circling a rabbit

[mikes]

I have 2 hounds one is 5 the other is 3.I took them to the Beagle Club yesterday and they were running rabbits OK, Then another guy came there with a few dogs, his dogs seemed to run a short circle mine seem to run way out an sometimes they do not bring the rabbit back. How or what should I do?

[Drop_tine]

His dogs probably put less pressure on the rabbit ->-> slower.

I'm running some med. speed dogs now and it's amazing how much different a rabbit will run in front of them.

[BCBeagles]

I think all dogs can have a bad day. Maybe yours did? Pressure and speed can make a difference as to how a rabbit runs, especially where they are pressured a lot,
like in that pen. I would get them out in the wild and see what they do on a good rabbit, one that will run. I run upper medium speed and a good rabbit makes the race.
With a decent dog of course. Some tracks may be better than others and a rabbit who wants to run may take a big circle and one that does not may make a small one.
All dogs though, at times, can look not so great. I know mine do! Other times they please me real well. JMO. Thanks

[Newt]

If you have dogs that are three and five years old that can't circle a rabbit then you probably should look for new dogs. However, running rabbits in an enclosure is much different that running in the wild. When rabbits are penned, can't escape, ran offten, they have to learn new tactics to survive. They learn to make smaller circles and do a lot of backtracking and other tricks to elude the hounds. It takes a close line running dog to keep them moving. Your dogs may tend to gamble more than the other beagler's dogs. Try them outside the enclosure and you may be surprised how efficient they become in circling rabbits.

[Bobby Vest]

Run your dogs outside a pen and run with them and see what they are doing. Every once in a while you'll see the rabbit and know for sure.

[deerhost]

I agree 100% with newt. The rabbits in a pen that have been ran often, have a PHD in eluding a dog. DH

[Alabama John]

Difference in the runnig of a Buck rabbit, a Doe, or castrated rabbit.

[rabbitearl]

You stay in that pen.If they can start running in there good.No problem on the out side.And I agree to be this old and cannot stay on a rabbit.Look for somemore dogs.