The Beagle is a member of the hounds, with some similarities to the Foxhound. The Beagle is however slightly smaller, with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Primarily developed for tracking hare, rabbit and other game, they have a keen sense of smell and are great at tracking down games. The Beagles have very keen sense of smell and because of that special characteristic, they are usually engaged as detection dogs to sniff out banned agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine around the world. They also make great pets because of their size, unvarying temper and lack of inherited health problems.

While such dogs have been around for over 2,000 years, the present day breed was created in Great Britain right about the 1830s from several breeds. By 1840s, Beagles were officially in United States. In 1884, the Beagle was accepted as a breed by the American Kennel Club. By the 20^th century, the breed has spread throughout the world.

The Beagle has a broad head and short muzzle, with legs shorter in proportion to the body. This is a result of beagles being trained to use their sense of smell often, and they would have to bend down a lot. Beagles generally have large hazel or brown eyes, with a mild hound-like pleading look. They have large ears that are long and soft. The ears turn in towards the cheeks slightly and are rounded at the ends. The Beagle has a muscular body and a medium-length, smooth, hard coat. The front legs are straight and carried under the body while the rear legs are muscular and well bent at the stifles. Beagles appear in a range of colours, but the tricolour is the most common. They can also occur in any hound colour.

The Beagle has one of the best developed senses of smell of any dog. However, they are better at following a trail on the ground than at air-scenting. Probably, the long ears and large lips of the Beagle help in enclosing the scents close to the nose.

The Beagle has a mild temper and gentle disposition. They are usually sociable and are not hostile or timid. They enjoy being with company, although they are a little apprehensive with strangers at the start. However, they are easily won over. For that, they don’t make good guard dogs. However, because of their tendency to howl or bark when threatened with the unknown, they make very good watch dogs. Beagles are intelligent but can be stubborn, which makes training challenging. They are also easily distracted by smells around them.

Beagles make very good family pets are they are fantastic with children. However, the only downside is that they are very likely to have separation anxiety as they are more comfortable in numbers. In such cases, they tend to howl or bark. Beagles generally get along with other dogs as well. Although they do not wear out quick, they do not need to be worked out to exhaustion before they are willing to rest. However, it is always good to exercise them as this breed is prone to weight gain.

Beagles may show signs of a unique behaviour identified as reverse sneezing. It makes them sound as though they are choking or gasping for breath, but they are actually drawing air in through the mouth and nose. The exact cause of this behaviour is not known, but it is not harmful to the dog.