ifo The Sporting Dog 



ance and the purpose of his existence. The most 

 important feature of the beagle from a bench 

 standpoint is the head, which includes ears. 

 Under the standard favored by most judges the 

 head makes up over one-third of the total scoring, 

 or, to be exact, thirty-five points. Much impor- 

 tance is attached to the eyes, which must be full 

 and pleading, the general beagle expression, and 

 the ears, which should be very long and of pliable 

 leather. Frequently in ordinary-sized beagles the 

 ears spread nearly or quite seventeen inches. 

 Beagle judges also are sticklers for coat, demand- 

 ing a rough and hard texture, the reason being 

 that the dog must do his work in briers and other 

 severe cover. The tail or brush is also looked 

 upon as a cardinal point of type. The color 

 should preferably be the tri-color, or white-black- 

 tan, of the best foxhounds ; but it may also be 

 white-and-black, white-and-tan, or mottled. Some- 

 times straight-bred beagles are almost solidly 

 black-and-tan, or tan. The outside limit of size 

 of a beagle is fifteen inches at the shoulder. Both 

 in field trials and on the bench it is common to 

 divide entries into two classes ; those between 

 thirteen and fifteen inches, and those under 

 thirteen. 



In the central West the beagle is used very 

 little. Rabbits are too plentiful. Consequently 

 the beagle is, in the first place, not needed, and, in 



