How to train a beagle?
12-12-2003, 07:38 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 118
How to train a beagle?
I have an eight week old beagle pup and she is from a family of really good rabbit dogs. Do you have any tips on training her? I would like to train her to run rabbits. Does anybody else do this?
12-12-2003, 08:52 PM
#2
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: WARTRACE,TENNESSEE walker country
Posts: 2,351
RE: How to train a beagle?
get her where she can see rabbits all the time.i would start out with using a drag,and put rabbit scent on the drag and fool around with her.she will start to get used to the smell,and then she will try to track .this is how i train my beagles .and kill you a rabbit and let her eat it. this will get her going and if you can find local rabbit hunters see if they will let you go with them take your dog and let your dog run with the older beagles hounds they will train her to. i have 28 hounds 5 coonhounds and the rest are beagles hounds.good luck.
go deep hunt hard.
go deep hunt hard.
12-12-2003, 11:12 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Toronto Ontario Canada
Posts: 304
RE: How to train a beagle?
Best thing is to have one jump up in front of it, instinct will take over if it has any, shoot one and let it lay then call the dog to you and show him the trail then let him work it while you help it if needed but allow the dog to find it mostly on its own then praise the dog.Tracking distance at this time really doesn't matter as you are in training, distance will come in time. Be very carefull if you allow the dog to eat the raw prey, you may find that after you kill one you may have to get to it b4 your dog,cause its run off with it to have lunch. Have seen this happen b4 to a former buds dog, against my advice and this dog reaked with ability, but to each their own.(first time dog was ever out hunting I shot at a cottontail just as it hit the bush line, got to where I last saw it and only found a tuff of hair. Got my former bud to bring the dog over, just as the dog got to me I called out his name and pointed to the ground with my finger almost on the ground. The dogs nose followed my finger to the ground scent and off he went without baying but exactly where the rabbit ran, after a couple of min. he started to bark but the barking noise was not moving, bud went to see what was going on.He came back and presented me with one very dead rabbit and said that the dog was standing over it while barking.Later the same morning I shot a jack and saw where it fell but by this time it started to rain, same routine as the cottontail but this time I didnt point to the track as I wanted to see what it would on its own, the dog picked up the scent on its own and followed it a few feet then lost it, the dog started to circle untill it found the trail again and followed it untill it lost it again and started to circle again, all the while the dog was making forward progress on the trail and dont forget that is in a light rain,well bud just couldn't/wouldn't let the dog do it's thing and learn ,he was always trying to lead the dog to it against what I was trying to see in the dog and give bud an insight, anyways the dog found it on his own and that was the last hunting trip with bud and his dog.Ten years later I'am having a brew with his brother and asked whatever happened to that dog ,he said his brother hooked up with some guys that feed their dogs raw rabbit to make them run ," the dog was great to a fault " oh and what was that "he would bay and run them all day but if you shot one you had to get it b4 him cause the little chit would take off with it and eat it" really ah gee thats to bad.) Sorry for giving you eye strain reading this but I thought you might benefit from it.
12-13-2003, 11:43 AM
#4
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 118
RE: How to train a beagle?
I appreciate both of you guys respondinbg to my message. And don't worry about eyestrain with me because I am trying to learn as much about training as I possibly can. I am going to go play with it right now. Thanks.
12-13-2003, 01:00 PM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Toronto Ontario Canada
Posts: 304
RE: How to train a beagle?
Another way, my dad used on his hounds when he had a litter on the ground was to build a pen of some size but not overly large, then throw in a wild rabbit and let the pups play/chase/smell it. Since the dogs where pups they didn't know how to kill it but it brought out the instinct. Be carefull that the pup is not too young/small for this, if rabbit fights back it might put the pup off . Oh, almost forgot, about the only command you should try to teach it is "come".
12-13-2003, 09:01 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 118
RE: How to train a beagle?
Would a domestic rabbit work? I know a lot of people that breed the little pet rabbits. Would it even get the instinct going? What age do you recommend starting the dogs out onlive rabbits? How old should they be before I run them with my friends dogs? Thanks!
12-14-2003, 03:51 AM
#9
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Toronto Ontario Canada
Posts: 304
RE: How to train a beagle?
You have to live trap it. Domestic rabbit would work, I suggested wild cause it, IMO would be more prone to not allowing itself to get caught and would be faster then a tame one.Try it at about 3 or 4 months, watch the dogs reaction if it looks like its not ready for this pull the dog out of the pen and try again when dog matures a little more. I would try to get the dog keen on scent b4 running with other dogs. Dont over do the pen thing. Every dog is different so you have to adjust to the temperment and maturity level of the dog as to when to do things (reading your dog).