The American Beagler Forum

I know we are all different about a dog. What do you like in a rabbit dog??

Knowing that it can bring a rabbi back to me 95% of the time.

for me the most important thing is hunt and brains .

During periods of weather like we have had recently, temperatures from five to twenty-five degrees, dogs that will crawl around under the briars, brush, and vines and find a rabbit. Then they run it until it holes. That usually doesn't take long in these temperatures.
On normal days they should run it for hours if it stays up.

I've had beagles for about 10 years and just got into trialing the last couple. I like to see a dog with a lot of hunt, not intimidated by briars, brush or big brush piles. I want brains enough to slow down on bad scenting days. I want to see a high prey drive and determination to not quit. I like a dog that checks in occasionally and keeps track of where I am. Handling is also important. At a recent trial, the winning dog scored 200-plus points and smoked everyone else. He also got four 10 minute warnings, but that dog could flat run rabbits. On those poor days when all the judge has to score is "hunt and handle" he'd lose.

Big thing for me is a dog that hunt's. It want's to look for the rabbit, and it does. I've got a nice young grade gyp that I love. She always hunts hard for me, and that's what I look for in pups I raise. A dog doesn't have hunt is a me too dog, and a lot of times they over run a track because they don't have that desire to chase the rabbit. To busy running with the dogs then actual hunting.

Newt wrote:During periods of weather like we have had recently, temperatures from five to twenty-five degrees, dogs that will crawl around under the briars, brush, and vines and find a rabbit. Then they run it until it holes. That usually doesn't take long in these temperatures.
On normal days they should run it for hours if it stays up.

brains, nose, desire Not a sterotypical one dimensional hound of course will crawl through the briars when needed and have gears run to catch if it's there grub on the check and patiently track at a walk if it's poor scenting. It 's hard to get all these in one bundle but it can be done with selective breeding not just pedigree only crosses. Dont like a Texaco oil driller or a hyped up off the end idiot either.

Accounability & Jumpabilty.

I want a dog that will jump it, run it, catch it, clean it and fry it up just right!

If I had to pick just one it would be the brains, that you can't teach.

I like a scenting dog that only goes in places it knows a rabbit is there.
Want one to reach out for the lost track and not mill around trying to find it where it lost it since if it is easy to find it there, why did it lose it? Something caused the loss of scent, get past that. Go on past whatever caused the lose, bad scenting, water or whatever and reach out to look for the track.
Run fast, heads up and close to the rabbit. Don't stay at a hole. Mouth you can hear doesn't matter what it sounds like.
Come in when called to go home.
Size, color, breeding, registered or not, ears or not, none of that matters. Performance only counts.

Hunt, hunt and more hunt with brains to match. If a dog doesn't have these, none of the other traits come into play.
Thanks,
Bob

good mouth, great stamina and the ability to run a rabbit back to the gun before i shoot and after i miss.

Thanks yall for the reply.Yall had some good one too.Its like I said,we all like something different.I love to see a bed jump rabbit better than anything.The dog coming out looking at the rabbit and the ground just ( I don t know how to say it) with the rabbit and dog going out.I just love that.I love to see that than any dog or pack running one. I always said it and still do.A Rabbit Dog should show you a rabbit.Not the other way.Thanks yall for the reply.

I like what most beaglers like: nose, hunt, speed, accountability. There is one thing that I do not hear much about that I wish I had in all my dogs. FOCUS. I mean the ability to stay focused on the rabbit when others are blowing up the race. This is especially valuable at a field trial. Bobby