The American Beagler Forum

I have two females that are 20mos. old. I have taken them out, they have seen rabbits, smelled their scent, just cant seem to get the switch to click. Should i give them a little more time, take them to a starting pen [ if not too late] or find them a good home and get a dog already started? Just about at the end of my rope with these 2.

mainstreet you are giving us to little info. How many times have they been out. How many sight chases. If they have only been out a few time then send them to a starting pen or get them out more. 2ND If you have had them out a lot do they just stand around. When they do sight chase do they open. After they loose sight do they look for the rabbit or come back and stand around. Are they running any track and just do not have it in them.

starting pen !

I have seen dogs start in the starting pen start at 2 years old

Save your money on a starting pen JMHO. I have started many dogs. Catch a rabbit in a trap or go buy a couple cheap ones from the omish. Either way put the rabbit in a cage to start out, and when the pups are at the caged rabbit barking make sure that you act really excited with them so they will get all excited also, and they will know that you are happy with what they are doing. Second thing is site chasing. Let the rabbit go right in front of them, and I guarentee those dogs will run it atleast untill they lose sight of it. Thats when there nose should hit the ground, and start searching. You might have to do this 2-3 times, but it always works. Good Luck!

They have been out about a dozen times. They have seen rabbits and chased them for a distance then turn and come back to me. One dog stays at my feet more than I like. They have not opened up yet. Think i will try to trap one and see what happens. Really like these dogs and would like to get them runnin. Thanks for the help.

Almost 2 years old and only been out about a dozen times.
I would say that is not enough time.
I have started puppies and they might see 15 rabbits and on the 16th a switch just flips on and they keep going from
there. Some puppies it may only take 1 or 2 rabbits, every dog is different.
But I would say they need more time, also depends on the frequency they are taken out as well.
You should see some kind of improvement each time if worked with frequently enough.

Nothing "flips the switch" like first blood. Young hounds catching a wounded/crippled rabbit and getting that first taste of blood awakens some ancestral thirst within.
If one of your rabbits breaks a rear leg, it would be a worthy sacrifice to your future hunters development...

i do need to get them out more, guilty there. I will try some of these tricks to help out, thanks for the advice

Mainstreet, couple of real obvious things: 1) Certainly having them out only a dozen times at twenty months is the first and biggest problem. They should have been out a couple hundred times by this age. 2) This isn't as big a deal, but you mentioned two females. I assume they have not had a ton of socialization by you as you mention how few times they have been out. In their world, the biggest joy on this earth is what they derive from each other. I assume you have them kenneled together. Kennel them seperately, don't even let them see each other. Start socializing them, quietly pet them and feed them a little here and there in your hand. Take them for walks on and off the leash around your yard or in the woods, don't worry about jumping rabbits. Do this for a couple of weeks, ten minutes each day. They will bond to you and become more confident in themselves and discovering the world on their own. Don't over do it with praise though, we don't want you being more fun than chasing rabbits, but keep everything positive, don't ever punish them for anything. After a couple of weeks of this if you can find a starting pen, that would be awesome. If not, live trap a wild rabbit or hare and release it in front of them, maybe even in a garage, basement or large space where the bunny can get away from them behind boards, lawn mowers, etc. They should have an animated interest in the bunny by this time, if they don't, don't despair, just try it again in a week or so.
Once started, give them bush time, run them in early morning or late evening when the scenting is good where there is lots of game to build their confidence. Remember, all of this is done one dog at a time. Do not run them together or kennel them together until they are running rabbits good on their own. Yes, it is your fault, but most of us have been guilty of the same thing at one time or another for various reasons. I started dogs as old as 2 1/2 that hadn't started for the very same reasons which went on to become very, very good hounds. In all likelyhood, yours will too, just be patient. Good Luck....Steve

Darn good advise right there!

I might add one thing, when one of the beagles starts then take the other one along with her, this will help to get the other one started.

mainstreet wrote:They have been out about a dozen times. They have seen rabbits and chased them for a distance then turn and come back to me. One dog stays at my feet more than I like. They have not opened up yet. Think i will try to trap one and see what happens. Really like these dogs and would like to get them runnin. Thanks for the help.

Im gonna assume you started the dogs at about 6 months of age. now doing the math real quick that is less than 2 times per month in the timber. i gotta be honest here and im no expert by any means but they need ALOT of timber time. anything else and they won't ever start and im talking 2-3 days a week. Im guessing right now when you take them out they are crazy and running all over just happy to be out of the kennel. they need time and exercise to calm down and settle in looking for a rabbit and using their noses. If you don't give them that time they are probably never gonna start for ya. good luck with your hounds.

Good post slaux,right on. Al

Before i found a good running spot near me I started one of my dogs in our neighbor hood. I just walked him around on a leash in the evening and let him see, chase, and trail the rabbits while I held them on the leash. My younger dog first opened on a rabbit this way. It allowed me to get him exposed to running rabbits almost every night, inbetween my trips to the woods.
Nieghbors gave me a few strange looks but once I explained what I was doing they were okay with it.

good luck