Extra mouth in the Check ?

[T LEE]

I’ve watched several video clips lately of other styles of Beagles. Not signaling out any particular one, I’ve noticed many continue to bark during the check. I’ve watched the packs go North, South, East and West barking in the check (sometimes just a short distance) before they figure the line out. Being three of the four directions they barked were wrong, can’t this be confusing for pups just starting to run with the pack?

I’ve noticed this quite a bit more in conservative style packs. Does extra mouth in the check area bother most guys as much as it does me?

[Lee Cockman]

Can not speak for evey one. But I have ZERO tolerance for extra mouth any time. JMHO I try not feed dogs with extra mouth rathe be tight than loose. Alot of people say it is a big nose i say losse mouth. If the dog barks I want it right 90% of the time. I guess all dogs make mistakes. Atleast mine do. But if I see it much they got to go.

[BigStrutter]

I have heard the argument that it can sometimes help keep dogs in close on a check. But I guess that only applies if the dogs in question tend to roam a little wide in a check.

Ned

[mybeagles]

I have seen on a number of occations where "mouthy" hounds runninng in crusty snow and ice are the only ones barking and able to move a track. The mouthy dog seems to bark about correct in those nasty conditions.

This is an old argument, but I personally have never seen a GREAT snow hound that didn't have extra mouth on sod or better scenting days. I know guys will argue they have them, but I haven't seen one yet. Much of if has to do with where you do your running in the winter time.

If you live in Northern Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Canada if your going to hunt in the winter you need a huge nose or you wont run much. I'm down in KY now with the military and I wouldn't want a hound with huge nose and the extra mouth, but when I was up in Michigan I would take all the nose I could get and live with the extra mouth other times of the year.

While I will agree some of the barking in the check by the "conservative running dog" will pull dogs around and create some trouble that is just a drop in the bucket disruption compared to what fast tight mouthed dog will do running off the end of the line 50 yards, and yes, most the fast dogs struggle to hold the line; particularly with any pack pressure, such as more than 1 hard hitter......

One mans perspective,
Mybeagles
'

[PABeagler]

It depends, "Know your dog." What percentage of the checks does he solve? Is it more than 50%?

[bigdogpace]

TROY I HATE ANY KIND OF EXTRA MOUTH ANYTIME DOGS R RUNNING I SOLD AJAM UP DOG ACCORDING TO EVERONE ELSE 4 THIS SAME THING EVERBODY THOUGHT I WAS CRAZY SEEN HIM PULL DOGS BACK SEVERAL TIMES THAT HAD MADE ALITTLE SWING OUT TO FIND LINE ACCORDING TO SOME IT WANT HURT ATHING BUT ME I HATE IT THEY R BABBLERS N MY EYES

[Lee Cockman]

How many checks does the dog actually get. Not what works out in his or her favor maybe 50% lucky. I have heard guys say if I can ever get this dog to clean his mouth up he will be hard to beat. My point is how dod you know if a dog is correct when he barks out of place in a check area. He may never be right just gets lucky. JMO

[hard on a check]

In my opinion/experience the hounds that have extra mouth is due to lack of brains. I love a hound with a big nose,but with the brains to use it correctly. I have no tolerance for a mouthy hound in the check area,JMO.

[Gunslinger Beagles]

In my opinion/experience the hounds that have extra mouth is due to lack of brains. I love a hound with a big nose,but with the brains to use it correctly. I have no tolerance for a mouthy hound in the check area,JMO.

Well said. I agree

[lee broadley]

to me it is about production . there is alot i dont like, extra mouth being one but i will not trade style for a pile of rabbits. in other word ill live with extra mouth if they are jumping most of the rabbits, this allows me to hang on to a dog and let it mature a little more and then you find the kind of pack you like. if we all liked the same thing wouldnt this board be boring.

[Swamper AR]

That's how some guys can brag about check free running. Because their dogs never shut up.

[deerhost]

I simply hate it. I will put up with a "little" pop in the check area from a dog with a big nose. But if a dog just keeps opening up in the check area more then a few pops then it's not for me. I like them a little tight with their mouth. This way when they open I know they are smelling rabbit....DH

[tommyg]

I can live with it to an extent. I have a female that when shes running solo will pop off some but put her in a pack you never hear her unless she gets the check. Go figure. But she can run the fur off a rabbit and is a great jump dog those 2 things out weigh the pops in the check area.

[Greg Wells]

I hate it too. A dog should keep it's mouth shut unless it has the true line & can turn it quickly into forward progress & have the pack driving again. I used to give a hound a chance or two in the trials when I judged to calm down, but if it continued, the hound's day was over for that trial. I think this is caused by a lack of brains & patience & being over competitive. If some solo work can't help a dog clean it's mouth up in the check, it may have a fault it may never get out of & will probably produce this kind of offspring unless bred to an extremely clean hound & you will still probably get some pups in the litter with this fault.

[JCM]

In my opinion, mouthy dogs ruin chases. Even the most independent dogs get distracted by a dog that barks around in the check area. Rather than focus on driving the track consistently, the dogs end up being pulled this way and that. IMO the best chases always come from a pack of true mouthed hounds that work together and trust each other.

The only reason a dog should bark is when it can make forward progress. To often in LP I have seen judges mark a check in their book before the dog even proves it has recovered the track and is making forward progress. If these judges would slow down their pencil, and watch closely, they would often see the real check dog straightening out the track. It might not bark as much, but at least it's a bark they can trust. And that's the dog I want.