Video: How Important Do You Think Solo Time Is?

[NorWester]

more dogs just makes it worse -- lol i never consider that soloing --- lol im just desperate

I know THAT feeling

[Briarhoppers]

I don't do much soloing of my hounds. For a number of reasons, a couple are - I don't gun hunt over just one hound, so I don't train just one dog at a time. Another reason is that I have limited time for running hounds and if I am soloing a dog that means I neglecting others in the kennel. That being said, I have a tradition of taking out a pup that I have been working with at 1 yr. old (or as close to it as possible) and have them jump their own rabbit and circle it to the gun and I give that rabbit to them.

When I gun hunt by myself I typically take 3 dogs. I have found that is what I "enjoy" the most. I've taken 6 or so before and for me it was just too much effort messing w/ the dogs. 3 dogs on the ground seems ideal for me and 3 good dogs can circle a rabbit as good as any big pack. Now when I run w/ others we may be more like 8 or 9 dogs on the ground and my dogs fit right in and don't miss a beat. A time or two I have gone on hunts where there are 15 - 20 dogs on the ground, and I have found that my dogs take a few trips to the field to recover from running in a "large pack" as they need to settle down a bit. So I personally try to avoid running w/ that many dogs on the ground.

If I were to run "large packs" all the time, I'd say my dogs would adjust, but that is not how I typically hunt or run so I am not interested in having the dogs adjust and handle that kind of pack.

Just some thoughts for my perspective.

-Pete

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

I primarily run my dogs in packs. I will solo every hound in my kennel a few times once started to ensure they can jump, run and circle their own rabbit. I try to match the same style of hound up in my kennel as close as possible so the running will be smooth. In the last three years, I have experimented with a few different styles of training and I will say that solong will help a dog and running in packs will help dogs. Too much soloing is bad on a young hound if he is eventually going to primarily a pack hound. I start all pups out in a pack. That is the first thing they need to learn...honoring other hounds and working as a team.
There are many opinions on this subject. I feel there is merit in both styles of training and it all boils down to personal preference and there is no right or wrong answer to this question concerning soloing verses packing and many choose to do both.
It is as diverse a subject as the hounds we enjoy.

[RiverBottom]

Anybody have a copy of the book The Grayline Story? I think that's the one, I don't have it but remember someone writing about how the author always ran his dogs in a big pack, 20 or more at a time. Started them right when they were pups. He culled any that had problems running this way and only bred the ones that stood out from the rest. Grays Linesman was one that made the cut.

I could have my facts mixed up, my memory ain't the best

[RiverBottom]

Mark, here's a post Ollie Scott made about his dog Del Ray Stubby.

Another note about Stubby's field trial career and I will let his thread rest. There were very few Lic. trials in his time.There was every type of rabbit hound entered in trials from brace rejects to wind splitters that ran over great distances and were as apt to hit a new rabbit 50 yards away as to find the check. The thing that was so unique about Stubby was that with all the interference or stupidity that packmates might have Stubby just ran the rabbit and was not drug around with them. I didn't see him in every trial, but I never saw a second rabbit required in any pack that he ran in unless the rabbit went to ground or went in to a territory that the club couldn't run in. He hardly ever lost a rabbit, not only at trials but hunting as well. He would swim the widest creek and work a beaver pond after a swamper or hang on to a 1/2 grown cottontail and you did not have to have favorable scenting conditions for him. May every one have good hunting and a "Merry Christmas"

Dogs like that don't need solo time.

[Nor' Easter]

I had one just like stubby and he was soloed all the time FTCH Fillmore's Northern Sly, he lead the pack and knew how to keep the same hare going, was the most consistant placing hound in the circuit in 1995. As far as needing to solo a dog to correct problems, that's not it. Soloing brings the best out of a dog quickly, I like to have a real gundog and or FTCH as quick as possible and enjoy it for as long as possible. Some people may have too many hounds or not enough time to do so. It's about trianing the hound as we are needed to do so. You can reaaly see what a dogs made of when soloing, in a pack it's far harder to really get good idea of the total package. Mine love to pack, no problem there. Soloing gives them the ability to control the run, as they are used to doing so alone.

[mcardery2k]

WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY

rabbit dog- a dog that can jump and bring the rabbit back to me multiple times on his own in any kind of weather condition.

[NorWester]

If Webster considers his hound a rabbit dog only if it can run in ANY conditions then he needs to bring it up this way to hunt before he attaches that label on him

Seriously though, I'm not at all concerned with titles or labels of any fashion. Mark, if a hound is only rabbit dog when it does it all by itself, in your opinion, thats great. I'm sure you enjoy doing things the way you do. For me personally its all about the pack work and if that doesn't make my hounds "rabbit dogs" in your eyes or anyone elses.....thats fine. I couldn't care less.

I'll add this though, I've owned more than a few hounds that had spent a good portion of their lives doing all kinds of solo work, that didn't make the grade here, and I've also raised a few that are/were far better dogs that never had any solo time in their lives. So what does that say? In my opinion a good dog will manage to figure it all out regardless of whether it is packed all the time or soloed all the time.

A hound running a hare to the gun in tough conditions is a good thing, a pack of hounds doing it, well.......thats something special

[mcardery2k]

I think you and I are working for the same thing but we just have a different way of getting there. I think we both love this sport and our dogs so that puts us on the same page.
Mark~

[RiverBottom]

Mark, I'll go further and say that you are one of the minority on this board that breeds for nose. That puts you in a small club with NorWester, Pete, myself and a few others that look for nose first and everything else second

[Mapel Valley Kennels LLC.]

I will agree with most of you experts. I still occasionally solo,if for no other reason , i like to watch a dog account clearly for his game.Up north i can see why soloing is not as effective ,down south they twist and turn more. I always figured any dog with a good nose can run hare right? We call em fox runs and mine aint got a problem running those.Hare on snow deep snow would seem to make even the greatest of dogs rethink there game plan. I love hearing the big snow stories.Probaly the coolest pic i have seen to date is brankos web site and some old bitch with the only thing ya see is her head giving tongue on track.Pretty cool pic.
Anyway i never seen Jack of all trades or Northway spur run but i also feel in my gut that effectivly solo your hounds you will see traits the forefathers had. So i guess I am all about soloing to a point.Looks good when dogs are struggling in the check and ur dog runs thru it.Thats why i solo.

[J.C. Blair]

Where is Captain No Solo? I bet he is setting on his hands right now, keeping him from typing.

While soloing helps a dog to an extent, I dont have time to do it anymore. Either they got it or they dont. If you have to continuously solo a dog to keep it dialed in, just how good is that dog really? We run in packs in any organization. I've never been to a trial in which we solo a dog, unless they are being certified in PP. If ya cant stand the heat, well ya cant stay in my kitchen.

[Mapel Valley Kennels LLC.]

Chad i do agree with ya, soloing is nothing more than a closer when the pack is running stupid . I also believe if dogs can not retrive there own rabbit and account for game , they are just there.Riding the backs of others. If you remember abby was never soloed till probaly 3 but then i broke her away from the pack and spent 30 days with her, thus she learned she did not need others to run.But i also believe certain strands are more prone than others to get er done. Chesters offspring kinda tends to charge hard and get iffy.Never lacking in foot but on the edge at any given time. What i always admired in chester at a young age was his ability to over counter his loss of checks, he could swing back before most figured it out.I never seen t-rex run but only listened to wayne gross and rufus stewart, i felt like the key was incorperating some more tight ck work too plenty of foot.
I have recently seen some Fulcount dogs run and they seem to be able to hang online but lack what i desire in foot,There has too be a happy medium. I have been watching some superdog breeding and liking it alot.
Primetime is also another strand that seem to do well but needs more attention to soloing than i care to put in em.Eiether way feed what ya like but find dogs that work for you as the owner slash breeder dont buy into fads or names.Certain dogs are just bred to be low matinance some are just as good but need more solo time than i want to spend.

[Pine Mt Beagles]

JIMBO
TIME SURE GOES BY FAST I WAS OUT IN THE HOT TUB YESTERDAY WATCHING -3-FEMALES RUNNING AROUND THE HILL ,IN THE PEN, I HAD TALKED TO EDDIE-O,, HE TOLD ME ABOUT JUNIE, I WATCHED THOSE PUPS -2-OF THEM OUT OF SANDMAN A HALF MATE TO CHESTER, AND"" GOT TO THINKING YEA I KNOW THAT IS DANGEROUS,, I HAD SIT BACK AT THE BARN MANY A TIME AND WATCHED OLE CHESTER,AND HIS BROTHERS RUN FOR HOURS,NEVER HAD ANY IDEA OF HOW HE WOULD PRODUCE EVEN THOUGH HE WAS BRED WITH THE INTENT TO BRED LATER,-----I HAVE A LITTLE DIFFERENT IDEA ON THE SOLO THING BUT IT" IS REALLY HARD TO DO WITH MOST PEOPLE RUNNING PACKS AND HAVING TO WORK OVERTIME,BUT I THINK A YOUNG HOUND NEEDS ALL THE SOLO TIME IT CAN GET ,UNTIL IT GETS MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY STRONG ENOUGH TO CONTROL THE LINE NOT JUST HIT AND MISS A LONG WITH THE TRACK,,THAT WAY IT CAN RUN LIKE IT WAS BRED TO,, RUN,,,, AND NOT JUST LEARN ,HOW THE OTHER HOUNDS DO IT.BUT PACK TIME IS JUST AS INPORTANT,, I THINK A HOUND CAN LEARN BOTH BAD AND GOOD THINGS FROM OTHER HOUNDS,,J.M.O.
KEEP'EM RUNNING
PINE MT BEAGLES

[Hatfield]

I can't speak for capt. no solo, but I have been sitting on my hands tring to stay out of this. Sorry just can't do it!
Primetime stuff is what I run, and as far as needing to be soloed I have seen some that needed it more than others and I have seen other lines that could use a whole lot more of it! Lets not show everyone our underwear?
I like to see a young hound progress and I feel it is important that they know how to run a rabbit. They can learn how in many ways, but for me the easiest is alone with the track. They learn how to handle well too, and sometimes that is this best quality