What defines brains in a beagle?

[mybeagles]

When talking about the traits we all all want in a beagle I often here brains toward the top of most lists. Not sure everyone has the same idea of what that means. Im not sure anyway, so help me out here guys.

Ive always thought a beagle with brains;
responds well to training(positive and negative)
doesnt chew holes in the plywood
doesnt eat crap,
doesnt bark foolishly in the kennel,
doesnt eat to the point of getting sick just because its available
doesnt fight with other dogs
looks poised
is eager and enthusiastic but not wild

Ive also heard it said a beagle can be too smart for its own good!
Learning to cut and slash and swing to gain the advantage on pack mates.
Not crawling into a briar patch because of the known consequences.
Quitting when its had enough and coming in for a drink of water.
Based on what we expect a beagle to do, I would propose a beagle has to be a little dumb. Is chasing a rabbit with very little hopes of catching the querry only to have it pulled away from you smart?

[S.R.Patch]

I think the problem is, none of your requirements for brains have anything to do with the hunting field or a hound hunting...

Set your standards for the requirements of a successful rabbit hunt and you've got a good start...

Also, your "too smart" beagle is a faulty hound.

quote;Ive also heard it said a beagle can be too smart for its own good!
Learning to cut and slash and swing to gain the advantage on pack mates./

A Jealous, overcompetitive, noncooperative hound...

"Not crawling into a briar patch because of the known consequences. "

Lacking desire to follow game is plain lack of desire...

"Quitting when its had enough and coming in for a drink of water. "

Quiting is quiting...

"Based on what we expect a beagle to do, I would propose a beagle has to be a little dumb. Is chasing a rabbit with very little hopes of catching the querry only to have it pulled away from you smart? "/

No, but what's born in the bone can't be whipped out through the flesh...
Poor little things can't help themselves...

[Greg H]

In my book BRAINS=DESIRE TO PLEASE!

[mybeagles]

Thanks

[rb_hunter]

if a beagle makes u reinforce its kennel cause its constintly geeting out to hunt then thats a pretty smart dog in my book, but if they get out and dont leave the yard well then thats not so smart.

[Rabbithoundjb]

I think brains in a beagle is simple to see, it's a dog that understands and want's to do what you are teaching, along with the dogs natural instincts.
1)handles good
2)uses those traits correctly
3)easily taught-doesn't take off game at all or only does it a few times

[S.R.Patch]

Patch, how about a short list of the traits that come to mind that illistrate your point. Thats too much of a blanket statement.

Just think about the things you've seen a hounds do while running a rabbit that made you smile,... think about the things a hound has done that impressed you while running a rabbit...this was from putting those good qualities together to pull it out...

Gotta go, see you at church...

[mybeagles]

Patch if that true, when a pro athlete performs well are you saying thats from brains? When Barry Bonds hits another home run, when Mike Tyson knocks someone out, when Colby Bryant makes a big shot, they have brains? Im missing something here......natural physical ability has very little to do with brains in my book....A beagles ability is just that, its ability, not a measure of its brains......The people we think of in this world to be the smartest are often very poor athletes so I guess Im too dumb to see the conection

[Catfish]

When talking about the traits we all all want in a beagle I often here brains toward the top of most lists. Not sure everyone has the same idea of what that means. Im not sure anyway, so help me out here guys.

Ive always thought a beagle with brains;
responds well to training(positive and negative)
doesnt chew holes in the plywood
doesnt eat crap,
doesnt bark foolishly in the kennel,
doesnt eat to the point of getting sick just because its available
doesnt fight with other dogs
looks poised
is eager and enthusiastic but not wild

Ive also heard it said a beagle can be too smart for its own good!
Learning to cut and slash and swing to gain the advantage on pack mates.
Not crawling into a briar patch because of the known consequences.
Quitting when its had enough and coming in for a drink of water.
Based on what we expect a beagle to do, I would propose a beagle has to be a little dumb. Is chasing a rabbit with very little hopes of catching the querry only to have it pulled away from you smart?

That barking foolishly in the kennel, shows me more energy than not being smart. You can stop a dog barking in the kennel by introducing it to MR. TRITRONCS. Beleave me it works .

The getting wide part to get to the front. That part will be argued until we are all layed to rest. To me I like a dog that wants to get to the front, and not content on getting behind another dog, and looking at it Butt Hole and barking because the other dogs are barking. On the other hand there is some great Line Control dogs that can Burn a Track and have no problem staying in front.

Catfish:

[mybeagles]

Catfish, I would like to believe you, but I own a Coon hound that barks when the tritronics in not on. He has been shocked, sprayed, given large kennel area, given bones etc...Had to move him to my dads out in the country, but he is getting fed up as well. Good dog, has all the tools, but wants constant attention. By my definitions is a very smart dog, but Im starting to question that based on the kennel barking.

Dog has awsome mouth, but my neighbors Im sure were not so impressed. Never had a problem with beagles barking....mine dont even bark when dogs and cats are being walked around the block, to me thats smart. My neighbors dog barks at every person, dog, cat, bird, mailman, etc that passes by, that dogs a fool in my book.

[MasonsBeagles]

Patch Often had the same thoughts myself.

"Based on what we expect a beagle to do, I would propose a beagle has to be a little dumb. Is chasing a rabbit with very little hopes of catching the querry only to have it pulled away from you smart? "

Dont need it to do Geometry just focus on one thing. Run DAT WABBIT

[mybeagles]

Mason, Im not trying do geometry, lol. I just want to come up with some beagles that can run in bad weather.....if it was that easy to just "Run Dat Wrabbit" thats what I would have done yesterday and today......

I dont think you and Patch are saying the same thing....he think extra mouth is due to lack of brains to use a big nose.

[NorWester]

This is a real easy question to answer. It has nothing to do with desire. It has nothing to do with physical ability. Trainability? Perhaps to some degree but not as much as most think. To me brains boils down to one thing and one thing only. Problem solving, the brain power to sort things out, especially when it gets complicated.

[mybeagles]

Now we are getting somewhere! I can go along with a dog solving a tough check (doubleback). After a rabbit is harvested, immediately going back to the place he remembers another one was sitting. Checking back in after loss rather than leaving the country. Ignoring a faulty dog. That makes much more sense NorWester......

[Greg H]

Norwester wrote:

Problem solving, the brain power to sort things out, especially when it gets complicated.

I have had a few hounds that were truely dumb as a stump that got pretty darn good at problem solving the more hours they spent in the field. Now I would agree that if a hound is born with this ability, and show this ability from day one, to me that hound is smarter than one that takes 100 trips out before they figure it out. But I do believe that any hound will learn to solve problems with time. If we are going to judge brain power on field antics, then I would have to use the holed up rabbit as an example. Smart hound scents to hole and immediatly starts searching for new rabbit. Average hound scents to hole sniffs around alittle making sure his nose isn't lying to him and then searches. Dumb hound has to be kicked in the butt before they leave the hole to search.