Beagle

Beagle One of the most popular of the hounds, Special Beagel puppies are among the cutest critters on Gods green Earth. Doubters of this bit of wisdom are referred to the soft drink commercial of several years ago in which a pack of Beagle puppiesoverwhelmed a small child, bringing gales of laughter as they licked his face. No one could watch that commercial without bursting into hearty laughter themselves or without gaining isstant appreciation for the puppies that brought such joy to a little boy. This hound whose descendents are from france * 11 th Century *, was further developed by the English as a trail hound. Beagles mea sure up to 15 inches at the shoulders and have a short, hard coat which comes in a variety of colors. Regular grooming and ear care is required. The Beagle makes a great family pet as well as an excellent playmate for children.
	General appearance A sturdy, compactly built hound, conveying the inpression of quality wihout coarseness. Characteristics A merry hound whose essential function is to hunt, primarily hare, by following a scent. Bold, with great activity, stamina and determination. Alert, intelligent and of even tempetrament. Temperament Amiable and alert, showing no aggression or timidity. Head and skull Fair lenght, powerful without being coarse, finer in the bitch, free from frown and wrinkly.Skull slightly domed, moderately wide, with slight peak. Stop well defined and dividing length, between occiput and tip of nose, as equally as possible. Muzzle not snipy, lips reasonably well flewed. Nose broad, preferably black, but less pigmentation permissible in lighter coloured hounds. Nostrils wide.
	Eyes Dark brown or hazel, fairly large, not deep set or prominent, set well apart with mild appealing expression. Ears Long, with rounded tip, reaching nearly to end of nose when drawn out. Set on low, fine in texture and hanging gracefully close to cheeks. Mouth The jaws should be strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Neck Sufficiently long to enable hound to come down easily to scent, slightly arched and showing little dewlap.
	ForeQuarters Shoulders well laid back, not loaded . Forelegs straight and upright well under the hound, good substance, andround in bone, not tapering off to feet. Pasterns short. Elbows firm, turning neither in nor out. Height to elbow about half height at withers. Body Topline straight and level. Chest let down to below elbow. Ribs well sprung and extending well back. Short in the couplings but well balanced. Loins powerful and supple, without excessive tuck-up. HindQuarters Muscular thights. Stifles well bent. Hocks firm, well let down and parallel to each other. Feet Tight and firm. Well Knuckled up and strongly padded. Not hare-footed. Nails short. Tail Sturdy, moderately long. Set on high, carried gaily but not curled over back or inclined forward from root. Well covered with hair, especially on underside.
	Gait/Movement Back level, firm with no indication of roll. Stride free, long-reaching in front and straight without high action; hindlegs showing drive. Should not move close behind nor paddle nor plait in front. Coat Short, dense and weatherproof. Colour Any recognised hound colour other than liver. Tip of stern white. Size Desirable minimum height at withers: 33 cms (13 ins). Desirable maximum height at withers: 40 cms (16 ins). Faults Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree. Note Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
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