The Beagle is such an old breed that their origin has been lost through out history. It’s assumed that they were much smaller then the Beagle we know today. Back in the day, they were only eight to nine inches high and could fit in a pocket. It is well known that Queen Elizabeth loved and owned a Pocket Beagle, which was small enough to fit in one hand.
The modern Beagle that we know today, originated in England around the Roman Empire Era. They became quite popular back then thanks to fox hunting. A Beagle, with its powerful nose, was the prefect hound for fox hunting.
How is a Beagles Sense of Smell
Beagles nose are some of the best in the dog world. The average human has about 5 million scent receptors compared to a beagle which has over 220 million scent receptors. A beagles nose is so powerful that it can pick up more the 50 distinct odors. If that was not impressive enough, they can also differentiate smells and remember them in the future.
There powerful nose have landed them important jobs in the world. They can be trained to sniff out bedbugs in homes. Law enforcers have used them to help sniff out drugs and even more impressive the Department of Agriculture said that Beagles are the most effective way to prevent the spread of disease and insects. They are trained to patrol airports and identify meats and other produce that might be carrying disease or foreign bugs.
Different Sounds Beagles Make.
Beagles have three different sounds that they can make. The first sound is a standard bark, just like any other dog they use their bark every day.
The second sound is a howl. Remember Beagles are hound dogs. Howling is what they are bred to do. Some Beagles will learn to howl before they leave the nest, while others will take a bit longer to learn this skill, but it is only a matter of time before they pick up on it.
The third sound is called a bay. A bay sounds like a doggy yodeling . They use this sound to alert other dogs that they have found or picked up a scent.