Backtracking

[mikes]

I had my dogs out the other day at the Beagle Club I belong to, the weather was warm and dry. The dogs got on a rabbit and ran him in a straight line I watched the rabbit come out and go across a dirt driveway.The dogs could not pickup the scent on the driveway I went down there and got the dogs on the rabbit again they chased him back to almost where the chase started but then one of my dogs came howling back on the same track.What am I doing wrong or is this something that Beagles do from time to time.Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you,

[Casey Harner]

Are you sure the rabbit didn't run back over its tracks?? I've seen this countless of times, when a rabbit is being presssured, he/she will try and trick the dogs. I saw it this weekend while rabbit hunting, the rabbit came out of the brush, came sprinting down a logging road, stopped and then went right back over its tracks...


If you know for sure, the rabbit didn't come out, then yes, the dogs were back tracking and you need to try and get that stopped. I would have tried and helped the dogs a little in this dry and warm spell we all have been having.

[Newt]

You are not doing anything wrong. The dog, if it was backtracking, is either inexperienced or stupid. If it is a young dog it will probably soon figure it out. If it is an older dog then it was born stupid and you will have to live with it or cull.

If the rabbit went straight across the road, you shouldn't need to help them across, they should search until they figure that out as well.

[cpuckett]

i have seen young and old dogs do this from time to time in rough conditions..they are trying hard to find it and the sent don't smell very strong any were except were they have done ran,so that's the way they go i don't know why they don't smell dog tracks and quit..but i would not worry about it unless it becomes a regular accurance and then if it does i would cull the one starten it..they are dogs none are perfect,and they just like us from time to time make mistakes...

[Bobby Vest]

I think any time you see a dog doing something wrong you should stop them right then and let them know it's wrong. It's a pain in the butt to correct some things but if you have the patience you usually can. I hate to see one back track at all but like Charles said I have seen some good dogs do it at a certain time. I know people that say if they ever see a dog open one time going the wrong direction they are through with them. All I know is I haven't seen the dog yet that doesn't make a mistake every once in a while.

[Ky. Hunter]

I think any time you see a dog doing something wrong you should stop them right then and let them know it's wrong. It's a pain in the butt to correct some things but if you have the patience you usually can. I hate to see one back track at all but like Charles said I have seen some good dogs do it at a certain time. I know people that say if they ever see a dog open one time going the wrong direction they are through with them. All I know is I haven't seen the dog yet that doesn't make a mistake every once in a while.

Good point Bobby. I have seen even the best make a bad turn or run a bad track every once in a while especially in bad scenting conditions. I have not seen the perfect dog yet and I have been hunting over dogs for 50 years so I can put up with something like that once in a while as long as they don't do it regular.

[sunsetredbeagles]

What if you had a dog that has lost the check and goes back to find out where the point of the jump was or trying to find the line it was first on?Is this considered back tracking?

[cpuckett]

if he is barkin while doin it and runnin the same line that he just ran then yes he's backtrackin,some young dogs might work the check that way ,but a good dog should know to work a check away from the way they ran,not back toward the way it was jumped..

[Bobby Vest]

sunsetred if I am reading your post right you are saying the dog is leaving the check area and going back to the point of the jump and trying to rerun the old track, is that right. If so it's not backtracking it's rerunning an old track. If so I would burn him up with a lead and if he didn't get the idea pretty quick I would cull him for that.

[Alabama John]

All dogs are supposed to run from the back of the foot toward the toes of whatever animal they are trailing. Do you all teach your pups that?

Same lesson I teach people in man tracking 101.

Only exception is a wise man knowing he's being tracked will walk backward, toe down first. Animals haven't figured that out yet!