Opinions

[TBrom]

I'm in the process of fencing in three acres. It includes my backyard and kennel. It also encloses some good rabbit cover. I currently only have two beagles, both of which are over the age of five. Both handle well and know how to run a rabbit. My question is; do you expert beaglers see any harm in just cutting them loose in the pen for hours at a time without any real supervision? Like on the days you're too tired after work, or you have other commitments.

[Shady Grove Beagles]

Three acres is pretty small for two grown dogs to run in---at least the type of dogs I keep it would be.If you have super conservative medium speed hounds and real thick cover you might get away with it.Otherwise you're liable to end up with a bunch of sight chases and you'll end up wearing your rabbits out and getting them eaten.

[rabbitearl]

I will agree with Shady Grove if it real thick.

[DIXIEDOG]

If you run in that small of a pen alot you will ruin your dogs for searching. They will get used to just running around in the pen and jumping a rabbit, then sight chase it. I wouldn't put an adult dog in a pen that small. Would be a good puppy pen for starting though. When I run in a pen it is 100 acres which seems big enough as long as you don't put too many hare in it.

[TBrom]

Thank you for your opinions. I agree that three acres is pretty small. It is very thick, goldenrod and blackberries except for my yard. I don't think there'd be any site chases unless it was in the yard. The hounds are 13" SPO hounds, and I'd catagorize them as slow. Not like the LP hounds I ran (and preferred) when I was younger. I'm kind of more concerned about the hounds being out without a handler, and just doing there own thing. Does anyone see that as a problem?

[drifter22no1]

sounds like a perfect puppy starting pen