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need help training my first beagle!

ctaylor10983

Junior Member
3
0
I've been rabbit hunting for a few years now and finally got my own dog. Does anyone have a good dog out there and wouldn't mind letting us tag along and show my pup the ropes? I'm in the summit county area but can travel wherever I need 2 be.
 

Flatlander

Junior Member
506
46
Darby Creek
You are too far from me but I would suggest you get your pup out in the brush as often as possible and try to find a spot loaded with rabbits.....maybe a small area in the city where you can't hunt but there are plenty of rabbits. If he follows behind you stop until he goes around and hunts on his own. If you jump one put put him on the trail and let him get a nose full. Make sure you are calling him to the track with an excited voice and just be patient while he tries to figure it out. If you repeat these things your dog will be running in no time!
 

ctaylor10983

Junior Member
3
0
Thanks for the info I've had her out a bunch and she gets on track and runs it with no problem. My issue is she doesn't bark on it. Her tail is going a million miles an hour but only a slight yelp every once in awhile. Thinking running with another dog would fix that
 

"J"

Git Off My Lawn
Supporting Member
56,743
274
North Carolina
The bark will come, everything is instinct with beagles... It's what they're born too do... Just get them out there and on rabbits the rest will come....
Best time spent besides the woods is in the back yard with obedience training....
 

Flatlander

Junior Member
506
46
Darby Creek
How old is she? It is normal for her not to open up on the track if she is young. The fact that she is running the track with her tai up means she is getting the scent. Some pups will open up right away ...4 to 6 months and others might not really start opening up until age 1 or older. A lot will depend on how much you get her out and expose her to the tracks. In the long run you don't really want a dog that opens up on any little scent, what you want is a dog that only opens up when they are running a red hot track. Keep taking her out and you should see improvement each time. At first she will run a short distance and lose it, then she will run them a little farther. Once she figures out her purpose is to find the rabbit she will start to get excited as soon as she hits the field. Just remember if you jump one to call her to it with a lot of excitement....here it is...here it is....here it is! If she loses the track give her time to try to figure it out. If she struggles for a while and you saw where the rabbit went, try to call her over to the track again so she can pick it up. Training the dog is fun part! Keep at it and you will be rewarded with a great hunting companion!
 

yotehunter

Member
1,527
36
spencerville oh
She is 8 months old . I've been working with her since she was about 12 weeks.

Keep putting her in the field as much as possible as the other guys have said. And Jay is right obedience is a major part of having a good hound. There is nothing worse the having a dog you can't catch or won't listen. The barking will come its a natural instinct in any dog to bark when it gets excited. If possible try and jump a rabbit that she can see this should get her excited and get her going. And always remember hunt with other solid dogs. Not junk deer chasing non handling dogs. Beagles can be a lot of fun but the can be bullheaded too. 90 percent of any good hunting dog is the handling of the dog the other 10 percent is already breed into them. Good luck and keep us posted.
 

Rastus

Junior Member
I've been rabbit hunting for a few years now and finally got my own dog. Does anyone have a good dog out there and wouldn't mind letting us tag along and show my pup the ropes? I'm in the summit county area but can travel wherever I need 2 be.

I believe you are better served getting a dog running on its own before casting it with other dogs. I know it's the traditional way of doing things to have them learn from the old dog but you run the risk of the pup becoming more of a follower. I've seen pups that found it just as enjoyable to chase around after the older dog barking as they do chasing rabbits. They will also learn the bad habits of another dog just as easily as the good. When it's just you and your dog (and hopefully a bunch of rabbits) out there, there are fewer distractions and you have a better chance of getting your pup's attention when you want it. Nothing beats repeated exposure. I had a male that didn't open up until he was well into his second year. He was one of the best I've had. On the other hand, my youngest female ran her first rabbit back to me when she was 12 weeks.
 

Renovator

Junior Member
47
0
I've been rabbit hunting for a few years now and finally got my own dog. Does anyone have a good dog out there and wouldn't mind letting us tag along and show my pup the ropes? I'm in the summit county area but can travel wherever I need 2 be.

I could help I have 2 females almost 2 1/2 years old running well. What area are you from ?
I'm 15 minutes south of Cleveland.