The American Beagler Forum

I hear and see all this emphasis on 13 in class vs 15 inch other than snow running it shouldn't make a difference in my opinion and being from louisiana it shouldn't ever make one but I'd thought I'd ask some of u more experienced fellows

Don't matter to me as long as they can get it done right, I don't care if they are barely under 13 or barely over 15 or anywhere in between, but I don't trail so don't worry about that side of it...might be different if I did.

It all comes down to their size of their hearts.

I'd say it only matters in trials, and only in certain situations. Not so much in little pack where the cast is 1 hour, max, that's it. However, if you run any large pack or even some SPO trials on hare where the running is flat out without break downs, i'd say it does.

Think about a 15 inch dog vs a 13 inch dog running flat out for two hours, that 2 inches is gonna come in handy, everything else considered equal. 2 inches sounds small too us, but that's 13% of a dogs height, like a 6 foot guy sprinting against a 5'3" guy. There is a reason the fastest man in the world is 6'5", not 5'5".

You have to realize there will be dogs that are the exception, not the rule, but that goes without saying for anything.

Smoke, I agree to an extent but then again the fastest dog in the world is by no means the tallest. Even in people size doesn't always matter. Flo Jo is only 5'7" and her world record has stood for over 30 years. Heck, I've seen jack russels that will flat out smoke any dog in the park. I had a female that was just shy of 13 and my 15 1/2 inch reggie male could hardly keep up. I think size only has an impact in deeper snow and it has nothing to do with ability but rather the physical limitations of being able to get through the powder. A dog buried up to it's chest is gonna have a heck of a lot more trouble than one who only has to break through with it's legs. Aside from that I don't see size as a limiting factor.

Don't matter so much in a sprint but it does matter on the inside. 20lb 12" beagle will not get a 40lb 15" beagle off the line....small dog will have to run much quicker or slot to side or behind bigger dogs. There will always be the freeky good 12" dog, but comparing equally talented dogs the bigger one wins the inside battle.

When your talking Large pack where speed/drive makes up the bulk of scoring size matters. Won't see too many vertically challenged dogs on the bench.

When the Detriot Lions put a 140lb guy at defensive end and he becomes effective I'll buy the size doesn't matter point.

Paul and I have a good example of it, she is too small, doesnt have the foot to keep up with the bigger dogs, has more heart than most and tons of hunt. just not enough foot.

If all 15" hounds could run up well together, I'd believe size matters. If all 13" hounds ran up well together, I'd believe size matters.
Size and sex classes makes more winners and more people happy. I never divided up my hunting pack by size or sex and I ask the same of all of them. Any that can't put in a full days work are either to old or to misfit. jmho

mybeagles wrote:
When the Detriot Lions put a 140lb guy at defensive end and he becomes effective I'll buy the size doesn't matter point.

Don't matter who they put in there they are gonna stink anyways!

I LIKE EM BIG I DONT TRIAL JUST RUN LIKE LOOKING AT THE BIGGER DOGS DONT MAKE THEM ONE BIT BETTER GOT A 13 CAN HOLD HER OWN WITH THEM

I like them around 13.They just don t eat as much.When you have around 10 to 12 dogs to feed that will add up.

According to the area you are hunting sometimes its better for smaller dogs and some areas are better for bigger dogs.As long as they aren't swinging and skirting all over the place and actually running the rabbit to me 13 - 15 is just fine...

Being from Louisiana and running beagles for more then 20 years I can tell you that some of the terrain I run in thru the winter will have as much water as some places up north have snow and swamp rabbits that go well over 1000 yards out and don't slow down to wait on the dogs. with that said 13's will do good for a day or two but if you run 8 hours a day for five or six days straight the big dogs will hold up better . My preference is full 15's but I want cull because of size there are plenty good 13's that can get the job done north or south plenty reasons to cull a dog and size is not it.