Which running traits are the most difficult to breed? +Responses
By Ralph Gillum, BraceBeagling Columnist
December 16, 2002



The primary running traits needed for a good brace beagle are good line control, good check, true mouth, and cooperation with bracemates, i.e. independent and noncompetitive. A number of other traits such as controlled desire, concentration, calmness, style, etc., overlap and influence these primary traits. I believe these primary traits are influenced to varying degrees by the natural aggressiveness found in the canine breed. Hustle and competitiveness is ingrained in the nature of all dogs as part of their survival instinct. It is in their nature to compete with each other to catch, kill and eat small animals such as rabbits in order to survive. Any trait such as aggressiveness that is found in the general dog population is, in all probability controlled by dominant genes. Undoubtedly, the countless generations the dominant genes for this behavior have been inbred into the general dog population has fixed this behavior pattern in our brace beagles. Therefore, I believe aggressiveness is the most difficult trait to breed out of our dogs.

In the early years of brace beagling, I would think that blunting this desire to run to the kill would be the primary challenge of the early breeders. Uncontrolled aggressiveness would not have permitted the recessive brace running traits to appear. Today, many of these dominant genes for aggressive behavior have been removed from the brace beagle gene pool. They have been replaced by recessive genes for calm line control, independence, etc. that were brought to the surface by selective breeding and inbreeding. Today, as long as we breed within the brace beagle population, we benefit from all these stacked up recessive genes for good brace beagle running traits. Cross out to a gundog or show beagle and you will find that the pups revert back to the dominant aggressive behavior. I believe the same is true to a lesser extent when you breed outside your own family of dogs as the combination of dominant and recessive genes will be somewhat different within each family or strain.

I have always believed that being overly aggressive either with scent or bracemates culls the majority of our pups. We have refined our brace beagles a lot through selective breeding and inbreeding. However, I believe aggressiveness remains the biggest problem and the most difficult trait to breed out of our dogs as we are still fighting nature. Therefore, I feel calm line control and independence-lack of competitiveness are the traits most difficult to breed.


From: Bob Kimber
To: Ralph Gillum
Subject: What about brains and stay power?


Hi Ralph,

Your December article definitely provoked some thought. As you know, I don't (only because I am not in position to at this time) raise a lot of puppies or see a lot of puppies start. So I am not able to give a good comment on what's wrong with the pups that don't make it to the trials. And that might be the best benchmark of what are the most difficult traits to breed.

But as you know, I do get to see a few hounds at the trials. During the past 4 or 5 years, I have probably averaged about 8 license trials a year and have judged 4 different federations during that time. And I will say, that if more of the hounds I looked at demonstrated better "calm line control and independence-lack of competitiveness" they would have faired much better. But I really wonder if that was the primary reason so many hounds failed to make second series (fell on their ass).

Before I go further though, I must say that I am not looking to use hounds in second series that do not have calm line control and independence-lack of competitiveness. Certainly I am looking for those traits as I believe they do lead to success. Also, I know you know first hand what kind of dog I am looking for. The 13" bitch high brace at the National tracked a nice rabbit for us, and there was nothing wrong with the brace we had in 3rd series. The hounds that ended up in the top 3 spots had calm line control and independence-lack of competitiveness and they completed their runs.

But I can't tell you how many hounds I have seen at trials, during the past few years, that simply couldn't complete a run, whether or not the conditions were difficult. Now maybe they could complete a 440 run, "4 minutes or 40 feet, whichever comes first", but that's now what I am talking about. I'm talking about a legitimate run for a hound that looks like it wants to be in second series. A run that might be 8 to 10 minutes long or maybe 150 feet or maybe crossing a couple of paths. I mean something to test their ability to stay or make a turn. So many hounds go down a path real nice but don't have a clue how to track it into the cover. If the rabbit turns they just keep walking down the path and the run is over for them. Or if they start in the cover and the rabbit comes out on a path and turns down the path, but they can't track it down the path.

Certainly "calm line control and independence-lack of competitiveness" must be difficult traits to breed. But most of the hounds that I watched fail, I think they did so because they lacked brains and couldn't stay close enough on a check.


Bob,

You continue to be the thinking man's beagler! I like your thought process on this topic! After reading your response a couple of times, I think we are pretty close on this one. If a dog has good independent line control, it should have a good chance of finishing the run regardless of the terrain. With good line control, they will not be far off a check. So, maybe it takes an ample supply of brains and stay (close to the line) to have good line control. I would say that dogs that don't make the turns and don't slow down and dig out the tough ones do not have good line control. Of course all the traits for running a rabbit interract so it is probably impossible to evaluate their influence separately. The bitch you referred to that won the AKC National showed us she possessed the total package. She just won her last trial to finish.
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