AKC is Changing the Breeds in Groups !!! Yikes

lcbryson

It was my understanding that the size difference has to do with the hunting packs and the fact that Beagles are judged as two different sizes at hunt trials (something about the 13s not being able to keep up with the 15s?), but I could be totally wrong on that.

      
    The Beagle is such a divers size today because there were originally different types of Beagles used to create the breed we have today. These seperate types were not considered different breeds but were usually not interbred. You had the Kennetys, which were more of the build of a Basset & in England it was primarily Northern and Southern hounds. These were all Beagles, but were used for different terrain. There were also large Beagles that were sometimes crossed with harriers used to hunt deer. If you've ever seen an old pic of the Southern hounds, they look very much like coonhound/harrier/bloodhound crosses, but were purebred Beagles prized for foot speed. Different types under the same breed that were eventually all interbred with each other and eventually medged into a much smaller variety as the breed was originally (the name Beagle was most likely coined with the Kennetys). That's why size is so inconsistant - their genetic history really is a hodgepodge. Even today we divide hunting Beagles into categories based on foot speed & let's not forget Patch hounds :) Foot speed usually has little to do with size and is more dependant on bloodline - I have one 11.5" bitch who can flat out EXPLODE into the field and can occasionally outperform my full 15" hounds! There are 13" hounds that are from fast speed bloodlines that can keep up with any pack of 15" ers, but then you have 15" from medium speed bloodlines who are more methodical in their check ability and would be eating the dust of a 13" from a different line ... There ... more information than you could have ever hoped for , lol

Given what Chuck posted recently to the L...I tend to think the size differences were more about accomodating people's desires than any use of the hounds LOL.

I am sorry I wish I did , this is all being pushed through as if no one else has a say,   Contact your breed club's AKC rep and ss if they are hearing the same stuff ours has...

Bonita of Bwana

 

rwbeagles

Given what Chuck posted recently to the L...I tend to think the size differences were more about accomodating people's desires than any use of the hounds LOL.

     Ah, but that was regarding the formation of the American Standard ...The size difference was already great at that time, the American Standard just lessened it somewhat, and the size difference was originally due to the fact that these types of hounds were hunted in different terrain, and some off rabbit altogether. That article also refers to the show fancy in America, and the AKC people were deviating from the true purpose 100+ years ago, as well, lol. No offense :) The Southern Hound was extinct by that point and by the early/mid 19th century, Beagles in England were quite similar to what they were today. As a side note, CH Bannerman is the foundation of the "Patch" strain developed in the 1880s - they are oversized lemon & whites that are still colsely linebred on that original strain to this day. Bannerman actually has less influence than did the Bluecap bloodline. Bannerman is scarce in most of the fast speed bloodlines (he shows up in the more well known Elora lines & those are only present in half the med speed bloodlines) - they go back to CH Frank Forrest, FC Afton's Uncle Sam, and some of General Rowet's lesser known hounds. The med speed bloodlines we have today are trace back HEAVILY to Thorpe Satchville, a strain developed by Ortho Paget and was considered the smallest hunting pack in England at the time. We also find a great deal of Bluecap, Blue Belle (who was a wirehaired bluetick!).