What is Rough?

[huntinmup2]

Run them in a super thick clear cut... they have to run the track or get totally left behind....

[huntinmup2]

Thanks guys. That is sort of what I was thinking.

Any tips on tightening one up a bit?

......And if the clear cut don't work....there's always.. lead poison. Lol!!!!!

[MaineDogs]

A rough dog to me in a nutshell is a hound that can’t keep a line going for any of the above reasons, steadily losing the line and poor check work with not much forward progress.

As for correction, some dogs are just naturally rough, how old is the dog? Soloing may help if he’s been packed up a lot and hasn’t had to do the work for himself much. Don’t run him with other dogs that are rough. If you are running him with fast hounds and he’s not made to go that fast, he will always be rough trying to keep up.

[deerhost]

A dog is born with the tools it's given thru genetics. I think there is very little we can do to change it. The best we can do is do some research before buying a pup. Research the line and go watch some run. Most important is to research the person doing the breeding. Find out what he likes because once the pups are born we have no control over how they are going to run.....dh. Actually I think we do more harm then helping sometimes.

[NorthBranch Rummer]

A dog is born with the tools it's given thru genetics. I think there is very little we can do to change it. The best we can do is do some research before buying a pup. Research the line and go watch some run. Most important is to research the person doing the breeding. Find out what he likes because once the pups are born we have no control over how they are going to run.....dh. Actually I think we do more harm then helping sometimes.

As a "rough" dog owner - I agree! These hounds are breed with certain traits, just like a pack of wolfs. Some are breed to track, some flush, some to cut. etc, etc. Your probably not going to change this in your hound, but you can help them to sharpen their skills!

[Newt]

A dog can be "rough" running solo.
Over running, not returning to pt. of loss.
Swinging out at the check and "gambling" to try and hit the line out ahead.
A rough hound usually can't circle a rabbit on its own.

That is also my definition. When a dog makes a check and doesn't have a clue where he last smelled it.
When a dog is running a straight line and loses it because when he gets off he doesn't have a clue which side of the line it is on. He loops/gambles because he is brainless.

[dhoundman]

ROUGH DOG IS THE ONE THAT IS ALWAYS WAY OUT SIDE THE PACK WHEN THIER IS A CHECK.!!
NOT MATTER THE SPEED OF THE DOGS YOU RUN FAST SLOWE MEDIUM OR WHAT EVE IF THEIR IS A DOG WAY OUTSIDE OF THE PACK 10 TO 20 % OF THE TIME HE IS TO ROUGH FOR THAT PACK. BUT YOU MAY FINED ANOTHER PACK HE STAYS RIGHT IN CLOSE BUT IF YOU TRY HIM WITH ALL KINDS OF DIFFERNET STYLES AND HE IS ALWAYS THE SAME YOU NEED TO HAVE HIS OR HER SEX ORGAINS CUT OFF AND TURN HIM IN TO A PET CAUSE HE IS NOT GOOD FOR NOTHING

[BCBeagles]

Some people enjoy dogs that reach in the check, to each his own.

Run what you enjoy.....

Rough, as described by some already, to me, is leaving the check quickly, not "remembering" where the rabbit was lost, and cutting and swinging to the front regardless if the track is smoking hot or not. Some dogs are just too competitive, makes there brain useless... some dogs are competitive and then go head down in the check then go with it.... .that is the kind I want, still looking for the last scent point even though in the heat of battle.....

Those kind are hard to find.....I will keep looking.

[midvalleybeagles]

Put him in the thickest nastiest thickets u can find by his self. Solo him solo him solo him ans when u think u soloes him enuff go ahead and solo him another 1000 times.

[johns03272008]

Put him in the thickest nastiest thickets u can find by his self. Solo him solo him solo him ans when u think u soloes him enuff go ahead and solo him another 1000 times.

AMEN!!!!

[NeilKimbrel7]

Rough is very subjective to ones own opinion. Their opinions often reflect what they have. Makes sense considering no hound is perfect, and people keep what they can tolerate. In my opinion, rough is the opposite of smooth. It is any fault that results in downtime. In many things in life your either an asset or a liability. A rough hound is a liability. If a hound is an asset to the pursuit of the rabbit, I won't consider him rough no matter the style.

[Remmy]

Thanks for all the replies. Funny observation, the three guys who said a little rough is OK all have little pack champions...

I have two 14 month litter mates generally from Midwest breeding and a 3.5 yo from a popular lp bloodline. If, I run my slower litter mate with the older dog, they do pretty well. They have been running together since July.

The other litter mate started later, but she is much faster. When I run all three together, that is when the train wrecks happen.

She has very little solo time on her, in fact, I don't know that she's been soloed more than a half a dozen times.

Solo her more I guess. Its just hard to take just one when you have two others whining wanting to go.

[Newt]

Put him in the thickest nastiest thickets u can find by his self. Solo him solo him solo him ans when u think u soloes him enuff go ahead and solo him another 1000 times.

If he is rough and competitive, when he gets out of the thicket, he will kill himself to lead the pack. You can't change DNA by changing his running environment.
Maybe old age will have changed him after a 1000 days of soloing.

[NeilKimbrel7]

Thanks for all the replies. Funny observation, the three guys who said a little rough is OK all have little pack champions...

I have two 14 month litter mates generally from Midwest breeding and a 3.5 yo from a popular lp bloodline. If, I run my slower litter mate with the older dog, they do pretty well. They have been running together since July.

The other litter mate started later, but she is much faster. When I run all three together, that is when the train wrecks happen.

She has very little solo time on her, in fact, I don't know that she's been soloed more than a half a dozen times.

Solo her more I guess. Its just hard to take just one when you have two others whining wanting to go.

You got to decide if its worth your time. Your rough pup is what I consider high maintenance. It doesn't have to be like that.

[Chimney Rock Kennel]

I see a lot of people saying solo but some of the best solo dogs I've ever seen are rough as a cob in a pack or the most over competitive. I think a natural swinging dog is a sight to watch and they serve there purpose to. A dog that is forced to swing to me is where the term rough comes into play as a dog that is forced by being completely out dogged will rarely do anything productive to the race and mess it up more than compliment it.