males or females

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

Females are nice...BUT......There is just somthing about a powerful male pounding out a hot track

I have to agree with you Chad on that.
I will say that I like a hard hunting female but I do love a big houndy male with good hunt/jump that can pound a rabbit and the closer to 15 inches the better.

[chapkosbeagles]

alpha male all the way my best is big strong an fast and with that shocker around his neck he will listen

[sanfordssj]

To bad there isn't to many 15" big males around that can run a rabbit right! I'll take a little female everytime! Females are flat out better jump and gun dogs. By gun dog i mean a dog that can CIRCLE a rabbit back to the gun not the hole or loss.

[Briarhoppers]

I've had beagles for 9 years now and have owned both males and females. Best I can remember I have raised and started 14 beagles. Of those 14, 7 were males and 7 were females.

Each dog has their own individual personality and of course none of them are perfect, but looking at these dogs I've personally owned, started and hunted over, I'd have to say that I have "enjoyed" females on average much more than the males. Out of the 7 males, I'd say I have only been "really pleased" w/ one of them and the jury is still out on 2 others. Of the 7 females, I've been "really pleased" w/ 5 of them and the other two were not that bad.

I've owned a couple dogs that I didn't start, and based on my limited experienced I'd say the following regaring males VS female.

Females seem to be:
1) Easier to start
2) Easier to break off trash
3) Easier to handle
4) Easier to kennel
5) Higher % chance of getting a "good one" if buying a pup
6) More consistent in the field (all around smarts)
7) Better hunter / jump dogs (I've seen some good males, but better females on average)
8) Better all around personality.
9) Better in the dog box

The big downside to females is that they go in to heat for about 6 weeks each year. But, the main thing I like about males is hearing a big male voice in the pack.

Please note, I'm not saying a male can't be any of the things above - many that I owned were very good in a couple of the areas above, but on average, females are more likely to fit the well rounded discription above.

-Pete

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

I love running them big 15" hounds on woods rabbits down in the strip mines. They take them out of earshot and back a few loops and it is the prettiest music you'll ever here. I've witnessed them big males run them like they were tied to them for 40 minutes plus. Sweeeeet!

[Duke]

Oh well I guess everyone has their opinion on this. I like males and I like big males. Not sure what these judges are judging but they are judging the wrong hounds With that said I have had a diminutive female who has won in trials against the big males and I have been beat by some females. Conditions can dictate a lot in trials.

Here is how I feel a male has something a female doesnt have testosterone. With that you do have a different set of issues, with females you have them going into heat and males you can have hard headedness and competition(some females too). You have to take a different approach in training. Actually you really need to judge and train each hound as an individual if you want to get the best out of them. For the most part a male is a bigger, stronger, tougher animal and when you get a really great one, they are hard to beat. But all in all it is subjective and a great hound is a great hound.

[full circle kennel]

sometimes, i think this board should be called "fish stories and tall tails about dogs" didnt know i had to wear boots to read some of these posts. blanket statements about males not being able to run a rabbit right are hard to believe! 2 things i know for sure about this sport: you cant kill any rabbits or win trials sitting behing your computer,2: dogs always seem to get better when their dead or old.

[sanfordssj]

Oh well I guess everyone has their opinion on this. I like males and I like big males. Not sure what these judges are judging but they are judging the wrong hounds With that said I have had a diminutive female who has won in trials against the big males and I have been beat by some females. Conditions can dictate a lot in trials.

Here is how I feel a male has something a female doesnt have testosterone. With that you do have a different set of issues, with females you have them going into heat and males you can have hard headedness and competition(some females too). You have to take a different approach in training. Actually you really need to judge and train each hound as an individual if you want to get the best out of them. For the most part a male is a bigger, stronger, tougher animal and when you get a really great one, they are hard to beat. But all in all it is subjective and a great hound is a great hound.

I agree with you Duke, but these great males are so hard to come by! When you do get one you have hit the jack pot! But, you have better odds of finding tough females. I feel the same way about Sport that you do about Dutch. But, the chances of finding another dog on Sports level is more difficult. How many pups have you went through trying to find your next Dutch? I'm on a mission trying to find my next Sport, but right now i have gathered up a few females that match his traits in order to start my breeding process. I know that this will be a long selective process that may not even produce a male of his caliber, but that is the also the fun of breeding beagles.

[yellowdog]

i have some nice males and females both 13 and 15..i guess my preference would be males for trialing just for the heat factor never seems to fail big hunt comes up and so does the heat cycle..everybody likes something different..i love a 13 inch dog that can stretch out 15 inchers... ...

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

Bottom line, I like any beagle hound no matter what sex or size as long as it can hammer a rabbit and run it like it is tied to it and the faster the better....BAM

[Rneil]

Someone made a comment about 15"males and not being able to circle a rabbit. They should go watch dutch run. It would change their mind

[thornie]

Rneil, how about that big male on top of your web page?

[Rneil]

The day was cold, snowing and very windy. My feet were so cold that I went out and bought muck boots the next week

. I would say it snowed at least a couple of inches while we were running. That male Thornie had on that day was the best I had ran with for the last ten years. Ran in those conditions almost check free at times. I would have put his male up against any dog I had ran with. If that dog had not past away I would have bred my female to him.

There are pictures on my site of the rabbit coming out by a chair. I stood by the chair and that dog was right on the line. I had a 5 or 6 month old female that day and he wore her out. It did help her, after that she really took off.

Thats why he is in the picture.

My Dad will never forget that and still talks about that dog.

Thanks again thornie

[sanfordssj]

Someone made a comment about 15"males and not being able to circle a rabbit. They should go watch dutch run. It would change their mind

The comment was that there isn't many that can under the gun! A true GUN dog will jump, and circle, and circle, and circle.....with that said just how many big males can you actually say can do it, and then I'll show you 20 females that can do it better! Come on Rod....you wouldn't put Jaws up against any of these big males? I would especially when you’re talking about hunting them under the GUN!

This is not about trial dogs! This is about true gun dogs, and as far as i'm concerned females are by far all around better gun dogs just for the simple fact it take a small miracle to find a male that can do everything right.

There are a few good males out there, and like i said before they are really nice to have!

[Rneil]

This is the quote

I have been told in the past by three individuals who are pretty big names in the trialing end of beagling, are also licensed A.K.C. judges and all three of them have made multiple field champions. And I quote "I wouldn't own a 15" male!"and"I don't care what they've won,I can stand a big male!" and "You ever see a 15" class of big males that could REALLY run a smooth line and actually keep the rabbit going?"If any of these three guys are going to keep a male it's going to be a little one.

I know I am getting old however; you must be ghost reading because I don't see "under the gun" anywhere.

Growing up all we had was 15" males and if they could not run a rabbit they were given away. I can think of 9 or 10 in our family that could flat smoke a rabbit. Thronie's dog ran the front all day long and was the best I have seen in 10 years. Jaws was there and he was still the best. Now Jaws was hurt as a pup and is not as fast as some dogs but, Thornie's dog smoked all day long.

With all that said all I own is females however; I am hoping Jill will have three males for me this November.

That is the great thing about this country (as long as Obama is not running it) we can have our own thoughts.