In these modern times we live in with online computers, telephones, trucks to ride in comfort days at a time, magazines with the nice stud ads through out the pages. Yet it seems that even with all the vast technology we can use, our breeding programs haven't really advanced and in some cases have gotten worse. I know that the issues of breeding best to the best or line breeding or even inbreeding are decisions left up to the breeder but what about stud dogs and how are they being chosen? Flavor of the month? Or ole chopper tied out back because of convenience. Or maybe Snoopy down the road, his owner studs him cheap.
Does anybody have a plan in mind or a mission statement as to what goals and in what direction (body style and performance) are you attempting to breed for. It doesn't matter if you breed best to best or inbreed, line breed what are your goals?
I have had a lot of people call wanting to breed to our dogs because of a kennel name in the pedigree. I always ask them what are you breeding towards? What goal or qualities are you looking for? Not one person could tell me anymore than a name, nobody said anything about performance! Folks you need to look beyond the kennel name. I also feel that you need to do your homework and look beyond the FC or field champion label in front of the dog's name. A lot of FC are great dogs don't get me wrong but I know for a fact that some northern dogs are shipped south in cold weather because they don't have nose enough to run in weather colder that 25 degrees. Does that dog deserve FC in front of its name? No, not to a northern rabbit hunter. I've seen that same FC offered at stud and I don't believe that it is a complete representative of the breed. Most average dogs will shine on days with moderate temperatures but I want to watch a dog run on tuff days. You still have to study pedigrees but you also need to study the dog and its family back as far as you can in the pedigree.
I personally will not breed to any female that can't circle its own rabbit. So if you bring a female to us we will be looking at her as hard as you are looking at one of our males! Maybe even more.
So what is this performance that I keep talking about? It's a well-built hound with good conformation that has nose and brains enough to stay up on the rabbit through various degrees of temperature and ground conditions. It's a dog that is consistent day in and day out. You know, a real hunting dog. Here in Michigan you can't choose the weather you want on your days off work, and I run my dogs everyday I possibly can and in what ever type of weather conditions the weatherman calls for we're out hunting. To hunt the conditions that we have in Michigan you need a dog with sub zero nose. If the rabbit is going to stay above ground and run I want a dog that can run it to the gun.
So when you go looking for that fine stud or get a female pup, ask yourself what performance are you looking for? Weather it's a trial hound or hunting dog or one in the same.
You need to incorporate a sound breeding program. Breed to a family of hounds that have the characteristics you're looking for. Then breed likeness to likeness to maintain most of the desired traits that you're after. It takes more than one breeding pair to get and keep the type of hounds you are after. So if your going to breed and maintain a line of hounds you're going to have to keep close to ten dogs. Or another way is to form a co-op with a few people that share the same likes and dislikes that you do in a hound. Or go back to the breeder that you got your beagle from and use their knowledge as to the best cross to be made. If you got a good hound from a true and honest breeder, I'm sure they can help you find a good beagle to breed to.
My thoughts that I attempted to get across to you readers is to put some time and thought into breeding. Breed towards that perfect hound, breed for the future, don't be swayed into breeding convenience or price. Also on the flip side just because a stud dog is offered for less money does not mean that he is not a good producer! You pay your money and you take your chance, nothing is for sure. If you have limited dogs to work with you could set your breeding program back a few years by making the wrong cross. Not all matings produce good offspring and it will take you up to two years to find out all of your answers. Good or bad. But if you breed for performance you can stack the deck in your favor.
“Snowman”
Rick Snow
