History
Beagles have been in existence since medieval times. The name ‘beagle’ is thought to be a derivative of the old English word for small, ‘beag’. Despite this uncertainty in the origin of its name, it’s still unclear how this breed came to be.
However, it is true that William The Conqueror in the 11th century brought a breed that came to have an ancestral link with the Beagle to Britain. This dog breed was the Talbot hound. It was only a matter of time for this breed to be crossed with Greyhounds which after many generations later, indirectly created the Beagle. Beagles were gaining more appreciation in England as Edward the second, Henry the seventh and Queen Elizabeth the 1st had beagles in their keep.
In the 1800s breeders from America started importing Beagles into their litter, and the cheery breed was recognized AKC recognized in 1884, right after it was established.