Wish I could go back in time and have my dog back

[fasttrackpa]

If you hold up a rabbit in front of my dogs, it will lose it's head. Period. If you don't get it before the pack, you will not get it. I want everyone of my hounds to have the desire to eat that thing. Just the same, Once I tell them it's mine, they had better stop jacking around and get busy finding another one. This year old pup had to be pried off her first taste. If you hear a wounded one squeel, you better get steppin' if ya want it... My big male ate almost 50 heads last year. I insist on that kind of desire.

[Joeyman]

thats pretty much what happened today only the head come off and it made a Big ol MIST of blood all over me. got my face and entire front of my vest (clothes) yeah that didn't sit to well with me.

[mdbeagler]

My dogs hate a rabbit as much as any and run to catch, but there is a difference between
desire to run and desire to eat. Some of my dogs may wool on a rabbit a little bit others
could care less after the rabbit is dead, but none of them will eat a rabbit. Desire to run a
rabbit has absolutely nothing to do with desire to run and catch a rabbit. My dogs run to catch a rabbit to please me not to eat rabbits. The things some guys will accept in a rabbit dog I guess a lot of guys that accept their dogs eating their rabbits are more trialers than gunners. I do both even thou I don't personally shoot many rabbits. I know guys that have dogs that will eat rabbits, and wouldn't consider them true houndsmen. These same guys have dogs that don't handle worth a crap, and will run trash too. It's all in the training at home before they ever make it to the field. If a hound learns basic commands at home the problem would be solved. What happens if your dog picks up something in it's mouth that could harm it, and you can't down him or her from a distance. I like a dog to want to please me, and not it's self. I hunt marshes a lot and can't get to a rabbit before the dogs a lot of the time. I leave every rabbit on the ground until the dogs trail into it and give them the dead command, and they go off to find another one to run. I will guarantee they will hunt harder than most to jump and run a rabbit, and eating a rabbit has nothing to do with it. I have a bitch that I purchased when she was about 2 years old, and the first time I gunned her I shot a rabbit and she trailed into it grabbed it and ran off to eat it. I called her and she ignored my command.
I couldn't break my foot off in her tail because she ran off, so I shocked her and she dropped
the rabbit. This same bitch just turned 7 this month and even when she catches a rabbit now, she will find me and bring it too me. If the dog is smart it will associate the behavior with the shock and not that the rabbit got it. I feed my dogs well to hunt for me, dogs that eat rabbits are very prone to get a belly full of tape worms. I worm on a regular bases, but tapes are not always the easiest to get rid of if you have ever had a bad case of them in your kennel and the medicine for them can be very hard on their systems. Why even take the chance on breaking a good hound down. A lot of old timers believed that feeding their dogs guts made them hunt harder, and I guess some guys still believe that rationality. Joey keep correcting him and he will eventually get it threw his head that you are the pack leader and the rabbit is yours. Just like in a wolf pack the alpha eats first, you have to be pack leader or they will take control. That is the number 1 rule when training a dog.

[fasttrackpa]

I always try not to post anything on these boards and now I remember why, Sooo many experts...

My dogs hate a rabbit as much as any and run to catch, but there is a difference between
desire to run and desire to eat.

What exactly are they trying to catch if for if not to kill and eat it?

I guess a lot of guys that accept their dogs eating their rabbits are more trialers than gunners.

WHAT??? That is rediculous...

My dogs run to catch a rabbit to please me not to eat rabbits

really...? are you sure about that?

I know guys that have dogs that will eat rabbits, and wouldn't consider them true houndsmen. These same guys have dogs that don't handle worth a crap, and will run trash too. It's all in the training at home before they ever make it to the field

that's a pretty bold statement right there...I can show you plenty of rabbit eaters to prove this is a crock. Your whole post may have been one the most arrogant posts I have ever seen. You Keep believing that your way is the only way and everyone else is wrong. You are the beagle whisperer. A professional rabbit dog trainer, Keep shocking those hounds with a rabbit in their mouth and see what happens..I will agree that any one that that feeds a hound rabbit guts is looking for trouble, but heads, kidneys, heart, lungs and liver(not spotted) will not hurt any thing. Ever. Joey whatever you do, please do not shock that puppy when he has a rabbit in his mouth.

[Bellmorekennels]

Fasttrack I am with you, no shocking with a rabbit in his mouth, you can do the exercise at home with a dead rabbit or fur too, as it is really based on being stern all the time, wether it is with a rabbit or anything else, that male should listen to Joey,Period. Some old time italian guys I used to hunt with would give all their pups, the rabbit's liver as supposed to increase there desire, which i can understand, but the same guys would go nuts on the dogs when they ate the whole rabbit on them. I used to tell therm all the time, you expect that dog to just eat the liver and not the rest of the rabbit? Think about that? For me, I prefer not to shoot many rabbits, than have a dog that will eat every one it can, and to have a beagle that retrieves, is a pleasure to hunt with, and I wouldnt trade that for the world. Some of the place I hunt ,the briars are so thick, you can not get to wounded rabbit,escpecially this time of year, and the dogs will surely get there first. I have a male pup that retrieves, and one that doesnt, but will not eat the rabbit either, if he did, would try to break him,if not For Sale Page.

[THALL]

I've had 1 or 2 that wouldn't eat a rabbit. I've got way more problems than worring about my dogs eating a rabbit. I'd prefer mine not to eat a rabbit, but I know a bunch of pretty fair dog men that have dogs that will destroy a rabbit. If you want to shock your dogs for eating a rabbit go for it! Everyone trains differently, This is just another good example of that.

[mdbeagler]

I see I must have struck a nerve. I don't post on these boards much either.
Since Joey asked for advice I gave my advice opinion and what works for me.
My post was not directed to no one person, but what has worked for me and my
beliefs. Everyone has the right to post their opinion on this board with out someone
taking it personal and attacking the poster. Never said I was an expert,
but I don't have a problem breaking dogs from doing things I consider undesirable and apparently so does Joey, which is why he asked for advice.

“What exactly are they trying to catch if for if not to kill and eat it?”
Catch it for me since I am the master and they are the dogs, running to please me. (Again my opinion). If that is ridiculous then why even bother to get the rabbit just let them eat every rabbit. I feed my dogs very well, and praise them that is their reward. Not eating a rabbit or wanting to eat a rabbit does not take away from their desire to want to run a rabbit.
If you can't get a dog to handle how can you consider a person a true hounds man, I think I am pretty sure about that. If the proper work is done in the yard a dog in the field is more pleasurable to hunt over. It can really ruin a hunt and make it less enjoyable if I have to run a dog down after every kill to make sure they don't eat the rabbit. I can't stand an ignorant dog that doesn't handle.
I don't recall calling you or anyone arrogant because of their opinion, because you want your dogs to want to eat a rabbit. I personally don't want that, my dogs work for me not the other way around. Dogs can eat some nasty stuff while in the field and if you can't stop them by command that could equal a sick or worst a dead dog. I never said my way was the only way and every one else was wrong, but I am pretty sure the post was about preventing dogs from eating rabbits not wanting to eat rabbits. Feeding dogs raw wild rabbit organs won't hurt anything?
I guess you have never heard of parasites like lung or liver flukes that you don't always see because they can't be seen by the naked eye until they fully develop in the host.
I never advised Joey to shock his dog with a rabbit in its mouth, but I personally have had young dogs take off running with a rabbit in its mouth and when it did not obey my command I bumped it with the collar not fry its brains out like it was running trash.
"Joey whatever you do, please do not shock that puppy when he has a rabbit in his mouth."
So I guess its ok for you to think your way is the only way and my way is wrong. "And you say I am the arrogant expert". Me saying I know guys who have dogs that will eat rabbits, but I don't consider them true hounds man. I don't think that is a very bold statement. These dogs run trash and don't handle. That's not too bold, again guys I know. Some how I see you took that personal The problem I have seen with their dogs that do eat rabbits, because they don't break them. What happens when the dogs are trying to eat a rabbit and you have two big dominant males, and you can't get to them fast enough? A good dog could get seriously injured. These guys accept dogs that run trash, fight eat rabbits and all kinds of traits I consider undesirable. If I have a dog take off running with a rabbit and I can’t get to it yes I would bump it with the collar and I have yet to ruin one or take away its desire. If I get to the rabbit first and the dog tries to eat it than I give it the dead command, and because of training in the yard the dog knows when to let it go. I coon hunt too and the dogs hate a coon but they don't try to eat it, they might wool on it and shake it just like my beagles do but I have yet to see 1 try and eat a coon.
If what you are doing works for you then by all means continue, but this post was to try helping out a guy that seems pretty cool and needed a little advice from not just me but many others on this board. Good luck with your dogs and your training program that works for you.
My opinions and just that my opinion, just like you have yours
Have a safe and enjoyable season

Good luck and good hunting.

[bbg]

A hunting partner of mine got a dog that would retrieve a few years ago. She ran pretty good and alot of rabbits were shot over her but she paled in comparison to the bunny eaters. They seem to have a little something more. Just telling you my experience. Like I said before I don't let them eat the rabbit. I say "MINE" and they are off to find another one. Their want to eat it I wouldn't change.

[fasttrackpa]

Yea, you struck a nerve alright...looked pretty much like that post was directed to me. Maybe I am sensitive...maybe it was the nice jab at trialers, suggesting they don't hunt hard or train their dogs.

Joey, sorry your thread got jacked.

[mdbeagler]

Yea, you struck a nerve alright...looked pretty much like that post was directed to me. Maybe I am sensitive...maybe it was the nice jab at trialers, suggesting they don't hunt hard or train their dogs.

Joey, sorry your thread got jacked.

fasttrackpa,
doesn't make much since for me to take a jab at trialers when I am a trialer myself;
as well as a lot of my friends many of them well known trialers with several champions.
I don't think you were the only one on this thread that said they had dogs that would eat a rabbit, and yes there are several trialers and gun hunters that don't train their dogs to handle.
I don't think any one group has the market covered in that dept. I don't know how you would get trialers don't hunt their dogs hard that was never implied it was the not handling. There are a lot of guys that just turn their dogs loose and listen from the tail gate. Guys that just trial and don't gun hunt,most could care less if their dog got the rabbit compared to someone that is strictly a gun hunter.

[chapkosbeagles]

joey man i here ya. i sit back at least once a day ,and think about old elmer. when you rais them like there a kid it is a lot harder to lose them i have his shrine of tropheys and his ashes. a blanket was made with all kinds of pics of him on it,and that hangs in my living room. he was a special hound and will always be missed here