Beagle Advice

[MPD068]

Looking for some advise on starting beagles on rabbits?
I have a 5 month old 13" female. X-Mas gift for the"kids". Have been playing in the yard dragging rabbits foot etc. I have a trap out for cottontails (lot's of cottontails in my nieghborhood) , but plan on hunting snowshoes Live in U.P (Marquette). Any advice would be appreciated:)

[Jumpshootin']

Find an area with alot of sign(tracks) of hares. Get her down into a cedar thicket where the snow may not be so deep, she can get around, and the hares have trails beat down. Then just lean against a tree and let her nose around. Don't expect much at first. She'll likely lose interest and want to come back to you to play or jump up on your leg. When she does just ignore her and meander through the brush until she finds something curious to her nose, and then you take another lean and let her sniff it out.
Hopefully you've been working on "here" & "down". A good thing to do before you take her in the field.
Personally I never liked to start a rabbit hound with snow on the ground. I always waited until after melt-off. I wanted a pup to learn to develop & trust its nose. I didn't want it sight following tracks.
When I was a kid I thought it would aid a pup to see the tracks. But I ended up with a dog that when the trail wasn't hot, he would follow by sight. Sometimes in the wrong direction.
Just my $.02

[timberdoodle528]

(lot's of cottontails in my nieghborhood) , but plan on hunting snowshoes

If you can get her into some of those cottontails it would be good. Toughest part about starting young dogs for me is finding a spot with a bunch of rabbits so I'm garunteed to get them on some each time out.
You won't hurt her a bit by starting her out on cottontails and then going to snowshoes... they can usually run a snowshoe better than a cottontail, and it'll be easier for her going from cottontails to snowshoes than the other way around.

I like to try to get my young pups a few sight chases - it usually pumps them up and gets them excited about rabbit scent. It may take some time - each pup is differnt... I've had them immediatly start tracking and barking on the first rabbit track they've smelled and others it takes longer...sometimes a lot longer. Don't get discouraged if your pup doesn't pick up on it right away. How easy they start doesn't say anything about how good they're going to be when they are older.

Just take her out as much as possible into areas you know holds a good number of rabbits. Try to catch one sitting and sneak up on it.... Let her see it run - or even if she doesn't see it run, take her to the track and point it out to her. I tell my dogs "here he goes, here he goes.." Get her accustomed to that so that when you're out hunting, she'll come running if you jump one. It doesn't have to be "here he goes"... Just something that you'll say consistantly to her that she'll eventually associate with getting on a rabbit.

Be aware though that MOST beagle pups will run deer or any other "off game" animals and if you don't have one already - A shock collar will be needed.
Deer runs are not fun and you want to be able to shock her off them. Simple training in the yard with the E-collar and the "come here" command can prepare you both should a deer run happen. You want her to come to you whenever she is shocked is the basic idea.

Jumpshootin had a good point too with making sure she knows Come, and Down. All my pups know these 2 things before I take them out. Makes them a lot easier to handle with that down command.

You said that she's 5 months old so that's a good time to get her introduced to bunnies. I've got a 7 month old female right now that just started barking on a track. It sure is a ton of watching them progress.

Good luck with her and keep us updated on her progress... hopefully others will chime in and give their advice as well.

[Dangler]

One vocal command I've taught all my dogs is the one I use when I jump a rabbit that they don't see take off. I holler "bunnybunnybunny!" in an excited voice and then point their nose right into the track. It makes them respond quicker, gets them excited and gets them right onto the trail rather than just calling "here", which I use to get them into the general area of the brushpile I want them to check out. After a few times, they learn the command and it works great, even from long distance.

[john warren]

keep taking him out in the field and let him get used to the smells sounds and sites. eventually he'll find rabbit and start having fun. he already knows what to do. just give him experiance in the field.

[dcgreil]

I've use the same types of commands as Dangler, except mine is "rabbitrabbitrabbit".

I think the key is to take a dog out a LOT and let them learn. They were bred to hunt and already know how to do that. They only need time to learn the tricks of the rabbit.

[timbergsp]

I've use the same types of commands as Dangler, except mine is "rabbitrabbitrabbit".

I think the key is to take a dog out a LOT and let them learn. They were bred to hunt and already know how to do that. They only need time to learn the tricks of the rabbit.


I use

Here it is here it is

buy a couple dutch rabbits and let him chase them around the yard they run fast and will get him wanting to site chase

scott

[FREEPOP]

Tiem and more time is the best teacher. In the field he'll learn to come when called and many more lessons, like to come quickly when you excitedly yell your command for when you find a rabbit (never lie to him about this and he'll trust you). He also needs to learn that your looking for rabbits and nothing else. Do it as much as possible, even in the off season. Persevere and you'll be pleased with the results.

I run mine almost daily for a minumum of an hour, 3-4 times a week for 3 hours minimum.

[MPD068]

Thanks for the info everyone:)

I have been taking the pup eveywhere ie: icefishing, daughters second grade class, the store and as much as possible in the woods(snow is getting pretty deep) I'm trying to expose/socialize her as much as possible.

Just watching her track the rabbits foot in the back yard, watching her double back when she looses the track is fun to watch. My kids enjoy this activity also.

I have been trying to trap some cottontails with the live trap but have not been having great susccess. Any advice:confused:

Thanks again 068

[timberdoodle528]

I know why you're wanting to trap cottontails...but be carefull on here, I think it's illegal.. ;)

Check your pm's.............

[superposed20ga]

I haven't posted in awhile, too much time spent working:( , and the free time rabbit hunting:D with my two beagle pups that just turned a year old. I too was concerned about getting them into rabbits. I do not know where you live, but I live in the suburbs where there is little opportunity to get the pups into areas with rabbits on a regular basis. I contacted the breeder that I bought the pups from and he suggested a starting pen up in the thumb. They were 8 months old when I dropped them off and did not know what a rabbit was. A month later they were rabbit running machines. They've done tremendously well in their first season and my Dad says he's never seen two beagles run like that in their first season. A benefit of the starting pen is there are no deer that the dogs can get exposed to. My pups have yet to run deer and most of my hunting is done in the deer overcrowded southern part of the state. Just a suggestion.

[Joe Havenor]

Time and patience is the key factor to starting pups.Like said earlier in this thread some start early and some take time.I have 3 beagles that took till they was 18 months to actually be able to run a full circle but now when they bark get ready they are bringing it around so just give her time and keep working with her is all i can say

[richard harker]

take the dog to jim and mary wale
they have a starting pen for rabbits and deer pen to make sure it dosn,t run deer
money well spent 989 643 5127;)

[john warren]

keep taking him out a lot into the fields. let him explore and play. he already knows how to hunt rabbits, you just have to find some for him. maybe in the fall hunt him with another dog once or twice, then let him learn and he'll do fine.

[CHUCK n BUCK]

I agree that a starting pen is the easiest way to go. Well worth the money. However, it can be done without the pen if you have the time to constantly take the dog into the woods and put it on rabbits. I would use the command "talleyhoe talleyhoe" ONLY when there was fresh rabbit around. The dogs learned to trust me and when I would barely say that word they would be over near me searching for the sent.