The
Beagle is a
breed of small to medium-sized
dog. A member of the
hound group, it is similar in appearance to the
foxhound, but smaller with shorter legs and longer, softer ears. Beagles are
scent hounds, developed primarily for
tracking hare, rabbit, deer, and other small
game. They have a great sense of smell and tracking instinct that sees them employed as
detection dogs for prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in
quarantine around the world. Beagles are intelligent but single-minded, and popular pets because of their size, even temper, and lack of inherited health problems.