I second the Jack Russell or the Jagdterrier as both are SUPER TOUGH smaller dogs that will run anything and wont quit. Both breeds are very smart and could easily be taught to retrieve. Many are used in tracking already as their small size and big dog mentality carries them through ANYTHING. Plenty of drive to chase squirrels and coons but as pointed out would probably run silent once they put the prey in a tree.

Check out the hunting pictures, they are running cats, hogs, bears, coons, even bringing in a mallard. What more can you ask for?

im kinda stuck on a beagle i just love them dogs

i have a coondawg he is a blackn tan i trained him from a pup,i used a caged coon which he went crazy over, then turned it loose and he treed it.i done this a few times,and then took him to corn fields where he could get a easy one,and he did and hes been treeing them ever since.

Yes a beagle would be the dog you need to run rabbits.when you get one make sure to start training him early about 5 to 6 months old.my beagle was a natural he started chasing and barking on the track at 5 mo. old. all one has to do is go where he kicked the rabbit out, and wait till he brings him around to you...after you shoot one for him your have a good dog from then on....make sure to pet him and praise him when he gets a rabbit and he will get you rabbits anytime.Jim]ORIGINAL: mossbergman11/OH

well i really like beagles and i would like to get a pure bred one or at least close to one. we have a lab/beagle mix now and she has treed coons before and is always chasing rabbits and also treed squirrels. i have never been rabbit hunting before but i would really like to. would a beagle be a good choice for me?
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west siberian laika would tree coons and squirrels and chase rabbits. they have been trained for birds, but this is not one of their natural abilities.

fiest/ cur-type dog would be my 2nd choice.

If you want just a plain gamey dog, get a mountain cur. But think about just choosing one game to pursue. If you want to hunt rabbits, get a beagle. If you want to flush birds, forget all the choices and get a bird dog. If you want a dog that will tree coons and squirrels, get a mountain cur.

there is a local guy here that sells and trains world class beagles but they r not cheap. he goes all over the us with his dogs.

I just came across you post. My 2cents!
A dog does not have to be purebred to be a good hunting dog. It does have to have good bloodlines as far as the right mix. A beagle has been selectively bred for many many years to hunt rabbits. Same as a coon hound, and Lab. That will be hard to get a dog to do everything. The best all around dog is a Terrier. Airdale would be my choice. Terriers will retrieve from water, flush pheasants,hunt rabbits, tree squirrels, tree coons. I have trained springers, and I think if you started early at 6-8 weeks teaching to retrieve to hand, you could get them to fetch shot birds.

Check out a dog referred to as a Drathar, it is bred in Germany as an all around dog, it is considered exceptional! Some people want to call it a wire haired terrier but that is not correct!

I thought I answered this one time, maybe not.

Check out a dog called a Drathar, it is bred and used in Germany as an all around dog with exceptional qualities. there are breeders in the US.

Changeling

Reason for answering twice: When I replied to the post and recycled the page (several times) it was not there.