Question for the houndsmen

[Spruce Ridge Beagler]

Do you find that an agreesive dog in the kennel makes a more agressive,
front running type dog ? VS a mild mannered dog that does not mind sharing a house or even eating out of the same bowl , that will still wants the front
Just wondering if anyone has noticed a pattern ?
Dave

[mike crabtree]

Sometimes, but my most competitive female is real layed back in the kennel.

[clousewt]

I had an aggressive female that would fight in the kennel with any dog you put in with her. She got so bad that she would jump on other dogs in the field that were trying to pass her. She would even jump on bigger males, needless to say she is no longer in my kennel.

[brawlin beagle]

i have to split up my dogs to feed them , if i don't one will not eat . had fun running dogs with you and lori down in boonesville last march . can't wait to go next year . do i have you thinking of who i am remember the walk

[Spruce Ridge Beagler]

The walk gave it away, man that was funny!!

[DRamey]

I have had hounds for 37 years and have found very little to no correlation between aggressive behavior in the kennel and the field. I have had hounds that would not let another hound in the area when they were eating but were "me-tooish" in the field. Malachi was really laid back but when gun hunting him he was very competitive and always on the edge of control, but never past it. In fact, looking back, my most laid back hounds probably have been my most aggressive hunters. Like they knew to save it for the field. Malachi Jr. is as humble a hound as I ever owned, but I can identify him among my other hounds by his breaking briars when he goes through them so hard instead of picking his way. Excellent question!

[eddywilliams]

MY PARTNER AND I HAD A CHOICE OF 2 MALE PUPS ABOUT 4 YRS AGO THEIR GRANDSIRE IS BRANKOS MYSTERY MAN .BOTH WERE SUPER LOOKING AND ACTING WE WATCHED THEM TILL 6 MOS OLD ,1 WAS HYPER AND ACTIVE 1 WAS LAID BACK AND HE WOULD LEAN UP AGAINST HIS BOX TILL YOU PUT THE FEED IN HIS BOWL THEN WOULD CASUALLY GO EAT . HE HUNTED DECENT AT FIRST NOT AS GOOD AS THE OTHER BUT HE WOULD WATCH THINGS AND STUDY THEM AND ACTED LIKE HE WAS LEARNING . ANY WAY WE KEPT THE LAID BACK ONE HE WENT ON TO WIN THE UKC JUNIOR MALE IN THE PEDIGREE SERIES A COUPLE YEARS AGO AND ALSO TOOK 3RD IN THE UKC WORLD HUNT HIS NAME IS GRHBCH CH DOG HOLLOW PATCH HIS BROTHER WAS HBCH DOG HOLLOW ROWDY I GOT THIS DOG BACK AND CHAMPIONED HIM LATER ON .EDDY

[cutthroat beagler]

I agree with the post above. I don't think it's truly etched in stone one way or the other. In the kennel and around the yard my 'Buddy Love' dog is as lazy and non agressive as they come. I call his name and he won't come out of his dog house like the others do. I can even be working in the yard and he doesn't lose his cool.

I've staked him out at the world hunt for the past 3 years. 50% of the other dogs I see there are barking all day, 40% of them are lying down remaining in an upright position anxiosly awating go time, and 10% of the dogs sprawl completely out and are submissive to the world. Buddy is in the 10th %tile. He will spread out and completely go to sleep. Not even a slamming car door can get him to open an eye. He's 3.5 years old and squats when he needs a leak. doesn't mark his territory inside like other males typically do, He is not agressive in anyway towards other dogs except for when it comes to his food.

When Buddy is in the field, He is practically glowing with competitive spirit, and like the fella above posted he seems to be a thinker trying to analyze the situation and finds away to be productive in the pack with out hindering the race. We have a connection, and he really wants to please his master. When he was 1.5 years old the heat really bothered him alot. He would stop for a break at least 2 time per really warm cast. Somewhere between then and now he's adjusted and has had some of his best days in the heat. I think it still bothers him as he pants heavily during those warm timeouts, sometimes lying at my feet while on the chain, but when the judge says to cut them loose, and that lead snaps he is usually one of the first dogs to hit the weeds. and when I say hit I mean he hits them HARD! I think he endurs the heat regardless of his well being, only because he really wants to please me.

I've had other dogs that where wired in the kennel. I've never felt a connection with these dogs. It felt like these dogs went hunting for their own benifit and not mine. They usually lacked patience and had a risky attitude sometimes taking chances in competition. I've heard some trialers refer to this style of a hound as being on the bubble. Even saying that an educated gambler is what it takes to win lots of hunts. This is why you see dogs going out and coming back with 2 minuses, yet they are able to still win the cast. Being just on the bubble makes them a good competition hound points wise. Although most trial grounds are places where the game is pleantful and a gamble tends to pay off. A wired hound can bark off the lead and get a strike or even a jump out of it with a little luck. (this happend in a cast last weekend, a dog that barked off the lead from excitement, got lucky and bumped a bunny with 30 seconds to spare. This made the cast close and Buddy only beat that dog by 1 check. The hound that beat Buddy in the finals won by 5pts and that dog too was given a minus as well for not producing. I'm not trying to take anything away form these dogs accomplishments. They earned what they got fair and square, But these dogs are not my preferred style gundog.

When things get tuff, my ideal dog will go out for many hours and hunt hard the entire time. This hound will patiently await a viable track, one that they can deliver on 100% of the time.

When I'm looking for meat, I don't want my hopes bursting for nothing.
On a cold day I intend to keep my hands warm and in pocket, and I know that I'm not getting them cold for nothing. When the dog says their bringing game to the gun. A patient dog makes sure that they can actually move the line before they pop off at the mouth, letting the rabbit out of the bag! I'd rather sit out there all day and have a dog say noting at all, rather than having my emotions steamrolling out of control from non produced rabbits.

A dog that is trying to run a track that is nearly impossible to run is usually impatient and in my own expiereince tends to pop off a little prematurly at times. In my expireince the wired dogs in the kennel tend to be this way, but like anything else their are always exceptions. and this is merly based on my own past experiences. This probably holds no real value to many others on here as I'm sure some of this varies by the bloodlines and other variables as well.

Buddy is on track to become the best hound that I've ever raised. He is calm cool and collective in the kennel, and around other dogs as well.

[ohlinger.s]

Sometimes, but my most competitive female is real layed back in the kennel.

same exact thing with me. Seems the males are more frontward but my females that do best are extremely laid back.

[B.Trull]

No , those are different drives. Hunt drive vs defensive drive/ pack order .

[Mapel Valley Kennels LLC.]

Pretty neat thoughts. My male has always had attitude they say dog is a lot like owner. I watched him plenty of times get ill towards other males at the hole. Never quite figured it out. Never was quite able to break his habit even though time seems to cure at. His littermates also had some what funny turn at time must be father to daughter cross. I have yet to see any offspring aggressive in anyway. I dont mind a little aggression as long as its not to much of a nuisance. Shows me heart jmho. He also will let any pup i own eat right out of his food bowl and play with him, butttt should another full size male try the same they are whipped. He has been the big male on the block as he was raised with mostly females. It also seems to me once he another males lock up it is not a problem ever again. Jeff Browns hummer dog worked him over pretty well a few years ago , maybe it changed his attitude. Beats me.

[Jack]

I allow no fighting at any time. For those that will not stop, their stay here is short. I am the leader of the pack at home. I feed my dogs together and who ever eats the fastest gets the most. A new dog may have to be fed alone at first. But if you don't baby them they soon learn to get with it and you may have to hold a dog or two back for a bit because they just suck it in and will get too fat. For dogs that want to fight at meal time, they are run back by me and it don't take long until their only thought is getting supper.

[SilverZuk]

Nope,
I've seen some great hard hitting, lead the pack dogs that were babies in the kennel.
Kennel aggression is a fault, and doesn't correspond to hunt aggression.
I have one that will get rough in the kennel, she is not better than other dogs I have had. Just doesn't have brains enough not to fight.

[S.R.Patch]

I remember Elmer Gray saying, "My best hounds all had three things in common, they were always ready for a bowl of food, a dog fight or a rabbit race..."
"Now, after many years of beagling, I am convinced this fighting spirit--then evident in their desire to kill wild game but now somewhat tamed by present day standards--is essential in order to have hounds which will keep trying when the chips are down and the odds against them..."

This fighting spirit "does not make a bad hound good, it makes a good hound better"... ...jmho

[jonnyringo]

I personally do not like dogs fighting and I will break them of this trait if at all possible. I hate when they cut up each others ears. My current line are pretty cool overall.
I will say that my foundation bitch's hair stands on end if a non-beagle dog or stray comes near the pack. I seen her challenge a full grown shepard once and ran it off. I am glad it wasn't an aggressive dog or she would have been lunch.

What I do prefer is a bold dog. One that has no fear. You can tell when they are puppies and they will jump off high objects, challenge dogs twice their size in rough play, and strut around like they are bad asses.