What is a pedigree?

Your Beagle's pedigree is his family tree.  It is a listing of his genetic heritage. The topside of the pedigree is always the sire (or father), and the dam (or mother) is always listed on the bottom side.  Here are a few abbreviations of titles or awards you might see on your pups pedigree, either preceding the dogs name, or following it.  Since there are so many folks who are now competing for multiple titles, we decide to provide a list of them. There are also numerous agility titles, which I will include at a later date.
 

Pocket beagles were very popular tiny beagle back in the days of Queen Elizabeth I.   Tiny hounds measuring 9 inches and under at the shoulder were very popular especially with the ladies of the court. There is many  books and paintings of the time that show a tiny hound, but more pointy in face, with short crook little legs. They certainly did not look very "beagley" and look nothing like our beagle of today. However, today, while there are a few small 13" variety beagles around, they are not a separate breed or variety of beagle.  AKC and the NBC recognize only the 13" and 15" variety. 

The "mini beagle" now seems to be what we are all getting the calls on.  There is no such variety of beagle.  However, it should be noted that there are many unscrupulous people who will find a way to market something they invented to fill the bill, and usually at astronomical prices!  Every single pup I have seen in a pet shop as well as private websites, is quite obviously a cross bred.  Usually they look to be crossed with miniature Dachshund, and in some cases Chihuahua.  The sites I have seen are not AKC registered dogs, they are carrying prefixes of the pet shop registries. 

Also please be aware that some beagles can be tiny by virtue of very poor breeding or the dwarfing gene of chondrodystrophy.  And the unscrupulous breeding of short bent legs to keep a dog tiny is unconscionable. Why would anyone choose to produce a puppy with a serious health issue?  Money, that's the bottom line.  As in humans, dwarfism creates a whole host of health issues, the same is true of afflicted puppies. Also chondrodystrophy creates many other health issues that may prevent the dog leading a normal happy life.  So please shop for your puppy carefully.  Please do not support pet shops by buying these poorly bred puppies.  They will only produce more to take their place.  You are not "rescuing" the poor puppy in buying it, you are creating a market.  And that is the problem.  As many experienced rescue folks will tell you, the absolute minute that puppy is no longer saleable, the pet shop is on the phone to rescue organizations to place it.  So the pups do find homes.  But maybe they won't order another pup to take its place. 

 

Epilepsy Project

On our Links page you can read about the Beagle Epilepsy project, which is dedicated to finding the gene that causes this disease in Beagles and other breeds.