# beagle training??



## hxcburrito (Oct 26, 2012)

i adopted a beagle this week. he is about 1.5 yrs old. very well behaved and very obedient. he went from an apartment to a house out in a rural area. i have fields and woods all around me. id like to train him to rabbit hunt. training a dog to hunt isn't something i have done before. im wondering if he is possibly to old to try and train already. i'd hate to put all this effort into it, to find out he's not learning cause he did start from a few months old.

any good books or suggestions on how to train him will be appreciated also


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## Wurm Slinger (Dec 10, 2013)

First of all, Congratulations on your adoption, you won't be disappointed.
Second, as far as training a beagle it is not like training a pointer or water fowl dog. Beagles either have talent or they don't. All you can do is provide them with rabbits to run to sharpen the skills god gave them. No dog is too old to learn in my opinion. 

Remember running season does not open until July 7th (I believe). After that, find some rabbits in the yard and see what he can do! He is old enough to understand what he was bred to do and should take right to it. When your in the field he should stick close to you (with in reason) and "check in" from time to time when not running a rabbit. Be careful of him running off game (deer, etc.) never being in the field before he may get excited and run something other than rabbits.

In short, he already has it in him to run rabbits, just provide him with the place and the game and is talents will reveal them selves.


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## snortwheeze (Jul 31, 2012)

In short he already has it in him to run rabbits, just provide him with the place and the game and is talents will reveal them selves.[/QUOTE]


Couldn't agree more, either they have it or don't. You said he is obedient that is a MAJOR factor to start with. I would suggest a training collar, beagles are VERY stubborn. I myself have a 1 1/2 & he is the best I have seen yet out of the 12 I've had. I run him ALOT. 


Sent from my SPH-M830


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## hxcburrito (Oct 26, 2012)

Thanks for the advice guys! im excited to learn and work with him. he has found our cat..... kind of. sniffs and howls up and down our hall way. bad thing.... he cornered under the bad, and wont stop now:yikes: he hasnt cared about our pet rabbit though.

we don't have a fenced in yard , but i have proud lake right down the street. there is an open corn field, 2 horse staging areas and some thickets near by. will those be ok to start him in?


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## miruss (Apr 18, 2003)

Anywhere there are rabbits would be OK as long as training season is open If there are rabbits there he'll find them. I little hint what i do when i go out hunting is i have a small clasp with 2 of these (http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/19x25mm-silver-metal-cow-bell-242628/ ) hooked on his collar separate rings for each bell so if they get hooked on brush chance of losing both unlikely. Reason i use these dog is not always barking on rabbit this lets me know where he is you can hear these a long ways away i did use the little round bells but snow and ice keep freezing them up so i couldn't hear them. Now when i grab these bells and the dog hears them he goes nuts he knows we are going hunting LOL.


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## h.lake (Oct 23, 2009)

If your dog doesnt pick it up early in the year dont be discouraged. I have had young dogs before where i had to wait until we got alittle snow and show them how to do it. Go out and kick some brush and jump a rabbit, then show the dog the track and run the track with him helping him sort it out. He will keep losing the track but you can help him using the tracks in the fresh snow. Once he has circled a few he will start to figure out the escape tricks of mr. rabbit. Good luck. Helping a young dog get started is alot of fun.

h.lake


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