Beagles worse than. 20 years ago

[Big_kang_beagles]

That's a very interesting question, but 20 years ago my beagles stayed out of the pen more than they stayed in, and ran when they wanted. Would run for hours every day and come lay on the porch when they were tired. Can't allow that now because our road is too busy now and sub division on the other side. But my beagles back then understood rabbits more, and where to find them.... Didn't need as many dogs to go kill a sack full of rabbits either.

[steveh]

Didn't need as many dogs to go kill a sack full of rabbits either.

I think this quote seems to sum it for me. It doesn't seem to matter who you talk to these days, that's my jump dog, and that one there is quick on the checks and that one there runs a 7-8 speed to keep them moving and so on and so on. I still say that you took more time with your dogs back then. Now, put them in a kennel, do a little bit with them and then throw on the shock collar as soon as you can and force them to listen. A beagle is going to hunt or it isn't but the way it listens to you starts way before you start zapping it.

[fasttrackpa]

There's no question in 40 years of raising training and breeding my own hounds, the best we've had, we have right now.

[Rcoff]

20 years ago I was able and did pick up grade beagles for 35 bucks that could do it all by themselves. Now you pay 300 and have to have 3 or 4 dogs to do the same as 1 or 2 did back then. Reason? Read adds for brood bitches. Guys are selling females for breeding because there is something wrong with them, or if there s something drastically wrong with the dog, let's breed it! What do you think that does to the breed? Now, thank God not everybody is doing that. But there is a lot of inferior breeding going on producing inferior dogs. I'm still in the learning stages as far as breeding goes, learning from experienced breeders. The good dogs are still out there, just more junk now than there was 20 years ago, so you have to be careful what you get into. I've seen a lot of good dogs come thru my starting pen, some not so good. Jmo.
Thanks,
Bob

[johns03272008]

I don't believe their is more junk dogs than there was 10-20 years ago I would say there is the same amount of junk but just the ability to read about and buy online junk makes it seem like more due to all the internet websites!!

[BCBeagles]

I have to agree that statement above is 100% true.

I just had a litter of 6 pups. 3 perfect, 3 culls. Now my kids won't let me cull the old school way and I find them hunting homes with restrictions to NO breeding on the pups.
Am I am a horrible person for this, some may say yes, but the dogs still get a chance to be a hunting companion and or pet. I do keep track that they are NOT bred, these folks won't ever get a pup from me again if they don't do as I ask. I know these folks well enough to know they will follow thru with my wishes.

When a cull pup is sold on this board and it makes an average dog at best, that hunter may see a nice set of papers and pedigree to say, "gonna track me down an IFC, FC, GRHBCH, GRRCH, or HOF hound, and take out the defects in my average pup." SORRY, it won't happen.... JMHO..

Just my practices, but I have well into $800 dollars for the breeding so money ain't the issue. Being true to the continuation of a quality hound is the issue!!!!! Bad bite=CULL, crooked legs= CULL, brain less and unable to be handled at early age= CULL,SKIN disorders=CULL, and the list goes on. IF you inspect your pups enough at early ages you can see what will have the quality to AT LEAST BE GIVEN A CHANCE, doesn't mean they will make it, but at least they are a solid starting point.....WE, and I am talking to myself, need to be SOOO MUCH more critical of what we breed and then even MORE critical of what we SELL!!!!!!

Wonder why the top breeders in this game, and oh by the way TOP WINNERS, don't sell a bunch of pups..... Makes perfect sense to me. I am not an expert nor a scholar just try to pay attention to the ones succeeding and also listen to there opinions... You may not get much out of them for that matter, so what you get you better listen to!!

Good running to all.

[Mo. Beagler 5000]

I have to agree that statement above is 100% true.

I just had a litter of 6 pups. 3 perfect, 3 culls. Now my kids won't let me cull the old school way and I find them hunting homes with restrictions to NO breeding on the pups.
Am I am a horrible person for this, some may say yes, but the dogs still get a chance to be a hunting companion and or pet. I do keep track that they are NOT bred, these folks won't ever get a pup from me again if they don't do as I ask. I know these folks well enough to know they will follow thru with my wishes.

When a cull pup is sold on this board and it makes an average dog at best, that hunter may see a nice set of papers and pedigree to say, "gonna track me down an IFC, FC, GRHBCH, GRRCH, or HOF hound, and take out the defects in my average pup." SORRY, it won't happen.... JMHO..

Just my practices, but I have well into $800 dollars for the breeding so money ain't the issue. Being true to the continuation of a quality hound is the issue!!!!! Bad bite=CULL, crooked legs= CULL, brain less and unable to be handled at early age= CULL,SKIN disorders=CULL, and the list goes on. IF you inspect your pups enough at early ages you can see what will have the quality to AT LEAST BE GIVEN A CHANCE, doesn't mean they will make it, but at least they are a solid starting point.....WE, and I am talking to myself, need to be SOOO MUCH more critical of what we breed and then even MORE critical of what we SELL!!!!!!

Wonder why the top breeders in this game, and oh by the way TOP WINNERS, don't sell a bunch of pups..... Makes perfect sense to me. I am not an expert nor a scholar just try to pay attention to the ones succeeding and also listen to there opinions... You may not get much out of them for that matter, so what you get you better listen to!!

Good running to all.

That is kinda the problem though. If a guy wants a good dog and the good breeders decide not to sell good dogs, what is a guy to do but get a dog that isn't as good and try to improve on it? I sure as heck don't want to be a big time dog breeder. I just want to shoot rabbits and run a few trials with friends.

[ericwaddle3]

I think it lies in the FC title. Always loved rabbit hunting, never been to a trail. I've hunted with trail dogs a field champions, and not to brag, none could hang with the two dogs I had back in high school. Let me ask you guys this. I have a couple Hounds and Hunting magazine. I never realized there are so many "field champions"!!! May be before we give there dogs the title of champion, we should make it a little harder for them to earn it. I don't know, but how many points does it take? How long do you have to achieve these points? Maybe it should be made a lot harder, to separate the good or lucky dogs, from the great ones. I can open a magazine a pick from 50 different so called champions to breed my birch little bit to. Want if I pick a dog that just got lucky a couple times, or just an "ok" dog that didn't really have any competition. Speed is ruining it I believe. She has good hunt, decent line control, and works good on a check with very limited experience, but she was sold as a pet because she wasn't "fast" enough, then given to me. And in my opinion, she is going to make a pretty darn good rabbit dog.

[BCBeagles]

I have been in the position of "how do I get the good stuff"??

I then commited and quit buying the 300-600 dollar culls that fill every for sale department. I am not saying that the $400 dollar pup will be your answer, but if you go buy a QUALITY female from a top breeder you won't have buyers remorse. You have a beginning, then "well she isn't a producer?", what now??

Have a couple of them. I guarantee I have wasted more money on average dogs than I have on the ones that suit me, guarantee it. If I did it all over again, I would drop big money in a couple top quality females and save all the money I wasted on average ones. My wife would be a lot happier as well.

Out of the close to 100 females I have brought thru this place, I have 3 that will have homes hear, one that is on the bubble to stay(that is the tough part for me, some are good, just not what I want to move forward with, that is when I cut ties with them.). I am so much happier with what I take to the field. I really enjoy going thru them and evaluating to take the best, one of the most enjoyable things for me.... Some hate it..... To each there own.

[fasttrackpa]

I think it lies in the FC title. Always loved rabbit hunting, never been to a trail. I've hunted with trail dogs a field champions, and not to brag, none could hang with the two dogs I had back in high school. Let me ask you guys this. I have a couple Hounds and Hunting magazine. I never realized there are so many "field champions"!!! May be before we give there dogs the title of champion, we should make it a little harder for them to earn it. I don't know, but how many points does it take? How long do you have to achieve these points? Maybe it should be made a lot harder, to separate the good or lucky dogs, from the great ones. I can open a magazine a pick from 50 different so called champions to breed my birch little bit to. Want if I pick a dog that just got lucky a couple times, or just an "ok" dog that didn't really have any competition. Speed is ruining it I believe. She has good hunt, decent line control, and works good on a check with very limited experience, but she was sold as a pet because she wasn't "fast" enough, then given to me. And in my opinion, she is going to make a pretty darn good rabbit dog.

When picking a stud you should watch him hunt and run regardless of any titles
Not all FC are created equal but go ahead finish one to his AKC Field Champion Gun Dog title, then come back on here and let every one know how easy it was.
3 wins and 120 points for the title The point scale is like this; 1 point per dog defeated for your wins 1/2 point for second place 1/3 point for 3rd place and 1/4 point for 4th place....no time limit.
Piece of cake

[Casey Harner]

I only buy pups from dogs I have gun hunted over. I DO NOT buy from crosses I haven't seen the sire or dam run or gun hunt over.

[Mapel Valley Kennels LLC.]

I think it lies in the FC title. Always loved rabbit hunting, never been to a trail. I've hunted with trail dogs a field champions, and not to brag, none could hang with the two dogs I had back in high school. Let me ask you guys this. I have a couple Hounds and Hunting magazine. I never realized there are so many "field champions"!!! May be before we give there dogs the title of champion, we should make it a little harder for them to earn it. I don't know, but how many points does it take? How long do you have to achieve these points? Maybe it should be made a lot harder, to separate the good or lucky dogs, from the great ones. I can open a magazine a pick from 50 different so called champions to breed my birch little bit to. Want if I pick a dog that just got lucky a couple times, or just an "ok" dog that didn't really have any competition. Speed is ruining it I believe. She has good hunt, decent line control, and works good on a check with very limited experience, but she was sold as a pet because she wasn't "fast" enough, then given to me. And in my opinion, she is going to make a pretty darn good rabbit dog.

When picking a stud you should watch him hunt and run regardless of any titles
Not all FC are created equal but go ahead finish one to his AKC Field Champion Gun Dog title, then come back on here and let every one know how easy it was.
3 wins and 120 points for the title The point scale is like this; 1 point per dog defeated for your wins 1/2 point for second place 1/3 point for 3rd place and 1/4 point for 4th place....no time limit.
Piece of cake

Andy its easy to hear people complain about this and that. Most have probaly never finished a book,much less a dog.

[rabbitearl]

I would have to say this too.If you have been rabbit hunting for twenty years now and the dogs you have now is worse than the dogs you started out with.I would have to say.Its not the dogs.

[Emma's Beagles]

I would have to say this too.If you have been rabbit hunting for twenty years now and the dogs you have now is worse than the dogs you started out with.I would have to say.Its not the dogs.

Overall there is more junk out there then ever, jmo Not all dogs but a greater portion has major faults...if its not the dogs who fault would it be. Just wondering what it would be if its not the dogs. Keep in mind I own no dogs at this time...

[bodetis]

its all about the speed these days, with the hunt and check work of a dog being on the back burner.not against trials and i know some people trial with what they hunt over, but there is a reason some guys have gun dogs and and then the ones they trial with, alot of trial dogs are aggressive,fast and over competitive, their not running whats between their legs but running against the other dogs. andi know some who trial consider it a sport and get defensive, but rabbit hunting is the true sport, not points, and trophys, egos, o an dat times the buddy system. jmo