what age to start a pup

[hcaplinger]

i was wondering at what age do most of you you guys start your pups.also at what point do you begin soloing your hound.

[bluegrass]

You're gonna get a lot of different answers, and I dare to say NONE of them will be either wrong or right...I try to get mine started between 8-10 months old...my buddy likes to start his around 6 months old, some guys start even earlier...I had a pup once that started running at 4 1/2 months, but he started on his own by accident and actually never panned out....I dont solo all that much after they start, I am mainly a hunter and keep my hounds in the pack most of the time, but when I solo a hound I like to wait until a year old or so...like I said though, there are many answers to this.



Tony

[old blood beagles]

I have an 8 month old pup that I am starting right now. To me he is just the right age to start as he is showing interest in what the older hounds are doing. Every now and then he stops and looks for me instead of hunting but that is just the pup coming out of him. Every dog is different and it depends on the pup itself. I guess the correct answer is to just put in the hours, take your time with him/her and when the pup gets ready it will start.

[hounddog]

I'm probably different from most, but I start taking my pups out with the rest of my pack ( 10) at the ripe old age of 8 weeks. Now most will say that is way too young but I bet they learn way more out there with me then sitting in a pen. While the rest of the pack is running, I spend time with the pups, walking them through thickets, thru fences and other obsticles that they will have to face latter on in life.
As mentioned before they all start at different ages, anywhere from 4 to 8 months old. I don't pressure mine to start, just let them start when they are ready.
I have never used a starting pen just because I can turn my hounds loose from the kennel and run rabbits.

hounddog
Jim Umbarger

[Julius Turner]

I like to start mine around 6 to 7 months just take them a time or two you will see if there have any interest. I have found that female tent to start easer and sooner than the males do. I have a female that started at 6 months like she had been doing it all her life and she now at 7 ½ months runs second in my pack. Just give them a try and see what happens. Good Luck

[Newt]

I give my a pups a parvo shot at about twelve weeks and drop them in a starting pen of about 1 acre. In a couple days they usually start chasing San Juan rabbits. When they reach the point that they can track well enough to run the San Juan down and catch it, I start them on cottontails. Most start within a week but some won't start until later. By age six months they are packing with the older dogs. I have found no correlation between early starters and quality. The late starters will often develop into better dogs. So, IMO, it makes no difference if you start them early or later. What ever is most convenient to you will work out fine.

[wvduece]

all pups are different 3 years ago i had one that started at 5 1/2 months old just took off one morning like it was a seasond hound n never looked back i got 3 now thats 8 months old n they havent started yet one has had a couple sight chases but still dont seem interested yet i just keep taking them with my other dogs when the pups are ready they will start they will go to my other dogs when they open just wont stay yet its only a matter of time before they take off if i just keep doing my part taking them out jb

[scootersjill]

got one 5 months old have had him out about 6 times stays with the older dogs. barks a little dont know if he knows at what but showin plenty of interest. where was u this morn bentley

[wvduece]

under the covers how did that lil pup do this morning

[scootersjill]

had em out about 4 hrs. he stayed with them . they could jump em but couldnt run em a lick.

[Schag]

I have always enjoyed starting pups. It is probably my most favorite aspect of beagling. Watching that little guy grow up to make a rabbit dog is justification for all of the hard work and dedication that is a must in keeping hounds. With all of that being said, starting pups begins at an early age. Yard work is very important before you take a young pup to the woods. If the yard work is absent, getting the pup started on rabbit will be more difficult. When the yard work is up to par, I start taking my pups out at a young age (10-14 weeks old) to the woods to get them accustomed to different sights and sounds. Eventually, getting them “started” can depend on many factors. Some of the factors include your running grounds and how much game is there for the pup to “sight” then “track”. I try to take the pups out early in the morning or late in the evening to a spot with a lot of game so the pups can see rabbits, and then tracking will become second nature. Eventually, they will rely on their nose as opposed to their eyes.

My pups are usually started by 4 or 5 months old. I run them with a female I have that is not too strong for the pups. The pups must learn to do most of the work on their own, but also learn to pack. If you put them with a hound that is too strong (I have done this too many times) they may become too dependent on other dogs (me too), and never fully reach their potential. They may form other bad habits as well, like skirting, bounding off, or drifting too far in the check so that they can get a piece of the front. The term “blow-up” means too much pressure for a young hound, and they basically lose their minds. I have seen this firsthand.

As far as soloing, when I had more time as a youngster, I would solo religiously. Now, I try to solo my pups or brace my pups at least ten times or so before I put them with a pack. I still think soloing a hound will in the end make him better, but time is of an essence to me. On the other hand, pups need to learn how to take pressure, and follow the track not other hounds. Common sense will let you “see” if they pup needs less pressure. Experience will tell you if you need to solo your pup more such as lifting his head in the check or doing any of the other aforementioned faults.

Basically, time will tell what you have. At what age to start a pup will depend on too many factors to list, but all pups like adult dogs are different. I have two pups at the house right now that are 6 ½ months old that are not started. Weather in my area has been horrible to start pups (another factor). I had one pup that started at four months old after sighting his first rabbit. He never looked back. I have also had pups that took forever to get going, but eventually they did. If you know you will not have time to put in this young hound if you get it started, then don’t start the pup. I never get a pup started then let it sit in the pen. I say start the pup at the age you feel will best suit that hound. I try to get them going as soon as possible so that I can start to evaluate the hound to see if he will make the grade for me personally. After that it is simple, put them in rabbits, don’t run them with junk, and give them all of the opportunity they need to succeed.

[Triple_S]

Wow Schag, you sound just like my uncle. i guess he does know what he's talk'in about..LOL (never doubted him)
in the past year we have seen this question many times.
And from what i see most of the awnser's are close to the same.
but this was IMHO the most to the point , well stated, well rounded , this is everything you need to know awnser that i have seen yet.
my uncle beat this in my head everyyyyyy saturday last summer , i finally started telling him what i was suppose to do so he would cut me some slack an he would know I GOT IT. but he still tells me anyway....LOL

EXCELLENT Post Schag.
i will be saveing this to my (Good post to know) folder

[Schag]

Triple_S,

Thank-you for the kind words. I truly appreciate them.
I don't claim to be an expert, and many on this board could supply us with a better answer than I, but my post gives examples of what has worked for me.

[rabbitearl]

I start my when there 8 mo on rabbits.Then run them in the running ground for the first season and then the sec season gun hunt them.It just seem to me running them on rabbits that first season and then go out in the wild there just not to crazy over deer.

[Pike Ridge Beagles]

I have personally started pups as early as 3 months old but lately have been waiting until they are around 5 months old.
It all depends on how many dogs I have in my kennel at the time. I never wait past 5 months to start giving them a good look and time in the field. As they mature, field time increases accordingly.