RE: new rabbit dogs?
I think I can help. I just got my first beagle last year and since the wife insisted that it would be a house dog first and foremost I was scared for the same reasons you are, that she wouldn't turn out to be good for rabbits. Boy, was I wrong! She is by far the best dog I've ever hunted with! I think the key is spending as much time with them as possible, but be practical, I'm not suggesting your life revolve around them but you should be sure to play with them and discipline them when needed. Establish yourself as the alpha male and they will do their best for you. Another thing, whoever thinks that pushing a dogs nose in their crap is bad for the dog is crazy, let me tell you something, Bailey got her face planted a few times and by the time she was @4months old she was completely house trained and is still the best mannered dog I have ever had, loves to play and understands the difference between no and NO. My buddy has a beagle pup he got this year and that damn thing is a poop factory! He's pushin' more baby ruths out on my buddy's carpet than a chocolate factory could! So he asks me how I trained Bailey and when I told him he says that's not how your supposed to do it, you're supposed to give them a stern NO and then give them a time out. A WHAT! Well I told him that after he untaped his weiner from between his legs he might see that the dog was doing a better job of training him, and if he wants to trick or treat for beagle factory snickers bars everytime he comes home from work that he's got it made, but if he wants a dog that will go outside and read the paper while it makes tootsie rolls he just might want to start lettin that dog get a good whiff up close and personal and about one or two smacks on its a$$!
Sorry, I may have gone off on a bit of a tangent there at the end but the point is this, don't let some idiot try and teach you that dogs should be treated like kids, cause they shouldn't they should be treated like dogs and they will respect and adore you with the proper guidance, don't misconstrue(?) discipline for beatings they are not the same and I have never beat a dog, it's unfair to the dog and the once I did witness it, it made me sick. Just know that a good house dog can also be a hell of a huntin dog! Good Luck!