I've Grown to HATE a full length tail on a beagle!!

[Newt]

I normally don't band them until they become a problem. I start my pups so early, by seven months its obvious which if any are going to have a problem. If their tails get sore and they are stopping to lick them rather than hunting, the tails are coming off.
As was mentioned by Patch, breeding to studs who carry their tails high with less whip action, would eventually alleviate the problem, I MO..

[S.R.Patch]

Sam, we can breed for correctness in the tail and it's action by selection and not have to end up doing as the doberman folks do to make a doberman look like a doberman.
I'm sure there are hounds in the line that have shorter tails and less action that don't suffer the effect of a longer tail and would satisfy the look Jim's after. Docking tails as pups, you don't know what the natural length of the tail would have been as an adult, so others can't know what problems they may get when breeding because it's been docked.

Jim, I went down and looked at the two litters you have advertised in the "upcoming litters" section of this site. After reading through the complete threads, it looks to me that you are the one jerking folks around. Changing sires, taking names to hold pups, changing you mind and keeping the whole litter on the first advertisement. Then the second, booking three males and then saying she looks to only have maybe 3-5 in her, one can only hope for all males if you don't change you mind again.
I can't see where being on your puppy list holds much hope of success, and then you talk about tire kickers.
It looks to me this post was put on to stir up some controversy and draw interest over nothing. jmho
Good luck with your hounds, i think the blackcreek hound folks would all be supportive of your idea tho...

[BCBeagles]

Mr. Aldridge,(pardon my spelling)

The folks who know me and have come here to run and purchased pups leave here as friends. I assure you I have never "jerked" any around. I will do what I want with my hounds and that is the final word. And EVERY litter born here is mine until the owner picks it up. I lost a good hound a while back and changed my mind on the last litter I kept off of him. They are all being kept by friends and family. I changed a sire as the dog chosen first WOULD NOT attempt to breed my female so I chose another stud in a timely manner. I have had small litters therefore the number of pups has been limited. The folks booking pups were notified and I am confident they were disappointed, but NOT LIED to about the litter.

I don't need to justify anything to you or anyone else. I take with a grain of salt the source and move on.

Again, for the ones that oppose....DON'T call me about a pup....I do offer a few sound rabbit dogs at stud(THEY CAN BE VIEWED IN THE BRUSH NOT TYPED ABOUT!!!!)....I DON'T nor WILL I charge a friggin dime to breed to any of them!!! I bought them for my use, I offer them for the use of others if it is something that could benefit them. If you breed to a hound I have I DO NOT CARE HOW YOU HANDLE THE PUPS AS FAR AS DEW CLAWS AND TAILS, THEY ARE YOURS. The guys who are respectful and serious call and come and run then they make there decisions. If you feel docking tails is lessening the breed standard..that is fine....I DON'T CARE!! Again, keeps those easily offended from calling or coming here and wasting my time. I didn't put this on here for the approval of the masses...you don't like it....that is fine.

I don't breed litters to sell. I sell what we(the group of serious houndsmen friends I have) don't keep. I book pups to folks who don't "jerk" people around and they show up when they say they are coming and leave being treated fairly.

Thanks and take care.

[Rabbithoundjb]

Everyone has their own preference. I don't like a docked tail so I wouldn't do it unless there was a problem.

[likeemfast]

There is no need to dock a tail on a hound that does not get off the road. Call it tail correctness or whatever ya want.

[jt's kennel]

Now there's a guy paying attention!!

Sam, we can breed for correctness in the tail and it's action by selection and not have to end up doing as the doberman folks do to make a doberman look like a doberman.
I'm sure there are hounds in the line that have shorter tails and less action that don't suffer the effect of a longer tail and would satisfy the look Jim's after. Docking tails as pups, you don't know what the natural length of the tail would have been as an adult, so others can't know what problems they may get when breeding because it's been docked.

Jim, I went down and looked at the two litters you have advertised in the "upcoming litters" section of this site. After reading through the complete threads, it looks to me that you are the one jerking folks around. Changing sires, taking names to hold pups, changing you mind and keeping the whole litter on the first advertisement. Then the second, booking three males and then saying she looks to only have maybe 3-5 in her, one can only hope for all males if you don't change you mind again.
I can't see where being on your puppy list holds much hope of success, and then you talk about tire kickers.
It looks to me this post was put on to stir up some controversy and draw interest over nothing. jmho
Good luck with your hounds, i think the blackcreek hound folks would all be supportive of your idea tho...

[BCBeagles]

As usual...change the subject...take it out of context and try to mask your own bull crap.....

I book pups in case of a larger litter. I breed for my needs first.....I am not in this to make a name....make a dime...or become an authority on beagles.....I enjoy hounds and I will enjoy them the way I want to....with docked tails....lol.

For those that know me and/or dealt with me....I don't need to explain.......

[BCBeagles]

Thanks to the guys who say a respectful reply even if they don't agree.....not a publicity stunt...just an FYI.....

Even if you are offended by the unthinkable audacity of the tail docking you all are more than welcome to come here and run ANYTIME and see ANY HOUND on this PLACE.....NO EXCUSES....we don't lay them in the pen and talk about them here.....we hunt them....docked tails and all.....

Even you Mr. Patch....I am sure you would have some interesting takes on things and your insight could prove beneficial...I would thoroughly enjoy that......

[Shady Grove Beagles]

I don't have any opinion on whether folks dock the tails of their beagles or not...........
I have a lot of books pertaining to the beagles,some of them published in the 1920-1940 eras.The inter-net is also loaded with beagle sites.
It is a generally accepted fact that beagles almost always have white tipped tails.Some have completely white tails and others may show only a few white hairs at the tip.Some authorities even go as far as stating that ALL pure bred beagles will exhibit some white at the end of their tails and those that do not are likely cross-bred to some degree.
The thinking behind the development of this characteristic is that it made it much easier for the hunters to spot the dog when hunting in tall grass.When nose is down-tail is up.
A dog's tail is also used for balance while running and like a ship's rudder for turning at speed.
How's that for some useless tail facts ????
JMHO-I like em with tails.

[BCBeagles]

Dana,

That is a well put respectful post with substance...not just an opinion....

My opinion is opposite yours and we can agree to disagree....you like a tail...I don't....

I do agree with the what that says, white tip for visual and possibly used as a type of steering mechanism.....that makes sense.

Still doesn't change my thoughts.... I am not completely removing the tail....just shortening it...some think this is the look of a Rottweiler...not the case.
tail ends up about 2.5-3 inches shorter than full....just really takes that part that gets raw and hairless.....

Heck even the docked tail dogs get a bloody tip at times.....it happens.

Fellas don't lose sleep over it....genetically they will still have a full tail, but here in WV the reality will be a docked tail....

Pile of snow again here in WV....too much work on this darn computer at times makes me crazy.....lol.

[Alabama John]

Lot of what you like has to do with what type or terrain you hunt in.

Those of us that hunted mainly in swamps didn't get our dogs tails bloody. They hunted differently too.

White tips of tails comes from the old time sires that were mostly white. Light colored beagles with darker ears and a tan, black, brown, spot the size of your hand here and there on its body was normal back in the day. A red one came along every once in a while but in most there was a Red Bone hound in there close up.

Its always been interesting how that red tail end works and in other living things other than dogs.

Even a hybrid chicken from a Rhode Island Red hen and a white rooster will have a white tip on its tail. Cross breeding a hybrid causes that and Beagles are a hybrid from way back.

WE used to laugh when someone would say their tail is white on the end like the game they are supposed to be hunting!!!

[Markday]

I think a docked tail on a beagle looks ridiculous. But I can see where it would also be beneficial to the beagle also. It's on what the owner wants.

[warddog]

I'm just wondering WHY beagles were made in nature with the size tails they came with. Maybe their creator made them that way for a purpose. If someone wants to CUT a tail off so be it but I won't be calling to buy one. NO, it probably matters NOT about the ability of a dog to run a rabbit with or without a full tail but what does matter to me is being mandated TO about what I have to buy. YOUR dogs, my money so I guess we'll both keep ours. I'm also wondering how that fits into the registries as far as being able to trial the dog? I know one can NOT be shown that way but doesn't a dog have to meet the breed standards to be able to trial? Isn't the above 15" beagle NOT meet that standard and can NOT be trialed. No problem with me about CUTTING the tails off but I do have a problem when they do NOT meet the breed standards for them being registered by a registry that sets standards. If it is a standard for show then it should be for go!

[bear128]

I personally like a full length tail but I can see the reason for docking them . I have a female that doesn't hunt as hard after a few hours and I think its from her tail being sore . As for Jim I've talked to him a lot on the phone and went and met him a few times . A very good guy honest on what he see's and his hounds . And came a couple hours and met me to pick my female up to get bred and for me to come back and get her . Never charged me a dime for breeding or anything else and I can't wait for the first of March to see these pups out of Sako

[bear128]

I think it looks a lot better when you dock as a pup then if you dock as a full grown dog