Won't pack up

[Panther Creek]

I have a 10 month old female that has trouble packing up. She's kenneled with my other dogs. She has excellent hunt, opens, & will almost circle her own rabbit. But seldom will she go to another dog when they open. If she does, it won't be long, & she'll be off lookin for her own rabbit. She don't care at all what the other dogs are doing. I've gone after her, leashed her up, & took her to the other dogs. Then, she wants to join them real bad. So I turn her loose, & she may join them for a short time, or she'll just hunt on her own. How do I get her to stay packed up?

[Panther Creek]

oh ya, I've tried runnin her with 3 dogs, 2 dogs, & 1 dog. It don't matter. Lately, just 1 dog at a time, thinkin she might be overwhelmed.

[mobeagle]

I have a 10 month old female that has trouble packing up. She's kenneled with my other dogs. She has excellent hunt, opens, & will almost circle her own rabbit. But seldom will she go to another dog when they open. If she does, it won't be long, & she'll be off lookin for her own rabbit. She don't care at all what the other dogs are doing. I've gone after her, leashed her up, & took her to the other dogs. Then, she wants to join them real bad. So I turn her loose, & she may join them for a short time, or she'll just hunt on her own. How do I get her to stay packed up?

I have no experience with this with a beagle but I do with big hounds and should work the same. I had a young male that was independent and would do basically what you're describing wander out of the pack and look for his own game. I tried different number of dogs, kenneled him with the ones I wanted to run him with and was just about to give up on him. Finally one day I decided everytime he wandered out of the pack I'd get to him as fast as i could and put him in the box and let him listen to them run. He'd get pissed in the box and want to go but I'd just leave him there. Done that two or three times and finally after I had loaded him and let him listen a few times I let him back out of the box one day while they were runin. He ran to them and barked in the race and never really had any trouble with him again. It may or may not work again every dog is different but its worth a shot. Hope it helps.

[Dr. Chris]

Kennel her for a month or even two. Don't take her out at all. Let her almost forget what her chosen style and method of hunt is. Many styles and habits are by “natural instinct” and in their breeding but far more are picked up and are environmental. Many young dogs are a product of their surroundings. If you raise, start and train a pup alone or with just one other dog and use the “solo” method, it will be independent oriented and natured. However, if you start, train and take it out with other pups and other running dogs while training, it will be more pack oriented and dependant. You can always choose to solo and the dog has no other alternative, however you cannot always choose to pack if the dog is unwilling. Save soloing for down the road after the dog is already pack established.

While she is kenneled, bring home a rabbit from time to time and tease her with it. After the month or more without running at all, pack her with a large pack every time you run, and never solo her for a long while. She will be a different dog. Independence many times is not because of pressure, it’s because they have not been pressured enough and soloed or run with just one other too much. They have to be excited and feel like they are missing out on something every time another dog barks. You have to first create interest, and then during participation her skills will develop.

[S.R.Patch]

Lelawana settled into her style at 3 yr old, she would run behind the pack, she had to run all the line at her own rate. Ole Jake didn't like pressure and being pulled along, so he did as yours and would go find his own rabbit.
All hounds are somewhat different, the desire to pack and compete comes prepackaged in their nature, some have it to a greater or lesser degree. Young hounds like to feel like there getting some of the line and accomplishment. I would run yours with some slower honest hounds and let him feel the accomplishment and joy of working in a pack, right now, he's going after what he feels is lacking, getting his part of the chase.
Once he's felt he's contributing and has the pack mentality, increase the pressure on the type he's run with and he should step it up with them but this is not to say he will not revert back if the pressure becomes to great.
The fact of the matter is, we can only do our best to bring out the most potential of what a hound is, some just do not have what it takes and may make a serviceable hound for a hunter with a single hound and he will enjoy him for what he is. Sometimes patience is rewarded tho...

[DINGUS MAN]

IMHO sitting one in a kennel for a month or two is not the answer. Tracks is the answer and lots of them. I agree with some of the others slower honest hounds with patience and if dog get out of line scold it and be consistant but for goodness sake if you want this dog to make it dont sit it in the kennel for 1 or 2 months that is bad advice. If you sit it in the kennel it becomes a pet.

[Panther Creek]

I got this dog when she was about 8 months old. All I know is she spent some brief time in a starting pen. he called her "lightly started". I'd say he was right. I got her on sev sight chases, but after that, I've only run her with other dogs. I knew that soloing was deffinately NOT what she needed at this point. Thanks, guys!

[S.R.Patch]

If you've only had her a couple of months be patient and bring her along. After her first gun season see what she's become, the taste of blood in her mouth w/ her packmates will make a different hound out of them a lot of times.

[Dr. Chris]

Sometimes when some people use starting pens to train dogs it can do more harm than good if overused. They pick up habits, styles and methods that you don’t want. A “time out” is what is necessary to “reprogram” the dog into your choice of training. If they are still young enough and not “locked-in” their ways, it can be done. If you continue to run the dog as is, you may just solidify any temporary unwanted habits into becoming permanent locked in traits. “Independence” is not a fault like running off game and you can’t “punish” it away, you have to carefully train it the right way. I agree with SR Patch, the taste of blood in her mouth w/ her pack mates will make a different hound out of her. Being teased with a rabbit in general will make a huge difference.

But I will say, if putting the dog up for a month suddenly turns it into a non-hunting pet, I think I would get a new bloodline that is worth my while. Putting her up for a month is no different from what you will do anyway when she comes in heat. The last thing you want to do is indulge and encourage her to do more of the same by giving her “more tracks, and lots of them”, you may just solidify any temporary unwanted habits into becoming permanent locked-in traits and completely ruin her. But if you only have had her two months and she is only ten months old, you can still make a great dog out of her with a little patience.

[Panther Creek]

I would think that even if she was kenneled, the only she would turn into a "pet" is if you petted her, & coddled her, & held her & all that stuff. Spoiling her basically. Like a lap dog. Not treatin her like a huntin dog. Where I been takin them is rough & wooly this time of year & I get aways from my truck. Do you think it would work if I leashed her to a tree & let her listen from there?

[dave g]

have you tried to let her off first and keep the other dogs back, then when she gets her own rabbit going pack a couple dogs to her. then you can see if she will and can stick her own bunny. i have seen dogs that will run with a pack as long as they started the bunny and got packed into. she is still young and may just need some more time to learn how to honor. as long as she is running rabbit, be it by herself or with company, i feel at 10 months old you need to give her more time. it is not bad to listen to more than one race at a time

later, dave

[Panther Creek]

have you tried to let her off first and keep the other dogs back, then when she gets her own rabbit going pack a couple dogs to her. then you can see if she will and can stick her own bunny. i have seen dogs that will run with a pack as long as they started the bunny and got packed into. she is still young and may just need some more time to learn how to honor. as long as she is running rabbit, be it by herself or with company, i feel at 10 months old you need to give her more time. it is not bad to listen to more than one race at a time

later, dave

Hmmmm, Good point! Thanks!

[MasonsBeagles]

ive seen started dogs take a few weeks to honor other dogs after coming out of a pen. you could always leash her and wait until she just goes ballistic trying to get to them before cutting her lose.

[Panther Creek]

Well guys, she did better today. I havn't been kenneling her with them much this week & didn't let her out for exercise last night with the others. I normally run bells on my dogs, but today I put a bell on her & 1 on one of my pack dogs, & left the others off. Then I turned them loose but kept her on a leash. We followed along, & when the others struck & got the line going, I turned her loose. She packed right up & stayed with them. Luckily, The rabbit made small circles, so I could keep tabs on them. She would want to leave on a long check. Now, in the yard, I got her to come to me when I tone her, so I would call her & tone her to get to come back to the pack. It worked sev times. If she didn't. I'd just go get her & leash her up til she wanted to pack up again. Then I'd turn her loose. I figured if she didn't respond too much, I'd just leash her to a tree & listen, or take her back to the truck....

[mobeagle]

Well guys, she did better today. I havn't been kenneling her with them much this week & didn't let her out for exercise last night with the others. I normally run bells on my dogs, but today I put a bell on her & 1 on one of my pack dogs, & left the others off. Then I turned them loose but kept her on a leash. We followed along, & when the others struck & got the line going, I turned her loose. She packed right up & stayed with them. Luckily, The rabbit made small circles, so I could keep tabs on them. She would want to leave on a long check. Now, in the yard, I got her to come to me when I tone her, so I would call her & tone her to get to come back to the pack. It worked sev times. If she didn't. I'd just go get her & leash her up til she wanted to pack up again. Then I'd turn her loose. I figured if she didn't respond too much, I'd just leash her to a tree & listen, or take her back to the truck....

Leashin her to a tree would be more practical with little dogs. The advice I give about putting the dog back in the box to listen for awhile was for big dogs who cover more country. Leashing them or putting them in the box to listen to the others run will get to them and eventually they'll wana run with the pack. Sounds like you're making progress with her. Good luck. The training part to me is the funnest part about owning a hound. Watching them learn and adapt to the way we want them to hunt is awesome. Pretty smart little animals.

Happy huntin