[Brian Kauffman]

Hey you all,my first post here.
I grew up hunting with an uncle who had usually 2 or 3 dogs that hunted good together, obviously some hunted brush better than others, but hunted separately till the jump and would pack up well and being that rabbit around pretty darn quick. I never thought much of it. It's all I knew.
Fast forward 10 years I got a pup AKC Rocky Hollow Briar in 2011 and he ran real good with my uncle's dogs. Hunted the brush and tended to lead the pack. Uncle's 3 plus Briar really moved a rabbit well and never strung out.

I would solo Briar and did well. I bought another 2 male pups since Briar and they never measured up. The first one i sold after he just yapped on Briar the whole time.
In 2015 I got another male, Rio, no papers but I gave him a try...
He hunts close, will run with Briar but loses drive once they get off the rabbit, and heads back my way, often times Briar starts the rabbit again because hes determined (as a good hound should be) and then Rio heads his way and sometimes screws up the chase cuz he heads on to the rabbit coming back.
Briar tends to hunt too far ahead, if I don't keep tabs on him he'll jump one 100 yards ahead, really upsets me. I constantly encourage him to hold up, and hunt close or he gets too far ahead.
Rio, dang near follows me everywhere but if I encourage him and continually talk to him to "find me a rabbit" he will hunt good and close (within 10 to 20 yards) and get in the brush, but I have to encourage him. What im noticing is i gotta basically talk to these dogs and holler at em the whole time we are out. I don't feel like i should have to do that...
So the contrasting dogs got me in a pickle. No happy medium.
Is this just part of it or what?
When they do get on a good hot trail they run it about the same speed. Fast. Which seems like all I should need.
Briar who turns 10 this July still hunts good for his age and I just got a female this fall. AKC Rocky Hollow Fern. It's Briar's half sisters pup.
She's 5 months old and is in the brush and follows on the chases which is great to see. Hasn't opened on a rabbit yet.
I hear guys talking about building the right pack, but I feel like I got two hounds a little too far in contrast. We'll see what Fern does here once she starts on rabbits. Maybe she'll be the missing link.
Any advice or comments appreciated!

 

[Fredgempurdy]

I would take one out alone and assess the hunting and then the other and if there is a world of difference alone then they aren't meant to be together ,may have one or the other not working with the other and messing things up... at the same time which one did you take out and like the style of better... thats the one to keep and build a pack around imo but at the same time building a pack of fast dogs that work well together is far harder than a pack of slower ones and without breeding them all yourself can be very hard to do hope this helps save time and heartache

.. Keith

 

[Bowguy 1]

There are lots of reasons guys get rid of dogs. Sometimes they just don’t work out.
If you liked your uncles dogs why not stay in that bloodline?
Beagles are pretty variable

 

[Brian Kauffman]

There are lots of reasons guys get rid of dogs. Sometimes they just don’t work out.
If you liked your uncles dogs why not stay in that bloodline?
Beagles are pretty variable

Briar is in that bloodline of my uncle's.
The guys who bred the dogs got rid of dogs. I got Fern out of a local fella who has Briar's sister but not litter mate.

 

[Brian Kauffman]

I would take one out alone and assess the hunting and then the other and if there is a world of difference alone then they aren't meant to be together ,may have one or the other not working with the other and messing things up... at the same time which one did you take out and like the style of better... thats the one to keep and build a pack around imo but at the same time building a pack of fast dogs that work well together is far harder than a pack of slower ones and without breeding them all yourself can be very hard to do hope this helps save time and heartache

.. Keith

I've always liked Briar soloing.
I could hunt over him better, keep him hunting closer when I didn't have to worry about Rio.

 

[Foxxy]

A lot depends on their age, your tolerance, if at a check do you call them back. How many times have you ran them? It is time and repetition, over and over again. When I was younger, true story a friend wanted to go hunting, just bought a young dog, we went out, all the time he complained his dog is not running a rabbit. He thought if you get a beagle it automatically runs a rabbit for you, I never hunted with him again because he would not listen to what he needed to do for the dog to run. Wouldn't listen to me- my dogs ran! JMO

 

[Running La. biares]

Brian, if you like a lot about your beagle Briar ,an you want a pack like him an he’ getting old you had better start looking for a nice female that fits with his style an see what that old boy will give you //// ASAP////
Just me but if I REALLY like a male a lot I put him on a good bitch before he can’t do the deed
Just my opinion
keepmmmmmmmm running

 

[TJRANGER]

X2 what RLB said.

 

[Bowguy 1]

Briar is in that bloodline of my uncle's.
The guys who bred the dogs got rid of dogs. I got Fern out of a local fella who has Briar's sister but not litter mate.

Somebody has dogs similarly bred. Do you actually know the bloodline? Not saying it needs to be a famous line or anything cause there’s some good dogs that can be out of relatively unknown stock but if you do see who has that and get something out of that. Every dog from a bloodline doesn’t exactly represent what they’re known for.

 

[Brian Kauffman]

A lot depends on their age, your tolerance, if at a check do you call them back. How many times have you ran them? It is time and repetition, over and over again. When I was younger, true story a friend wanted to go hunting, just bought a young dog, we went out, all the time he complained his dog is not running a rabbit. He thought if you get a beagle it automatically runs a rabbit for you, I never hunted with him again because he would not listen to what he needed to do for the dog to run. Wouldn't listen to me- my dogs ran! JMO

I got Briar when I was 21. I ran that dog every evening after work for the longest time...i have often said I'll never be able to put that kind of time into another dog until i someday am retired. In other words that dog has so much time under his belt I am pleased to say. I haven't ran him like I did at that time, I'm now married with 2 little girls. However I still run him, usually a few times over the summer and every Saturday Late Dec through Feb.
He runs a rabbit...dang good at brush doggin too, the boy don't quit.

 

[Brian Kauffman]

Brian, if you like a lot about your beagle Briar ,an you want a pack like him an he’ getting old you had better start looking for a nice female that fits with his style an see what that old boy will give you //// ASAP////
Just me but if I REALLY like a male a lot I put him on a good bitch before he can’t do the deed
Just my opinion
keepmmmmmmmm running

Took him to a guy and tried breeding him to a good bitch. Both times and didn't take. Maybe he shoots blanks.
That's why I bought this pup that's his half sisters niece, closest thing to his blood line and im hyping and will run similair.. I'll breed her to a good male as soon. As she proves herself.

 

[Circle4p]

Good luck man. Hope you find what your looking for. It can be a truly frustrating task. And welcome to the board