The American Beagler Forum

The measuring of a hound needs to be revised in several ways. First: The dog is to be measured at a natural stands but the more i see it done they want u to pose these dogs up in a show stands which is incorrect. Second: I think when a breed inspector measures your dog in the hunt thats it no more protesting the size of the hound. Third: Do away with the measurement card cause that is just a money thing anyway, measure all dogs before they are run at every hunt and they shouldnt be any crying when u have a card and the dog still gets measured out.

Is there anyone with comments....
Do u agree or disagree?

Size of hounds in hunts has always been an issue. I agree with doing away with the permanate measuring. As most who do that have to big of hound and there buddy measuring it.

I have measure cards on all of my dogs! When I heard about the measure rule I said I wasnt getting no cards then after a couple of hunts I got them. Because who wants to go in fill paper work out go back out get 5 dogs out of the box and have each one measured while holding the rest of the dogs and paper work. Then go back put dogs up and go in stand in line and enter your dogs. That just a big hassle to me. Who wants to do all this crapt at 5am. Me personally I think it should go back to the way it used to and if you want a dog measured then do it at the stakes. Me personally I dont care if someone wants mine measured cause thats thier right as a handler. And I really dont care if somebody has a big dog cause you will never see me measure a dog but if I wanted too its my right as it says in the rules. To each his own and as long as people are paying $8.00 I dont see that card changing.

I was thinking what about measuring only the dogs who place and if it measures out then that dog forfiets its place! Just a thought!

How do you get a card,and is it good for all trials.So say if you have a card that said my dog is 13'' and he wins and the they measure him and they get 13 1/4 what happens then.Just asking just started to get in some trials only been a few.

Murphy's Kennel wrote:I was thinking what about measuring only the dogs who place and if it measures out then that dog forfiets its place! Just a thought!

Wouldn't you have to do that in each cast then? Or just the first cast? I have to admit that I have only ever trialed a very few times but I would think if a dog is too big then it should be measure out before it's ever put down just because having that 1 dog in can change the dynamics of the hunt which I would think can at times affect who's dog ends up coming in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc..........or am I wrong? Since there are size restrictions on the dogs that can be entered then measuring is kind of a necessary evil isn't it if everything is going to be fair??

The only really bad part is I've heard guys talk about inconsistent measuring so I can see to a point where that can be an issue. But how about only dogs that fall well within the limits after they have reached a certain age get cards that cannot be challenged? Then the only dogs to be measure are the ones that are either too young so they still have a chance to grow a little bit and the dogs that are very close to the limit. Just a thought on that.

I guess I don't understand the point of a card in the first place if someone can challenge it. How is it considered an official measurement that you have to pay for if it doesn't supercede everything else? I do understand that it's not like measuring a piece of equipment so there are surely inconsistencies when measuring a dog. Heck I have seen 2 guys measure the same piece of steel and come up with different measurements before so I can see where there would be some variance when measuring hounds.

Like I said I am in no way any kind of an expert. Just throwing out some thoughts and trying to understand it a little better.

Run dogs clearly within the size limits and you have no worries. Run a borderline or oversize hound and you will always find yourself in the middle of controversy. Same guys always own borderline or oversize hounds and they always feel their getting cheated. Just because an oversize hound measures in one week is not proof that the hound is legal, just means someone didn't do their job. I dont cry when an oversize hound measures in so I wish the guys would stop crying when their oversize hound measures out.

Inconstancy in hounds standing in a natural stand and inconstancy in inspectors measuring is a problem, I had a hound a hair under 15in that got stacked up, pushed up under his chest and held to be measured over, nxt dog through a good inch bigger than mine laid down all four legs spread eagle and measured in 13inches?? Thats a problem I see. I think it would make more sense to be inspected by inspector, master of hounds both one time, get the card for no cost, allowed to be protested one time then done. I think that would cut some crap out and speed up the hunts. Or do a automatic measuring of the winner of each hunt. I am just not a big fan of how it is being done now and agree that changes need to be made.

Murphy's Kennel wrote:I was thinking what about measuring only the dogs who place and if it measures out then that dog forfiets its place! Just a thought!

I've never trialed a dog in my life but that would have to be the easiest way.

peytonbeagles wrote:Inconstancy in hounds standing in a natural stand and inconstancy in inspectors measuring is a problem, I had a hound a hair under 15in that got stacked up, pushed up under his chest and held to be measured over, nxt dog through a good inch bigger than mine laid down all four legs spread eagle and measured in 13inches?? Thats a problem I see. I think it would make more sense to be inspected by inspector, master of hounds both one time, get the card for no cost, allowed to be protested one time then done. I think that would cut some crap out and speed up the hunts. Or do a automatic measuring of the winner of each hunt. I am just not a big fan of how it is being done now and agree that changes need to be made.

I have watched guys take their dog out and when it was time to measure they would raise their hand up like they were gonna strike the dog to make it cower down and go under the beam... I ave probably attended 25 trials or so and my dog was only measured the right way maybe thee times and think it was all done by the same judge..

I have a pretty small dog that is obviously not anywhere near 15 inches and maybe they don't even think its worth checking... I did have one male that measured at 14 7/8 when he was 9 months and then at one year, suddenly he started measuring at 14 inches exactly so IDK how that happened.


I figure if a bigger dog beats me then I need a better dog. It isn't worth griping about to me when there is plenty of other things to pick at I guess.

i think to get a permanate messurement card needs to be at a big 5 or jv hunt or state hunts only
with a member of watch dog and a state rep with moh looking on
and then that card cant be protested. hound should be atleast 18 months of age or i grade all the reps watch dog
and moh agree he is at least of age. jmho

If ya run a dog 14" I can measure it out every time. There ain't a right answer, but cards ain't it. Blame everyone in the world but I just don't see a constant right answer. I watch the rabbit hunter mag every month. I see more oversized dogs than ever.Good luck with a answer that suits the masses, however I will never bring a pony to a horse show. If measuring me out makes somebody puff out there chest,so be it.

Mapel Valley Kennels LLC. wrote:If ya run a dog 14" I can measure it out every time. There ain't a right answer, but cards ain't it. Blame everyone in the world but I just don't see a constant right answer. I watch the rabbit hunter mag every month. I see more oversized dogs than ever.Good luck with a answer that suits the masses, however I will never bring a pony to a horse show. If measuring me out makes somebody puff out there chest,so be it.

Mapel Valley Kennels LLC. wrote:If ya run a dog 14" I can measure it out every time. There ain't a right answer, but cards ain't it. Blame everyone in the world but I just don't see a constant right answer. I watch the rabbit hunter mag every month. I see more oversized dogs than ever.Good luck with a answer that suits the masses, however I will never bring a pony to a horse show. If measuring me out makes somebody puff out there chest,so be it.

Heck, I'd be flattered that someone had to do that to beat my dog.