dog won't hunt some times??

[south mtn beagles]

Kicking a dog may not add up to abuse for some but it sure will never add up to good training. Kicking the dog will not make it hunt. The dog will equate the kick to you being an a**hole. If that's the desired result then training accomplished.

If the dog is not hunting then he goes back into the dog box. The dog will quickly learn that there is no reward for not hunting. Given the choice between hunting and sitting in the dog box, the dogs desire to hunt will go up. This lesson should ideally be taught during initial training as a pup. It is unlikely that an older dog will suddenly gain the desire you will want in a hunting dog.

I personally would start looking for a pet home for the dog, but that's just my opinion.

Well thats just it this dogs has been one of the best in the litter but now for what ever reason he had rather be on the side line But I haven't thought about putting him back in the box when he comes to the rd.

[Bobby Vest]

I love a dog that starts hunting like he's on a mission as soon as you unsnap the lead. I also have seen a lot of dogs that hunt like crazy and never jump a rabbit. Hunt in the dog does not relate to jumping ability. I posted on here a few years ago one of the best jump dogs I ever owned would not hunt at all where you wanted her to. You could sick all the dogs in a great big brier patch but you couldn't make her go in it. She would take off on her own and just walk down a cow path until you saw her head start bobbing then she would go through any cover and jump a rabbit. This female would not waste her time busting up brush or briers if there wasn't a rabbit in there. I know a lot of you are thinking she would pass up a lot of tight sitting rabbits. All I know for sure is if you hunted her all gun season and left her alone she would out jump the other dogs. I've seen her many times with a pack of 6 dogs on the ground and she would go on tares and jump 5 or 6 rabbits in a row. I learned that lesson the hard way because I wasted a lot of time trying to force her to hunt the way I thought a dog should hunt. I bet we all have messed up and sold or traded some pretty good jump dogs because we didn't like their hunt. This is one of the reasons I like to take a dog through a good hunting season before making a cut. I have found that many of the best jump dogs jump with their noses and not just raw hunt.

[Ohiohntr]

I love a dog that starts hunting like he's on a mission as soon as you unsnap the lead. I also have seen a lot of dogs that hunt like crazy and never jump a rabbit. Hunt in the dog does not relate to jumping ability. I posted on here a few years ago one of the best jump dogs I ever owned would not hunt at all where you wanted her to. You could sick all the dogs in a great big brier patch but you couldn't make her go in it. She would take off on her own and just walk down a cow path until you saw her head start bobbing then she would go through any cover and jump a rabbit. This female would not waste her time busting up brush or briers if there wasn't a rabbit in there. I know a lot of you are thinking she would pass up a lot of tight sitting rabbits. All I know for sure is if you hunted her all gun season and left her alone she would out jump the other dogs. I've seen her many times with a pack of 6 dogs on the ground and she would go on tares and jump 5 or 6 rabbits in a row. I learned that lesson the hard way because I wasted a lot of time trying to force her to hunt the way I thought a dog should hunt. I bet we all have messed up and sold or traded some pretty good jump dogs because we didn't like their hunt. This is one of the reasons I like to take a dog through a good hunting season before making a cut. I have found that many of the best jump dogs jump with their noses and not just raw hunt.

Good Post!!

I had a male a few years ago that could jump a rabbit in freshly mowed lawn...not sure how he did it....just seemed to have a knack for finding them. Went out a few times in the middle of the day with him and he would not "hunt"...just stood around my feet after running around a bit covering a bunch of ground....I guess he was smarter than me cause I walked and walked, each step I got madder and madder watching him not "hunting", I kicked the heck out of the brush and the other dogs hunted their butts off...we never jumped a rabbit all day. I could just feel him laughing at us wasting our time and energy. Now mind you, this was not typical of any beagles I have owned and many times I wish I had him back as he was too smart for his own good.

[Tim H]

Bobby Vest, the real test of that dog would be when the conditions are tough does the dog still produce. I've seen dogs like that just go to the easy rabbits, skipping ahead of the other dogs and look good doing it. Then conditions get tough and the rabbits start sitting tight and what looked like a good jump dog suddenly get's skunked. Not saying that's what your dog was doing but my measure of a good jump dog is how do they do when there may only be one or two bunny's run all day. Are they the one that got in there and dug it out or did they skip around and hope to get lucky?

[Bobby Vest]

Tim H I stated she would out jump about anything you put her down with in a rabbit season. We very seldom have good running all season long. I wouldn't consider a dog any kind of jump dog if they didn't consistently jump rabbits in all conditions. Don't get me wrong on this subject because she wasn't the norm. I like a dog to really bust it up. I also had a male dog that would hunt like crazy and when he would jump in the thick stuff he would freeze in his tracks and listen for movement. I think he used all his senses to jump rabbits and most of the good ones will. I can't wait until gun season to get some of these young ones out and watch how they work. It's a lot of fun watching their different styles and watching them hone their skills.

[bodetis]

how old is the dog i have one at 6 months that does the same thing but he just hasnt turned it on for me yet,

[poteetkennels]

keep him on the lead till the other fogs circle the rabbit, let him see the rabbit turn him loose. do it a few times just needs to get some excitement in him no other way like site chasing. idk, works for me. good luck