line control

[LaMarr Rhoades]

I trial my hounds in AKC SPO and the traits that Mr Rhoades listed are definitely in the rule book as Faults, any one of them is considered "cheating" by the hound...just like getting a check and taking it away running mute.

most of the time when those akc spo judges start picking up the faulty dogs it always seems like the chase gets better after that.just my opinion

[Lone Pine Beagles]

My first rabbit dog was 17" tall and super fast!
She was half beagle and half Greek Hare Hound.
She is the only dog I've ever seen that could run full tilt and turn on a dime.
She rarely "circled" rabbits.
Either they holed before the circle or got caught on the run!
Very frustrating because at 17 you want to shoot bunnies. lol

After this dog I got me a couple "hare" dogs.
A 13" birch lake female and a 16" Colby Hill /branko male.
They caught rabbits but did so by drifting over the line side to side.
If they drifted and the rabbit actually had went that way....they gained ground.
I made excuses for their breakdowns. Too many holes, female rabbits, baby rabbits, storm coming, etc.

Then one day I saw the light! A buddy came up and ran with me. I kept my dogs in the box and let his 2 circle one.
They pounded with no break downs! Yet they were a step slower than my knuckle heads?
I would rate those dogs as upper medium, and I now try to keep the same speed with line control.

My main female now is about 11 3/4" and upper medium speed, tight line, big nose.
Catches more rabbits solo than any I've owned. She just wears them out until they go stiff.

So I would say that my small female actually circles a rabbit faster.
The big fast dogs I owned would run fast 100yd bursts but struggle at circling efficiently.

What I've learned in the last 21 yrs. is that it doesn't matter how fast the dog runs but how efficiently it runs the line.

sorry i'm so long winded,

[Ron Conroe]

if a dog is not rrunning the track he is not running the rabbit, it's that simple.... if he is not on the track he is not running it, he is hunting for it. big difference.

[littlewoody]

Good read Andy!

[PREACHERS KENNEL]

loved that video just wished it was longer..my dogs would have fit right in there good speed not crazy .

[deerhost]

Good post Andy!

[Lee Cockman]

As many dogs that I have owned Field Champions as well. Line Control is not it. JMHO I have owned 6 different breed field champions. Midwest Style. What I consider a run to catch hound. If a dog is over running a track, skirting, swinging, reaching or tons of breakdowns in a race. I personally feel like they lack the brains to run it the way they are suppose to. I have owned several in my time that could not run 20yds with out blowing up a race. They usually don't eat that long at the house. A dog that get's rattled by a big pack or dogs that are doing all of the above lack brains.

My Beagles come on down to NC some time Hunt or friend ship run does not matter. I will show you one that has wheels and brains. If I have ever owned or seen a dog that can run it any condition I have a Big Blue male that will turn your head. Heads up running or walking it out. That is Brains. JMHO

Oh yea and if you want to see some with a little bit of brains lose and out of control I own a crowd of them.

Because a dog runs a 4 in speed or a 6 in speed does not mean he has line control. That means he is SLOW!

[Buckeye Blues]

Again it is not control it is Brains. A dog with brains will slow down and walk a track if need to. A dog with less brain will over run a track, skirt, reach or whatever you want to call it. It takes Brains to run a rabbit in most conditions! JMHO Nothing to do with Line Control.

I have never seen a hound with extreme speed that would slow down enough to walk in poor condition maybe I need to get out more

Then you need to get out more.

I got one. She'll fly on a rabbit, but right now, during breeding season with all the baby rabbits she will stay in a patch of weeds 15 feet wide by 3o yards long and walk those baby rabbits for hours if I let her.

Just like your previous post about fast dogs not getting it done in less less than perfect conditions. Again, you speak of witch you know not of.

Your remarks are irresponsible and ignorant on this matter

[BCBeagles]

Speed is an opinion relevant to what you have seen. I may call your "fast" dog a 6 on speed, you may call my "medium" speed an 8, seen that way more times than not.

Same with line control, everyone's opinion is different. Until you find what you like and see the highest quality of each you don't really know what you classify it.

Of course a hound should slow down with less scent, BUT, many I have seen from multiple lines do not. There lies lack of line control, IMO, the line is weak scent and therefore requires close work and more methodical work. High scent, on those few days each year during our season, they should need less control and more just all out hard going, running to catch.

Problem I see is that a hound working less scent is still running to catch(some may disagree), but slowing down within it's brain to actively track a hard to track animal. As scenting changes then you REALLY find out what type of hound you have.

Rabbit to rabbit scent is different, hour to hour scent is different. The adaptable hound is the one I pursue. I will keep at it because they all fail, but they try really hard to suit me.

Bottom line to me is the hound that has "line control" when scent is bad is the one I want, and one that has "drive control" when the scent is good is the one I want to have!!!

Just a semisophisticated rednecks opionion. LOL. take care and good running to all.

[pcable]

BCBEAGLES, You said a mouthful with 4 words "LINE CONTROL" & "DRIVE CONTROL"!!!
A dog should run with the scent conditions. I've always looked for a dog that will only run as fast as his nose and brain can process the scent of the rabbit. Thus having "line control" & "drive control"!!!!

[Farm dog]

Speed with the brains to make the turns

[mybeagles]

I got one. She'll fly on a rabbit, but right now, during breeding season with all the baby rabbits she will stay in a patch of weeds 15 feet wide by 3o yards long and walk those baby rabbits for hours if I let her.

Just like your previous post about fast dogs not getting it done in less less than perfect conditions. Again, you speak of witch you know not of.

Your remarks are irresponsible and ignorant on this matter

Buckeye Blues

I don't know what's more ignorant, me thinking they don't exist or you thinking you own some?

I do know its pretty ignorant to copy from two different people and put it as my quote as you did above so why don't you go edit and fix yourself

Again it is not control it is Brains. A dog with brains will slow down and walk a track if need to. A dog with less brain will over run a track, skirt, reach or whatever you want to call it. It takes Brains to run a rabbit in most conditions! JMHO Nothing to do with Line Control.

I have never seen a hound with extreme speed that would slow down enough to walk in poor condition maybe I need to get out more

[rabbitearl]

Fellow beagles we have two different kind of houndsmen.The meat hunters and the ones that just wants to hear the dogs run without a break down.90 percent of the men that comes to my trial don t hunt.They don t care about killing rabbits.they just like the good old fellowship at trials and just see dogs run a rabbit.I am one of them.I rabbit hunt for 38 years and went everywere hunting and have kill my share of rabbits with fast fast dogs.I could not understand why a guy would have beagles and don t hunt them.But now I do.I donot have any beagles now.I just don t care about killing a rabbit.Now if some of yall thinks that you have to have a fast beagle to kill rabbits.I ve got news for yall.If I can find a dog.ANY SPEED It don t matter.That is better than my rabbit boxes I will buy him.I catch 347 last year and not one time did I had to feed or water them boxes.I could had kill them all if I wanted to.But not one did I kill.So if you think fast beagles is the only way to kill rabbits.NOT TRUE.Now that I don t have any beagles I don t care what speed of dog you have or line control.I don t feed the dogs, so run what you like and and stay off these guys that likes line control.Yall guys act like yall are the ones feeding the dogs.

Mybegle,I will agree with you 100 percent.

Mark Carder has put on so many video of good hound work.Will somebody show me a video of fast dogs at the jump of the rabbit and stay there with the video still on.That rabbit will come back so the dogs will too.Show me just one.Not saying it want happen but sure would love to see it.Yes I used to rabbit hunt with fast dogs.But a lot of rabbits kill that the dogs want running and kill the rabbit before the dogs lost it.

?If the hounds are so great.Why do you want to go rabbit hunting were theres so many rabbits.Lots of rabbits make your dogs look good.I ve been there too.Kill 125 in a place one time on 4 sat.Man them were the best dogs I ve everyseen.Take them same dogs to a place were just a few rabbits.i want to cull everyone of them.Rabbits make a big different.The way one runs will not be like the other one.You have to have a good dogs on ever rabbit.Sorry If I step on anybody toes.But this is the way I ve seen it.

[eddywilliams]

There you go FARM DOG I agree

[fasttrackpa]

Earl, I would be happy to do what you request but it would be awful boring. Sometimes they are out of hearing for 15 or 20 minutes...I have video of the jump, and the video I already linked is the same rabbit. I didn't move but a few feet and saw the rabbit probably 10 times before he holed up
'Here is some "cold" trailing and the jump. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSymDg2_TSo