New AKC Measurement procedures

[DG TX]

The official measurement helps with the borderline 13" hounds and the same with 15" hounds. But seems to be used more now to break rules and run 15"+ hounds in Large Pack. Bottom line is do you really win if you have to cheat to do it? A man that can rationalize that to himself is beyond control and help. But there a good many that do and that is SAD.
But then such is the shape of this world today and that is even worse

[dawgydawg67]

Who cares if a hound is a little over? No dog is going to measure the same everytime. Being official measured keeps a fella from driving all over the country to a trial only to have his dog measure out. I'll say it again, I've never been beaten by a dog because it was bigger only better.

[bullboy]

Im with dawgy who cares if i get beat by a dog that a 1/4 to1/2 in bigger then mine i deserved to loose i would rather loose this way then by some spineless buddy judgingperson that dosent know a good dog if it you know what first of all i have measured alot of dogs not every dog just stands there and secondly if your going by1/4 in you could be off either way i have a dog that is a borderline 15 in dog he has been measured lots of times at 15 in but i have seen it range from 14 1/2 which he is not to 16 1/2 which he isent even close to that it is to easy of a way to get rid of your competition

[Big Dog]

I have to disagree with you fellas, if 1/4 to 1/2 inch is okay with you then maybe a full inch to 2 inches is okay with the next person, why even bother having a rule, lets just say all dogs around 15 inches or so. The fact of the matter is people are using the official measurement rule to cheat, and if you think I'm lying take an up close look at some of your 13 and 15 inch field champions. Not just a few but, many of them are blatantly oversized and it just isn't fair to the guy who is abiding by the rules. People can justify anything if given a chance, but regardless of how you paint the picture, if the dog is over he is over, cut and dry. If you have a borderline dog then it is a chance you take and you know that when you load them up and leave the house. I will never convince those who believe what they believe and I have to agree with DG TX if a man can rationalize this to himself then there is no way that me or anyone else can change his mind. I guess the old saying hold true " If you ain't cheating you ain't trying" Keep em running

Big Dog

[burke-o]

MY BURKES KICKER BACK JACK MEASURED 13 AND THREE EIGHTS. HE ONLY NEEDS A FEW POINTS TO BE AN AKC FC . I MEASURED HIM OFFICIALLY ONE TIME LOL I WANTED TO KNOW WHERE I WAS RUNNING AND WHO I WAS RUNNING UNDER WHEN I GOT TO THE TRIAL DERRELL BURKE

[crewchf]

What class you got him in Derrell????? Ya didn't say!!!

Crew Chief

[Don L]

I have been hoping for years that AKC would step in and handle the measuring differently then whats been going on. Even though I know AKC won't, but dogs are simply not being measured properly. I can say this because I work in a Machine shop.measuring has to be done correctly,,,and I know a dogs height can vary 1/4'' depending on how the dog is standing. but when you see in an 13''class' dogs dogs that are 14'' someone did not measure correctly. same as cheating.
Propably the worst part about this is when another beagler looks into breeding to a 13'' stud dog that is advertised as a 13''or under and you drive along ways to check the dog out ,you find out he not a 13'' dog at all.

[New York Hillbilly]

Most of my hounds tend to be on the smaller size and I seldom trial AKC but I do attend them as a marshall (my club) and have been to several other clubs. I have a bitch that depending on how much I have been running her (body fat) or how you comb her hair can measure 12 7/8 to 13 1/8. She is to me a 13 inch hound everyday of the week and have seen her measure out of an SPO trial only to watch several hounds after her measure in and when they walk past each other it is clear the other hound is significantly taller. Leaves one thinking what the heck? But that in itself is not what I fear when running my hounds because they hunt all the time with 13 to 15 inch hounds and it is rarely an issue. What is troubling and where a hound is really at a disadvantage is when a hound that is 13 on the line someplace and is booted up to the 15 inch class for whatever reason and then has to pound for 6 or 7 hours against hounds who leave 15" in the dust yet are allowed to run. Giving up 1/2 to an 1" is no big deal but when you start getting into hounds that are 3 or 4 inches larger, heavier and more powerful all around it does make a difference. The banging, slamming and crashing that goes on in that LP format is unbelievable and a hound that just creeps over 13 has a tough row to hoe. I think this would not be such an issue if it were not for the hounds who are obviously over sized yet carry around official measurements. I saw it mentioned somewhere by someone that in the south they like 10.5" 13 inchers but we like em bigger because of snow and what not. This I found a bit funny and it reminded me of someone saying a "TEXAS MILE" as far as I know a mile is a mile and an inch is still an inch.
Peace,
NYH

[burke-o]

What class you got him in Derrell????? Ya didn't say!!!

Crew Chief

he run in the 15 class lol and he car trail under some of the other hounds. DERRELL

[crewchf]

Hi Derrell, I bet that feels good, seeing the littler one putin a Whippin on the big ones ayyy... How many hounds run in a LP cast, or does it have another name???

Crew Chief

[New York Hillbilly]

crewchf,
The most I have ever seen at once was around 40. It is a real nightmare in my opinion. It will however make your heart pound when they come racing by.
NYH

[burke-o]

Hi Derrell, I bet that feels good, seeing the littler one putin a Whippin on the big ones ayyy... How many hounds run in a LP cast, or does it have another name???

Crew Chief

I ONLY RUN HIM IN SPO TRIALS. AND YES I HAVE BEEN VERY PROUD OF HIM. HE DOES NOT KNOW THAT HE IS ONLY THIRTEEN AND THREE EIGHTS LOL I HOPE TO GET HIM FINISHED THIS YEAR. THE MEASURMENT THING HAS BEEN ONE OF MY PET PEEVES FOE A LONG TIME. I RUN A LOT OF 12 INCH FEMALES THAT SOME TIMES HAVE TO RUN AGAINST 13.5 TO 14 FEMALES . IF YOU RUN A LONG TIME, LIKE YOU DO IN SOME SPO TRIALS THE BIGGER HOUND HAS A ADVANTAGE. DERRELL

[windy hollow]

I've been running a little two year old bitch, that normally measures about 12 1/2, and yesturday at Lykens they measured her 13 1/2, and two other guys were complaining their dogs measured out too. didnt know AKC changed anything though.

[warddog]

Are all dogs measured prior to the hunt? If your dog measures over the 13" can you then run them in the 15" class?

[vince z.]

I am from Michigan and I traveled south this past spring to the Kentucky Indiana border. This was the first time I ever ran beagles in the south. The dogs had no problem and ran great. I however did notice that a smaller dog has a big advantage getting under the walls of honeysuckle and briars, while the bigger hounds are tearing themselves apart plowing through. It seems to me most people from the south own smaller dogs and I now see why. Now in the upper peninsula of Michigan from December until April, the snow is typically very deep and a snowshoe hare can scoot right across the top while the dogs usually have to plow through. This require a larger dog and that is what most people raise here to meet the conditions. If people would stick to raising registered pure bred beagles it shouldnt matter if the dog is 10in. or 17in. I feel they should have a 14 and over class and an under 14 class. People that live in snow country and field trial are not trying to breed dogs over 15in. They are however trying to hit 15 right on and end up with alot of great dogs slightly over. I just get tired of people complaining about dogs too big. I sure didnt complain when I trialed my 15in. dogs in the south against alot of 13 1/4 inchers who had a definite advantage for that type of terrain.