What is Rough?

[rabbitearl]

When you have a trial of around 30 dogs that are suppose to be the best they have,and not the first rabbit but sec rabbit they run it about 100 yds and all the dogs comes out within 1 min of the lost walking up and down the path with there heads up waiting for a dog to find the line.Thats Rough right there.

When you re doing a trials and see a rabbit and the handler calls his dogs to put on the rabbit and he ends up picking them up a 100 yds away two at a time and puts them on the line.Thats rough right there.

One trial for fast dogs and the other one med dogs

[BB Beagles]

NOT SMOOTH!!

[kjohn2hunt]

My female named Lucy.

[smokedawg]

A beagle is a pack animal. They are bred to function in a group and perform well as a unit. I dont trial, only rabbit hunt and pleasure run. While I admit that soloing a dog will help make it run the line, if I have a dog that has to be ran by itself to learn to settle down and run the rabbit, why would I try to run something out of it that was bred into it. More practical to cull that hound so that you will have better pack running and start over with a different hound. If one needs that much attention to run right, he is better off with somebody else. I believe if we dont keep rough around, when we breed our own, we will keep getting less rough pups in the next generation. Too many hounds out there for me to own one that disrupts my good running.

[hurryup]

If you have a good dog n it runs well alone why do you need a pack to help it? Aren't checks jumps and lines the way we reward individual achievement? So why wouldn't you strengthen those traits by solo. If you enjoy running a pack that's fine but don't bash someone who hunts a different style.

[Bellmorekennels]

Here are my personal observations
I have a blackcreek female which is smooth, will follow the rabbit almost on the exact line even in an open area.
You can keep up with her at a quick walk pace. All dogs loose a rabbit but with her not common unless holes up.
Then I have a patch female which is rough to me, will jump a rabbit and run it through the thickest areas no problems but when hits an opening an there is a check you can almost bet that rabbit is lost unless another pack mate picks it up or she finds it 30yds away.
No way she runs a rabbit that doubles back on her and you can't even think keeping up with her at a run.
And the patch female is almost 9. Hasn't slowed a step.
These are my personal dogs.
To each his own.
I prefer the BC female pace over the patch.
Almost all dogs in my kennel except the patch and and young female from deer host have BC blood in them.
I believe it is in their genes.
Anthony

[stavemillbeagles]

I was at a field trial here in New York last spring and the dog that won was over running by 40 yards. Yes it did come back and pick up some checks but it also created the checks. The judges that day liked that kind of dog. It ran the front alot and they didn't mind the overrunning but it was obvious when that dog was was not running in the pack, the run was smoother with less checks. I guess to each his own. Run what you like.....Just my opinion....DH

sounds like the other dogs in the pack had plenty of chances to make a turn and get scored instead it sounds like they were running the front running dog and not the rabbit. jmo

[NorthBranch Rummer]

The front dog always takes the heat for creating the checks. If he can fix it before another dog makes him look bad, He should win!!
P.S. I always give the rabbit credit for creating the check! If he hadn't turned, my dogs would never loose him!!LOL

[hurryup]

I was at a field trial here in New York last spring and the dog that won was over running by 40 yards. Yes it did come back and pick up some checks but it also created the checks. The judges that day liked that kind of dog. It ran the front alot and they didn't mind the overrunning but it was obvious when that dog was was not running in the pack, the run was smoother with less checks. I guess to each his own. Run what you like.....Just my opinion....DH

sounds like the other dogs in the pack had plenty of chances to make a turn and get scored instead it sounds like they were running the front running dog and not the rabbit. jmo

Agree 100%