Dating back approximately six centuries, there is no specific period in time when the Beagle's origins can be dated to. However, around the 15th and 16th century when Henry VII was King of England, he began to use Beagle's as means to catching and retrieving small animals on his hunting excursions. At this point in time, these Beagle's were known as 'Glove Beagle's' for the fact they were small dogs and are quoted to have been small enough to sit in a man's hands.
The following two hundred years saw the 'Glove Beagle' be bred into a larger and more powerful type of Beagle. Bred and raised to primarily hunt rabbits, these Beagle's had an excellent sense of smell and the ability to follow a scent over long periods of grassland - very similar to today's Beagle's.
By the mid-1800's, the Beagle as we know it today had began to be bred. Still around 3 inches smaller than today's Beagle's at first, this breed of Beagle was developed for their attractive looks, personality and temperament, rather than purely for hunting purposes.
By the turn of the 20th century, the modern day Beagle population was rising continually and the Beagle was becoming one of the most adored dogs around.
