Are your dogs registered?

Most of my dogs are not registered. I have some dogs that are AKC registered. Most of the ones that are registered are males that I use to breed to my original bloodline as well as hunt. I have nothing against registered dogs but papers don’t run a rabbit. I currently own & have owned some good registered dogs & I’ve run with some people who own some mighty fine registered dogs as well. I hear a lot of people who brag about what their dog’s granddad & other ancestors were. With no disrespect meant, You can get certain info from what the ancestors accomplished but what matters the most is what the dog you are looking at buying is doing!

The main reason for my dogs being grade is the fact that a lot of people who deal with registered dogs are known to switch up papers resulting in papers that are a big lie.The man I got my bloodline from burned all the papers long before I got this bloodline from him. There are some honest breeders out there but without DNA testing you can never be 100% sure if your papers are true.

I understand the reasons for pedigree & registration but I think a lot of people are running around with great pedigrees & papers but the dogs they’re running are not that impressive to me. In a lot of cases people have bred the awesome registered dog (seems to always be a male) to every other registered dog out there resulting in a watered down bloodline that is better looking on paper than it is in the field.

You can register any of my dogs with the UKC, NKC or a few others. In my opinion, all this registration stuff is about one thing….. money. If you pay to have them registered with the UKC then you can run them in UKC field trial formats. I don't field trial so I don't get caught up in the registered deal. Having a paper on a dog doesn't make it one bit better.

There's a false idea out there that registered dogs are far superior than grade dogs & worth a lot more all over a piece of paper. I've seen a bunch of registered dogs that were not worth a flip but they had a pedigree a mile long & the papers were only good for 2 things…..starting a fire & toilet paper.

What bloodlines are your dogs out of ?

My dogs are out of old Skullfork & Weir Creek bloodlines. I have some Reggie, Red Ace, & Big Meadow as well. I’ve had great success with getting consistent results as far as hunt, confirmation, etc when breeding these.

What speed are your dogs?

All of my dogs run an upper-medium speed. I want them to run as fast as their nose will allow them to under control. I don’t like a dog that walks the track every time you go & I don’t like a dog that runs like a greyhound when they don’t have the track & I can't stand a dog that keeps on going straight barking wide open for 50 - 75 yards past where the rabbit turned. How can that dog find the point of loss & get the check? I believe in speed under control. Conditions vary & I think a dog should adapt their speed to the conditions. When the conditions are right I want them to smoke the rabbit to the point the rabbit better get a move on or he’s had a bad day.

I’ve had days when the dogs ran the rabbit down & caught it but that doesn’t happen all that often. My main thing is I want my dogs to go as fast as they can without over running the track by more than just a few feet before they realize they don’t have the track. I can’t stand a dog that is still barking when you know the dog has lost the track because then they have to find the track again. I know wind & other factors can play into the scenting conditions but a good dog will figure it out real quick.

What kind of dog food do you feed your dogs?

I feed my dogs Showtime dog food with a 26/18 protein/fat ratio. I have found this to be a great dog food to feed year round. When I'm running dogs & hunting I like the Silver bag which has a higher protein/fat ratio. The dogs stay in great shape with less waste to clean up. My pups eat Showtime Puppy food starting at 3 weeks of age & I've had great success using it. I have fed many other dog foods but I like the results of Showtime the best.

What kind of worming schedule do you use?

I worm pups @ 3,4,5,7,& 12 weeks old with Pyrantel & Safeguard. I start pups on heart worm prevention at 6 months of age with Ivermec. They get that the 1st of every month. I take worming seriously. I also use an all wormer often on my adult dogs as well.

Do you have a waiting list or a deposit program?

I don't have a waiting list any more. I tried to have one but people would put their name down & only 85% came through so it became so much work keeping up with phone numbers, etc.

I do take deposits on dogs but only on about 25 - 30 a year that I put on the Upcoming Started Dog Page. The time of the year that I normally post dogs up for deposit is May - July.

What is the best way to know when new dogs are for sale?

I have a text alert program you can sign up for & get an alert right to your phone the minute new dogs are available for sale or deposit & have been put on the website.

What should I do when I get the text alert?

When you get the text it will be a 5 digit text that is a business text. It will say Beagles On Fire & will say how many dogs are available & will have the info on them. Pics of the dogs will not be in the text but will be on this website. The alert goes out to all that are signed up to receive them which is currently over 2000 people. Not everyone of them are looking for dogs every time. You should call my cell number as soon as you get the text. I answer the very first person who calls. Once I get through with that phone call I go back in my phone & call the first missed call that I had then continue to work my way through the missed calls in the order that I received them.

Do I pay for the dog prior to watching it run?

When you get the text alert & you call & I have dogs available you don't pay for the dog if you are coming to watch it run. We agree on a date that you will come & watch dogs run & no one will be allowed to buy the dog out from underneath you. If you don't show up at the agreed upon date the dog will be placed back up for sale. If you are having the dog shipped then you will pay for the dog with a credit card over the phone at the time you call.

Do you ship dogs by air or ground?

I prefer to ALWAYS show dogs in the field before you purchase but I realize that it’s not always possible to do that. We can ship your dog by air. You will be responsible for the arrangements with the airline. Flights will be out of Memphis, TN & there would be some additional fees to the price of the dog like the dog crate & something for our trouble to get the dog to the airport. You'll also have to pay for vet visit & the paperwork needed from the vet that the airlines require.

If you want to ship by ground, you’ll have to make arrangements with a dog hauler. I have the numbers of some dog haulers to recommend. Beagles On Fire will accept no responsibility for the actions of dog haulers in any way. I have seen some very disturbing actions by some haulers so if you are going to ship a dog make sure you do extensive research on the individual before you hire them. I will give you the names of the ones I'd use if I were having a dog hauled.

How do I get a puppy from you?

I don’t sell puppies because I want to train ALL of the dogs that leave here so they will be a good reflection on my name & my kennel. I want them to have the chance early to make a rabbit dog. I feel that if they get that chance they have a real great chance of becoming what they were bred for. I don't think I am the only one who can train a dog but I know what I want the dogs to look like when they leave my kennels & this sone way I can control the quality of my dogs.

A lot of people have great intentions to do this & that with a pup as it gets older but time gets away from them & the dog suffers for it. It’s a lot of work that you have to do when there’s a lot more fun things you could be doing but come season look out because if that young pup got his chances he’s gonna impress. RABBIT DOGS ARE NOT MADE IN SEASON THEY’RE MADE IN THE OFF SEASON WHEN YOUR BUDDIES ARE HAVING FUN & YOU’RE OUT PUTTING TRACKS ON YOUR YOUNG DOG!

Can I breed to one of your dogs?

NO! I don’t breed to anyone else's dogs. It's not because I don't think anyone else has good dogs. I just work so hard to protect my name by the quality of what my name is on so I choose not to breed to other dogs because I want to know what I'm putting out & how those pups turn out so I just take care of only breeding my own dogs. I have worked very hard to build my reputation & I will always be about quality over quantity!

Do you field trial your dogs?

I never have & I don’t have any desire to at this time. I have nothing against it. I’ve run with some dogs that were Trial Dogs just for kicks & grins at the farm & I was very proud of the way my dogs performed. I truly believe if a person were to take some of these dogs to an ARHA, UKC, NKC trial they would do well. However, field trials are usually as much about politics & who you know than bout who really has the best "rabbit dog". Some of my customers have done some field trialing & have done well. It's just not my cup of tea!

The main reason I don’t field trial is I just love running my own  pack & if I had to drive to a location with 1 or 2 dogs to have someone judge them who might be more concerned with politics than honesty I’d just be upset so I just enjoy them myself.

When can I come & watch the dogs run?

I run as often as possible usually 6 days a week. I can go most any morning or evening if I know in advance. I’m self-employed so my schedule is somewhat flexible.

Will you train or start my young dog for me?

 I have a 9 acre, 12 acre, & 47 acre pen that I start my own dogs in. I'm so busy with my own dogs so I no longer start dogs for the public. 

Do you buy dogs?

I am NOT looking for ANY dogs. I prefer to raise my own but I sometimes buy if someone is selling. I will ALWAYS watch the dogs before I will buy & may not be interested in them at any price. 1st & foremost they’ll have to be something I would put my name on because I will NEVER sell junk under any circumstance.

If you have something from my bloodline then I'll be interested in looking at it but that's not a guarantee that I will buy it but feel free to call me.

If I buy a dog from you will you buy it back?

It very rarely happens but I have bought dogs back that I sold to people because they were getting out of rabbit hunting, personnel matters, etc.

If I buy a dog from you do you give me a trial period with the opportunity to return it & get my money back?

I DO NOT give a trial or money back guarantee on dogs that you buy. I show all of my dogs in the field. I have no problem showing them until you are comfortable spending your money on the dog.

I don’t want anyone to buy a dog that they are not 100% positive they want to buy that dog. I know what I’m selling & how the dog has performed so when I sell it I expect it to do a great job for you.

However, some dogs take a few weeks to settle in at their new home. I’ve had dogs that were awesome when they left here but when they were taken out they wouldn’t perform at first until they accepted the fact that they were no longer at my kennels.

Young started dogs will not be brought back to me with the excuse that they are gun shy because I haven't fired around the dog. That is the customers job to do. If you're not sure how to do that I'll be glad to explain it to you. There is no such thing as a perfect dog especially a young dog.

I am proud of the dogs I sell & most people are very happy with the dogs they buy but I can’t please everyone. I think there are some people that you could pay to take the best dog you have & they’d still complain about something.

Can I get you to put my dog on your website & will you sell it for me?

I DO NOT sell dogs for other people. I’m not a dog trader just out to make a dollar. I don’t make a living selling dogs & my name means everything to me so I don’t sell any dogs other than my own.