In light of the fact that a beautiful beagle, Miss P, won the Westminster Kennel Club top prize just this week, we’re taking a look at some of our favorite fun facts about the much-loved breed.
1. The earliest “Beagles” were just 8 or 9 inches in height and called “Pocket Beagles.” As hunting increased in popularity in the mid-18th century, larger dogs became more prominent. Pocket Beagles are said to have been extinct by 1901. (Source)
2. The models for the first American standard Beagles were imported to America from England in the early 1870s. (Source)
3. Beagles’ tails are “dipped in white paint” so that hunters could find the dogs as they chased their prey. (Source)
4. Him and Her, two Beagles born in 1963, spent their years in the White House with President Lyndon B. Johnson. (For more on presidents’ dogs, check out this beautiful photo piece from Time.)
5. Beagles are pack animals. Because of that instinct, they love being in a family as much as we love having them in ours. They look for companionship more than some other, more independent breeds.
Do you have a Beagle in your family? What do you love about the breed? Share your favorite facts in a comment!
