i have a chance to get 2 beagles at a good price. 1 is 1.5 years and the other is 2 years old. the 2 year old run off whern let out and returns with rabbits wich i think could be a problem. the other hasnt hunted but has been around guns and isnt gun shy. would it be worth my time to train them or is it to late?
The age isnt the issue, its the bad habbits of the dog.
I would take the 1.5 and work with it to see if it would hunt. Seems like he is still impressionable. Who knows about the 2 yr old, it may or may not be able to change. Give it a shot.
You may be able to fix that 2 yr old with breaking scents, use rabbit scentand an e-collar. Train him to trail deer or something. Just not rabbits.
I would like to train for rabbits. i was concerned that her catching the rabbits would be a problem. i dont know a whole lot about rabbit dogs, but it is my understanding that they chase the rabbits in a circle and you shoot them. if she is catching them then there wouldnt be any shooting. not to mention in wisconsin it is illegal to have a dog that kills the game.
put out a fake or caged rabbit and teach her not to catch, only chase. e-collar will work wonders for her. I havent ever trained a rabbit dog, but they seem to all have the same mentality about sorts. Just be patient, dont expect a whole lot at first. Make sure she knows that it is NOT ok to catch the rabbit, only hunt the rabbit.
Good luck training the dog not to catch the rabbit only to run it! I don't think it will happen. I'm surprised it catches that many rabbits, I've had 30 hounds in my years and my dogs only catch a couple per year, this year only 1 has been caught. I'd work w/ both of them though, they're not too old.
If we can teach dogs to do multiple marks, casts, find certain drugs, certain explosive compounds, dead bodies, etc... I think it wouldnt be obsurd to think that a beagle could be taught not to catch a rabbit.
Its called "pressure", in any form, with the right discipline, can change a dog and make it do things beyond belief. Whether it be an ear-pinch, toe-hitch, e-collar, whatever... You can teach that dog that when it grabs a rabbit, all hell breaks loose, therefore he will not WANT to grab a rabbit. Get it?
Hell the navy trained bottle nosed dolphins to find mines underwater in the persain gulf. Look it up. Trained by EOD to look for underwater mines.
I've broke dogs from chasin deer. Couple times in the barrel with a hide will usually work. But you cannot convince me you can teach a dog not to catch a rabbit an still expect him to hunt them. I never heard of anything like that. hurley0816
IMO, Pass this deal up. It's a whole lot easier to start a pup that doesn't have a clue on what's going on, then a dog that thinks he knows something when it doesn't. Find someone who likes running there dogs2 or 3 times a week. Soon as this pup follows you where ever you go, take him with your bud. Get to the field, off the tailgatean pay absolutely no attention to him,don't coax, don't prod, don't call, don't even pet em.It will takea few trips,but curiosity will soon get the best of him.
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I've broke dogs from chasin deer. Couple times in the barrel with a hide will usually work. But you cannot convince me you can teach a dog not to catch a rabbit an still expect him to hunt them. I never heard of anything like that. hurley0816
IMO, Pass this deal up. It's a whole lot easier to start a pup that doesn't have a clue on what's going on, then a dog that thinks he knows something when it doesn't. Find someone who likes running there dogs2 or 3 times a week. Soon as this pup follows you where ever you go, take him with your bud. Get to the field, off the tailgatean pay absolutely no attention to him,don't coax, don't prod, don't call, don't even pet em.It will takea few trips,but curiosity will soon get the best of him.
I've broke dogs from chasin deer. Couple times in the barrel with a hide will usually work. But you cannot convince me you can teach a dog not to catch a rabbit an still expect him to hunt them. I never heard of anything like that. hurley0816
IMO, Pass this deal up. It's a whole lot easier to start a pup that doesn't have a clue on what's going on, then a dog that thinks he knows something when it doesn't. Find someone who likes running there dogs2 or 3 times a week. Soon as this pup follows you where ever you go, take him with your bud. Get to the field, off the tailgatean pay absolutely no attention to him,don't coax, don't prod, don't call, don't even pet em.It will takea few trips,but curiosity will soon get the best of him.
I agree, i would start with puppies. I actually want my deer dogs to catch the deer or bay it at least. I dont think you can make the dog chase itand not catch to kill it. That killer instinct is the reason they are chasing it in the first place. An e-collar would still work wonders if that is what you want to make them do, but in the process it will probablytake away the dog'slove ofhunting.
Asststed above, find a experienced rabbit hunter to teach you the ropes of training. You coud try the beaglesunlimited.net chatrooms to find a hunting partner in your area.
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beagle training age?
