Grade vs. AKC hounds

L.J. McKenzie · Post by **L.J. McKenzie** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:55 pm

i think it depends on what you do with your hounds. if you like to run akc field trials your "better" grade dog will do you no good. if you like to gunhunt you take the better dog. just a guess but id say most of your grade dogs started with dam and sire being registerd and the breeder didnt take the time to mess with the registration or it was an accidental breedring.

mud · Post by **mud** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:09 pm

I would have to say the very best dogs I have owned through the years have been grade dogs.Nothing wrong with registered hounds I even have 2 myself.That I consider above average.I had a litter of pups this year.First time I bred a dog in over 3 years.I bred to a male owned locally by a field trialer.I just gun hunt and pack run but I liked what he showed me.With all that being said my needs were different than the trialers. since I just gun hunt and pack run.Plenty of people have better dogs than me but mine mostly grade don't shame me.They have above average hunt good speed decent line control, they can be called and put on a rabbit no cold trailing or trash running and they love a gun.My dad on the other hand will only keep medium speed grade females gundogs.For over 55 years he has kept to this program.He never sold a dog in his life.He culls and gives away. He has tuff hounds for his use which is rabbit hunt only.Good topic

bradadkins · Post by **bradadkins** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 10:21 pm

Good discussion...

Jimbo I hear ya !!

I have both AKC hounds and grade dogs. The one thing they have in common...they can all do the job on ol bugs bunny. I do trial some in LP. I hunt with those same hounds also.

I think a good point is this..take some time and do some research before you breed to a select sire or dam. You are passing along both sides. Know what you are breeding and don't breed just to have some pups to sell.

Breed selectively to better the breed and keep the hounds the way they should be...

Brad

wright boy · Post by **wright boy** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 12:45 am

I know everyone agrees that grade dogs generally sell for less than papered dogs. I have AKC dogs myself. But this is not always the case. Lots of folks read these boards that dont trial at all(like me) just to chat with fellow beaglers and learn. I know some people that sell grade dogs regularly for far more than some of the registered dogs I often see for sale on the boards. For some it`s all about the hound and what he can do. They are willing to pay for what they like. At the end of the day their trophy is a bagged bunny and an exciting race. JMHO

HatterasBob · Post by **HatterasBob** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 7:57 am

I breed a really nice KY breed cottontail AKC gyp to very good AKC male and got below average pups. Their is more to breeding then just breeding good dogs to good dogs. Some crosses click, but most don't. The most consistent cross I've ever seen was between grade dogs, but we knew what was behind them.

I hate what the AKC stands for and their envolvement in PAWS, but I wouldn't own a dog that I didn't know it's pedigree. An AKC dog can run in any format, period! If I didn't trial, papers would mean a thing, but the pedigree still would.

AlabamaSwamper · Post by **AlabamaSwamper** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:20 am

I have both but only 2 are grade. I don't breed them.

ALthough, if I wanted to, I would. I've hunted with the parents and grandparents of both so I know what was behind them.

One is my best dog overall and the other has no problem in the field.

island ridge hounds · Post by **island ridge hounds** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 8:43 am

i have owned both types of hounds and i perfer the grade hounds, just
because the amount of akc vs grade hounds that i've had weren't up to
snuff. i know there's great akc hounds i run against them in trials all the
time but i've just never owned one that was worth keeping and the last
thing i would do is own one because the papers made him or her worth
more money. you know the papers don't run the rabbit and the money
don't either. you know there's no telling how many grade hounds out
there that are really out of akc blood. a lot of old timers never keep up
there papers. boys if you have a set of papers i can throw in a thicket and
get a rabbit race on i will switch my thinking.
bwall

tommyg · Post by **tommyg** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 2:31 pm

[quote="Kazoo"]Keep breeding to pedigrees and not rabbit dog to rabbit dog and you'll keep ending up with mediocre hounds, papers or no papers.

Couldn't have said it better!!!

whiteriver · Post by **whiteriver** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:06 pm

we breed for rabbit dogs , i do not pay attention wheather the dog is akc ukc arha or whatever !!

we utilize pedigrees from whatever registry in order to look at the hounds backround not to decide the dog soely on the pedigree. People have asked me why i have decidedto cross our line with "hare " dogs ,this makes me laugh .We looked at what would cross well with our dogs and that is what we did ,where the hound is from or what registry is irrelevent to me .

mitch gould
white river beagles

BJK · Post by **BJK** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:20 pm

Amen Mitch

bradadkins · Post by **bradadkins** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 10:18 am

I totally agree..bred what works for you and breed for rabbit hounds not fancy papers.

night runner · Post by **night runner** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 12:34 pm

somebody put papers on all of them to start with dont forget that. u can get just as good grade dogs but u have to know there pass. there is no difference but money. come run with me some time .i will show u some grade dogs they might be to slow to run with u boys . but i will try.6067432906