Ears/scenting

[gwyoung]

All of my dogs ears are located behind their noses, I suppose if I was to stand one on it's head or if one of them bent their head down at a 90 degree angle from their spine then their ears could possibly be in line with their nose. I don't think he could run in either of these positions though. If my dogs ears are funneling scent anywhere, it is into their chests where there are very few olfactory scensors located. Now, before I get something started I just want to state that this ear location is on my dogs only. I haven't seen your dogs and the ears on your dog may somehow be attached in a different location.

[Newt]

I've got to get busy and design some ear extenders that will attach to my dogs ears. Maybe Velcro would work.

[ronh]

The people that don't think a beagle's ears aid them in their ability to trail a scent...seem to think that their ears are the ONLY thing that allows them to follow a scent. Sure, you could tape his ears to his head..he might still trail the scent..just not as well. And also, his ears might not help him in certain scenting conditions, where as in others it might be the deciding factor. Their ears are not there just because they look cute.
And those that are comparing a beagle to a wolf, or a German shepherd, get real!! Those are totally different animals with different purposes. I have yet to see a shepherd that would crawl on it's belly through a rose bush or log pile looking for a rabbit.
It seems pretty logical to me that a beagle's ears are their for a purpose..not the main tool in following a scent..just an aid.

[RunninHard]

The people that don't think a beagle's ears aid them in their ability to trail a scent...seem to think that their ears are the ONLY thing that allows them to follow a scent. Sure, you could tape his ears to his head..he might still trail the scent..just not as well. And also, his ears might not help him in certain scenting conditions, where as in others it might be the deciding factor. Their ears are not there just because they look cute.
And those that are comparing a beagle to a wolf, or a German shepherd, get real!! Those are totally different animals with different purposes. I have yet to see a shepherd that would crawl on it's belly through a rose bush or log pile looking for a rabbit.
It seems pretty logical to me that a beagle's ears are their for a purpose..not the main tool in following a scent..just an aid.

Well said

I believe it "could" be a "aid" to scenting but not a must

[RunninHard]

I see there is a lot of hardcore haters on this forum ....

[TOUCHSTONE]

Every part of the breed standard was written to define the physical characteristics that would best aid the dog in its task. For the beagles many parts of the breed standard contribute to scenting.

EARS - The ears are set moderately low, setting close to the head. The forward edge turns slightly into the cheek. They are long reaching when drawn out, extending nearly to the end of the nose. They are fine in texture. The ears are fairly broad and rounded at the tip; with almost no erectile power.

Moderately low is defined as level to the outer corner of the eye. Some dogs have the right length and shape but a high ear set and they appear short.

The ears are shaped to funnel scent to the nose. Plays more of a factor in extreme scenting conditions when the dog needs to gear down with accuracy to figure the track. An extremely slow or fast dog would likely not need much for ears. Difficulty gathering scent would slow a dog down even more and a very fast running dog that seldom if ever puts its nose down to the ground may not be getting as much use out of its ears.

Wide open nostrils with a good width and depth of muzzle to provide for channeling the scent to the olfactory nerve of the brain is also important to scenting. Sometimes small ears are attached to poor heads. Even some of those dogs have managed to compensate for the deficit but I wonder how much better they would have been with the physical characteristics that would have best suited the task of a scenthound. Dan M

Newt, Can't wait to hear how your experiments go. LOL!

[Joeyman]

the ears I believe help in jumping or finding a rabbit. Before they start actually running the rabbit. helps with that? that would be my thought on this matter

don't know bout you guys but when my dogs are chasing a rabbit their ears are usually flopped back cause they running so fast...

[Budd]

the ears I believe help in jumping or finding a rabbit. Before they start actually running the rabbit. helps with that? that would be my thought on this matter

Your joking rite If not could you exsplain how you came up with this?
As far as ear length having to do with scent, old Ranger Dan must have thrown a lot of ear in his pups .

[Joeyman]

are you saying that the ears on a dog do not help the dog smell (pick up on scent) as he is walking around searching for rabbit scent before the rabbit is jumped?

[Joeyman]

U B THE JUDGE

[bill huttozac]

Runninghard writes: And those that are comparing a beagle to a wolf, or a German shepherd, get real!! Those are totally different animals with different purposes. I have yet to see a shepherd that would crawl on it's belly through a rose bush or log pile looking for a rabbit.

For your info wolves and dogs are, genetically speaking, one and the same animal. Dogs as we know them, descend from wolves. Wolves and dogs will and do breed and produce off spring as a result of the breeding. Nature engineered the wolf and man engineered the various breeds of dogs to include the beloved Beagle to suit his own needs and likes..

As for crawling on it's belly through a rose bush or log pile looking for a rabbit. I agree, I have not seen a German Shepard do that and I also agree that it would not be easy. There being a diference in the size of a Beagle and a German Shepard.

Several years ago I owned a pair of mixed breed dogs, which I called Fiest becaused of their size. Yes, they had perky ears too. Those two dogs would trail a squirrel or rabbit as good as any Black and Tan or Bluetick coonhound that you will ever see. When it came to logpiles, they would not hesitate to go in and catch or roust the rabbit out and if your Beagles were in the logpile, they best not be near the rabbit. I am sure that that threre are other Beagle owners with simular experiences with mutts that were as good if not better gun dogs than they own today. Granted, the Mutts were not as pretty.

As a young man, I owned a Redbone coon hound that had been in so many coon fights that her earrs were chewed off to about half their normal lenght and width. That old dog was living proof that the lack of long ears had no effect on her ability to produce a raccoon.

[Newt]

I've seen many terrier breeds with erect ears that will crawl on their belly under briars and brush and jump rabbits with the best flop eared beagle. In fact, I've seen many beagles that will not get close to briars because their long ears will get pricked.
Some will and some won't and their ears don't seem to help them crawl under anything. It's their heart, desire, brains, and nose.

According to the standard written above, it calls far the forward edge of the ear to turn in toward the head. Wouldn't that tend to plow the sent away from the nose as the dog moved forward. My experience on the farm with a middle buster, the wings of the plow has the same tilt and the soil is turned away as you move down the row.

[RunninHard]

Runninghard writes: And those that are comparing a beagle to a wolf, or a German shepherd, get real!! Those are totally different animals with different purposes. I have yet to see a shepherd that would crawl on it's belly through a rose bush or log pile looking for a rabbit.

For your info wolves and dogs are, genetically speaking, one and the same animal. Dogs as we know them, descend from wolves. Wolves and dogs will and do breed and produce off spring as a result of the breeding. Nature engineered the wolf and man engineered the various breeds of dogs to include the beloved Beagle to suit his own needs and likes..

As for crawling on it's belly through a rose bush or log pile looking for a rabbit. I agree, I have not seen a German Shepard do that and I also agree that it would not be easy. There being a diference in the size of a Beagle and a German Shepard.

Several years ago I owned a pair of mixed breed dogs, which I called Fiest becaused of their size. Yes, they had perky ears too. Those two dogs would trail a squirrel or rabbit as good as any Black and Tan or Bluetick coonhound that you will ever see. When it came to logpiles, they would not hesitate to go in and catch or roust the rabbit out and if your Beagles were in the logpile, they best not be near the rabbit. I am sure that that threre are other Beagle owners with simular experiences with mutts that were as good if not better gun dogs than they own today. Granted, the Mutts were not as pretty.


As a young man, I owned a Redbone coon hound that had been in so many coon fights that her earrs were chewed off to about half their normal lenght and width. That old dog was living proof that the lack of long ears had no effect on her ability to produce a raccoon.

No Runninhard did NOT make/write that post...Please try again ....

[bill huttozac]

Runninghard - I goofed! Please accept my apology. It should have been addressed to ronh. No change in content of the message.

[RunninHard]

Runninghard - I goofed! Please accept my apology. It should have been addressed to ronh. No change in content of the message.

, no need for a apology I have done it myself a time or two