Magnolia is a lovely hound with a touch of lab in her face.  When we got her, she was so pregnant we thought she'd pop!   Bless her heart, I worry when we get an older dog who is pregnant.  Has she been used as a back yard breeder?  We don't really know.  We do, however, know that Magnolia is a gentle and loving lady.  A hound, we struggled to identify the type of hound.  Too big to be a Beagle, too small to be a Coonhound.  I settled on Harrier hound because, well, why not?  Her temperment meets the breed description, more playful than a Foxhound, but less so than a Beagle.  Really, she is just a darling!

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, Harriers are a swift hunting hounds with an excellent nose and superior stamina in the field. Sources have widely conflicting stories about the origins of this breed. According to one, the earliest Harrier types were crossed with bloodhounds, the Talbot Hound, and even the Basset Hound. According to another, the breed was probably developed from crosses of the English Foxhound with Fox Terrier and Greyhound. In a third source, the Harrier is said to be simply a bred-down version of the English Foxhound. In any case, today's Harrier is between the Beagle and English Foxhound in size and was developed primarily to hunt hare, though the breed has also been used in fox hunting. The name, Harrier, reveals the breed's specialty. Neither hare nor Fox can escape its exceptional sense of smell, its cunning, and its unequaled boldness. Prey chased by the inexhaustible Harrier have been known to collapse from sheer exhaustion. The Harrier is still fairly rare in the United States, but has a long history of popularity as a working pack dog in England. They have a life expectancy of about 10-12 years. The Harrier is somewhat more playful and outgoing than the Foxhound, but not as much as the Beagle. Cheerful, sweet-tempered, and tolerant, it is excellent with children. This pack dog is good with other dogs, but should be supervised with non-canine pets - unless it is raised with them from puppyhood. It prefers life in a pack with people, dogs, or both. This active dog likes to go exploring, sniffing and trailing, so be sure to keep it on a leash or in a safe enclosed area. Some Harriers like to bay.