In the British fields and forests, a breed of dogs specialized in detect odors at long distance to hunt small mammals.
He beagle It is a breed of dog known for its friendly and sociable character that belongs to the group of trail hounds.
His story is the result of the search for a dog with excellent sense of smell that would help the hunters to get in the way rabbits and hares in the British fields.
Beagles are descended from bloodhound dogs.
Beagles belong to the group of hounds (scenthounds)a category of dogs artificially selected for centuries by humans for follow the trail of prey through its smell.
The first types of bloodhound dogs came to England in the middle of the century XI.
He talbot houndalso known as the Saint Hubert Houndit was a breed of dog – today extinct– small in size that inhabited the south of England in the Middle Ages and it is believed that he was one of the main ancestors of the beagle.
The nobles of the time used the talbot hound to compete in hunting of hares, rabbits and foxes, since this breed stood out for its sense of smell and its ability to follow trails.
In the middle of the century XVIIthe ancient lineages of talbot hound gave rise to other dog breeds in England such as the southern hound and the north country beagle.
The Industrial Revolution fueled the emergence of the beagle
The arrival of the Industrial revolution formed new wealthy classes of merchants, manufacturers and industrialists, who began to copy the practices of the aristocracyamong them, the sport hunting.
The search for a small, agile dog with excellent sense of smell that helped sport hunting promoted the first crosses between the different breeds of hound dogs that lived in Great Britain.
However, it was not until the year 1830 that the Anglican priest Phillip Honeywood established a hatchery beagles an Essex and, although there is no formal record, it is believed that the kennel was made up mainly of dogs southern hound and the north country beagle.
The pack descended from the Honeywood kennel constituted the base for the training of the modern beagle.
However, Honeywood focused solely on hunting dogs and it was not until the 1970s. 1850 when the breeder Thomas Johnson He began to perfect the breed, working not only on the animal’s sense of smell, but also on the temperament, character and appearance of the breed.
Towards the end of the century XIX The breed was widely known throughout the country and in 1890 was founded The Beagle Club in England.
In 1895 was published on first official breed standard and the beagle began to be recognized throughout the world.
The beagle: the breed with the best sense of smell
He sense of smell of beagles is one of their best qualities and they complement it with a remarkable ability to concentrate that they can keep following trails for hours.
An investigation published in the year 2025 in the magazine scientific reports compared the olfactory performance of different dog breeds.
The study was led by ethologists and cognitive scientists from the Universidad de Eötvös Loránd (ELTE), who designed a test to evaluate the sense of smell of dogs.
The investigation revealed that the beagle was the breed of dog that the faster he found the foodsurpassing Labradors, golden retrievers, cocker spaniels and bloodhounds.
Beagles need good training
Beagles can weigh between 9 to 16 kilos and have a height of approximately 33 a 40 centimeters.
They have a short, tricolor coat that combines tones throughout their body. brown, black and white.
In general, this breed of dog tends to be very energeticso it is necessary to good training since they are puppies to control his temper.
Beagles have a very friendly nature, they are very friendly dogs. curious, sociable and above all affectionatewhich makes them an ideal breed as a pet for children and older adults.
The genetic connection of beagles to humans
A study published in the year 2016 in the magazine Nature evaluated the social behavior of 400 beagles.
The research led by Swedish Per Jensen consisted of placing a puzzle where there was food which was impossible to solve for these dogs.
Although some beagles tried to solve the problem on their own, the vast majority quickly sought physical contact with humans to ask for help.
Additionally, the research found regions of ADN of the beagle associated with that type of behavior, including the SEZ6L and the ARVCFgenes that are related to the human neurological development.
Due to its energetic character, this breed of dog needs to do outdoor activities and walking several times a day to keep them healthy and happy.
The average lifespan of a Beagle is 12 to 15 years old and are prone to problems hearing and obesity.
Beagles are a ideal breed for any family. Almost two centuries after their creation, these dogs continue to be one of the most chosen for their affection, energy and fidelity.
