Where did the Beagle come from?
With ancestry dating back to 200 AD., the beagle was originated to hunt/trail small game (the hare and rabbit) by scent. The early development of the breed took place primarily in Great Britain. Imported from England to the U.S. early in the history of this country, beagles were used not only for the pursuit of game for food, but also are hunted as packs or braces for the pleasure of the sport. Hare hunting with small hounds was popular in England as early as the 14th Century, and while these hounds were likely of beagle type, that breed name was not yet in use. The actual origin of the name beagle is uncertain. It may have been derived from the old French be geule , meaning gape throat and referring to the baying voice of the hounds when in hot pursuit of their quarry. It has also been often suggested that the term refers to the diminutive size of the hound, possibly deriving from the Old English begele , or perhaps the French beigh or Celtic beag (all of which mean small). While the
