The American Beagler Forum

What is the right age to start a pup in a starterpen.

I usually start my pups around 4 - 6 months old.

I usually take my hounds to a starting pen in Indiana, but they guy there doesn't want them until they are about 7or 8 months old. I like to train them to obey commands before I send them for a month. If they are not trained to come, down, and what NO means, when you get them back from a month at a starting pen, you have to train them for that as well as trying to keep their new skill of running rabbits fresh in their minds. Good luck, Tony

It seems that the norm for most pens are around six months of age, but I usually like to try and get mine started much earlier. In the "for what it's worth catagory", many owners swear you can't tell the difference at 8/9 months old, which were started as young pups and which didn't go to a pen until 6 months of age.