The ancestors of the Beagle can be traced back nearly 2500 years to the dog noted in Greek records from 433B.C. as being small, and bred for scenting out game, while followed by their masters. It is suggested that these dogs made their way to Rome and thence to Roman Britain, where it again appears in records from the reign of Canute in the 11th century. At this point in time, the king brought hounds over from France that were eventually crossed with Greyhounds, producing the Southern Hound, which is thought to be the most representative precursor to today’s Beagle. (continued below)