The American Beagler Forum

When do you consider a beagle as a started dog or what actually constitutes a started dog. I would think most people would interpret a started dog at different levels.

A dog to me to be started is when you let the hound out of the truck and its goes looking for a rabbit.

A started dog to me is one who is capable of jumping their own rabbit with no help, and able to make at least two circles without help.

Started to me is a dog able to find, jump and run its own rabbit. If we had to wait to get two circles a lot of dogs would never qualify. Our rabbits, as a rule, go to ground quickly. I would consider one running a rabbit two circles more than started. Everyone's opinion differs, depending on if you are buying or selling. Good question; be interesting to see the answers.

I have a 10mth old who circled one where I could have shot it 3 or 4 times but it wasn't the prettiest run and she made alot of bobbles/mistakes. The next time out I could have shot the dog instead. Pups?? Go figure!!

to me its a dog that wants to hunt/search for the game, jump and run it.

I'm with Duckbuster ! If the dog is searching for game and opens on scent it's started. Just like a car when you turn the key and the engine turns over it's started. You haven't driven anywhere but it's started. Do you have to drive the car 5 miles before you consider it started ? A dog has to start ( open on scent) before it can progress and get better. JMO

Put up a puppy pen around 1 ac and feed and look after the rabbits and when your friend comes over and turn out 2 and 3 year old dog and calls them pups, and say they not started yet.It want be long you will be saying, there started.Get them out.I had this happen to my puppy pen.things people will do to try and get something over you.

When they open on scent and attempt to trail that scent.
Doesn't matter if they jump the rabbit themselves, another dog or you for that matter.
If they have to jump their own rabbit to be considered started, a lot of dogs in AKC trials that have rabbits
jumped for them with Tally-ho sticks wouldn't be considered started dogs.

If I am selling or talking about one of my pups I consider them started when it has jumped and circled a rabbit at least one circle by itself. If it has opened on a track I consider them as opening but not started.

mdbeagler what do you consider a hound that jumps and opens on 15 rabbits but can't put together 100 yard run without losing it?

A started dog to me is a hound that can find a rabbit .

When a pup gets to the point that I don't have to find a line or rabbit for it. When walking across a field, the pup recognizes and starts a line, it is started. Some never get past the point of "started".

A started dog to me is one that will hunt around a little bit n run with a older dogs! If they stay with the older dogs and dont open a whole lot I consider that lightly started also. I go by lightly started, started good, runs good, and then broke!

When dog can hunt their own, jump their own, run their own,and showing progress each time out.

Green started=opens on track and attempts to run the line. Started = Opens on track and can hold onto the line for little while. Well started=opens on track and can circle most rabbits started. I didn't mention hunt because some dogs will never have hunt and it is not something you can train a beagle to do. Its genetic, either they have it or they don't. A finished dog= has been given plenty of running time and has at least 2 hunting seasons of hard hunting under its belt. I've seen 3 and 4 year old dogs i wouldn't call finished because they were never given enought ground time.....dh