The Kerry Beagle ( gle, An Pocadán Ciarraíoch) is the only extant

scent hound Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785 Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of hound that primarily hunts by scent rather than ...

breed native to Ireland.

Description

Appearance

It is unclear why the name 'beagle' has been applied, as the Kerry Beagle is a medium-sized hound; height is between 56–61 cm (22–24 in), weight is up to 27 kg (60 lb), sharing little in common with the

Beagle The beagle is a breed of small scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting hare, known as beagling. Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking instincts, th ...

. The Kerry Beagle has a broad head, a short coat and long ears, black and tan is the more common colour but the coat may be tan and white, blue mottled and tan or black. The breed's looks suggests speed and endurance.

Temperament

This breed of dog is a pack hound and does hold the hunting instinct strong. They do however make very good pets as they are good with children and other dogs. They require a lot of exercise, regular twice to three times daily walks and free runs.

History and use

The Kerry Beagle believed to date back to the 16th century; detailed pedigrees date back as far as 1794. By the 1800s the Kerry Beagle's numbers had dwindled in Ireland, with only one major pack maintained, the famous Scarteen of

County Limerick "Remember Limerick" , image_map = Island_of_Ireland_location_map_Limerick.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Republic of Ireland, Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Provinces of Ireland, Province , subd ...

belonging to the Ryan family, which still exists today.Alderton, p 86. Originally bred as staghounds, today they are used to hunt

fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

and hare and take part in

drag hunting Drag hunting or draghunting is a form of equestrian sport, where mounted riders hunt the trail of an artificially laid scent with hounds. Description Drag hunting is conducted in a similar manner to fox hunting, with a field of mounted riders fol ...

. The Kerry Beagle was taken by many Irish immigrants to the Americas, and is considered a foundation breed in the development of the

Coonhound A coonhound, colloquially a coon dog, is a type of scenthound, a member of the hound group. They are an American type of hunting dog developed for the hunting of raccoons, hence their name, and also for feral pigs, bobcats, cougars, and bears. ...

s. The name 'Beagle' is thought to derive from the Irish word 'beag' meaning 'small'.

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

* Alderton, David, ''Hounds of the World'', Swan Hill Press, Shrewsbury, 2000, . * Cunliffe, Juliette, ''The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds'' Parragon, 2001, . * Fogle, Bruce, ''The Encyclopedia of the Dog'', DK Publishing, New York, 2009, . * Hancock, David, ''Hounds: Hunting by Scent'', The Crowood Press Ltd, Marlborough, 2014, . * Holland, Anne, ''Hunting: portrait'', Little Brown, London, 2003, .

External links

Scarteen
website {{Irish dogs Dog breeds originating in Ireland