Med speed or fast speed.

[Shady Grove Beagles]

I agree with what Briarhoppers said [guess that's why you and I enjoy running together Pete].
I want a dog that is" running" the rabbit not just trailing it.Alot of the so called "medium" speed dogs that I've seen seem to be content to just follow the rabbit scent but don't end up pushing / driving hard enough as to try and over take it [running to catch].They are very accurate and can keep it going for hours but [to me], never seem to be gaining any ground on it.
Let's consider the term "medium" speed . Most everybody that knows trialing to any degree would probably characterize the A.K.C. Large Pack on Hare,Mid-West S.P.O. and A.R.H.A. Little Pack hounds as "fast" Ranging between 7-10 foot speed. Any arguement? Now there are alot of other A.K.C. S.P.O. clubs around that run what they refer to as a "medium" speed hound.Some of these clubs run in Associations that are WAY conservative in what they run for hounds.Some of these hounds run at what I would call a 4-5 foot speed which when I see them would have to call "slow".Course no beaglers ever come out and say "I run slow dogs". They will tell you they have close,clean,head down, line control dogs.To me the hounds that run in the 5-6 1/2 range are what I call a "medium" speed hound.These hounds often are superior gun dogs. Be that as it may,I want my hounds to consistantly be in the 7-8 range for speed and when the running is sweet I like to see them fly,kicking it up to a 9.I'll sacrifice some of their short comings on the tough days for the excitement they bring when they're really rolling on a big swamper or hare. Of course our personal preferances all come from our hound dogging backgrounds.
My beagling background of 40 years ago was with grade dogs [meat hounds ] that ran to catch.We didn't know much about the "proper" way a beagle was supposed to run and we didn't critique them like an Olympic gymnast for "style ".We just knew that the good ones brought rabbits to the gun most times out.I then got into a 21 year run with the tree hounds on bear,bobcat and coon.A slow bear dog never could put a bear in a tree for you,a slow bobcat hound would either end up losing the cat or let him get in the ledges on you without a shot and I never had the patience to sit in the woods all night listening to a slow coondog trail around all night trying to make a coon climb.

[mud]

Good topic lots of different thoughts.My dad who has owned beagles for over 60 years likes only medium speed dogs.He never pack runs just gun hunts.He never sold a dog in all those years.If one suits him he keeps it until it dies.If he dislikes one he will just give it away.He can and does kill plenty of rabbits yearly without freezing to death while hunting very thick cover. You could not give him a fast dog.I on the other hand like a faster dog.A little swing does not bother me either.In my 35 plus years on owning dogs I have seen plenty of pot lickers in both formats. I like to run dogs for fun and do when I can.In gun season I prefer my son and dad kill rabbits.I shoot a few but enjoy getting out and spending time with family.My dad loves the family hunts but would not keep a dog if he can't kill rabbits. The way I seen it no right or wrong answer just what suits one my not suit another.

[bmpelesky]

I love fast dogs because I dont hunt rabbits. I just run dogs to trail them in little pack hunts and in LP hunt more speed the better.

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

I like a dog with gears and brains. One that has the sense to slow down to a fast walk, if necessary, when scent is terrible, but one that flys full throttle when when scent is good. Anything else usually looks silly most of the time. The fewer checks, the better.

[bmpelesky]

I like a dog with gears and brains. One that has the sense to slow down to a fast walk, if necessary, when scent is terrible, but one that flys full throttle when when scent is good. Anything else usually looks silly most of the time. The fewer checks, the better.

I like some checks because checks win little pack hunt usually.

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

I like a dog with gears and brains. One that has the sense to slow down to a fast walk, if necessary, when scent is terrible, but one that flys full throttle when when scent is good. Anything else usually looks silly most of the time. The fewer checks, the better.

I like some checks because checks win little pack hunt usually.

[LaMarr Rhoades]

since when do you needs tons of speed to win little pack,give me a good check dog anyday!!!

[JCM]

since when do you needs tons of speed to win little pack,give me a good check dog anyday!!!

Great point. I am always surprised by how many LP trialers don't realize that the best rabbit dogs win in LP, and not the fastest. Don't get me wrong, I want my dog in the action, but I will take a good rabbit dog any day over something swinging around trying to get in front.

[J.C. Blair]

since when do you needs tons of speed to win little pack,give me a good check dog anyday!!!

Great point. I am always surprised by how many LP trialers don't realize that the best rabbit dogs win in LP, and not the fastest. Don't get me wrong, I want my dog in the action, but I will take a good rabbit dog any day over something swinging around trying to get in front.

I agree, you'd be surprised as to how many clean runnin' dogs are winning in LP. I want em up there banging, but they need to have enough sense to not follow ol Sir Sworp a lot, cause you'll get throwed out of a race quick.....kill him from behind.....speed is the easiest thing to breed for, ability to gear down and have enough sense to know when to fly high and when to buckle down is by far a trait I look for in a hound. JMO

[Pine Mt Beagles]

THIS IS AN OTHER GOOD TOPIC THAT WILL GET A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPINIONS THAT BEING SAID ,
I HAVE NEVER SAW A HOUND MUCH OVER AN -8- SPEED I HAVE HAD PEOPLE TELL ME THEY HAD FASTER BUT MY OPINION OF SPEED IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN SOME I HAVE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO OWN -2- HOUNDS THAT WOULD RUN A SO CALLED FAST DOG SO HARD IT WOULD BE IN THE ROAD. THEY BOTH CAUGHT A LOT OF RABBITS AND RAN THE SAME SPEED EVERY DAY WET, DRY, HOT ,COLD NO MATTER, VERY FEW CHECKS.THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT DETERMINE SPEED NOSE, BRAINS, CONFORMATION,OF COURSE THAT IS THE SHORT LIST,IF A HOUND HAS ALL OF THE ABOVE.AND COMES TO AN OLD ROSE BUSH OR YOU PUT IT IN A 4 OR 5 ACRE BRAIR PATCH AND IT SLOWS TO A WALK OR GOES AROUND IT ALL TOGETHER IT IS NOT FAST, THE HEART HAS A LOT TO DO WITH SPEED AND IS HARDLEY EVER MENTIONED WHEN TALKING ABOUT SPEED,AND SO THE SAYING GOES------------
NO QUIT IN THEIR EYES-- NO FEAR IN THEIR HEARTS-- NO RESPECT FOR THEIR OWN BODIES....GOOD LUCK AND
KEEP'EM RUNNING
PINE MT BEAGLES