Accuracy In Trailing is The Name Of The Game
By Ralph Gillum, BraceBeagling Columnist
July 27, 2002

By John Swogger

During the past couple of years much has been written and a great deal of controversy has arisen and developed over the subjects of negative judging and the negative hound. I personally feel that there has been a lot unfair and unwarranted criticism directed toward our judges and hounds, and entirely too much overreaction to this seemingly vague subject of negative judges and hounds. Before this issue goes any further, it would be better if the authorities on these subjects could develop a much clearer, more satisfactory accurate composite which would give a definite description of just what constitutes a negative judge and a negative hound.

The majority of judges who are respected as knowledgeable houndmen and who really appreciate good hound work are only interested in seeing that the very best dog in each class, on a particular day, goes home with the blue. They are doing their very best to bring back hounds in second series that can trail a rabbit for hours if you wish to follow them, and do it in the right way! Naturally, at times, any hound will lose a rabbit or make other fundamental mistakes. They may also perform differently in second series from what the judges expected, trailing conditions do vary and there is always the unexpected. Also in some classes and trials, the quality of hounds that a judge may be looking for just isn’t there and he has to settle for something less. As the old saying goes, “you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” In the vast majority of trials I attend, the judges are doing an excellent job of bringing back hounds in second series who can do their intended job of steadily trailing a rabbit and as I mentioned before, in the correct manner.
If the hounds do not perform well, the problem usually lies in the caliber of hounds the judge has to work with in that particular class or trial and not on his negative judging.

I have already brought up the question of what really is a negative hound. Is a hound negative that can just straddle that line with all the grit, determination and concentration in the world, and track a rabbit for as long as you wish to follow him, without all the lost motion of hooking, overrunning, charging of feed strips, game trails, etc.

The hound that can get on that line using his mouth correctly and tries to show you all the line by staying behind his rabbit, keeping his work in front of him, making slow, steady forward progress, showing you the “ Forward Look”, in other words you are looking at his “Back Side” more than his eyes, thus eliminating all those whole, half, and quarter turns that I term “lost motion.” The hound that can square those razor turns and not round them is what I refere to as a houndman’s hound! This hound tries to show you as close as possible exactly where the rabbit went and is what the majority of judges and houndmen are looking for. In other words, accuracy in trailing is the name of the game! It is my opinion and the opinion of many of the “ silent majority” that other things being equal, the degree of trailing accuracy separates the poor hound from the average one, the average one from the good one, and the good one from the great one.

It has been proven over and over again in any society that the element of scarcity creates value. For every accurate trailing hound a beagler might be able to come up with, he may get a hundred or more of those “tweeners”, not too bad or not too good. The kind of hounds that can accomplish a great deal in a very short time, who can really circle a rabbit, but whose trailing accuracy leaves much to be desired; because they are off the line as much as they are on it. These hounds are a dime a dozen. They create a miserable sick feeling inside of me when I see them run; and my only objective is to get them home and out of my kennel as fast as possible. On the contrary, to follow, to listen to, to observe, and to study the houndwork of an accurate trailing hound really “doing his thing” to me is more beautiful than the finest portrait ever painted and is sweeter music than the world’s best symphony--comparable to the hands of a skilled surgeon whose every move is planned and made with calculated precision and accuracy. Words really are inadequate to describe the wonderful feeling one gets inside if real hound work is recognized and appreciated.

I personally feel that many beaglers who are screaming negative judging, negative dogs, are merely “scapegoating” because they are simply frustrated to no end from being unable, for years and years, to come up with an accurate trailing hound, and therefore wish to lower the standards to meet and fit their particular caliber of hound. They are some of the most outspoken critics of today’s judges and hounds. But if one of these beaglers happens to stumble over or acquire an accurate trailing hound, what happens? Suddenly the situation is completely reversed. At once this hound becomes the ultimate, the best hound that ever lived, and he trails a rabbit the way all beagles should. At times the owner may display a little dissatisfaction with the hound because he is a little on the slow side but just try and buy it from him. He wouldn’t sell it for love nor money.

Let us therefore accept the real challenge of the untold hours of planning breedings, the proper training in the field, the very selective culling, the expenses of breedings to try and establish that all important bitchline, etc., to come up with that accurate trailing hound. Remember, nothing worthwhile ever comes without hard work; if it were easy, the real challenge and fun would disappear. It’s no accident or mere luck that usually the same people seem to come up with a good one year after year. Someone once said, “The harder I work the more luck I seem to have.”

Naturally, some will disagree with this philosophy; but as the old saying goes, “different strokes for different folks”. Some people like chocolate ice cream, others like vanilla. If you do happen to disagree, however, and happen to have any of those slow, accurate trailing hounds that just don’t seem to get enough done for you, please give me a call. I know of hundreds of beaglers who would love to have them; but strangely enough I’ll probably end up keeping them all for myself!

Regardless, beagling is still one of the greatest sports in the world although it has, as everything else, its moments of disappointments and frustrations.

This article was written by John Swogger. Bracebeagling.com thought it an excellent analysis of the accuracy in trailing issue and got John’s permission to post for your reading pleasure.