Raining Cats & DogsDog Year 2027 · Every Day Has Its Dog
Week 14 · Apr 4 – Apr 10

Beagle

A nose with a dog attached, and no off switch.

Beagle

The Beagle is mostly nose. The rest of the dog is there to carry it.

English hunters bred the breed to follow rabbits on foot. A pack worked together, heads down, voices up. The AKC recognized the Beagle in 1885.

That nose holds around 220 million scent receptors. A person has about six million. Give a Beagle a trail and the rest of the world disappears.

It still works for a living. The USDA Beagle Brigade sniffs out smuggled fruit and meat in airport baggage. The breed was chosen for the nose, and for a face no traveler minds meeting.

Fame came too. Snoopy made the silhouette a star. Uno won Best in Show at Westminster in 2008, the first Beagle ever to do it. Miss P won it again in 2015.

Living with one means living with the nose. A Beagle on a scent is deaf to you. It needs a fence, patience, and a latched pantry.

11Dogs of Spring countdown, 13 to 1annual rank No. 7 (AKC)

America’s favorite scent hound (AKC)

Expected age
10–15 years
Height
13–15 in
Weight
20–30 lb
Breed group
Hound
Origin
England

Origin of the Name

Likely from the old French begueule, a loud mouth, or the Celtic beag, small. Either fits.

Notable Beagles

Snoopy, the world’s best-known cartoon dog. Uno, Best in Show at Westminster in 2008. Miss P, in 2015.

Good to Know

The nose rules the dog. Off leash, a Beagle follows a trail over the horizon. Needs a fence, company, and watching at mealtimes.

A Working Nose

The USDA Beagle Brigade screens airport baggage for food and contraband. A world-class nose and a face too friendly to alarm anyone.

By the Numbers

Recognized by the AKC in 1885. About six puppies to a litter. A top-ten American breed for most of the last century.

The week
Beagle on SundaySundayApr 4Beagle on MondayMondayApr 5Beagle on TuesdayTuesdayApr 6Beagle on WednesdayWednesdayApr 7Beagle on ThursdayThursdayApr 8Beagle on FridayFridayApr 9Beagle on SaturdaySaturdayApr 10Last walk of the weekLast WalkWeek close

Shop the Beagle

FOLLOW YOUR NOSE. A mug and a tee made for the Beagle fan.

FOLLOW YOUR NOSE Beagle mugMug11 oz or 15 ozFOLLOW YOUR NOSE Beagle teeT-shirtPhotos on the frontDog Breeds book coverDog BreedsNo. 7 of 50
See the Beagle mug and teeRead about the Beagle in Dog Breeds

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Books from Raining Cats & Dogs

Cat Breeds coverCat BreedsBreed guideDog Breeds coverDog BreedsBreed guideEvery Dog Has His Day coverEvery Dog Has His DayIdiom bookThe Cat's Pajamas coverThe Cat's PajamasIdiom book
Dog Year 2027 · Every Day Has Its Dog · Raining Cats & Dogs