The origin of the word "beagle" doubts. It's thought that it may have been originated from the French word begueule, suggesting open throat, or from the Old English word beag, suggesting small. Others believe it might have come from the French word beugler, meaning to bellow, or the German word begele, suggesting to scold.
Greek documents from 400 B.C. explain Beagle-like pet dogs, and the Romans might have brought little rabbit-hunting hounds with them to England and bred them with the regional hounds. William the Conqueror apparently brought Talbot hounds (now extinct) to England throughout the Norman Conquest in 1066. These pets are believed to be the forefathers of the Beagle and the Foxhound.
Throughout the reigns of Edward II (1307 - 1327) and Henry VII (1485 - 1509), very small beagles, called Glove Beagles, were popular. They apparently were little sufficient to be held in a gloved hand. There's also discuss of Singing Beagles, named for their bugling voices. View Details (1533 - 1603) kept packs of Pocket Beagles that stood just 9 inches high.
They were utilized for searching, however rapidly fell out of favor due to the fact that they weren't extremely fast. In the 1700s, fox searching ended up being popular in England, and the Beagle fell out of favor as the bigger Foxhound became the pet of option. If it hadn't been for the farmers in England, Ireland, and Wales who continued to keep packs to hunt bunny and hare, the breed may have become extinct at that time.
These dogs are believed to be the ancestors of the contemporary Beagle. Rev. Honeywood bred for searching abilities, not looks. Thomas Johnson, a fellow Englishman, was accountable for reproducing Beagles who were both appealing and good hunters. At about the exact same time, American breeders started importing Beagles from England to enhance the appearances of their own pets.
American breeders began reproducing them to be smaller for bunny hunting. Of interest is the "Patch" Beagle pressure developed by Willet Randall in New York City around 1880. The line is mostly white with a large tri-colored area. They were incredibly popular in the 1940s and 1950s because they were able to run so quick.
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