The American Beagler Forum

could someone please tell me why do many beaglers perfer 15" hounds only. It seems I see alot of dogs that won't make the 15" mark get sold for being to small.

What the heck is so wrong with a small dog? I think they can run just as fast as a big dog. Why is everyone so fixated on running big dogs?

I got a big male that is 16.5inches tall. To tell you the truth he is so big its just a pain to deal with. He's a giant in the kennel. Giant in the dog box. Giant to pick up and toss in the dog box. Eats more poops more.

the rest of my dogs are in the 13" range. I perfer them much better over the big full sized dogs.

just wondering is all. Whats your take on the 15" hound craze

Not me...I'll take a 12-13 inch dogs any day!!!!

I think the bigger dogs do better in deep snow, especially up North.
I also think in the long run the bigger dogs hold up better, that being said I own both.

Ill give any size beagle credit and appreciate a good dog but I wouldnt own a 15' beagle.I wouldnt own one over 13 but prefer 10-12'..I got a little female bout 10-11' and shes a beast!! I wouldnt care to put her up against anything and wouldnt take nothing in the world for her or her 2 littermate brothers I have.Shes got all the brains and heart I could ask for and man does she hate a rabbit.We got a good bit of snow here in TN this year they had never been in anything like it but didnt phase them a bit.I understand havin a big dog for the snow up north but in the south I just dont get it.

Larger hounds can handle the weight of the e-collars and trackers better. With smaller hounds you'll sometimes have the e-collar beating up their front legs. If collars wasn't an issue, I'd still prefer the larger hounds because I like the look of them better.

BiL

Don't take a pony to a horse race is what I've always been told. All jokes aside I just perfer a 15 inch hound over a 13 inch hound.

The good 13s up where i live usually give an ass kicking to the bigger dogs. They go threw the brush faster and most seem to be faster. They also hold up as good as any bigger dog i have ever seen.

i just like the good ones, no matter what size they are. but my preference is a big leggy full 15 or oversize. with equal ability and desire i think the bigger dog does better in a foot plus of snow and on hare there is not the issue of too much pressure and the hare hole's up. i've talked to many many guys that disagree and that is fine. run what ya like, i like the big ones.

if a dog sucks they can post it as, "too small for my pack"

I used to only have small dogs 10-12inches but now I like the bigger dogs even though they eat and poop more

I've had just the opposite experience here in Tn.I keep 15" dogs and always have as I just like the looks and athleticism of a up on legs racy dog.Everytime I raise a litter I get calls from numerous people who are specifically looking for 13" or less.
In fact I just sold a little blutick female out of Reggie this afternoon to Chad Parks from Louisiana that I would never have let out of my kennel if she had been a bigger dog.She measures around 12 3/4"-13" and although a pretty footy little hound running with my other 14 1/2"-15" females she was getting pulled pretty hard.Chad keeps and trials 13" hounds and I believe she can excell to a greater degree in his pack.

Funny thing i always loved taller women with blonde hair and ended up with a short woman with black hair. . I just like a tall racey hound with a thin chest and pencil straight legs .

I don't know much about field trials but for a good brush/dozer pile, thick ass briars, rock fence crawling rabbit buster give me the 13" hound. We have both in our pack
and they both have their place, but I have seen the small dogs get rabbits out of some piles that the big dogs could not get into.

Marty Allen wrote:I don't know much about field trials but for a good brush/dozer pile, thick ass briars, rock fence crawling rabbit buster give me the 13" hound. We have both in our pack
and they both have their place, but I have seen the small dogs get rabbits out of some piles that the big dogs could not get into.

I hear you on that!

Joeyman wrote:

Marty Allen wrote:I don't know much about field trials but for a good brush/dozer pile, thick ass briars, rock fence crawling rabbit buster give me the 13" hound. We have both in our pack
and they both have their place, but I have seen the small dogs get rabbits out of some piles that the big dogs could not get into.

I hear you on that!

I second that! I love a hound in the 11 to 13" range. With an atttitude! I have one pushin 14. She does ok, but I wouldn't want a bigger dog. Now at the UKC trials I been to, you won't find the 13" dog. They don't divide them up by size, so you best run a big dog like everyone else. It's tough to compete with a fast 15" dog. One trial I was at, they wouldn't let their dogs go in a dozer pile. They might get hurt!

I have both but I also like a 13-14" dog over the 15"+ dogs