Old English Pocket Beagle, Breeder, Sales, Puppies | Catch A Dream Kennel

In Medieval times, there was a breed called a pocket beagle, which stood at 8 to 9 inches. Small enough to fit in a "pocket" or saddlebag, they rode along on the hunt. The larger foxhounds would run the prey to ground, then the hunters would release the small beagles to continue the chase through underbrush into their burrows.

Beagles became popular in England early in its history. During the reigns of Edward II (1307 AD--1327 AD) and Henry VII (1485 AD--1509 AD), extremely small beagles, called Glove Beagles--small enough to be held in a gloved hand--were popular. There's also mention of Singing Beagles, named for their bugling voices.

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) kept packs of Pocket Beagles which stood only 9 inches tall. These small dogs were depicted in paintings as short-legged beagles with pointed noses.  She often entertained guests at her royal table by letting her pocket beagles cavort amid their plates and cups.

Genetic Health History
These wonderful hounds were kept by hunters in the Ozark and Appalachian Mountains since the early 1970's. These hunters were extremely poor and unable to afford veterinarian care for their dogs. Some may consider them to be harsh or brutal for culling out all dogs with faults or defects. But in fact they made this breed extremely healthy by doing so. No known genetic defects have been found in more than eight years of work to restore these smallest of hounds. Small packs of strong, healthy, and avid OEPB hunting dogs can still be found deep in the hills of Appalachia and The Ozarks.

History:
The original Olde English Pocket Beagle in the mid 1800's were 8 - 10 inches tall. Rarely one would reach 11 inches. The Olde English gentlemen hunters would transport the hounds by horseback in their saddlebags.
Over the last 50 years they have grown in size and their numbers have fallen drastically. Currently the registry is working to increase their numbers and maintain their size at 12 inches or less. They are between 10 and 25 pounds. The size will be reduced slowly until the breed is once again 8 - 10 inches. For more information on the registry click here.
Some unscrupulous breeders have cross bred the Olde English Pocket Beagle with other breeds to reduce their size quickly, usually crossing with small terriers or dachshunds. They have inadvertently breed in the genetic defects inherent with the other breeds. Olde English Pocket Beagles are not mini-beagles or toy beagles. Anyone who claims to have Pocket Beagles by any name which are not registered with the Olde English Pocket Beagle Registry should be checked very carefully and their dogs as well. The Olde English Pocket Beagle Registry is the only legitimate registry for OEPB’s. The registry was founded by Mr. Robert Mock from Rochester, Washington. The registry is currently owned and operated by Nicole Preciado of Oregon City, Oregon.

E. Fitch Daglish, a well known author and dog authority, published "The Beagle" in 1961. It contains the most complete history of the Pocket Beagle known at this time. The following are excerpts from "The Beagle" by E. Fitch Daglish.

The Beagle Club was founded in 1890 and soon after issued a Standard Points. This included a special paragraph relating to the Pocket Beagles, which read: "Pocket Beagles must not exceed ten inches in height. Although ordinary Beagles in miniature, no point however good in itself should be encouraged if it tends to give a course appearance to such minute specimens of the breed. They should be compact and symmetrical through out, of true Beagle type and show great quality and breeding." As previously mentioned, the Beagle Club's standard was drawn up by a number of hare-hunting enthusiasts who value the beagle solely for its prowess in the field. It is surely, in the highest degree unlikely that men of their standing in the hunting world would have deemed it necessary to make special references to the ten inch and under hound unless the variety was at the time well known, generally recognized and widely kept.

As a boy in the pre-1914 days I saw several packs of Pocket Beagles at shows and elsewhere and was strongly attracted by them. During the war years all these packs were disbanded and breeding was almost totally suspended, with the result that when hunting and showing were resumed about 1920 the Pocket Beagle was seldom seen either in the field or on the bench. Even thirteen-inch and under hounds were difficult to find. Through the 1920's circumstances prevented me from taking active steps to realize a long cherished ambition to own a small pack of miniature hounds, and when in the 1930's I set about trying to revive the ten inch beagle it was too late.

That admiration of the smaller type is not a modern craze as shown by the following extract from an article published in the Sportsman's Library close on a century ago: "Beagles to be very choice can scarcely be bred too small. The standard of perfection is considered to be from ten to eleven inches and the latter should be the maximum height... Nothing can be more melodious and beautiful than to hear the pygmy pack open at a hare and, if slow comparatively speaking in running her, should the scent be good she stands but little chance of escape from them in the end."

In an article bearing the title "Foot Hunting" which appeared in the Stock-Keeper about 1900, the author in discussing the relative merits of packs of different sized Beagles wrote: "First, Pocket Beagles. The smaller a perfect specimen can be obtained the more valuable it is... Under certain circumstances a pack of Pocket Beagles is invaluable... Some of these little packs are as keen as mustard and afford untold pleasure and interest." In the same periodical a Mr. Lord who owned and hunted a pack of ten-inch Beagles wrote: "Rabbit is the legitimate quarry of the Pocket Beagle. The hound is so small and active that he can fly thru the rabbit meshes."

These few quotations should suffice to show how unreasonable is the assertion that the Pocket Beagle was never a stabilized variety, that all ten inch hounds were freaks produced by accident and were too toyish to be used for serious field work. Many packs of such tiny hounds were kept in many parts of the country up to the outbreak of the 1914 war and were shown both at hound shows and, less frequently, at larger dog shows, like Crufts and the Crystal Palace. The maximum height of ten inches was rigidly adhered to and several very typical specimens of eight inches were exhibited and it is safe to say that practically all the hounds seen were members of working packs.

For Old English Pocket Beagles call us at 208-549-2078 or fill out our online contact form.