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| "Out to the Side" | |
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| Topic Started: Feb 18 2009, 02:27 PM (284 Views) | |
| Clyde Gott | Feb 18 2009, 02:27 PM Post #1 |
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For the sake of clarity…when I say “out to the side”…what I’m talking about is “weaving” on the line. I’m NOT talking about swinging or skirting. Here’s how AKC defines swinging and skirting (5-C Definitions—Faulty Actions http://www.akc.org/pdfs/rulebooks/RF2404.pdf pg. 30 ): Swinging is casting out too far and too soon from the last point of contact, without first making an attempt to regain scent near the loss. It is a gambling action, quite often indicating over-competitiveness or an attempt to gain unearned advantage over running mates. Skirting is purposely leaving the trail in an attempt to gain a lead or avoid hazardous cover or hard work. It is cutting out and around true trailing mates in an attempt to intercept the trail ahead. Weaving on the line is addressed here (5-B Definitions—Desirable Qualities http://www.akc.org/pdfs/rulebooks/RF2404.pdf pg. 28 ): Accuracy in trailing is the ability to keep consistent control of the trail while making the best possible progress. An accurate trailing hound will show a marked tendency to follow the trail with a minimum of weaving on and off, and will display an aptness to turn with the trail and to determine direction of game travel in a positive manner. Someone says, “How do you define minimum?” Well, anything less than half or 50% of the time. If a hound is spending more time off the line than on it…it ain’t gona get much done anyway and will send “itself” to the truck. Now…is this hound that’s out to the side or weaving disrupting the pack? No. Does it deserve to be picked up? If the weaving is a minimum and he’s a getter done…I say let the big dog eat!!! If you say yes…I ask why??? Please remember, “Credit for working style should be used chiefly to differentiate between successful performers, and should never be applied to a degree which might indicate that style or method has been preferred to accomplishment, except in instances where excessive faultiness is involved.” (5-D Credits http://www.akc.org/pdfs/rulebooks/RF2404.pdf pg. 31 ). Hey Mr. Judge…do you want a smooth running winners pack with fewer checks that can pound a bunny? Well loose that “three strikes and you’re out” mentality on that hound that’s doing a “little” weaving and pick up those mouthy hounds that are causing more harm than good by barking us out of the rabbit and causing the majority of the checks. For that hound that just wants to run on the side “hoping” the rabbit makes a cut in their direction so they can get some…needs to go to the truck!!! And we’ve all seen hounds that make high speed decisions and get “hung out”…and sometimes the way they get “back in” is just as ugly. But lest we “throw the baby out with the bath water”…as judges we should ask ourselves…what has this hound accomplished prior to this “transgression”? If the good out weighs the hound’s error…then rock on. If this hound develops a “pattern” on getting “hung out”…then it’s time for it to go to the truck as well. I believe it was Billy McDaniel that I heard say, “A hound can’t get out…until it gets in!” Case in point…we’ve got a check in fairly thick cover…(remember the hounds are suppose to be independent in their search)…sudden hound A gets the check. Now, the hounds come from all directions to honor their pack mate. Well those hounds directly behind hound A are very likely to “travel” directly to hound A. Whereas other hounds that are out to the side of hound A, will come from (you guessed it) from one side or the other. And should we be shocked when that hound out on the side hunting the check…doesn’t fall into the rear. Remember it’s honoring the hound that’s got the check…most likely the lead hound. So, mister judge sir…please, quit waving your hand out and in at the “restart” of the race…cause we didn’t have a “yellow flag,” we had a “check”…LOL! Besides, “A hound can’t get out…until it gets in!” But the bottom line is...is said dog making more money (accomplishment) than he's spending (demerits)? If the positive out weighs the negative...the rules say the dog should stay down...period. Is he perfect? No. Is he the winner? If he's accomplished more than any other hound down...what else should we call him...but the WINNER??? I ain’t never loved a “peanut roller” or a “wind splitter”…and my Daddy always told me that there was more than one way to “skin a cat” without getting hair in your mouth. But as Judges, “we” need to be putting the blues on the winners…not the one “I” like. Ask any good honest Judge, that’s judged very long…and they’ll tell ya they've put wins on hounds that they wouldn’t own. If hound “so and so” ISN’T displaying “excessive faultiness” and it’s getting the most accomplished…THAT’S YOUR WINNER!!!! It doesn’t matter how it’s bred or who its owner is…or if you even “like it”. We’re supposed to be looking for the WINNER!!! Gentleman, we’ve got a good rule book…we just need to learn it and make some applications. Remember it ain’t rocket science…and they’s just dogs. |
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| Clyde Gott | Feb 18 2009, 11:54 PM Post #2 |
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Consistent vs. Constant http://www.akc.org/pdfs/rulebooks/RF2404.pdf GENERAL PROCEDURES GOVERNING BEAGLE FIELD TRIALS PROCEDURE 5. STANDARD FOR JUDGING 5-B Definitions—Desirable Qualities Page 27 Accuracy in trailing is the ability to keep consistent control of the trail while making the best possible progress. An accurate trailing hound will show a marked tendency to follow the trail with a minimum of weaving on and off, and will display an aptness to turn with the trail and to determine direction of game travel in a positive manner. Define consistent: reliable: able to maintain a particular standard or repeat a particular task with minimal variation Define constant: not changing or varying: remaining the same and not varying with change in other things Have you ever heard someone say the rule book describes a “perfect hound?” Does it now? Does the hound described in “accuracy in trailing” appear to be perfect to you? “We” mustn’t get consistent control confused with constant control…there is a difference. If “we” don’t allow for a minimal of variation in “control of the trail” then we are destine to repeat the history that led to the “walkie talkies”. But…”we” mustn’t allow the pendulum to swing to far in the other direction. How do you define a “minimal variation”? It’s obvious that we see various variations in regards to “consistent control”…thus the reason for “knowing your judges”. But lest we forget… 5-A FOREWORD (1) The Beagle is a trailing hound whose purpose is to find game, to pursue it in an energetic and decisive manner, and to show a determination to account for it. SMALL PACK OPTION 8-K Judges are to consider that the Beagle is primarily a hunting hound and that its object is first to find game and second to drive it in an energetic and decisive manner and show an animated desire to overtake it. …energetic and decisive can be a beautiful thing. Thanks for reading… P.S. - notice above it says, hounds should, "...follow the trail with a minimum of weaving on and off". Questions: Does that mean some or a little weaving is permissible? |
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Clyde Gott Honey Creek Kennels | |
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| Clyde Gott | Feb 18 2009, 11:58 PM Post #3 |
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Food for thought.... I've seen rabbits run across a field with a strong cross wind...and when the dogs came through they ran 20 or more feet off the actual line of the rabbit. Scent was high and the dogs didn't need to run "foot print" scent...they was running "body scent" that was drifting in the wind. Here's something else to ponder...where in the rule book does it say a dog's gotta be a "head-down chop-mouth"??? When the scent is high...give me a hound that can pick her head up and shift gears!!! In this scenario...is this hound gona weave a little? If she's, "making the best possible progress"...let her weave on!!! As judges…all we can do is observe “what is”…then make application of the rule book…and push on. If so, at the end of the day…one should be proud to “own up” and defend their winners pack. Keep watching and don’t be “quick to judgment”….case in point: seven dog winners pack…scent is good and the wind is blowing hard. When scent is good/high…one of my bitches can lift her head and roll on. Well…we’re moving right a long and come out into an open field with cover very low to the ground. My bitch is up near the front…suddenly she appears to “float” out to the left (by herself). The rest of the pack stays together while my bitch loops out some 6 or 8 feet to the left. Well, one of the judges immediately gives that arm swing out to the side motion and points at my bitch. She did this three times and the judge that made the motion wanted her up or BUST!!! Here’s as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story…my bitch was running air/body scent…and the rest of the pack was running track/foot scent. They had their heads down tracking…while my bitch had her head up and was cruising/weaving with the scent that was drifting in the wind! Not only did that judge not recognize my bitch’s ability to run a rabbit…he became blind to the “fact” that each time my bitch “got out” (in his mind) the pack kept COMING BACK TO HER…why because SHE had the rabbit!!! Sadly, the other judge “caved in” when the one judge wouldn’t budge until my bitch came up. Watch closely and take notes. Each pack is telling a story…are we listening…but more importantly, are we learning anything? Take care and keep’em running… |
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Clyde Gott Honey Creek Kennels | |
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| ernie j | Feb 19 2009, 07:44 AM Post #4 |
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good post clyde, most of this stuff was talked about in the advanced seminar but i don't see a lot of change in the way a few judges judge. they still want ducks lined up with no movement. i have always said, does the judge know how the rabbit runs when he cannot see it. do they hop side to side do they run streight lines?? yet they want them lined up like ducks.every one knows rabbits move all over the place when they run. |
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| daveh | Apr 1 2009, 05:54 AM Post #5 |
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here is our pack after a 4 hour run with 40 mile an hour gusts. they ran the bunnys body scent a few times across the field. we have some really good line control hounds in our pack and they do stick to it like there glued to the line. here is a clip where my buddy shot the rabbit and the hounds were about 10 to 15 yards of the line in the field because of the wind. how would that go over in a trial. http://s101.photobucket.com/albums/m60/davehu/?action=view¤t=P2100004.flv |
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