The Kerry Beagle () is the only extant

scent hound Canton_of_Bern.html" ;"title="Franz Rudolf Frisching in the uniform of an officer of the Canton of Bern">Bernese Huntsmen Corps with his Berner Laufhund, painted by Jean Preudhomme in 1785 Scent hounds (or scenthounds) are a Dog type, type of h ...

breed native to

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Description

Appearance

Despite its name, the Kerry Beagle is a small hound. is an Irish word for small, given to the dog because it is smaller than other hounds; with its height being between 56–61 cm (22–24 in), and its weight up to . The Kerry Beagle has a broad head, a short coat and long ears, black and tan is the more common colour but the coat may be tan and white, blue mottled and tan or black. The breed's looks suggests speed and endurance.

Temperament

This breed of dog is a pack hound and does hold the hunting instinct strong. They do however make very good pets as they are good with children and other dogs. They require a lot of exercise, regular twice to three times daily walks and free runs.

History and use

The Kerry Beagle believed to date back to the 16th century; detailed pedigrees date back as far as 1794. By the 1800s the Kerry Beagle's numbers had dwindled in Ireland, with only one major pack maintained, the famous Scarteen of

County Limerick County Limerick () is a western Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Reg ...

belonging to the Ryan family, which still exists today.Alderton, p 86. Originally bred as

stag A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) a ...

hounds, today they are used to hunt

fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

and

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores and live Solitary animal, solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are precociality, able to fend for themselves ...

and take part in

drag hunting Drag hunting or draghunting is a form of equestrian sport where mounted riders hunt the trail of an artificially laid scent with hounds. Description Drag hunting is an equestrian sport where a field of mounted riders chase a pack of hounds who fo ...

. The Kerry Beagle was only recognized by the Irish Kennel Club in 1991. The Kerry Beagle was taken by many Irish immigrants to the Americas and is considered a foundation breed in the development of the

Coonhound A coonhound, colloquially a coon dog, is a type of scenthound, a member of the hound group. They are an American type of hunting dog developed for the hunting of raccoons and also for feral pigs, bobcats, cougars, and bears. There are six disti ...

and American foxhound. The breed’s markings were reportedly the origin of the “

Black and Tans The Black and Tans () were constables recruited into the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) as reinforcements during the Irish War of Independence. Recruitment began in Great Britain in January 1920, and about 10,000 men enlisted during the conflic ...

” nickname applied to recruits to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) during the Irish War of Independence (1919-21). The improvised uniforms initially worn by these men were a mixture of dark RIC or British police tunics and caps, and

khaki The color khaki (, ) is a light shade of tan (color), tan with a slight yellowish tinge. Khaki has been used by many armies around the world for uniforms and equipment, particularly in arid or desert regions, where it provides camouflage rela ...

army trousers, which reminded one observer of the aforementioned foxhunting Kerry Beagles in the Scarteen

Hunt Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

. The nickname took hold and persisted even after the men received full RIC uniforms.Spellissy, Sean. ''The History of Limerick City''. (Celtic Bookshop, 1998). pp 87-88.

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

* Alderton, David, ''Hounds of the World'', Swan Hill Press, Shrewsbury, 2000, . * Cunliffe, Juliette, ''The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds'' Parragon, 2001, . * Fogle, Bruce, ''The Encyclopedia of the Dog'', DK Publishing, New York, 2009, . * Hancock, David, ''Hounds: Hunting by Scent'', The Crowood Press Ltd, Marlborough, 2014, . * Holland, Anne, ''Hunting: portrait'', Little Brown, London, 2003, .

External links

Scarteen
website {{Irish dogs Dog breeds originating in Ireland