Christy McDowell, LVT, VTS (ECC)
Where Are Beagles From?
The true origin of the Beagle is unknown, though a rabbit hunting dog similar to the Beagle was around as early as the 14th Century. In the mid-19th century, a British hunter named Parson Honeywood developed a pack of dogs that is now thought to be the beginning of the modern Beagle. These dogs were bred to track with their noses and, when hunting in a pack, they alert with baying cries that can echo across a field.
Prior to the 1860s in the American South, small hounds called Beagles were popular, but they were quite different from the aforementioned British dogs. Their coats were mostly white, with a body closer to that of a Basset Hound or Dachshund. Their temperament was also not as friendly. Around 1880, the importation of British Beagles brought changes to the American bloodline, which produced the dogs we know and love today.
