Two questions

[Dogman]

Scenerio you have three dogs in the truck that you trying out.You see a rabbit run down the road for about 100 yards and then jump off to the side. When you let the dogs out all three walk the 100 yard track and then all three pour it on the track when they get to where the rabbit jumped off the road. However during the hundred yard walk dog (A) barks every breath of the track,dog(B) only barks every now and then and dog (C) doesn't bark at all but they all have there head on the track.You can only keep one dog which would it be (A) ,(b) or (c). Second question are you a hunter or a trialer the majority of the time.

[rabbitrunner33]

i would keep a better nose on dry road. i do both not saying the other are bad hard to run when it is day like a road bed

[Katelyn]

maybe B, Mostly likely C! Trialer & Gun Hunter. Gotta Have those tight mouth dogs.

Dad sez dog A, He likely to get it all they got, hes more of a gun hunter.

[golden acres]

you put the dogs on the rabbit you seen running down the road so you know that it is up and running, then dog a would be the choice, dog c will not on a hot track most likely do to lack of confidence or lack of nose. I want a dog that can run a hot track in any condition

[sanfordssj]

I want the dog with the honest mouth.....but at the same time you know it was a hot track. This isn't a scenario that I would base my decision on when it comes to buying a dog. This is a big catch 22 here! Anytime you put a dog on a track you are asking for faults. Dogs will run a track backwards, act like they don't smell it, etc..... How does the dog hunt and jump a natural rabbit? never judge a dog on a track you have put it on because they are usually amp'd up coming to you trying to find what ever has YOU all excited.

Judge the dogs on natural setting rabbits and on uninterrupted cirlces.....so don't chase the pack trying to see every check, etc.....watch it for a few hours finding the lines as the rabbit circles. That's just my opinion for what ever its worth.

Good luck,
Steve

[billy]

If the rabbit just ran there, than dog A. That dog will find more rabbits than the others. jmho

[MaineDogs]

I like a dog that lets it be known but i would not be judging much off of what you saw, ide be getting into the woods and seein' what they offer in there.

[warddog]

Too many things not mentioned in the scenerio for me to judge which one I would pick, if any of them. If you are basing it on giving mouth then that would not even be at the top of my list. i would be more concerned about which dog was in front, how they worked the track on the road, what type of road was it, which one found where it turned, what they all did once they got the rabbit track going off the road. That definately was a hot track but I've seen many dogs not be able to run one like that especially on a road and the mouth used at that point would be at the bottom of my list.

[gwyoung]

I am figuring the dogs are labeled A,B, and C due to their positions on the line, A being first. But, in the real world every track is not going to be " covered" and dog C is going to have a big minus in my opinion . If all three dogs put on an equal performance later on , Dog C would lose out with me because of a suspect nose! If dog A is actually barking machine gun style ( every breath) I would put him back in the truck immediately , I am not going to be aggravated by yapping, I don't care if he is the greatest running dog on the planet, I say plant him. But I don't think that is what Dogman, was saying or the point he was making, so I will let all three dogs run a little more. If I had to make a quick decision at the end of the 100 yards it would be for dog A .

[deerhost]

Probably (A) as long as its not just yapping away. If it is it would be the first one I would rule out. but then I really wouldn't judge a dog to buy on that one run. The best thing to do is to also watch the dogs on a check. The check will tell you more of how well the dog will be able to keep a rabbit moving. Does the dog come to a check and work it? does it run right thru the check keep barking and over runs it by 50 feet and not come back to work it out?, does it stop at a check and quit and go look for another rabbit? I am a dog runner and a houndsman, I pleasure run mostly and all year round. But hunt in the winter and trial in the spring and summer. That is how I am able to run all year long.....DH

[pilotknob]

This scenario dosn't really tell you which dog has the best nose,only how much scent that they are willing to open on.You said all three followed the line down the road so they all smelled it.When they got off the road they all fell in and ran equally when they had a good line is this right? I wouldn't read to much into this as far as choosing one of these dogs.But if I had to choose one it would be #3.Another scenario,same three dogs.Drop the tailgate on a frosty morning rabbit hunting I'ed be willing to bet you would want to shoot #1 in a short time and put #2 back in the truck.I pleasure run and gun hunt,don't shoot alot of rabbits though,I hate messing up a good race by shooting them.

[Pulpwood725]

You are just seeing what kind of mouth they have by dumping them on a hot track. After you listen to them a while load them up and see if they can jump their own rabbit. I have to have a dog that can actually hunt not just bark on a hot track.

[bucks better beagles]

Bad scenario for trying a dog although I think you may actually be trying to say something about field trialing. There are several unmentioned variables: 1. Were the dogs fresh or had they been turned out somewhere before? 2. You say they "walked" the rabbit down the road. Did either of them step it up to a fast pace and lead the others? 3. Road bunnies are notorious for causing you to scratch your head under the guidelines you gave. Some dogs are used to roads and paths and others are not. 4. Lastly, age and experience would be a factor.

If I was legitimately trying a dog to buy, I would never turn him loose on a jumped track. Let him jump his own and see what happens.

It seems that maybe the point is the amount of mouth that the individual dog gave. Since they all seemed to run equally once they got off the road, I don't see any material difference in the dogs.

[golden acres]

Not a good scenario but some of you guys would plant a dog that is running a hot rabbit every breath. Their are dogs out there with big noses and not mouthy. I bet a hot race with a dog that does not open a lot on a hot rabbit is sweet. I understand a non mouthy dog and each to his own

[gwyoung]

There is always a lot of debate about mouth. Everyone has their opinion of what they like, when it is all said and done experienced, Knowledgeable houndsmen know one thing, with nose usually comes mouth. Now you can apply that anyway you like but you cannot change this fact. I know, I know, your hound has a great nose and he will never bark unless the rabbit is up and running. ( can you explain how he knows it is up and running, before you try, no, you can't.) And as far as your dog with a great nose never barking on a cold trail, let me fill you in on something, he doesn't have a great nose.

golden acres, Plant was my word so I will explain. If a dog barks machine gun style, every breath, or whatever you call it, it is not a hound, it is yapping. It can have the most honest mouth of any dog alive and if it is yours and we are running together, I will respectfully ask you to put it in the truck, I can't stand that darn yapping out of what is supposed to be a hound!