The American Beagler Forum

Thanks

Get new dogs. Dogs are born with a degree of competitive spirit. It's much easier to find a line with the desire to keep their nose full of rabbit scent more than they love chasing the lead dog.

It's like trying to break a hound that opens too quickly on a frosty morning. You can't make a hound that is doing what is born into it not do it when it is that close to what you really want it to do. I have heard of people shocking hounds that opened too soon. THink about it. Shock a dog for giving mouth when it smells rabbit. What does that teach the dog? Quit opening, or quit trying to find rabbit? Same with the over-competitive hound. Shock it when it is running for the front would be the same as shocking it for running deer in the hound's mind. Best to do as Gus suggested.

I like a dog that is a little competitive, dogs that are satisfied with last place got no use for me too dogs I want feed em..,like a football team that likes to play but not win. You run them hounds 3 or 4 times a week and you will see a difference.

u have to split the two up, or sell one of them.. it will drive u crazy till u do either.toghter they will blow the race up over and over. back in the mid 90's i had litter mates that would drive u crazy on cotton tail running shoulder to shoulder. they were fine on hare but it was ugly on cotton tail.

When I started building my own pack(20 years ago) I was told by more than one oldtimer to cull from the front and the rear of the pack. And I have found that this works pretty well to have a pack for rabbit hunting.
Now SOME of the guys that run fast dogs in the trials will probably disagree because a field trial person wants a dog to that blows the cometition away. But in order to have a good hunting pack you need a pack that works together not against each other. Of course these are just my opinions.

put a roading harness on your fast dog and snap about 2 ft. of heavy log chain on each side. He will learn to cooperate rather than ruin your chase.

Joe P. wrote:When I started building my own pack(20 years ago) I was told by more than one oldtimer to cull from the front and the rear of the pack. And I have found that this works pretty well to have a pack for rabbit hunting.
Now SOME of the guys that run fast dogs in the trials will probably disagree because a field trial person wants a dog to that blows the cometition away. But in order to have a good hunting pack you need a pack that works together not against each other. Of course these are just my opinions.

I agree. One has to keep in mind that trialers are looking for the best individual, not a team player. The more uniform your pack is in characteristics and traits the better off you'll be.

Joe P. wrote:When I started building my own pack(20 years ago) I was told by more than one oldtimer to cull from the front and the rear of the pack. And I have found that this works pretty well to have a pack for rabbit hunting.
Now SOME of the guys that run fast dogs in the trials will probably disagree because a field trial person wants a dog to that blows the cometition away. But in order to have a good hunting pack you need a pack that works together not against each other. Of course these are just my opinions.

I couldn't agree more. This is the best advice because Beagles should not be too dominant/aggressive with each other or in the hunt. Picking even tempered hounds that get the job done is the best way to go.

If you dont like them competetive you best sell them. It is in them and nothing will keep them from trying to get the front, they must be just my style of dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Yea..i'd sell them..

how much ya asking for them

I don't understand.

Their is always going to be a lead dog in the race.

And unless you are the lead dog, the view never changes...

I interpreted what the gentleman that started the thread as having a hound that habitually cheats to get the front, not competitively running the rabbit as fast as his ability will allow, that's why I responded as I did. I hadn't considered looking at it like Crabtree saw it and if I had, I would suggest that he get rid of all other hounds but that one and find a pack that can keep up. We saw 2 different scenarios there, and there is my take on the other one.

Cut the cutter. Cull the liar. Nothing wrong with being young and competetive.How old are they?