HUNTING BEAGLE REQUIREMENTS

by Joe West

          There are six basic things that a hunting Beagle MUST do in order to perform properly in the field. With out these simple, basic requirements no Hunting Beagle can ever come up to standard as a performer. The requirements are:

1. Search for and jump it's own game. :

          Before a hound can run his rabbit he must first be able to find him. Good jump hounds seem to have a kind of sixth sense and seem to always know just where there is a rabbit waiting to be run. There are different techniques that hounds employ while searching but all in all the real test is HOW MANY RABBITS DO THEY JUMP? An experienced hound should recognize likely rabbit cover and hunt accordingly. When hunting it is customary for the handler to stand still and talk up in conversational tones so the hound knows where he is at all times. If the hound draws a blank then he will check in with his handler and then the handler will walk with the hound to the next cover to be searched. Hunting hounds are allowed to search where ever THEY want with in hearing of the handlers voice at a conversational tone. When in a pack the hounds should search independently of each other.

2. Hark to any right sounding mate. :

          When a hound makes a find his pack mates must hark to him to allow for pack running and also to assist the hound who made the find. However no hound will be faulted for refusing to hark to a pack mate who he has found to be dishonest. A hound who continually harks to a mouthy or dishonest pack mate is unnecessarily allowing the faulty hound to interfere with his own hunting.

3. Work a check in a sensible manner. :

          Hounds should look first at the point of loss and then gradually extend their search outwards in an ever increasing pattern. Some will make small circles and some will cast first in one direction and then in another but in any case the hound must use some intelligence in his searching method.

4. Reach when necessary but never anchor. :

          At a loss any hound who will not reach out in an effort to regain the line will loose his game. A hound should never reach unless it is necessary to keep the run going and only after he has searched at the point of loss and has failed to recover the line.

5. Adjust speed to suit the existing conditions. :

          Hounds should run their game as fast as the existing conditions allow or as slow as they dictate he must while maintaining constant contact with the line of scent. A hound would be foolish to try to run as fast as his feet would carry him under poor scenting conditions when it would be impossible for him to carry the line at that speed. Likewise the hound who fails to increase foot speed when the conditions permit would be pottering.

6. Have the desire, good health and proper conformation to run all day for several days in a row. :

          Obviously the hound must be in top condition to pursue his game to the death. However, in addition to being in top condition the hound must also be endowed with proper conformation to allow for extended running times. Hunting Beagles are run sometimes for many days in a row from sun up to sun down especially if their master has taken a week off from work to go on a much awaited hunting trip. To perform that hard for many days in a row the hound MUST be endowed with proper conformation.

          These six basic requirements of a hunting hound might seem almost too basic at first blush. However a careful review of them reveals a description of a hound who if he lacked any of them would not be able to account for his game. These six little rules of thumb then become a guide to a minimum requirement of a good steady rabbit hound. I've always made it a hard and fast rule that any hound who does not conform well to that minimum standard is a failure.