Beagles are still a top dog

Time was that a beagle was as much a fixture as windmills and outhouses for those who lived in the country.
In simpler times, life on the farm or in a similar rural setting usually meant some time spent hunting, and that usually went hand-in-snout with a trusted beagle hunting companion.
Think again
But if you thought that the beagle went by the wayside as much as many small family farms have, then think again.
An event being held today by the Trumbull County American Rabbit Hound Association Beagle Club attests to the continued popularity of the small but feisty beagle.
The club's annual Youth Day runs today at the Steel City Sportsman Club on John White Road in Hubbard.
The event attracts dozens of youths from 3 to 16 who get valuable training in showing and running beagles. The only requirement is that an adult accompany those children participating. The club provides the beagles and refreshments.
Last year's program drew more than 40 children from all over the two-state area.
Course added this year
Those who will be participating today will get the added bonus of a hunting education course, said Don Koches, a club spokesman.
"We added that course to give the kids more information on how to handle the dogs during a hunt," he said.
Club members will also instruct youths on techniques and positioning their animals for show.
The fun part of the event comes when the dogs are placed in groups and given a chance to run after prey.
The pooches are taken to a specific location and then released in hopes the dogs will find or "jump" a rabbit and then chase the prey.
It's not uncommon to hear the dogs baying in the distance during the chase as they circle around and keep in hot pursuit of the prey animal.
Little pack
The Trumbull club's method is called little or small pack and differs from some clubs that run their dogs all in one large group.
According to the ARHA Web site: "Little Pack is the most popular division in ARHA. This type of competition is run in 5-dog casts and tends to favor fast dogs with a tendency to work a wide check area. The dogs are scored on finding and running a rabbit, with individual accomplishment being a more important factor than close pack work."
The Youth Day was moved to an earlier date this year mainly due to timing as well as weather considerations. "It gets hot during the later days in August and we didn't want the dogs to get overheated," Koches said. "If they jump a rabbit they could run until they drop."
Just to show how popular the beagle still is, a search on the Internet for beagle field trials returned 34 clubs in Ohio alone with planned activities.
For more information on the Trumbull club, contact Jeff or Jaime Williams at (330) 638-2514.
For more information on hunting with beagles, visit the www.arha.com/ Web site.
braun@vindy.com