The American Beagler Forum

I have two pups, one 11month olds and one 9 months old. Been taken them out once a week for the past 3 months at least. They seem to be learning some on their own but I am afraid of screwing them up. I hate to not train them right and waste some good dogs. I have no other experienced dogs to run them with. There are a few that run beagles around me but our schedules never agree so we can run together.

I have come up with three options.

Find someone who has a rabbit pen in this area that has a good reputation and leave them there for 30 days.

Continue running them as much as possible(with my schedule usually means Saturday maybe Sunday afternoon) and let them pick it up on there own.

Purchase a running dog to run them with.

I know there is a bunch of what ifs in this but I have 3 boys going with me and I need to get something going this season. I am fine with just getting out but these boys are tired of not seeing some good rabbit hunting going on.

Just put them in a starting pen . Then keep taking them out good luck .

man with young pups, your just not gonna see serious huntnig this season if they aren't already started and have had tracks under them. From the time they start to where they turn into solid hounds is going to be a season, at least.....

Take the kids out brush bustin and shooting rabbits by kickin up the brush this season if you have too but to get them dogs going this season, even at a pen and then getting them back is gonna be pretty tough.

Where do you live? I am sure someone on here would take you out with them on a hunt... Even if its just to actually show em how its done and keep them interested.

Blackwell, MO(70 miles south of St Louis, MO)

Crap About 6 months ago I lived about 50 miles from you...

I live by warrensburg and sedailia now but I go to columbia and hunt alot. Don't know how you are about traveling but next time I go down your more than welcome to come with me...

Might ask around and find a old dog.Dosn't have to be anything fancy a old grade gundog will work just fine.As long as it is honest and dosn't have any bad habits it can teach your pups.You can bring them a long way if you can get them out and start killing rabbits around them with a slow running dog.

You answered you own question with your first and third answer. Good luck.

Still kinda new at this stuff to,you can not go wrong with the traing pen,they can put more time in them and show them alot more rabbits and they will catch on.Friendly advise after you get them running,do not go out there and drop them in a big pack of hounds and shoot over them until they are running strong.You can blow them up that way.JMO

I think I am going to try to find a running dog. Hopefully, be able to find one for a decent price. Not a good time of the year to expect a deal.

Find a pen to get them started (barking sent)

I always tell people to read up on it. Best book I read for training them to hunt was Beagle Basics Training of the hunting beagle by Bill Bennett. It covers everything except deer breaking and shock collars. But when you get a shock collar you can get the literature about that with it. One other thing I always tell people is that one of my dogs opened on his first rabbit in my neighborhood. I would walk him around on his leash and chase rabbits with him. He was a pretty fast starter. Try to do it yourself. Its very rewarding.

My first 2 dogs were grown, runnin dogs, & I learned alot from them before I ever got pups. Then I had older dogs to help out the pup. And, I learned alot from the guys here & on other boards.

I started out with an old dog when I was around 15. He was a pretty good rabbit dog and never had any problems training other dogs with him around. Had to get out of it when I went into the military and 25 years later, trying to get back into it, it seems I never own a rabbit dog before. Problems and frustration around every corner. But, I enjoy it and the boys seem to like it, so I am sticking with it for now. Trying to find an good running dog to run with them right now. I just know it will cost me some especially with it being this time of year. Do not know of any training pens around this area.