking or gasping for breath, but are actually drawing air in through the mouth and nose. The exact cause of this behaviour is not known, but it can be a common occurrence and is not harmful to the dog.
Ideal Weight
Female: 9-10kg
Male: 10-11kg