Patch line control

[DIXIEDOG]

Shiloh
Thanks trent i appreciate that. That helps boost my opinion of him. I read on here a lot about "super" dogs so my expectations of what a dog should do are higher than ever. especially on line control. BUT i don't think his ears will ever be scab free

That's the problem with a lot of the "super" dog postings, once they hit the woods they aren't quite as super as they remembered when sitting at the computer. I think most people on here are quite honest but the memory fades just a little when the howling stops

[mybeagles]

Line control gets better with age That sounds like someone defending a bloodline rather than telling this man like it is.

Have raised an awful lot of pups from many different bloodlines and never had a dog improve its line control by age. Pups start out pretty conservative, and the more pressure you put on them the rougher they get. Solo time helps, but will not make a fast rough dog a line control dog. Some are just naturally better with line control. IMO if your running a couple times a week like you say, and soloing the dog and he's rough, its only going to get worse when you pack him up.

If your looking for good line control and your dog is rough running solo I would start over with another pup. There are patch hounds that are rough to a fault and some that are conservative to a fault. This is an old bloodline that has been taken in many different directions. I would'nt evaluate the entire line on one dog.

Line control gets better with age,............thats a new one for me.

Mybeagles

[klrconcrete]

I like pups (from what ever bloodlines) to start conservatively, I think all pups "loosen up" with age and running time so if one starts out "loose" the odds of it "tightening up" are not good! I guess anything is possible but not always probable. Kurt Robinson

[Big Boy Patch]

I have a patch male that can run a good line but he will swing at times. My Patch female is more conservitive and run a good line. As for gettting better line control as they get older. I find that the truth in Patch hounds. It does take them a couple years to mature. If you like her now . Give her a little time a you will be satified.


Big Boy Patch
Phil Walls Jr

[mike crabtree]

Mine get rougher as they get older. They swing wider in the check, and gamble more as they get rabbit smart. They can run a line, but you put them in a pack, and they ARE going to the front whatever it takes.

Honey cut her own ear off the other day with one of her switchblades !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Big Dog]

I agree completely with what mybeagles said. I have never had one start out rough and then tighten up and be a line controller. Normally with fast dogs, the ones that are more conservative when they first start(Patience) will normally pick up speed and be track runners as they grow older. Those that start out blazing fast will normally become rough as a cobb especially if you pack them a lot, and wild as a buck by the time they get to be 3 or 4 years old.

Big Dog

[cojax]

thats funny all u guys without patch hounds disagree with randy but i have a female and a male that came from him as pups and its been just like he said .they are 3 years old and i wouldnt trade them now for nothing. I did have the same issues that started this thread when they were immature (the male being worse than the female) but now they lead the way and mr rabbit better get steppin. since that i have added more patches to them 2 from donnie lambert and one from buddy jude that threw 5 nice pups that are all running and improving every week. i will tell you this that when six of them in a pack hit the ground you better be ready to shoot because when the rabbit comes by you its going mach 1 and the dogs arent far behind. thanks cojax

[mybeagles]

I dont see it so funny.....we all run hounds that are fit to our style of hound. Patch hounds fit a group of guys and some of you seem very happy and thats a good thing. As stated on this thread, some are not impressed with the patch hounds they have owned.

Perhaps some clarification might help resolve this conflict. Is it possible that what you are referring to in settling down at age 3 or so is that fact they get more rabbit wise and are able to gamble and get away with it more? They drive hard, swing and cut, but have the rabbit sense to pick up the line way ahead. I run with a guy that loves a dog to gamble. The farther they swing, slash, cut, reach out, the happier he is. He doesnt want them in the check for more than 2 seconds and he expects them to be moving out. On good running days his dogs will be 50 yards ahead of everything and on bad running days he usually goes home early. Not to say there are NO conservative patch hounds, but that is not what they are known for.

I mean no disrespect to Randy or any of you that run patch hounds. My post was intended to be directed toward the original post. He indicated a desire for more line control..... I stand by what I said: if this dog is rough at 16 months with a steady year of solo time, he will never be a line running dog. He might gain some rabbit sense and learn how to cheat better, but never a line runner.....

mybeagles

[LR Patch]

No cheaters or swingers here , just tracks and rabbits .
To the feller that started this thread , good luck with your hound give her sometime and if she don't settle-in & become the hound your hoping to feed , cull her. Some would have already from what I'm reading , as I stated I did a few time only to wish I hadn't . I'm out !!!!!!!
Best of luck , Randy
PS : You will find opions on here are like ( well you know ) everyone has one

[allniter]

MY BEAGLES ----I was in ROSE CITY --JAN.30 at MR. KARL LARSEN'S pick up A COYOTE dog with the snow you all had then they couldn't swing very much -- next time I'm up that way might stop and see you and your hounds if that is OK

[Swampman]

I can only speak for my Patch hounds, and they do smooth out with age. No, I don't mean swing, cheat, etc. or as someone said (rabbit wise), I mean smooth out and run with control. When we have bad conditions (which is quite often here) I don't stop hunting, the hounds gear down and run what the conditions allow. Almost all of mine have started out rough as heck, and have smoothed out with age and experience. I will agree that some do have to be culled due to lack of nose and/or brains.

Swamp

[mybeagles]

Almost all of mine have started out rough as heck, and have smoothed out with age and experience.

Thats interesting, never seen or heard of such a thing before, I guess Ive been working with the wrong line of dogs all these years

Allnite,

I know Carl. He has a pretty big operation with all those running walkers. Did you get a pup or running dog? His brother Dale is pretty big into beagles.

mybeagles

[S.R.Patch]

Solo time divided with pack time is equally important in my opion. I've had patch hounds for 20+ years and this is 1 thing I've seen in them , some will run the line real lose ,espically 1's with big nose's & most have this , they tend to be hounds with heads up run'n style anyways . Most will out grow this( lose line control ) as they mature. But they are a strain of hounds that will always drive a rabbit so they will not always have the best line control , but most come into their own about 2 years old. I'll also say this , if your run'n several young patch hounds together that are from just started to 2 years old they will compete for the front with no regard for thier body or anything else , they will over run the track , swing some and most anything else to get the front , but when they hit that age of maturey they settle in and you want ever want anyother line of hound. In the early times of my 1st patch's I discarded several young dogs because of what your seeing ,seeing them a year or so later only to find that they were very fine hounds & that I had been to quick to give up on them and from that point on I learned to give them time and they will settle in. These are just some things I've seen and don't claim to know everything about the Patch , but I will also say I've been around beagles all my life & I'm 50 and will say for me the Patch is the only line of hounds I'll ever feed at my kennel , thier is good and bad in all lines including the patch but if you do your home work , breed the good 1's , cull the bad you will come out on top in the end. Some reading this may wonder why I'm on the computer instead of run'n the hounds I speak of , well it started like this , up at 4:30AM this morning , loaded the 5 hounds that I was taking today ,headed out around 4:45 AM got about 10 mile from the house when I hear a flopping sound from under the hood , lost power steering , lights dimmed , hardly had brakes , stopped and found the idler pully on the surpinten (sp) in 2 peices and the belt wrapped around the fan , needless to say I was disapointed , after $60 bucks for the tow , $18 for the pully , $30 for the belt 1 hour to repair , desided it wasn't my day to hunt , guess it could have been worse !! Luckly I'm off Monday so I'll try again .
Don't give up on your female she will come around just give her some time , but I would pack her some also.
Randy

I agree with you Randy, Lelawana started as energeticly as any I've owned but by the time she was 3 she was so tied to the line and wouldn't pull up, that I couldn't run her with the rest, the odd one in the lot for sure.
Most all I've had settle down with some time. There ability to reason usually catches up with their desire...

[cojax]

that was my point exactly thanks for pointing that out sr patch. i got 2 patch males that just came from the starting pen that get so excited they dont know which direction to run, but six more months and they will be running like they are tied 2 him
thanks cojax

[allniter]

MYBEAGLES ---THE dog we got from KARL 2 1/2 yr. old female she hadn't been run very much --she ran some today + a fast beef race