year old pup

[shawnfrazier]

to start out I have rabbit hunted with beagles since I was little but always my grandpas dogs I never had much hand in the "training" or selection of the hounds just the hunting part I have recently got a pup she is just a week past a year and I don't know when to decide if she will be good or not. at almost 4 months on a fun walk she picked up her first rabbit scent and took off about 30 yards till she lost it I saw the rabbit but she never did. moving forward to know she has drive like I have never seen you cant stop her but the trouble is she rarely runs the track far enough to get the rabbit moving she looses it, she will go back and start at a good point and take it farther and so on but is this just a young dog learning or does she not have the nose? like I said love the sport but never had dogs of my own to work so any advice is appreciated I just don't know at what age is inconsistency a get rid of dog problem

[rabbitatfarm]

I'd keep working with her. One day it will all come together and the light will come on. Helped a friend with his pups today (eight months old or so.) I released a wild rabbit for a sight chase. The pups lost sight but tracked and ran it for 15-20 minutes. We usually run the pups with older dogs. This was on their own. Pretty cool.

[Rcoff]

We all want our dogs to get it now. It will come with patience. The more tracks you can give her the better.
Thanks,
Bob

[deerhost]

Is she opening up and barking on scent? How much have you had the dog out? Most dogs I start, will start that way but everytime out they will start carrying the line further and further. If she has been out a few times a week for the last 6 months, then I don't know what to tell you. But if you have not had her out enough then she is acting like a newly started pup and needs more ground time. You should be trying to get her out and on rabbits at least 2 times to 3 times a week. I like to take out pups just as its getting dark and usually there are rabbits sitting on the edge of fields at that time. I walk the pups to were the rabbit was sitting and let them do there thing. Most pups I start are circling there own rabbit at 6 months and some sooner. I run 100% in the wild and never use a starting pen. But like I said I put alot of time into them. Some just take more time. Let her track the rabbit and follow her, when to looses the rabbit stand at the point of loss, every time she starts to walk away call her back over to where she lost it and let her keep working. A few times of finding a check and she will start to realize the track does not stop where she looses it. She just needs to re-find it. ...Good luck...DH

[shawnfrazier]

thanks everyone for the advice I have been running her a couple times a week around the house but we have terribale rabbit numbers her to many fox and hawks but I have been working her with some san juan red back mixes I got and tonight I had her out checking a fence line and she picked up a scent and went like her tail was on fire it b lew my mind she took it two huge circles before it hit the hole it was pretty awesome I guess I was just getting nervouse I have had a hard time finding her rabbits to hunt but thanks for the advice older beaglers mean a lot my grandpa always was the guy for this stuff but he has been hit with als and cant speak anymore so its hard to ask him but thanks alot