The Beagle is believed to have been established as a separate and distinct breed in Great Britain prior to the Roman occupation of that country.  Some records seem to point to the breed's origin as being in ancient Greece and France.  It is a historical fact that the Beagle was an established hunting hound at the time of the Crusades.
     The Beagle was used by nearly all English country estates. For those who wished to have a dog that they could follow on foot, rather than with the aid of horses, the Beagle was ideal. The Beagle was used to hunt hares.  The difference between hunting hares  and hunting rabbit is when hunting hares they do not go to ground, they tend to backtrack, parallel trails, and circle about.  Rabbits on the other hand, go to ground, which means they enter their dens and wait until the dog and hunter are committed to one entrance, and they escape by means of a "back door".  Early in the morning, the hunter would take the Beagle to a known habitat of the hare, and release the dog.  Once the Beagle found the scent, it would begin to "sing" and the hunter would allow the dog to work the scent, and would position himself based on his knowledge of the terrain, where he believed the hare would most likely end up.  It is an accepted fact that the English breeders of the Beagle did more to develop and preserve the breed than any other nation.
     The Beagle was imported to the United States, but was not really cared for as a breed as it had been in Great Britain. The American Beagle was considerably smaller than the English, and did not have the physical attractiveness that the English variety possessed. In the 1870's a few fanciers became interested in seriously developing and preserving the Beagle as originally intended.  A General Richard Rowett, of Illinois, arranged to buy and import some excellent English type Beagles.  He set up a record keeping that would track the sire, dam and get of the breedings that took place.  His efforts became the turning point in the improvement of the American Beagle's appearance.  The American Kennel Club first registered a Beagle in 1885.  The National Beagle Club was formed in 1888, and the Breed Standard was accepted in the same year.
     Today the Beagle is still a very popular breed of dog, which unfortunately also makes it profitable for puppy mills to produce. This leads to many medical and genetic problems that originally were not known to this breed.  The Beagle is used not only as a family companion, the Beagle is seen in conformation (Dog Shows), Field Trials, as a Therapy Dog, and it is used by the U.S.D.A. at airports and custom inspections for the detection of prohibited plants and animals, and their products.  The Beagle sniffs out contraband in baggage.  The customs inspectors like the Beagle not only for its accurate nose, but its diminutive size does not intimidate the public.  The Beagle is used by law enforcement personnel to detect arson accelerants at suspicious fires.  Another unusual use is the dog is useful in detecting termites.  The Beagle is unfortunately still used in scientific and laboratory experimentation.
     With all the jobs that the Beagle has been found to be useful in, it is still excellent at being man's best friend.