Est. in the tradition of North River, NY
Carrying the North River Patch hound bloodline forward — bred for nose, drive, and the old standard, one generation at a time.
Every hound in our kennel traces back to the North River Patch line — developed by Willett Randall and carried forward for decades by Mike Capozzi.
Nose, drive, conformation, and temperament. We breed the way Mike taught: patient, deliberate, and true to the line.
Our hounds are raised alongside longtime friends in the patch hound world, including Chris Hornick of The Patch Kennel.
Mike Capozzi at his North River, NY kennel, holding one of our first pups from his line.
Our Story
It started the way it does for a lot of houndsmen: with one dog. Robert Amerson was seven years old when his father brought home a pup named Charlie — his first beagle, and the beginning of a lifelong devotion to the breed.
Years later, that devotion led him to the writings of Willett Randall, the legendary patch hound man of North Creek, New York. Randall's line and standard for the breed set the course for everything that followed — and it eventually led Robert to Randall's protégé, Mike Capozzi.
In December, in the middle of one of the season's first blizzards, Robert made the 3,000 mile trip from the California coast to Mike's kennel in North River, NY, to meet the man and the hounds in person. What was supposed to be a straightforward drive turned into a white-knuckle push through ice storms and snow drifts — and when he and his father finally pulled in, Mike's first words were, “I don't know how you guys made it!” They spent the night by the woodstove, warmed by chicken noodle soup and hours of Mike's stories about Willett Randall and the hounds.
That trip marked the start of a real mentorship. Mike's letters, his methods, and his bloodline became the foundation of our kennel — hounds raised to be “wood wise,” worked patiently, and bred true to the standard he learned from Willett Randall himself. We've stayed close with fellow patch hound man Chris Hornick of The Patch Kennel ever since, trading pedigrees, photos, and the occasional letter the old-fashioned way.
Heritage
Three names, one bloodline, carried hand to hand for the better part of a century.
North Creek, NY. The patriarch of the Patch hound — a houndsman whose breeding philosophy and writings on the strain became the standard every generation since has bred toward.
North River, NY. Introduced to Willett Randall in the 1960s, Mike spent a lifetime refining the line — unafraid of an outcross, but always breeding back into the standard. Our foundation stock comes directly from his kennel.
Chris Hornick of The Patch Kennel and Robert Amerson of Willett Randall Patch Beagles — two of Mike's students, still breeding and corresponding, carrying the line into a new generation.
Our Hounds
The hounds below are the foundation stock behind our pedigrees — direct North River Patch breeding, out of Mike Capozzi's kennel. For current litters and available pups, reach out through the contact form below.
Sire: Dahwah Patch · Dam: Onwasa Patch
Bred by Michael Capozzi, North River, NY
The first pup Robert brought home from Mike's kennel, and still the favorite. A big, well-put-together blanket male with the nose and disposition the North River line is known for.
Bred by Michael Capozzi, North River, NY
A nice little hound out of the same litter as Banjo Boy — steady, well-marked, and true to type.
Sire: Boquet River Pal Patch · Dam: Nellie Patch II
Bred by Chris Hornick, The Patch Kennel
Kennel manners aside, one of the finest hounds in the line — deep North River pedigree on both sides. Part of the shared bloodline behind our own breeding program.
See The Patch Kennel →
Sire: Kennedy's Mt Pete · Dam: Cymbrian Eunice
Bred by Chris Hornick, The Patch Kennel
Granddaughter of Cymbrian Blake Patch and Powchay Patch on either side — a pedigree that runs straight back to Mike's original North River stock.
See The Patch Kennel →We update our available pups and upcoming litters directly with interested homes. If you're looking for a Patch hound out of this bloodline, get in touch and we'll let you know what's on the ground or on the way.
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Contact
Questions about the bloodline, upcoming litters, or stud service — reach out and we'll get back to you.
Prefer email or phone? Reach us directly at the info above and we'll respond as soon as we can.