Beagles are only one breed of dog although their size varies considerably. Usually most dogs do not vary by more than 10% or 15% of their height between the tallest and shortest but the Beagles vary by more than 30% or 40%. In fact although not accepted as separate breeds, the Beagle comes in two distinct sizes.
The average height of the standard Beagle is between 33 and 40 cm (13 and 15 inches) you do get dogs that are bigger but they are one off cases and is not the standard for these dogs. There are however Beagles that do not grow beyond 25 or 27 cm. These dogs are shorter varieties of the same breed and although not considered separate will produce puppies that are short if two of the same sized ones are mated. The American Kennel Club is the only club that has granted them permission to be shown separately in the show ring, although it is still not considered a separate breed. These small varieties of the Beagle is what is nowadays called pocket Beagles.
During the early stages of the development of the breed there were three distinct varieties of the Beagle. The standard Beagle, the pocket Beagle and an even smaller variety called the glove Beagle. The glove Beagle is considered extinct and you do not find Beagles of this size anymore. The same holds true for the pocket Beagles too although some fanciers believe that the bloodline for the pocket Beagle was absorbed into the standard one. Whether this is true or not cannot be verified as they were all the same breed. What is known is that Beagles also come in a shorter variety and although not as small as the older Pocket Beagles are still smaller than the standard ones.
These dogs too are purebred and there is no need to doubt their pedigree. Only if you find one that is really small do you have to be a little suspicious because however small they are Beagles very rarely grow to less than 25 cm or 10 inches.
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