1. Snoopy

Coming in number one on our list, Snoopy, is arguably the worlds most famous beagle. Created by Charles Schulz, Snoopy made his comic strip debut in 1950 as Charlie Brown’s pet dog.

According to Wikipedia, his original name was supposed to be ‘Sniffy’, but there was another comic strip already using that name, so Schulz went with the name ‘Snoopy’ because his mother said thats the name she would give to the next dog they got.

After sixty years of the limelight, Snoopy still makes appearances in comic strips and numerous televisions specials.

2. Odie

Coming in at number two for famous beagles, is Odie from the Garfield comic strip. Created by Jim Davis, Odie made his comic strip debut in 1978 as the pet of Jon Arbuckle’s roommate.

Originally named ‘Spot’, Davis changed his name to Odie because a fellow cartoonist already had a character by that name. Instead, Odie got his name from a commercial Davis wrote about a car dealership, which featured “Odie the Village Idiot”. With his unusually large tongue and pools of slobber, Odie is portrayed as the goofy best friend of Garfield.

Oddly, in the live-action movies, Odie is not portrayed as a beagle, but is actually a dachshund.

3. Underdog

Underdog is another famous beagle that got his animated start in a TV series that debuted in 1964 on NBC. The series ran for 124 episodes before going to syndication in 1973.

The series was basically a parody of Superman, with the premise being that Underdog was an undercover superhero living as ‘Shoeshine Boy’. Like superman, when needed, Underdog quickly changes in a phone booth and has the ability to fly, possesses super strength and is not affected by normal weapons.

4. Gromit

Gromit gets his fame from the animated series ‘Wallace and Gromit’. Filmed entirely in stop motion clay animation, Gromit is a silent beagle that only communicates through body language and facial expressions.

For a dog, Gromit is quite intelligent. He has a degree for Engineering for Dogs, he likes to knit, cook and read the newspaper. Interestingly enough, the folks at NASA were inspired enough to named one of their Mars explorer prototype robots Gromit.

5. Mr. Peabody, from Rocky & Bullwinkle

First appearing in the 1950’s, Mr. Peabody was a regular character on Rocky & Bullwinkle. Always appearing with ‘Sherman’, a naive young boy who was also his owner, Mr. Peabody was a genius dog that built a time machine that they used to travel through time to witness famous historical events.

Sherman and Mr. Peabody would discover that these historical events never went down as they were described in modern day, so they would try to change the course of history, in order to have the events happen as we all know it.

6. Poochie, from ‘The Simpsons’

Our next famous beagle is Poochie, from the Simpsons. He had a short-run career in “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show“.

Poochie made his first appearance on ‘The Simpsons’ in 1997. In the episode, Krusty the Clown wants to boost his ratings, so to they decide to shake things up with a new character on ‘The Itchy & Scratchy Show’. Homer ends up voicing the character, but nobody likes the new addition, so Poochie is killed off shortly afterwards, despite Homers attempts to keep the character alive.

Honorable Mention – The Beagle Boys

You may know ‘The Beagle Boys’ from DuckTales. We have them listed as honorable mention, because, frankly, we’re not really sure if they are beagles. They are referred to as beagles, but they don’t really resemble the characteristics of the breed.

Referred to by their prison numbers, there were seven ‘Beagle Boys’ that made appearances in many Walt Disney productions, even though they are most commonly known from DuckTales. Ma Beagle was the head honcho and matriarch of the group, who would do anything she could to help her sons escaped from jail.

Odd fact: There is an Italian punk band that is named after the Beagle Boys. They go by Banda Bassotti.

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• The History of Beagles
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• Lemon Beagle Picking on a Pit Bull [VIDEO]

Despite the early origins tied to ancient Greece, the Beagle breed as we are familiar with, is said to have originated in England during the 11th century, after William the Conqueror brought the Talbot hound to Britain. The English Talbots were then bred with Greyhounds, which gave way to a new breed called the Southern Hound. This new breed is believed to be the early ancestors of the Beagle breed as we know.

In fact, it was known that royalty in Great Britain kept packs of these hounds for hunting purposes. Due to the strong scenting ability, Beagle’s were originally bred to hunt rabbits and hares. Even today, beagles are commonly used for hunting, but are mostly just family pets.

Beagles & The United States

In the early 1800’s, the breed started to make its way over to the United States, specifically for hunting purposes. However, Beagles were not cared for in the same manner as they were in England. This all changed in the 1870’s, when General Richard Rowett from Illinois made attempts to improve the bloodline of the breed. He imported dogs from England, started breeding them and kept careful records of each dog. The dogs he bred came to be known as “Rowett’s Beagles” and by 1885, the American Kennel Association recognized Beagles as an official breed. Three years later, the National Beagle Club was formed, and the high-standard for this breed was officially established.

As mentioned above, for a six-year period during the 1950’s, Beagles were the most popular and desired breed in the United States. While Beagles are no longer the most popular dog breed, they are still ranked in the top ten most popular, according to the American Kennel Club. Ironically enough, in the UK Beagles are no longer a popular breed, barely ranking in the top 30.

The Story Behind the Name

While the origin of the word “beagle” isn’t known, the Oxford English Dictionary reports that the word was first used in a book called Esquire of Low Degree in 1475. It has been suggested that the word stems from the French word “begueule” which means “open throat”. Others have suggested I comes from an Old English word “baeg” which means “little”. Other less likely possibilities include the German word “begele” which means “to scold”.

Why Beagles Make Great Pets

Because of their sweet, friendly nature, Beagles make a great pet for families. They are usually great with kids, and will spend hours entertaining your children, so you don’t have to. However, due to the overwhelming popularity of Beagles, there has been an explosion of puppy mills that care more about making money, than breeding healthy dogs. It is because of greedy individuals like this, that you must do plenty of research on not only the breed, but who is breeding them.

Keep a close eye on internet reviews, go into dog forums and discuss breeders in your area that take care of their dogs, or even talk to your veterinarian about respectable breeders they may know of. Ask for information and recommendations, because the more you know, the better off you will be. Beagles that come from a good bloodline, will bring their families plenty of love, and tons of fun for many years to come.

Training your beagle is not only important, but essential for running a happy home.

Obviously you don’t want a dog that is so out of control that they go to the bathroom everywhere or is destroying your home and valuables. Here we will discuss some of the most important training tips that will help you raise your beagle to be the perfect pet and roommate for your family!

1. Be Patient & Fair

It is important that your Beagle has an understanding of what you are asking, before you correct or punish him (or her) for not following your command correctly. With that said, it is also important that the punishment fits the crime. You should never correct or punish your dog just to release anger or clearing out the built-up emotions by unloading them on your beagle.

Instead, keep the lines of communication open, send them the message that they did wrong, in a stern, strong voice, but still let him know what role he plays in your family. Remember, the way you punish and/or correct your beagle, is another way to strengthen (or weaken) the bond you have. Think of it this way, ask yourself if you’re being fair BEFORE you react in the wrong way.

2. Be Positive, No Matter What Happens

It is very important to have the right attitude while training your beagle. While this shouldn’t even be said, there are many pet owners that give up or punish their dog for not catching on right away. It is essential for beagle training, that you praise your pup at the right time and in an appropriate manner.

Praise is free, so use it to your advantage! Praise your beagle when you can see that they are TRYING to get it right. Use praise when you can see that they are focusing on the task and giving you their attention, because that is the first step. When they succeed, shower them with your love and affection. No matter what, it is important for you to communicate the message that you’re proud of your pup. If they can understand that you’re proud, you will have no problems training your beagle.

3. Play on the same team

When training your beagle, another essential tip, is to remember to play on the same team. Training your beagle is not a “You vs Your Dog” effort. It is more like you both are playing on the same time, but in different positions.

More accurately, think of yourself as the quarterback that makes all the play calls. Your dog is more like your running back or your wide receiver, that finishes the play you started. If they don’t finish the play, you can’t win. Like playing football, training your beagle is a team effort. Of course, before you can “play the game” your pup must learn the plays first.

4. Spend Time With Your Beagle

In order for your beagle and you to be on the same team, you must spend an adequate amount of time with him. Teaching your beagle the tricks and commands you want, will not be an overnight endeavor. It will take a little bit of time and dedication. Try bring him into more aspects of your life. Let him sleep in a crate or doggy bed next to your bed. Practice the simple commands on a daily basis. Going at a slow pace is a good thing. It will provide you with more opportunities for interaction and practice, which will ultimately improve the reliability of your Beagle.

Beagles are a very intelligent breed. If you show your pup the things he needs to learn and teach him how to complete your commands, but most importantly, stay positive and loving, your dog will be the most obedient on the block.