why solo?

[BuschBound]

Solo time is the absolute best way to develop a young hound.
If I have 3 or 4 young dogs they get rotated throughout the week.
Each one needs their time to shine.

Look at how many dogs out there can't jump and circle a rabbit on their own.

Dogs under 18mo. I like 3/4 solo to 1/4 pack time.
Older dogs it just depends on the dog. Some need more than others.

If I ever get to a point where i can't give dogs solo time......i've got too many dogs!

LPB

I'm with you Lone Pine. Learn to run the rabbit before learning how too keep up with the pack. I like to solo as much as I can and its normally once a week. I got 3 dogs to work with and that's plenty to keep clean..

[rabbit runer]

same here i would love to solo but just dont have the time if one goes they all go

[NeilKimbrel7]

There's no doubt soloing will help a hound out. Improves checkwork, hunt, jump, line control etc. However, I don't solo every pup I start. Some will be naturals. I like to run my young hounds together, then on occasion throw in one of better dogs. I do this to see how they deal with pressure and shows me which ones have the most desire. Once the "cream" rises to the top, I then focus on that ones specific needs and try to find a place the other hounds would be better suited.

[mybeagles]

Everyone posting that they solo their hounds keeps 2-6 dogs. The guys saying they dont have enough time keeps 8-12. Of course if you have 12 dogs you cant solo them. Not unless your retired and you run dogs 12hrs a day. I kept 6-8 dogs for years and was overall dissapointed with what I had. When I cut to 3-4 my satisfaction with my hounds greatly improved.

Its a decision everyone makes......Ive opted for the smaller pack myself. You can give each hound the individual attention to ensure they reach their potential. You have fewer mouths to feed so you can afford the best nutrition. On average each dog is better.

I think it comes down to what you enjoy about running hounds. For me its 1-3 hounds, my hunting bibs, and a thicket with some rabbits. I do own a shock collar, but most of the time the dogs just have their leather collar with name tape. I ran last year with a guy who put $1000 of electronics on every dog and he watched the dog run from his computer screen from the truck, while I followed hounds through the brush.

At the end of the day, I was exhausted, scratched up, hungry, and ready for dinner and bed. My partner was full of doughnuts and coffee, warm, relaxed, and thankful for all his equipment. In the end, we both had a great day. Over dinner he told his perspective of the race and I told mine. I think sometimes it just comes down to personal choice.

God Bless America,
Mybeagles

[lebro]

i like to brace dogs almost as good as soloing but you get twice the work done. it alows you to evaluate aginst each other and pair dogs up that are simular abilities.soloing is great but it seems to take a lot of dedication and time to one hound , to me a little soloing does not seem to help you have to do it quite a bit for dog to improve but when they do improve the improve a lot. i love to run my dogs in a pack but i feel the need to seperate them out so they can get better.hope that is not too confusing. i brace to save time and get more dog work done but agree you cant beat solo time.

[JCM]

What's your thoughts on this Mr. McGuire?

OK, I'll bite. I just can't stay away (call it the toldyouso sindrome).

As someone who has rabbit hunted for over 40 years, and run dogs nonstop during this entire time, I have never soloed a dog. This includes 5 ARHA World Hunt winner, 4 ARHA World Hunt Runnerups, several ARHA Hound of the Year and Runnerups, Big 5 winners, State Hunt winners in ARHA and PKC, many Champions, and Grand Champions, AKC SPO winners, all of which were rabbit hunted and run hard their whole life.

I have said this many times before, and I will say it again, if you have to solo your dog for it to reach its potential, it doesn't have the mental toughness to be worth breeding. I hate dogs that can't stand pressure and get faulty when they run with superior packmates. I would never breed a dog that has to cheat, or loses its mind if it doesn't get special treatment.

If you solo a dog, and it turns out to be a good one, and then you breed it to another dog that was soloed, and you continue this for generation after generation, you are promoting a line of dogs that can't take pressure. Down the road you will have a kennel of weak minded junk. On the other hand, if you throw the kitchen sink at a young dog, and it turns out good and you keep doing this, down the road you will have strong-minded, superior performing hounds.

Besides, listening to one dog run is BORING! Give me a pack screaming after a rabbit trying to catch him and eat him. That is what running rabbit hounds is all about!

[Buckeye Blues]

I've only been doing this 4 years, and I cant disagree with you more jcm. As a matter of fact that I feel dumber for having read it.

[Dale Pea]

JCM you are the man!!

[Casey Harner]

I like watching a young tough hound braced with an older slower dog. It gives the younger dog confidence that it can beat something else and it also allows them room to improve with a more experienced dog. I have three dogs now. An older male and two new young pups. I soloed my older male for three years due not having any other dog and JCM IS RIGHT. Soloing a dog is boring. I doubt I will solo ever again unless I need to. But rather brace or run them three pack together.

[Houndsfootball]

Amen to packing a pack animal. (Toldyouso sindrome) haha Something tells me frank doesnt solo either... Mainly because its boring as hell. I got a 1 year old female off jim about six months ago soloed her 1 time when I first got her just to make sure she would handle that was the only time she had ever been soloed. she jumped a rabbit within the first couple minutes and ran it for 45 minutes prob only one check during the whole run.

[T LEE]

What's your thoughts on this Mr. McGuire?

OK, I'll bite. I just can't stay away (call it the toldyouso sindrome).

As someone who has rabbit hunted for over 40 years, and run dogs nonstop during this entire time, I have never soloed a dog. This includes 5 ARHA World Hunt winner, 4 ARHA World Hunt Runnerups, several ARHA Hound of the Year and Runnerups, Big 5 winners, State Hunt winners in ARHA and PKC, many Champions, and Grand Champions, AKC SPO winners, all of which were rabbit hunted and run hard their whole life.

I have said this many times before, and I will say it again, if you have to solo your dog for it to reach its potential, it doesn't have the mental toughness to be worth breeding. I hate dogs that can't stand pressure and get faulty when they run with superior packmates. I would never breed a dog that has to cheat, or loses its mind if it doesn't get special treatment.

If you solo a dog, and it turns out to be a good one, and then you breed it to another dog that was soloed, and you continue this for generation after generation, you are promoting a line of dogs that can't take pressure. Down the road you will have a kennel of weak minded junk. On the other hand, if you throw the kitchen sink at a young dog, and it turns out good and you keep doing this, down the road you will have strong-minded, superior performing hounds.

Besides, listening to one dog run is BORING! Give me a pack screaming after a rabbit trying to catch him and eat him. That is what running rabbit hounds is all about!

It's hard to argue with success like that. I would say you're doing something right.

[toldyouso]

Solo hmmm if a man that as done what Jim as done tells you he does not solo then you better listen his pedgree speaks for itself. The only time I have every solo is when my wife would do it for me. I have solo but i am with jim 100 percent they either got it or they dont and to many times the reason dogs dont have it is because people do not run there dogs enough. Solo will help make a dog maybe come to HIS full potential but it will not help him handle the pressure of the pack I GURANTEE that. Some dogs just dont make it and if you think soloing a dog will make the difference you r wrong. Now I am not as old as Jim and have only been doing this since 1988 but i can tell you the stud out of a litter within 30 minutes of the litter being started and it will remain that way until they die either they got it or they dont and none of my puppies r started by soloing them they start in a pack and get packed until they die. Run large pack for 4 hours and watch the creme float to the top. You dont even have to judge them the dogs will do that for you I primose.

[Rowco Beagle Kennels]

I bought a young LP champion from Crabby a while back. Crabby told me, "he is not ready to win, he needs solo work." I soloed the puddin out of him and he became one of the best jump dogs I ever put down. I sold him to a friend because he had something I really needed. The first trial he went to he won the champions. Crabby knew what he was talking about and we solo as much as we can now or at least couple. Like a lot of you, Johnny and I are hindered by time limitations but we believe in soloing. We run packs of 5 to 10 but we want every dog in the pack to be able to hunt, jump, check, and circle. With out that why run them? Thanks Crabby for steering me in the right direction. Bobby

[dog]

What's your thoughts on this Mr. McGuire?

OK, I'll bite. I just can't stay away (call it the toldyouso sindrome).

As someone who has rabbit hunted for over 40 years, and run dogs nonstop during this entire time, I have never soloed a dog. This includes 5 ARHA World Hunt winner, 4 ARHA World Hunt Runnerups, several ARHA Hound of the Year and Runnerups, Big 5 winners, State Hunt winners in ARHA and PKC, many Champions, and Grand Champions, AKC SPO winners, all of which were rabbit hunted and run hard their whole life.

I have said this many times before, and I will say it again, if you have to solo your dog for it to reach its potential, it doesn't have the mental toughness to be worth breeding. I hate dogs that can't stand pressure and get faulty when they run with superior packmates. I would never breed a dog that has to cheat, or loses its mind if it doesn't get special treatment.

If you solo a dog, and it turns out to be a good one, and then you breed it to another dog that was soloed, and you continue this for generation after generation, you are promoting a line of dogs that can't take pressure. Down the road you will have a kennel of weak minded junk. On the other hand, if you throw the kitchen sink at a young dog, and it turns out good and you keep doing this, down the road you will have strong-minded, superior performing hounds.

Besides, listening to one dog run is BORING! Give me a pack screaming after a rabbit trying to catch him and eat him. That is what running rabbit hounds is all about!

couldnt agree more , i soloed the crap out of one pup , he could run the snot out of a rabbit , but it made him very independent , could never get him to pack well , he would just go find his own rabbit to run , sold him to a guy that just wanted " A "rabbit dog , hated it , he ran a rabbit better than any dog i got

[barryc]

I am wondering why you would take the time to solo a young dog? If you dont trail, or I guess even if you do, you dont hunt solo do you? When I get out, I take everything I have. So what are the advantages of goin with just one dog?

Because some dogs will never reach their full potential without solo time! Remember I said "some" not all.