It is a popular pet due to its size, good temper, and a lack of inherited health problems. From medieval times, beagle was used as a generic description for the smaller hounds, though these dogs differed considerably from the modern breed. The larger hounds would run the prey to ground, then the hunters would release the small dogs to continue the chase through underbrush. Elizabeth I referred to the dogs as her singing beagles and often entertained guests at her royal table by letting her Pocket Beagles cavort amid their plates and cups. 19th-century sources refer to these breeds interchangeably and it is possible that the two names refer to the same small variety. Beagles are considered a chondrodystrophic breed, meaning that they are prone to types of disk diseases.
n/a
n/a