Whether it is trailing a rabbit or hare, sniffing its way around the show ring, or simply being a loveable family companion, the Beagle retains the cheerful yet workmanlike character that has made it popular for centuries. The breed was originally developed in England to accompany hunters on foot, who might spend all day hunting a single hare. This called for a dog with a good nose, persistence and stamina, but not necessarily speed. Packs of Beagles were kept by lesser landed gentry and well-to-do farmers who might not have the resources to keep packs of larger foxhounds.

Eventually, however, farmers worried about crop damage began to breed for a speedier hound that could take a number of hares in a single day. The two styles of hunting, compounded with the rise of conformation showing in the late 1800s, led to differences within the breed besides its two size varieties (13-inch and 15-inch). So while the Beagle may on the surface seem like a perfectly straightforward hound, as with many breeds that hail from a hunting heritage, it has fallen victim to a split in type, with field dogs and show dogs diverging in appearance and ability, but not in temperament.

A Split in Type and Variety
“At the turn of the century, they were all one Beagle,” says Richard Roth, former president of the National Beagle Club. “The people that were importing them from England were using them for both hunting and field trials, as well as showing them. Gradually, however, the conformation Beaglers for the most part [stopped field trialing their dogs and concentrated on the show ring]. The large majority of field-trial Beaglers don’t show their hounds, so they’ve become two separate worlds.”

Besides the differences between field and show dogs, there are differences among the field dogs themselves -- depending on whether their quarry is rabbit (which go to ground) or hare (which don’t), and whether they compete in brace trials (which favor slow-moving dogs and may last only a few minutes per brace) or large pack trials (which reward sound dogs with plenty of stamina). But after nearly a century of wrangling over what the Beagle should be, there are signs that it is again on the trail to being the beautiful, functional dog envisioned by the authors of the breed standard in 1888.

“I’m coming at this as a person who has a hunting pack, but I certainly have seen changes for the better in the conformation of field-trial Beagles,” says Roth. “Up until probably 10 or 15 years ago, the only AKC field-trial Beagles, with the exception of a very small group that hunted in large packs in the northern states, were the brace Beagles. [These dogs] had declined in conformation to the point where they were nearly useless for hunting, because they were not able to go out all day long and be able to do it the next day.”

“When the AKC approved a different format of field trial for Beagles -- the small-pack-option format -- the United Beagle Gundog Federation decided to have two components to their field trials, one for field performance and the other for conformation,” continues Roth. “When they started doing that, I think it helped raise the awareness in the field-trial Beagling community about how important it is to have a well-made hound as well as a good hunting hound, and how they go together naturally. If you look at the small-pack-option, which is the fastest-growing segment of the field-trial end of Beagling, the situation is getting better.”

One breeder who has been successful in both the field and the conformation ring is Mandy Bobbitt. “I have been hunting and showing Beagles for a number of years, and I have found certain lines that work very well,” she says. “For a long time, however, most show people didn’t take their Beagles to the field, so they weren’t taking into consideration the things you can’t judge in a show ring: the real desire to hunt, a good nose, being able to tell when a rabbit has turned and being able to follow that line accurately. I think more people are doing both, which is helping the breed.”

According to Bobbitt, just as exhibitors are acknowledging the importance of testing their hounds’ abilities in the field, the field people have started to take a harder look at conformation. “The small-pack-option and large-pack-on-hare [trialers] all want a Beagle that can last a longer period of time and can move a rabbit, so they require better conformation,” she says. “They have acknowledged that and are working toward it.”

Keeping Its Balance
In whatever arena it is performing, a Beagle’s most important characteristic is balance, says longtime fancier and judge Anna Katherine Nicholas. “They should have nice proportion and a pretty head, especially a very soft, pretty face,” says Nicholas. “They should be squarely built, with level toplines, nice straight fronts and well-angulated hindquarters.” In addition, notes Nicholas, a top show Beagle should have attitude and carry itself with confidence. “He must project himself well, he must be a pretty-looking dog and he must look proud of himself. And he should move very smoothly and be alert.”

That description is not much different from the way Roth describes a great field dog. “You know them when you see them because they have a way of carrying themselves and a way of moving,” says Roth. “When they’re in the field, they almost seem to float over the ground. Balance is really the key. You can have all the perfect parts, but if they don’t hang together, then [the complete picture] just doesn’t work.”

The well-put-together Beagle has the look of a dog that can go all day in the field, says breeder and professional handler Sharon Clark. “He should have the conformation that would allow him to do that: well-laid-back shoulders, a strong, powerful rear, and a good, long rib cage for heart and lungs and stamina.” That ability to go all day is where field dogs tend to beat out show dogs, says Clark. “I think the field dogs overall probably have a better shoulder and a better rear. The [field] dogs are a little longer, but they can go out in the field and last all day. I’m not sure a lot of our show dogs could do that.”

According to Clark, a trend toward a shorter back is part of the problem. The standard calls for a short back, but sometimes breeders take a good thing to excess. “I think probably one of the worst [faults] we have now is front-shoulder layback. The backs are too short for the proper shoulder, and if you get the proper shoulder, you’re going to have a slightly longer dog if he’s going to move correctly.” When the back is too short, Clark says, the shoulders are upright and the rears are straighter.

“We need to do a better job of educating judges as to the original intention of this breed,” continues Clark. “If a dog with an ultrashort back has straight shoulders and a straight rear, he could never last all day in the field.” Bobbitt agrees. “We should be thinking about having a good sloping shoulder, good upper arm and a driving rear,” she says. “That’s something I think we really need to emphasize.”

Field Beagles, says Roth, are not exempt from such problems. “In brace Beagles, the most common faults are excessive length and bone, legs that aren’t straight and bad feet. Among small-pack-option Beagles, there are some very good dogs, but it’s tough to get good, straight fronts and good shoulders,” he notes. “Like in any breed, fads emerge and people assume that if something is good, then even more of it is better. That’s where I think some of the excessive bone came in and some of the heads that were almost like Bulldog heads, where they lost the soft, pleading expression that a Beagle should have. In field trials, it’s the same thing: If slow is good, then even slower is better, or if fast is good, then even faster is better.”

Looking to the Future
Despite the differences in Beagle type, the realization that each has something to offer is bringing exciting changes to the breed. No matter what side of the fence they’re on, fanciers say the state of the breed is good. “At all times we need to improve, in every area, but we have some lovely examples of the breed out right now,” says Bobbitt. “When you see some nice Beagles that are being shown or are hunting well, that’s wonderful.”

Throughout her many years in the breed, Nicholas says she has seen Beagles at times when they weren’t nearly as good as they are now. “Competition is keen now in Beagles, and they’re good ones,” she says. Roth, too, is optimistic. “Things are looking up,” he says. “People are looking more at the complete Beagle and trying to develop a useful hound -- and many are having a lot of success.”

Kim Thornton is a free-lance writer and dog fancier from Southern California. She contributes frequently to the AKC GAZETTE.