Lessons Learned

KPrice · Post by **KPrice** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:59 am

Here are a few things I have learned through my years of messing with rabbit hounds. I thought this might be a fun topic that others may want to add to.

1. Sometimes running a bad hound enough will make it a mediocre hound. And running a mediocre hound enough might make it a good hound. But you can never make a good hound into a GREAT hound just by running it. The more running the better, but GREAT hounds are born, not made.
2. If a bunch of folks are standing around talking dogs, I would listen to the old guy in the rusty truck with the dog box made from an old A/C crate. He’s probably forgotten more about hounds than the guy with the color coordinated dog box will ever know.
3. There’s no crying in field trialing. Oh, wait a minute. That’s baseball I’m thinking about. There’s plenty of crying in field trialing.
4. Every hound has a fault. Every hound owner has at least one fault that they won’t tolerate. Every hound owner has at least one fault they will tolerate.

clousewt · Post by **clousewt** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 11:31 am

Great post, alot of the old timers will tell you that you will never learn everything there is to know about hounds, they are all different with different needs. But there are certain stable things that a hound owner must do to try to do credit to their dogs. 1. you have to run your dogs to let them get better 2. (personal experiance) you can try to over control your dogs, you have to let them hunt. 3. we dont know everything, listen to other people, they see things about your dogs that you dont or wont see. 4. I have alot to learn about rabbit dogs!!! Tom Clouse

dan grimes · Post by **dan grimes** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 1:10 pm

Don't brag up your dogs ---- they'll make a liar out of you every time. If your dog does something really spectacular that no one would ever believe --- you will be the only one out there with him that day. Most females are in heat 6 weeks out of the year. Of that 6 weeks time, 3 of those weeks will be during rabbit season. If you breed a dog hoping to get female pups, you will get mostly males and visa-versa. Everyone is looking to buy pups ---- until your bitch has a litter. The wifes new honey-do list and rabbit season always start the same day ---- It's the law. If rabbit season opens tomarrow and you go to bed early tonight so you can be all rested up ---- you won't be able to sleep. And last---Your aim is always a lot better when you are hunting alone and not with friends. Dan

Hare Hunter · Post by **Hare Hunter** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 8:22 am

One thing I will add is, if you have a good to great hound, there is a good chanch something could/will happen to it in it's prime. If you have one that's just not going to work out, you could feed it in the middle of the busiest highway you can find and it will not have anything happen to it. Also your best hound can/will have an off day and your least talented dog can/will have a good day, these things almost always happen when you have someone along that you have told about your dogs, they like to make liars out of the owners whenever possible. LOL Hare

bunnie harvester · Post by **bunnie harvester** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 8:35 am

Thank you guys,turned on the computer this morning and got a good chuckle and a few good memorys, this post is '' OUTSTANDING '' ,
They never steal your crap ,and cars only hit good dogs,never heard a fellow say,"That ole piece of crap, Joe got hit by a car"

PAPPY · Post by **PAPPY** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:02 pm

1.Regardless of how good a hound was,they seem to get better and better after they have passed on.
2.A bumblebee can outrun a John Deere Tractor
3.If your over fifty and think you know it all,go back to school
4.Your best hound may be a cull to someone else
5.Someone's cull may be your best hound
6.Peanut Butter Sandwiches are hard to eat without bread and water
7.If I am ever arrested for being nice...I hope there's enough evidence to convict me.
8.Have fun today because tomorrow may never come

TC · Post by TC » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:07 pm

One of My Favorites told to me by a long time beagler one day while runnin Will always Stick with me.....

A Mans Ego is a Hekuva Weight for a Dog to carry

Thanks Jack

CORNERSTONE · Post by **CORNERSTONE** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:39 pm

Quote:
A Mans Ego is a Hekuva Weight for a Dog to carry

That says it all right there & many hounds are willing to try[/quote]

WrongsideRandy · Post by **WrongsideRandy** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 5:48 pm

TC wrote:One of My Favorites told to me by a long time beagler one day while runnin Will always Stick with me.....
A Mans Ego is a Hekuva Weight for a Dog to carry
Thanks Jack

AMEN!!!!

swing · Post by **swing** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 6:05 pm

Even if your on the right track, if you set there long enough you will get ran over.

DarrinG · Post by **DarrinG** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 8:13 pm

1) Dont take anyone you dont personally know well at their word, especially when talking about a dog, buying or selling. Lots of guys out there that their word dont mean diddly-squat.

2) Stay away from trialing. Some of the biggest babies and crooks I ever met were trialers.

3) Once you find a friend, be a friend. "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly" (Prov:18:24) comes to mind.

4) Avoid the guys who feel they must talk their dogs up on a pedestal on a constant basis.

5) If you are a Christian, do your upmost best to do your dealings with other Christains......there is a level of accountability there that cannot be imitated with anything else!

6) Have fun.....if you're not having fun, it's time to do something else.

Buckeye Bob · Post by **Buckeye Bob** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:10 pm

Darrin gets my vote for best post so far.(1)I can count on one hand the guys I would buy a dog off of sight unseen(2)I never yet met a gunhunter who whined about his dog getting cheated,buddyjudging,or stupid rulebooks(3)I learned that verse from my mother and it is so true(4)There are actually folks like that?(5)I agree and the older I get I realize just how true this is(5)Amen bro,its all about having fun....by yourself,with your kids,with a coupla of friends.

Bopeye · Post by **Bopeye** » Sat Nov 05, 2005 11:36 am

This post cracked me up. I agree with almost everything said.

1. When selling a dog, disregard the first 25 e-mails, phone calls and pm's.
They aren't going to buy it, they just want to waste your time.

2. Run with folks you enjoy being around. Time is too precious to spend it with folks you can hardly tolerate.
3. Spend time with your dogs every day. If they enjoy being around you, it will make it easier in the field with them.

That's all I got for now.

tnbeagleman · Post by **tnbeagleman** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:09 pm

I would say something but I don't know what I could add to improve on Darrins post!!!

wabbit wunner01 · Post by **wabbit wunner01** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 9:36 pm

My grandpa always told me to take my time and squeeze the trigger. It didn't matter to him how good my dogs were or how many rabbits I shot over them, It was always the one I missed or the one that vanished in "thin air" that would cause him to school me a little more. Boy, I wish he was still here to help me some more.