The American Beagler Forum

Click on HD and give it a couple min. to load.
Parta 1.... Skyview's All The Way Maye 2009 Derby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL6LErA40rA

skyviewsbeagles.com

I dont know what part of the country your from, but do they happen to have roadrunners out there ?

Most important thing you learn is can the dog run a rabbit by himself. Does the dog have patience on tough days, also known as determination. One thing you'll learn also, is does the dog hunt. Sense of direction, looked good to me. Now I can't tell you from 5 min of video if I like the dog, but I would venture to say you could take that spo bred dog out and kill as many rabbits as you want and that is what we should be promoting. I love gun hunting over one dog, I think it really increases there hunt when there able to see the prize at the end, I usually feed them the heart and liver as a reward. Great video of course.

Mark

Unless you can remove the kennel blindness you dont learn anything.

Three things Im watching close for during solo time;

1. "lock on" ability. How long they can keep steady forward progress without self made checks.

2. How do they work a check......do they grub it out and find the doubleback.

3. Speed.....you dont know a dogs true speed until they are alone without competition. There are not nearly as many "fast" dogs as people think. Breeders have been breeding for front runners for years now to compete. There are many over competetive dogs, but when you take them down to solo their speed cuts in half. Solo speed is a dogs true speed, not the speed they run in a pack. IMO, good smooth running packs are made up dogs with equal solo speeds and all the over competetive dogs culled. Problem is, we have been giving Field Champion titles to over competetive dogs we believe to be fast. I like speed as well as anyone, but I also understand the difference. Guys claim its easy to breed for speed, but I disagree. Its easy to breed for over competive dogs, but good clean speed is tough as anything to breed for.

Mybeagles

Very nice looking hound Mark.

I agree with mybeagles on speed. I love a dog with foot, but only if he can handle it and it is not just stealing the front. I won't keep one that can't do it solo and do it correctly. I have a male than can handle the front and has figured out the old doubleback. Pretty impressive when a hound just sort of puts it all together at two years of age and can own a wise ole cottontail.

Part 3 the end of the run in HD:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwFbYPXhbXk