slower hounds

[billy boy]

i would like to know what barking before the rabbit is up means. i run probably pp style of dogs they'll grub or burn it up when they can but when they have a check they shut their mouth till the rabbit is back up. alot of these slower dogs i've seen run don't have many checks because they never seem to quit barking and so you don't know if they are checked up or not. 2 things i don't understand is don't bark until rabbit is up but there's alot of boo-hooing around, and running too much rabbit, i ain't never seen a dog run too much rabbit. not trying to upset anyone just trying to make sense of it all.

[Westridge Beagles]

Normally, if a dog is barking before the rabbit has been jumped it's called cold trailing. Of course, some dogs cold trail and some don't bark until the rabbit is jumped. It all depends on how excited the dog gets while tracking and how much nose power it has.

Also, slower dogs tend to have better line control because they stick to the line and don't over run it. At times a faster hound will over run the line and it causes a check. Think of it like this... if a rabbit hits an open road, runs a piece down the road, and then darts back in the brush. A slower hound will just stick to the track and run a more conservative line. On the other hand, a faster hound may hit the road wide open and end up over running because they are kind of gambling.

This is just my opinion. I'm not saying it's right or wrong.

[Rcoff]

I agree with west ridge except for the part of "how much nose a dog has". It's not about how much nose he has but how much mouth he has. He can have more mouth and open early, and some will be tight mouthed and not open till the rabbit is up and moving. I've seen plenty of big nosed dogs with tight mouths that get plenty excited before the game is moving; ex. You know they can smell track because their tails are going 90 miles an hour, but not open until the rabbit is moving. A dog like that has enough brains to know if a track is an old track or a new one.
Thanks,
Bob

[Hare Chaser]

I've seen plenty of big nosed dogs with tight mouths that get plenty excited before the game is moving;

I can honestly say in 37 years of running beagles on snowshoe hare I have yet to see a good snow hound that could handle the cold dry snow from 10º F and below that had a tight mouth. Especially if you like to hear them run for more than a circle or two. All the tight mouthed dogs I've seen or owned really weren't very enjoyable at all in the winter in regards to running snowshoe hare. I don't like dogs that boo hoo all over the place and can't move a track either. But I'll put up with some extra mouth from a dog that can run day in and day out in the tougher conditions. I have yet to see a hound that can consistently run in the really tough snow and cold conditions that won't cold trail some. In fact I want them to. Some of the places I hunt only hold 2-3 hare and a dog that will cold trail some will usually find them and get them up and on the run.

[Rcoff]

To each his own.
Thanks,
Bob

[mybeagles]

Dogs with the great noses have extra mouth at times and just enough mouth when it's tough scenting. Dogs with average nose has just enough mouth when scenting is good and don't even bark when scenting is tough.

[BCBeagles]

I agree with Mybeagles....yet to see huge nose/even above average nose for that matter and "tight" mouth....always looking...LOL.

If a rabbit is close enough to be run it is fine by me if they can smell it and open.

There are dogs out there that can quickly move and hold the line....gotta look hard and never be content with "well ole blue is good enough for me".

[blitzen]

my beagles, rose city cash was incredible on the snow or wind swept snow so hard you can walk on it seen him track on snow or ice no extra barks at all. All wins were on snow so not all hounds with snow running ability have extra barks, perhaps most. Cash was one in a million. I could go on about his ability but you get my point.

[Alabama John]

Same reasons Beagles with a little fiest in them are so popular with a lot of folks around here.

The brace beagles turned off a lot of my friends that are older. How different the AKC Beagle of today is from the ones of yesteryear but they won't look for that bad taste in their mouths.

I had two that were AKC that would run a rabbit down and run off from all their dogs but they still wouldn't accept AKC because the brace trials are still held all around us.

Queenie out of Skyview Cliff and a Swartz's Big Time female and Vests Lacy out of Bobby and Allen Vest dogs.

Only have dogs like those two in my dreams these days. Anyone got one like them to sell, let me know as I would like to hear one or two like them one last time.

[PREACHERS KENNEL]

JOHN.I.GOT.A.MALE/HERE if. he get any/faster I may send him your way lol..

[mybeagles]

Dave,

Not saying they have to be mouthy but they won't be tight mouth. I would not describe Cash as tight mouth. I think people confuse babbling idiot with dogs that will bark a cold track before they jump it. Huge difference in my opinion. A dogs that can cold trail and jump a rabbit is priceless, a dog that barks all over is worthless.

[Hare Chaser]

A dogs that can cold trail and jump a rabbit is priceless, a dog that barks all over is worthless.

Spot on!!! Thanks for that!

[THALL]

Dave,

Not saying they have to be mouthy but they won't be tight mouth. I would not describe Cash as tight mouth. I think people confuse babbling idiot with dogs that will bark a cold track before they jump it. Huge difference in my opinion. A dogs that can cold trail and jump a rabbit is priceless, a dog that barks all over is worthless.

Bingo!