competiveness in a dog?

[T LEE]

On a bad scenting day a line control carefull dog can make a Flashy dog look bad. I just don't want a dog that is checked to death on an average to good scenting day.

In other words...I don't want to have to wait for bad scenting in a trial for my dog to do well.

When a pack has a check..ALL have a chance to be the Hero. Why hate the dog that recovers it the quickest. In most cases it's the flashy dog.

As I said before...we all like something a little different.

[JCM]

me and one of my buddies have been discussing this for about a month now. i have one dog and he has two and when they run together they can be very competitive getting the front. my buddy gets so frustrated with it. it doesnt bother me. it also seems that if they create a big check, according to my buddy it is always my dogs fault for making his dogs not turn with the bunny

later, dave

My dad always told me, don't blame me, your dog has every right to run the rabbit however he wants to. Maybe you should tell your buddy to quit playing the blame game.

His dogs have every right to stay on the rabbit and run it. If he doesn't like the way your dog is running, maybe he needs to get dogs good enough to blow your dog out of the race.

[THALL]

On a bad scenting day a line control carefull dog can make a Flashy dog look bad. I just don't want a dog that is checked to death on an average to good scenting day.

In other words...I don't want to have to wait for bad scenting in a trial for my dog to do well.

When a pack has a check..ALL have a chance to be the Hero. Why hate the dog that recovers it the quickest. In most cases it's the flashy dog.

As I said before...we all like something a little different.

Good post. I think everyone will agree that we all like a dog that can turn the rabbit behind the front end dogs. I love this type dog when I turn loose with an average pack, but when i turn loose witha great pack and the running is big, a dog that runs from the middle don't get many chances to shine. I like a dog that wants to run the front, but won't wreck you if he can't get there. Most people who don't like front runners, run alone!

[da ridgetop]

i like a dog that can run smooth and make the turns but if i can be 20 yards in front of that dog and overshute then come back and pickup the check before anything else gets there why would i not want that dog? i want a dog that runs the front when they can but will slot up if they have to, when dogs start racing each other and not running the rabbit then you have a problem,competiveness is great until you compensate on the final result which is running the rabbit Donald

[Bunnyblaster]

Most people who don't like front runners, run alone!

I think that's a load..........most guys around here there I run with REGULARLY don't care much for a flashy "front runner". And we need to be careful with that label too. There's nothing wrong with a front runner as long as he can handle it and is running the rabbit..............not racing another dog..............there's a BIG difference between the two.

[packmaster]

I have got a big female that runs really rough and wild.She does cause quite a few checks,but she is always the one to recover them.I do get upset at times,but 99% of the time hare or cottontail she will be the first one on it,and the pack will be behind her.

[Earl Rice]

Most of us are saying the same thing. Competitive dogs /speed is great if they can control it and not mess up the pack. BUT many competitive, flashy dogs can’t run with speed and control. If it is always about speed/flash then run Gray hounds. Those fast gray hounds could probably compete or win a trial on days when scenting was head high, and the running was great. They might even be able to circle the rabbit back to the gun on given days. But a true rabbit dog will compete and circle the rabbit on just about any given day in most all conditions.
Something to think about! Does speed catch rabbits? If so, why don’t hounds catch more rabbits????? Most ARHA and Mid-West hounds are probably as fast or faster than the rabbits they are chasing. If speed is so important then why aren’t more rabbits caught.
I’m a rabbit hunter 1st and trialer 2nd. I would love to have a hound that could jump and run the rabbit until it caught it, then bring it back to me. I would have meat for the table and wouldn’t have to spend money for shells and carry a heavy gun all day. I’m sure we would all love to have hounds that could run with speed (Run to catch) for an hour + races and then actually catch the rabbit and bring it back. However, most hounds that run to catch, catch less rabbits because they spend more time trying to find the line than they do running it. Every time a pack of hounds overrun or mess up the smooth running of the pack it gives the rabbit time to rest, pull double backs, and other tricks that most over competitive hounds can’t figure out. Most rabbits that my hounds have caught have been on races that lasted an hour + with very few breakdowns / checks. Speed didn’t allow my hounds to catch the rabbit, nose/line control/brains, did. ( I might add that my younger hounds didn't catch any rabbits this year). I run Mid-West hounds, so I like to see fast hounds. However, a hound can only run as fast as it can smell.

Fast/Flashy hounds look good on some day's, but a rabbit dog looks good most days.

Remember, Run what you like and feed what you run, but keep huntin!!!!!!!!!!!

[PABeagler]

I like the dog that makes the most forward progress on the line. In other words, if you run for 60 minutes, I will take the dog that had five checks and ran the line for 55 minutes over the dog that only had three checks, but only ran the line for 45 minutes....

[Buckeye Bob]

Fast/Flashy hounds look good on some day's, but a rabbit dog looks good most days.

[weaver240000]

I feed both kinds of dogs. On the big running days I love my front runner. He just murders the pack. But living close to the snow belt. Times like now with 18 inches of snow. He Dont look that good anymore. We all agree different dogs can shines on different elements. But What kind of day do I hope I get when I run dogs. I want the heads high pounding. So lets turn on the octane and run like your hair is on fire.

[Blubeagle]

if it wasnt for my jump dog...wait...if it wasnt for my check dog...wait...if it wasnt for my fast dog...GUYS!!..what does it take to get a bunny back to the hunter???..i like all 5 of mine!!!...any ONE of them can jump and bring a rabbit back to me!!...but...i guess we all like to hear them running at one time!!....and they have to work together!!they have to take their place!!...in the pack!!...(unless you hunt them alone)..SO...i think it is natural for beagles to be competitive!!..they want it...(whatever IT is)...when (IT clicks on them)...for the first time!!...they just go for what IT is worth to them!!...(HOW BAD DO THEY WANT IT??)...I THINK IT TAKES ALL KINDS TO MAKE A GOOD PACK!!...and i got one of each...i hope!!...LOL...run to catch???...all mine run to catch!!...some want to eat it!!...some dont!!...but they all run like they want to catch it!!...when they do!!...its back to the business of finding another one!!...some want to taste it...some dont!!

[mybeagles]

For a dog to be very competetive and be able to handle it, the dog must be the "complete package". The superstar that some have given up on ever finding .......... or the superstar some of us go through 100's of dogs to find.

Some think they have a superstar when they have a fast competetive dog, but many know on bad days all they have is a complete fool.

The idea of a dog being competetive is good, but be careful what you ask for......

He better have all the tools, or you will own a dog that NO one wants to pack with.......

Mybeagles

[Newt]

Now I will have to admit, that when I think of this logically, for the life of me I cannot understand why anyone would think that it was no big deal for a dog to continuously cause checks, but that is why we all get to choose and feed what we like. Good Thread
Big Dog

Logically, my mind won't compute the statements that the excitement comes from dogs running wide open with the intent to eat that bunny, with "it was no big deal for a dog to continuously cause checks".

I don't like long checks and won't feed a dog that continuously causes breakdowns and then watches the other dogs as they figure it out.

As was mentioned, my dogs that run with some line control will catch more rabbits than the fast packs that I once hunted.

[coldfork]

I can't believe someone would actally WANT their dogs to have checks. I believe this desire for faulty hound work has been caused by the way Little Pack is scored. It actually promotes faulty hound work by only awarding points to hounds that recover a lost track and awarding nothing to the hound that keeps a check from occurring. I like a good check dog as much as anyone, but I want the check to be created by the rabbit or the conditions, not the hounds. I like speed too, but if the brains and nose to handle the speed is absent, speed becomes a liability. I can't say my hounds never create checks or go over the end, but if they are causing more checks than the rabbit, something's wrong.

[Ed Murphy]

i agree JB