A Comparison of the 1884 and 1900 AKC Beagle Standards
 Special thanks to Bruce Smith for the old Standards and Photos
Formatting has been  changed slightly in order to enable easier comparison between the two Standards
BEAGLE STANDARD of 1884

Photos of late 1880 Beagles

BEAGLE STANDARD of 1900

Photos of 1902 Beagles

American English Beagle Club.
1884.
   HEAD. 	 The skull should be
   moderately domed at the occiput,
   with the cranium broad and full.
   The ears set on low, long and fine
   in texture, the forward or front
   edge closely framed and inturned
   to the cheek, rather broad and
   round at the tips, with an almost
   entire absence of erectile power at
   their origin.

      
      The eyes full and prominent,
   rather wide apart, soft and lustrous
   brown or hazel in color. The or-
   bital processes well developed. The
   expression gentle, subdued and
   pleading. The muzzle of medium
   length, squarely cut, the stop well
   defined. The jaws should be level,
   lips either free from or with mod-
   erate flews. Nostrils large, moist
   and open.

   Defects- A flat skull, narrow
   across the top of the head, absence
   of bone. Ears short, set on too
   high, or when the dog is excited,
   rising above the line of the skull
   at their points of origin, due to an
   excess of erectile power. Ears
   pointed at the tips, thick or boardy
   in substance, or carried out from
   cheek, showing a space between.
   Eyes of a light or yellow color.
   Muzzle long and snipy. Pig jaws
   or the reverse, known as under
   shot; lips showing deep, pendulous
   flews.

   Disqualifications -  Eyes close to-
   gether, small, beady and terrier
   like.

   NECK and THROAT.   Neck
   rising free and light from shoul-
   ders, strong in substance, yet not
   loaded, of medium length. The
   throat clean and free from folds of
   skin; a slight wrinkle below the an-
   gle ot the jaw, however. may be
   allowable.

   Defect-    A thick, short, cloddy
   neck, carried on a line with the top
   of the shoulder. Throat showing
   dewlap and folds of skin to a de-
   gree termed throatiness.

   SHOULDERS and CHEST.
   Shoulders somewhat declining,
   muscular but not loaded, convey-
   ing idea of freedom of action, with
   lightness, activity and strength.
   Chest moderately broad and full.

   
   Defects-  Upright shoulders and
   a disproportionately wide chest.

 
  BACK, LOINS and RIBS.    Back
   short, muscular and strong; loin
   broad and slightly arched, and the
   ribs well sprung, giving abundant
   lung room.

   Defects-   A long or swayed back,
   a flat, narrow loin, or a flat, con-
   stricted rib.

   FORE LEGS and FEET.      Fore
   legs straight with plenty of bone.
   feet close, firm and either round or
   pear like in form.

       Defects-     Out elbows. Knees
   knuckled over or forward, or bent
   backward, Feet open and spread-
   ing.

   
HIPS, THlGHS, HIND LEGS
   and FEET.       Hips strongly mus-
   cled, giving abundant propelling
   power. Stifles strong and well let
   Hocks firm, symmetrical 
   and moderately bent. Feet close
   and firm.

   Defects-Cow hocks and open
   feet.

   
    TAIL.     The tail should be car-
   ried gayly, well up and with me-
   dium curve, rather short as com-
   pared with size of the dog and
   closed with a decided brush.

   Defects-A long tail with a tea
   pot curve.

   Disqualifications-   A thinly 
   haired, rattish tail with entire ab-
   sence of brush.

   COAT.     Moderately coarse in
   texture and of good length.

   Disqualifications-   A short, close
   and nappy coat.

   HEIGHT.      The meaning of the
   term "beagle," a word of Celtic
   origin, and in old English "Begele"
   is small, little. The dog was so
   named from its dimunitive size.
   Your committee therefore, for the
   sake of consistency and that the
   beagle shall be in fact what his
   name implies, strongly recommend-
   ed that the height line be sharply
   drawn at fifteen inches, and that
   all dogs exceeding that height shall
   be disqualified as overgrown and
   outside the pale of recognition.

   COLOR.    All hound colors are
   admissible. Perhaps the most pop-
   ular is black, white and tan. Next
   in order is the lemon and white,
   then blue and lemon and mottled,
   then follow the solid colors, such
   as black and tan, tan, lemon, fawn,
   etc.

      This arrangement is, of course,
   arbitrary, the question being one
   governed entirely by fancy.

      The colors first named form the
   most lively contrast and blend bet-
   ter in the pack, the solid colors be
   ing sombre and monotonous to the
   eye.

      It is not intended to give a point
   value to color in the scale for judg-
   ing; as before said. All true hound
   colors being correct. The forego-
   ing remarks upon the subject are
   therefore simply suggestive.

   GENERAL APPERARANCE.      A
   miniature foxhound, solid and big
   for his inches, with the wear and
   tear look of the dog that can last
   in the chase and follow his quarry
   to the death.

   NOTE  -      Dogs possessing such
   serious faults as are enumerated
   under the headings of disqualifica-
   tions are under the grave suspicion
   of being of inpure blood.

      Under the heading of defects,
   objectionable features are indicat-
   ed. Such departures from the
   standard, not however, impugning
   the purity of the breeding.

                Scale of Points 
   Summary                     Value.

   Skull ......................................5
   Ears ....................................15
   Eyes ....................................10
   Muzzle, jaws and lips ............5
                          
     Value of head ....................35
   
   Neck ......................................5
   Shoulders and chest ...........10
   Back and loins .....................15
   Ribs .......................................5
                                
     Value of body ....................35
  
   Fore legs and feet ..............10
   Hips, thighs and hind legs ..10
                              
     Value of running gear .......20

   Tail ........................................5
   Coat ......................................5

     Value of coat and stern .....10
                             
       Total points ....................100

National Beagle Club of America.
February 1900.

   HEAD.        The skull should be
   fairly long, slightly domed at oc-
   ciput, with cranium broad and full.
    Ears set on moderately low, long,
   reaching when drawn out nearly if
   not quite to the end of the nose,
   fine in texture; fairly broad, with
   an almost entire absence of erec-
   tile power at their origin, setting
   close to the head, with the for-
   ward edge slightly inturning to the
   cheek, rounded at tip.

     Eyes large, set well apart, soft
   and houndlike, expression gentle
   and pleading, of a brown or hazel
   color.
     Muzzle of medium length,
   straight and square cut, the stop
   moderately defined.
     Jaws level, lips free from flews;
   nostrils large and open.
    
    

    Defects- A very flat skull, nar-
   row across the top, excess of
   dome; eyes small, sharp and ter-
   rierlike or prominent and pro-
   truding: muzzle long, snipy or cut
   away decidedly below the eyes or
   very short. Roman nosed or up
   turned, giving a dishfaced expres-
   sion. Ears short, set on high or
   with a tendency to rise above the
   point of origin.
    
   

 

 

 

    NECK and THROAT.    Neck ris-
   ing free and light from the shoul-
   ders, strong in substance, yet not
   loaded, of medium length. The
   throat clean and free from folds of
   skin; a slight wrinkle below the an-
   gle of the jaw, however, may be
   allowable.
    
     Defects-  A thick, short, cloddy
   neck, carried on a line with the top
   of the shoulders. Throat showing
   dew laps and folds of skin to a de-
   gree termed "throatiness."

   SHOULDERS and CHEST.
   Shoulders sloping, clean, muscular,
   not heavy or loaded, conveying the
   idea of freedom of action, with ac-
   tivity and strength. Chest deep and
   broad, but not broad enough to in-
   terfere with the free play of the
   shoulders.

     Defects-  Straight, upright shoul-
   ders. Chest disproportionately
   wide or with lack of depth.
    
     BACK, LOIN and RIBS. Back
   short, muscular, and strong. Loin
   broad and slightly arched and the
   ribs well sprung, giving abundance
   of lung room.

     Defects-    Very long or swayed or
   roached back. Flat, narrow loin.
   Flat ribs.

     FORE LEGS and FEET.   Straight,       with plenty of bone in proportion to         size of the dog. Pasterns short and straight.  Feet close, round and firm.  Pad full and hard.

     Defects-  Out at elbows. Knees
   knuckled over forward or bent
   backward. Fore legs crooked or
   Dachshund like. Feet long, open or
   spreading.

     HIPS, THIGHS, HIND LEGS
   and FEET.     Hips and thighs
   strong and well muscled, giving
   abundance of propelling power.
   Stifles well let down. Hocks firm,
   symmetrical and moderately bent.
   Feet close and firm.

     Defects-   Cow hocks or straight
   hocks. Lack of muscle and pro-
   pelling power. Open feet.

     TAIL.    Set moderately high,
   carried gaily but not turned for-
   ward over the back; with slight
   curve, short as compared with size
   of the dog; with brush.

     Defects-   A long tail. Teapot
   tail or inclined forward from the
   root. Rat tail with absence of
   brush.

    

   COAT.    A close hard, hound
   coat of medium length.

     Defects-  A short, thin coat, or
   of a soft quality.

     HEIGHT.    Height not to exceed
   15 inches, measured across the
   back at the point of the withers.
   the dog standing in a natural po-
   sition with his feet well under him.

   

 

 

 

 

     COLOR.    Any true hound color.

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   GENERAL APPEARANCE.     A
   miniature fox hound, solid and big
   for his inches, with the wear and
   tear look of the dog that can last
   in the chase and follow his quarry
   to the death.

   

 

 

 

 

 

                Scale of Points.
        Summary-                  Value.

   Skull .................................... 5
   Ears ...................................10
   Eyes .....................................5
   Muzzle ..................................5
                                 
     Value of head ....................25

   Neck  .....................................5
   Chest and shoulder..............15
   Back, loin, and ribs ..............15

     Value of body .....................35

   Fore legs ...............................10
   Hips, thighs and hind legs ....  10
   Feet .......................................10
                               
     Value of running gear ..........30

   Coat .........................................5
   Stern ........................................5
                              
     Value of coat and stern ........10
                              
      Total points ........................100