I have to slow my dogs down.

Emery · Post by **Emery** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:05 am

Put that dog in a Large Pack on Hare trial. I don't think you would ever get accused of running too much rabbit there.

Ralph Pearson · Post by **Ralph Pearson** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 9:24 am

Thanks for all your encouragement. All of you except that Gus feller. He said I needed to see a psyediatrist and listen here Gus. You are darn lucky I don't tell my wife Nary May what you said because she will swell up and dance all over your parade. She just got back from Europe tuesday and she says there sure are a lot of foreigners over there!

gus · Post by **gus** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 9:40 am

I didn't say you needed psychiatric help. I was just joking with you. Ben there done that. I have had the same problem, as have most beaglers. Speaking from experience it's expensive to chase someone else's idea of the perfect dog. I see posts, in almost every thread that discusses judges, by beaglers who grew tired of chasing a trial judges opinon and then trying to hunt with the dogs the judges like.
I'll bet I would like your dog just the way it is. I certainly would not pick it up for running too much rabbit.

Tell your wife I apologize if I offended her or you.

Go to http://www.espomagazine.com/ and read the "Biggest mistakes I have made while Beagling" thread. Jason Taylor has a post today that is applicable.

Catfish · Post by **Catfish** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:45 pm

It sounds like you are running AKC. Trails. A buddy of mine has took his dog to a couple of them, and right off the bat the judge told him pick up his dog because it was running to much rabbit. To me the AKC. Trails around here are a joke. You don't pick a good dog up for running to much rabbit.

Just go over to NKC. little pack Trails you will never have your dog picked up for running to much rabbit. But if you want to get rid of your dog. Just get a hold of me and I'll come and get he/she and run it in NKC. Little Pack. Good luck and God Bless.

Catfish:

mspaci · Post by **mspaci** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:28 pm

This is why I dont plan on trialing. Too much hassle, I just like running my dogs. Mike

Ralph Pearson · Post by **Ralph Pearson** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:13 pm

Hey Gus Nary May says in case you couldn't tell, we was joking with you too. She wants you to come over for supper and have some of her famous rubarb pie that won first place at the Missourri State Fair. She said you could have 2 pieces and we will put some homemade ice cream on top and let you lay on the couch when you are done. Just sso you will know for sure, I don't give a rats butt what some judge says about my dog. I forgot more about beagles that they will ever know. It is like this. They have to find a rabbit, then they have to track it quickly as possible without losing it. Sounds pretty simple and it is. Too many people think they are smarter than a good dog is and will pick them up if they think they don't fit their own misguided judgement of a dogs performance. I get a special kick out of the judges that think a dog must run every inch of a line or the dog is no good. These rookies have never been hungry and needed a dog that can circle a rabbit under all conditions of weather and running grounds. After you have hunted for a as many years as I have you learn that the line can have big gaps in it and a dog must gamble a little under those conditions. The dog must be able to tell when that technique is needed and when it not needed. The only mature dogs I feed are dogs that can do it any way it needs to be done and not lose the rabbit. They can walk and they can drive and everything in between. It can be hard for a judge to see all this in one field trial and in one dog. The only real fault you have to concentrate on is if the dog loses rabbits it is no good. If they don't lose rabbits I call them a good dog if they don't have other bad faults that interefere with bagging the game.

beagler282 · Post by **beagler282** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:08 pm

Accomplishment over style any day.Running too much rabbit!! I've been there and been told that to.Never seen a dog run enough rabbit.I would rather my dog catch the rabbit than shoot it.Who do you think would get more enjoyment out of that!!! TASTY!!!!

THALL · Post by **THALL** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:03 pm

Some people can't take getting out run!
"chase to catch". There's no such thing as too much rabbit! A beagle should run a rabbit . How many people say let's go walk a rabbit. I don't care what format you run a dog should not be punished for out running a bunch of boo-hooing mungrels! If a dog is crooked slashing and cutting that's different, but if he's running the line fast and giving plenty mouth he's not running too much rabbit!

Chuck Terry · Post by **Chuck Terry** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:06 pm

Hunter: The only NKC PP trial I have been to in Indiana was the US Championship in 2004. Some judges let them go and some were quick to minus. Lack of consistency in the judging was my main disappointment. The same was true when I went to the one in Beaverdam, KY. It took a strong beagle to make the early one and then the went to snatching them up for swinging and skirting (or so it seemed to me). I hope the new judges video will get the judges closer to being on the same page. I GUARANTEE if you enter your beagle in an NKC PP trial in, say MISSISSIPPI, he will not be picked up for running too much rabbit - those dogs do NOT have brake lights nor turn signals - LOL! I have not seen a judge yet who could get it all there because he spends 3/4 of his time trying to catch up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those beagles can turn on a dime and blast out of the checks - close to Little Pack but cleaner, closer, and less over running. Lots of JD, Tadpole, and Homer breeding and most have above average hunt too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Catfish · Post by **Catfish** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 3:26 am

Mr. Pearson, I agree with you 100%. If a dog puts the meat on the table, that what it is all about. The thing with some dog cutting and slashing, is ok with me, that just tells me he/she doesn't like to look at another dogs a$$ hole. A dog that likes to get to the front and run the line to a (T), is just fine. That means the dog is no babbling idoit, and just barks behind another dog because it is barking. I shouldn't be giving you any advice, it sounds like you know a lot more than I do. It is just good to talk with someone, about dogs and hunting. Well Good luck and God Bless.

Catfish:

yellow mt. kennels · Post by **yellow mt. kennels** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 10:08 am

HUNTER,
THEY MUST HAVE BEEN USING THE WRONG RULE BOOK THAT DAY!!!

lee ga · Post by **lee ga** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 11:59 am

if everyone had the chance to read some of lew maddens writings, they would understand that the rulebook is a guideline and not a set of hard and fast rules. lew said so himself. sure it encourages hunt, line control, inside out check work, etc. , but it wasn't the intention of the rulebook authors for everyone to develop a line of hounds that run the same way, day in and day out under all conditions. some days a hound will be slow, some days they will be fast, some days they will stay close, and some days they will reach. the rulebook allows for this. the rulebook can be applied to open country rabbit running or rabbit running in the briars of south ga. there is a difference between the two, and the rulebook recognizes this. the rule book recognizes that the hound is in competition with the scenting conditions of the day, the terrain, the other hounds and the style of running that is working best to get the job done on that particular day. example:on a hunt last season, one particular hound kept getting most of the checks that occured. i commented that this hound was doing a nice job with those checks, others said yea, but he's getting the checks way out there. with a laugh, i said yep, but at least he's getting them. this hound had the best style for that day and the others didn't compare favorably.

Ralph Pearson · Post by **Ralph Pearson** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 1:18 pm

I am looking in my imaginary diary and see on dec 12 we had snow. On the 13th it drizzled a little and froze on top of the snow. My dogs ran 1 down a fence line along a ditch with cover and I saw the rabbit run out across a plowed field that was covered with that ice and on across to the next patch of cover. Something tells me that if I have a dog that won't gamble a little and reach out a little, this is going to be the end of the chase. They work around close for a while and pretty soon old Jiggs gets a whiff out about 20 yards on the backside a of a big dirt clod and now he knows the rabbit made a getaway across the field of plowed dirt. He drifts a little further and gets another whiff and then he opens about every 10 yards and walks it out until he has it good agin and the other dogs are right there working cuz they know Jiggs knows the ropes on these tough losses. Its 20 degrees and the wind is now blowing out of the northwest about 30mph and the scent was being dispersed as quick as it as laid on that icey plowed ground. Then they hit a gravel raod and although there is no ice, the lime absorbs the scent as fast qs it is laid and Jiggs works his technique again and the race is still on. The dog ain't stupid. He knows when there is weak scent and what to do about it. On the 13th I hunt and the sun is out and 40 degrees and the rabbit won't come out in the open and runs small circles in the brush and Jiggs runs every inch and keeps him moving through some tough bulldoze and multi flora rose. The dog ain't stupid and knows the rabbit is going to use tricks today instead of running for his life. On the 14th, I ate both of those rabbits and gave old Jiggs the lion fried with Cavendars Greek Seasining and fried in peanut oil. He wagged his tail real good!!

lee ga · Post by **lee ga** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 1:41 pm

amen!!!

yellow mt. kennels · Post by **yellow mt. kennels** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 1:59 pm

IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO WHAT MY FRIEND JERRY AIKEN ALWAYS SAYS ABOUT JUDGING DOGS. AND IT WOULD APPLY TO EVERY FORMAT--EVEN THE FORMAT OF JUST RUNNIN AND GUNNIN AND NOT TRIALING AT ALL. WHEN IT COMES TO DECIDING WHAT YOU LIKE A DOG TO DO!!

"YOU'VE GOT TO JUDGE--UM--WITH THE RULE BOOK IN ONE HAND, AND COMMON SENSE IN THE OTHER"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JAMES DAVIS
YELLOW MT. KENNELS