The American Beagler Forum

Thought Id Ask To See What The Majority look for.

BRAINS!!!

They can't have the ability without the brains to do it the right way!

You left out pedigree!!

j/k

sry but i;ll go with brains also.if u have that u know when to use ur mouth...

I dont want them too smart!! My smartest one is smart enuff to check the other side of the briar patch 1st

Ditto Mike,I want the hunt to override the brains in the briars Looks like I'm not yhe only one

I agree with that too Mike, but what do I know, I am stupid sometimes when it comes to dogs.

Keepin it real,
Blair

I think you notice their color / confirmation and type of voice before anything else, but this is what I really look for to see if a dog is something I like: (in no particulat order)

-Good Hunt
-Check work, I don't mind them to reach if they need to
-Use their mouth right,
-Gears, much more important than simply speed


-pete

Hunt for me.

If he wont hunt for or jump a rabbit, he cant run it.

mike crabtree wrote:I dont want them too smart!! My smartest one is smart enuff to check the other side of the briar patch 1st

I wonder without brains if would have been smart enough or by what your saying dumb enough to check the other side first.By checking the otherside first he/she is rabbit SMART(brains) or lucky.I never relied much on luck If their heads not screwed on straight then hunt,search,track running ability etc, is not in tack properly neither.IMO

Not listed but i'll take SMART(brains) over lucky anyday.Going by my choices to the question = HUNT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Brains

I like a dog with a lot of drive, but I guess that could be considered part of hunt.

In my opinion without hunt being ur #1 priority, you not only may want to re-evaluate ur breeding program, or call somebody that can help. A true jump dog in my eyes is by far the most enjoyable animals to watch work the good lord has every created. I also believe a true jump dog makes the rest of the blocks fall into place. This is my opinion and only mine.

1) Hunt

2) Brains

3) conformation


That being said I also like a hard dog, one that can take a correction and not act like their world has crumbled around them. Some dogs just have rabbit sense; they dont need to bulldoze thru all that rough stuff to find a rabbit. I have only had one of those dogs in 12 years, and he was worthless for everything else, couldnt even run a deer right

Obviously brains should have been on that list. I expect a dog to have hunt, that's like asking, do I look to see if they got hair. I also expect them to have good conformation or they won't last anyhow. Footspeed is based on what the rabbit does. Size is regulated, so as long as they fit the standard then OK. Track running ability is kinda like hunt, if they don't have that, are they really a beagle. That being said, I chose proper use of mouth.

A dog with good hunt ain't any good if it spouts off all the time or if it don't open when it's got the rabbit. Proper use of mouth also shows brains and that is the only thing on the list that really demonstrates the dogs use of it's brains. This is just my opinion and I can see many already disagree with me but I expect the dog to have most of these traits or I don't even consider them to be beagles.