| |
From Wikipedia The Beagle is a
breed of medium-sized dog. A member of the hound group, it is similar in
appearance to the Foxhound but smaller, with shorter legs and longer,
softer ears. Beagles are scent hounds developed primarily for tracking
hare, rabbit, and other game. They have a keen sense of smell and
tracking instinct that often sees them employed as detection dogs for
prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine around the
world. They are popular as pets because of their size, even temper, and
lack of inherited health problems. These characteristics also make them
the dog of choice for animal testing.
Although beagle-type dogs have existed for over 2,000 years, the modern
breed was developed in 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 latterly in film, television and comic
books. Snoopy of the comic strip Peanuts has been promoted as "the
world's most famous beagle".
|
|