The American Beagler Forum

If you were to start your on format in beagles.What would be some of your rules to see the best rabbit dog?Does the dog have to be reg,or do size matter,Or what does it take to bring out the best dog?

To me not in one trial.At the state hunt or any big hunt.There nothing like a gun in your hand RABBIT HUNTING.I say take the last 6 dogs that is left and 4 different judges go hunting with the dogs for the next three sat at least 7 hr each day in any condition and find the best of the best that way.The ones that owns the dog can go but not take a gun.I think its time we as rabbit hunters get down and see the best.I mean if your were to breed to a dog.The one that won the one day trial or the three day trial that was hunting.I love the fellowship at trials and think in ways they are good to rabbit hunters.But in any trial that one day really don t tell me if its a rabbit dog or not.So in my format the winning pack must be hunting over 21 hr in three sat.No matter what the weather is, no papers, and size don t matter.Not over 15 But anything under.Lets go hunting.

Now ? What can we do to get to the last 6 dogs?
1 Dog must be able to jump rabbit.
2 Dog must be able to run rabbit.Circle rabbit not 50 yds or rabbit dose its first good cut then lost rabbit.
3 With all this 15 inch or 14 or 13 size on a dog.I would go to 15.So any thing under can hunt together.
4 Judge shoot over dog.
5 Dogs donot have to be reg in any format.
6 Dogs donot have to be a beagle.If there are anybody out there that has a dog that can jump and run the fire out of a rabbit I want to see it.
7 Dog run nothing but a rabbit.We will really see this in the three day hunting trial.Its hard to see this in a one day trial.
8 Dogs must handle good.This is very imported in rabbit hunting.
I would think if a format comes out like this I would say.There Your Rabbit Dog.The format would be call.The Rabbit Dog trial.

No registry needed--- Take a cast of 4 to the field with 5 non hunting judges. Judge them however you want really--- When it is over, the 5 judges vote on a winner.. if there is a tie then the judges who did not pick part of the tie gets to decided the better of their two dogs or they can agree to have a runoff.

Ya, I know you would never get 50 judges on a cast who didn't have dogs but if I get to make things up that is how i Would do it.

I have to disagree on the registry thing and all i want to run against is a beagle. I love the lineage of the hounds and there pedigrees. but to each his own. If we all liked the same thing,we would all be eating fried chicken and vannila ice cream.lol

i would like to see the check point start in 8 seconds instead of 15. one mans opinion.

I'm new to trialing, but.... I would like to see:

Dogs must be registered.

15" or less--HONESTLY.

Shooting rabbits over the dogs poses problems with judges/sponsor liability. How far, how many circles, how big a circle, before a jumped rabbit can be shot?
Spectator/judge safety concerns.

Curbing "buddy judging" or "retaliation judging." Let's get beat by the dog not the judge.

Multiple judges in tough areas.

Seven-hour, three-day hunt too long and too much of a financial burden for out of towners. Landowners may object to running so long and shooting.

All I can think of now.

2 judges for every cast,,and they did not come together..

5 second checks ,check area actually has an area not 50 yards out ..

the jump counts 30-check 15- reward the hard hunting dog.

anything but a rabbit get picked up.

any dog making champion has to be shot over while running the running time is not so much important just checking for gun shyness.if a dog is gun shy no way it can be a champion.

dog need to be akc registered as it is the best one in my opinion.

15 inches and under .

if a dog barks 3 times he in on the clock for 4 minutes if he leaves it minus him.

dogs barking out of check area pulling other dog out and that dog doesnt have the rabbit gets a minus

all i can think of right now but thats a good start ...oh wait if a handler argues with the judge he is disqualified if you dont agree take it back to club house dont sign card and master of hounds decides..

if I was to come up with my own format I would put a guy judging the dogs checks like arha and a judge with the handlers like pkc ukc that way you get lines so the judge that is judging your dogs don't have the finial say and I would think the better dog would be brought back more often then not