Blindness or what ?

dave404 · Post by **dave404** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 4:32 pm

I know this subject has been posted often, but this is very disgusting...
I keep registered and grade beagles and have beagled for near 30 yrs. now.

This yr. i made the best cross ever in my opinion. Got 5 pups 3 males and 2 females from my old Sheba and Dan dogs. Pups at 5 months old were running, getting their own checks and jumping their own rabbits. they are now 8 months old and dont need older dogs with them. Grade hounds !!

Here is whats so disgusting, no matter how good the hounds, if not papered, seems folks just frown at them. Ive heard this expression
"ahh. he just has old grade dogs" or ive had folks come and look at the hounds and they will see one that catches their eye and start asking about how it runs ,etc.. and then they will ask, " is it papered" ? No, i'll say, "it's not", end of conversation about that one and on to the registered ones.

I currently have striker, indian hills, branko, northway, redman, dingus, weircreek, and grade dogs in my kennel, . But if i had to choose, id have to choose most of my grade above the papered.

I remember when i 1st started beagling, and got my first rabbit hunter magazine in the mail, boy oh boy, i was surely blinded by the big ads and names in red and started traveling state to state buying this bloodline and that, only to find i already had hounds at home as good if not better.

So experience being the greatest teacher, if a hound does its job , i care less if it has papers or not. i just hope theres enough hunters left out there thats not blinded by such and truly respects a great hound whether papered or not. !!
It truly is down hearting to see someone pass up a good hound because of not being registered.
Lets hear some other experiences from you guys....
HAPPY HUNTING !!

mike crabtree · Post by **mike crabtree** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:01 pm

Try selling pups that are 7/8 Patch. If they aint pure nobody wants them, they dont care how good they run, they dont want to see them run, they just have to say Patch in the Pedigree.

Ill keep breeding for ME, looks like what you are doing. I aint mad cause people dont want to buy crossed pups. That just means I wont have to run against them down the road.

mtnwaykennel · Post by **mtnwaykennel** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:29 pm

I got a good ol' Grade hound.... I kinda like him... Now he is UKC and ARHA registered and does just fine to suit me....

Bill Woods

hammerenpatch · Post by **hammerenpatch** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:35 pm

Hey Mike if you are having problems getting ride of those honey pups send a female up here to me. LOL I'm actually considering a cross from a heavy Northway male 2 one of my Patch female's.

Rabbithoundjb · Post by **Rabbithoundjb** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:04 pm

Dave sounds like you and I are doing almost the very same thing. I to have tried several different bloodlines and currently have some Branko and Wingate blood in my kennels but as you said I still favor my grade dogs as a whole. I don't trial so the papers mean very little to me. I will continue to try a registered dog here and there. I'll continue to breed my bloodline, adding to it as I see fit. I just got 6 pups out of my best female crossed with my turbo/indian hills male we'll see what happens. I got caught up in this board and listening to people talk for and against papers a while back and decided I was only concerned with a rabbit dog.

mike crabtree · Post by **mike crabtree** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:07 pm

Hammer,I dont have any Honey pups, I was talking about Hunter X Emmy.

I cant keep em all, Ill probably keep 1 or a pair.

DIXIEDOG · Post by **DIXIEDOG** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:50 pm

In Maine all the trials are AKC licensed so if you want to trial, a grade dog isn't any good to you. Not that the papers run the rabbit but you can't place in a trial you can't enter either.

coolbrze · Post by **coolbrze** » Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:56 pm

I hear ya. I've had grade dogs over the years but run registered dogs now. Ain't nothing wrong w/ either, I just want a good dog, whether it has papers or not.

green river · Post by **green river** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 2:30 am

I've been turned down at starting pens because I have ole junky grade dogs. I was told it takes 3 months to start a grade dog and 2 weeks for a registered dog

I have both and I like my ole junky grade dogs better. Run whatever you like.

huntinfool · Post by **huntinfool** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:29 am

I think the problem with trying to sell grade dogs is that most people are aware of how hard it is to sell them. No matter how good a grade dog is people seem to be skeptical anymore, and it really is wrong, I know there are some grade dogs that are probably as good or better than half the FC's. Heck, I've seen half breeds with Cocker Spaniel and Terrier in them that run a rabbit into the ground. Another thing I think makes selling grade dogs tough is that unless you have seen the parents run several times it's hard to know what you are getting, unless you are going on the word of the owner. If you recognize the papered dogs lineage, you can at least get a rough idea of what to expect as far as speed, hunt etc. That doesn't mean that particular dog will run that way, but at least you have a reference point. I wouldn't hesitate to own a grade dog, but it would have to be a dog that I intended on owning it's whole life, as I know the difficulty involved in selling one. I also would have to be willing to go see the parents run several times or if it was an adult watch it run several times, cause we all know at least those of us that look at our hounds honestly, that they can look like $500 dollar dog today and tommorrow you might be embarrassed to own them. Just my .02

Emery · Post by **Emery** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 7:40 am

I think that with the UKC gaining more popularity, a grade dog isn't such a bad thing. They still have open registry, so your grade dog can be a registered dog with UKC and ARHA/NKC. I have seen some ARHA guys that trial until they are blue in the face and have never been to an AKC trial, so what good are those AKC papers to them? Just something that someone else recognizes and they could care less about the ARHA titles.

Papers don't run rabbits, dogs do.
Emery

T&T KENNELS · Post by **T&T KENNELS** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:06 am

But if i had to choose, id have to choose most of my grade above the papered.

AGREE

APFII · Post by **APFII** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 11:18 am

I like to keep all my options available on a dog.To do that . AKC papers help. Everybody got their own way and their own goals.Feed the ones you like.

catfish hunter · Post by **catfish hunter** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 12:48 pm

you can burn the papers ,I just want a good pair of dogs that enjoy hunting as much as I do

dave404 · Post by **dave404** » Thu Sep 20, 2007 2:57 pm

you can burn the papers ,I just want a good pair of dogs that enjoy hunting as much as I do

you hit the nail on the head with that statement catfish, i got 3 branko x striker pups i never registered akc, i dont intend to sell them and instead of giving akc my money, i will use it on hunting or dog supplies.
I keep my own records or create my own pedigrees to keep track of my breedings.

I remember reading a post on here about this subject and someone said,
"Pride, it makes us feel good if they have papers."
I get tickled at a guy i know that spends most of his time looking at magazines and reading articles on bloodlines, i told him if he would get his dogs in the field he wouldnt worry about bloodlines.

Regardless if grade or registered, they must be hunted to be good hounds.
in my area if they are registered with any other registry besides akc, theyre worthless also.

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Blindness or what ?

Blindness or what ?

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