The American Beagler Forum

Hi All

My 8 year old female Jessie has starting bringing the rabbits back to me. She has never done this before this year and I am trying to understand what made her start doing it.

Is it a bond with me that makes her do it or is it an understanding that the rabbit needs to be found and given to a person? Not only is she my best dog but she is a sweet heart to own. Here is a link to her on Brad's website. Thanks for selling her to me Brad and NO!! She is not for sale. LOL

http://www.adkinsbeagles.com/females.html

Ken

If you figure why she's doing this, let me know!!!!!! All my hounds just want to eat them!

Do you play fetch with her in your yard? Maybe she just has decided that she wants to please you..... just give her lots of praise when she does it and she probably will continue.

Emery

I have one that did it a few times when he was a puppy but has since stopped when running with other dogs. Mike

Ken,

Glad you are enjoying Jessie. She had retrieved a few for me also. She was a joy to own and glad to see she is doing well for ya. I miss her right now out gun hunting..she was a gun dog deluxe. Happy hunting to ya

Brad

Brad

She is a great dog to own. She will deffinatley die with me. With her being up in the age now I will try to get 2 to 3 more crosses out of her. 3 might be a stretch but I will hopefully get atleast 2. Her first breeding will be out of a Woodpont male named Bruiser that is an Awesome jump dog. I am still looking for the second male to use.

How is your pup out of her doing?

Retrieving is awesome. I had one that every chance she could she'd bury the hare we shot infront of her. I've only had one retrieve and I think its somewhat of instinct. Bring food to thier master before they get anything. My last male I had that did this caught a live young hare and brought it right out of a brush pile straight too me. Have fun with yours!

Ken,

I don't know if I have mentioned it to you before or not, but I have a buddy that has 2 males out of Tipper. Both are excellent dogs. Also, another friend has a littermate female to Jessie. I don't know if he intends to breed her or not, but if he does I am sure he would have pups available if you would be interested in one.

my Major hound i have owned sense he was 6 wks old has just started doing the same this year, he has never done it before up to now. he is alittle over 4 yrs old and i have noticed that sometimes when a hound gets older they just start doing this, but most i have seen has been 4 or older when they start.?????????
Don't know why other than being loyal to there master.

Thanks for all the responses.. I will try to have my camera with me the next time she does this.

Brad I would like a pup out of Jessie's sister if he breds her. Do you think he would be interested in selling her? Do you know what the other half of the males pedigrees is?

Ken

The reason most dogs are older when they start retrieving, is experiance. They know what happens when the gun goes off, you get the rabbit. I think some of it is inherited. I know certain lines of dogs that have a high amount of retrievers. I also think retrieving naturaly, shows brains in a dog. I dont have any dogs that will retrieve now, but I have owned a couple that would, and they were both very smart, and came from a long line of retrievers.

jumpmaster wrote:The reason most dogs are older when they start retrieving, is experiance. They know what happens when the gun goes off, you get the rabbit. I think some of it is inherited. I know certain lines of dogs that have a high amount of retrievers. I also think retrieving naturaly, shows brains in a dog. I dont have any dogs that will retrieve now, but I have owned a couple that would, and they were both very smart, and came from a long line of retrievers.

Bingo!

I think some of it could be inherited, I have 3 generations that will do it. Also some will do it if just given the chance to, but then you have some that will just destroy it, so the little more laid back ones just keep giving them an opportunity to and they just might start doing it, at least thats how it worked for me.

Don't know but I'm on my third one. Frist one caught rabbits and brought them back. Two were under 3 years old. The one I have now has been retriving for a couple of years and he is just a little over three now. Sure makes it nice when you don't have to fight the thick stuff to get the rabbit you kill.

Just to add to all of the good advice already given, I think we condition them NOT to retrieve. How many of us when we have that new pup and kill the first few rabbits for them "tease" them with it? You know, when you hold it in the air, let them chew on them, get them to try and jump to get it away from you etc. I know I have done it in the past. To the point of them learning as they get older, we stop dong the above forementioned as they become seasoned. Given the opportunity and training at an early age, I feel that a lot more beagles would retrieve.