Help Wanted!

Quilcreek Talbot Hill The Gilded Lily, “Lily” – 10 Weeks

There are many things that breeders take into consideration when they plan a breeding: health, temperament, structure, type, movement. Goals are set to make improvements from one generation to the next but to do that the breeder relies on knowledge of the dogs that have come before, both those actively involved in breeding and related dogs living wonderful lives as companions.

One of the considerations for a beagle breeder is height. There are two varieties of beagles recognized by the AKC: 13″ Beagles (those not exceeding 13″ in height) and 15″ Beagles (those over 13″ but not exceeding 15″). Beagles over 15″ risk disqualification in the show ring. In the agility ring, there is also an important distinction at 14″ where those beagles over 14″ are required run a course with higher jumps than those beagles who measure under 14″. For that reason, when considering a puppy as an agility prospect, we may be attempting to estimate the adult height of a puppy, giving preference to a small 15″ or a 13″ prospect.

Years ago, Jean Dills developed a method to evaluate puppies and predict adult height. An article describing her process was published in the Show Beagle Quarterly:

I began taking these measurements with my very first litter but since my return to breeding in 2015 I’ve focused on the height measurement (#9) alone. To be honest, I have not found these measurements to be terribly reliable in predicting adult height. This could be due to the fact that most of my breeding has been outcrossing but as I work toward the further development of my bloodline, it will be interesting to see if the measurements become more predictive of adult height.

I Need Your Help!

The more data that I have the better. All Talbot Hill puppies are measured at 6.5 weeks and I gather height records at 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months, and adult height. This year’s Albus x Midge litter will be 3 months old on July 14th. If each puppy owner could carefully measure the height of their puppy as illustrated above, I would be grateful. To owners of the 2022 Albus x Moira litter and all Talbot Hill owners, if you have not sent me adult heights, that information would also be appreciated. Please send a PM via Facebook or email at talbothill@gmail.com. Thank you!