THE OLDE ENGLISH POCKET BEAGLE REGISTRY
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THE OLDE ENGLISH POCKET BEAGLE REGISTRY
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INFO
THE OLDE ENGLISH POCKET BEAGLE
Lots of intelligence in a small package, combined with loving, sweet dispositions in a diminutive body. They are not the diggers and noise makers that their larger cousins are. Their soft melodious voices are seldom heard.
There are no Pocket Beagles left in England, Ireland or Scotland. While still somewhat popular in the U.S. until the mid 1970’s they were no longer winning in the field trials. The larger longer legged Beagles were faster and bringing home the trophies. Breeders were quick to abandon the small Beagles and breed for the larger, faster beagles. At this time, less than 1200 adults of the original type Pocket Beagles have been located in the U.S.
HISTORY
“The Beagle club was founded in 1890 and soon after issued a Standard of 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…”
SIZE AND STANDARD
Not all of the breeding stock that we are working with is at 10″. Heights vary from 8 1/2″ to 11 1/2″. Very rarely a puppy will exceed the 11 1/2″ height. It will take several generations to bring the size down genetically and consistently to 10″ or below. To allow for this difference the standard at this time is set at 12″ or under. With the smaller dogs being preferred in a breeding program provided they are conformationally correct.
Size in the individual is determined by the interaction of a number of hereditary factors, or genes, and is much more difficult to control than are such characteristics such as color or coat texture. If a small male is mated to a larger female the size the progeny will attain when mature cannot be forecast with certainty. Furthermore, size is not solely dependent on an animals genetic make up. Size is a polygenic character and the grouping of the genes which determine small size may be dominant or recessive to that which determines larger size. This varies from breed to breed. Where small size behaves as recessive to larger size the mating of two small animals will produce small offspring however the parents are bred, but should it behave as a dominant character, some or all the progeny may be much bigger than their sire and dam. There is no way of distinguishing by physical examination whether the small size shown by an individual is due to non-inherited causes or is of genetic origin, or of knowing with certainty whether it will be transmitted as a recessive or a dominant character.
Breeding for Size
In endeavoring to re-establish the Pocket Beagle the first essential is to ensure that the factors for small size are carried by both the animals mated, that they owe the smallness to hereditary and not environmental causes.
Don't breed from weedy runts, but only from hounds which, besides being small, are sound, typical, strong, straight, well-boned, and healthy. The first litters bred must be expected to include whelps of diverse sizes. The general practice is to choose larger females, even though they may somewhat be above height and weight required, and to mate them to the smallest, small bred, dog available. This policy is wise and well adopted in the initial stages of laying the foundation of perfect 10-12 inch beagles. With patience and scientific breeding the pocket beagle has been re-established. Breeders must keep in mind that what we want is a robust, typical, sound, little pocket edition of its larger prototype, differing from the standard 13"+ beagle only in size. We do not want tiny "freaks" with high rounded skulls, pop eyes, snipy muzzles, often accompanied by faulty dentition, which are characteristics of dwarfs. Type, constitution and temperament must never be jeopardized by an irrational desire to achieve minimum size at all cost.
Excerpts from the book "Beagles" by E. Fitch Daglish
**If your dog displays any signs of dwarfism he/she will be rejected by the registry.
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