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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Tim Kosteczko on February 14, 2007, 12:25:00 PM
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My brother recently added a new member to the family...
(http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k5/tkosteczko/IMG_4114.jpg)
And i know many of you use these guys for runnin cottontails, which is something we would like to do with her in the future. we have been doin a lot of reading on how to train her but i figure getting first hand knowledge could really help. she is curently just over two months old.
Thanks in advance
Tim
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That little girl looks like she hates rabbits! She'll try to chase every one she ever smells.
I haven't owned one myself, so cant' give you any training advice. Only problem with a beagle is the ones I have known can't be trusted to be let outside on their own without a chain. They would never come back!
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Beagle,s have a pretty strong will and can be stubern LOL Their smart sometimes to much so LOL and most of them can,t hear when the nose goes to the ground which is instinctive and doesn't need to be taught.My tritronics shock collar is the best investment I,ve made concerning dog,s.It has a warning tone and 5 levels of stimulation makeing it pretty easy to get their attention.
As for bunny training just get her out there on some rabbits,the more often she runs them the better she'll get at it.
I,d really consider a collar but I don,t think I,d put it on her just yet she's kinda young,mine was an adult when I got it with a pup I,d wait at least 6 months probably a little more
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Tom, you can school Timmy sunday...him and his sharp shootin' dad will be hunting with us.....OOOOOOHHHHH YYYEEEAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
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"Tom, you can school Timmy sunday"
Does that mean he's gonna try on the collar :scared: :biglaugh:
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I have a beagle and a beagle/jackrussel and swampbuck is right, once the nose hits the ground they go deaf. Mine even go crazy on the squirels in the yard.
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I hope Ron LaClair posts. His beagles always hunt, but mind like Labs.
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Beagles don't listen.
My brother tried to having one as a house dog. Not once but twice, and neither worked out. Also had a 2 different friends do the same.
All four were terrible inside the house dogs. Poop on the carpet, constantly getting into garbage, jumpin up on the dinner table, one was so hyper active it would just sprint around the house and knock things over. Reprimands and punishment like the shock collar or a smack on the rear only caused them to become the sneakiest SOB's you ever saw.
Had another friend that kept his outside. They were ok dogs. He kept them tied or penned.
Anyways, my tip is to keep them outside and forego the unavoidable agony and destruction that keeping them inside the house will provide.
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"Beagles don't listen."
Dunno about that. Same could be said for children, but we would be smarter than to believe that. Tis the trainer (of dog or child) that takes the blunt of the blame if this would be the case.
I've had em ever since I was a young pup myself. My grandad had em. An older friend of mine has had them as well....his dogs are highly sought after.
My kids have two and will breed them for a homeschool project this fall. Beagles can be hard headed at times, but, hey - aren't we all? :)
If they're characterized by getting on the track of deer and you don't want them to....
take and put a couple deer legs in a barrel along with the dog and roll them down a hill. The motion sickness will be associated with the smell of deer and they will avoid trailing the scent.
Good strong shock collar works wonders.
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Mine's inside and he's fine when I,m home.During deer season I,ve got to sneak the cannon out so he doesn,t see it,heck it got to a point that I was useing my LB for bunnies so much I had to sneak that out too or he'd be pissed and my wife and daughters would have to deal with him.No problem opening cupboard's gettin into the garbage or into things he normally wouldn,t just because I left him.
He's crate trained and is in that when nobody is home and as for the other part they(my wife and kids ) should be able to handle it LOL
The poddy training.....I tried real hard to not break out the news paper and wack him upside the head but afterawhile it wasn,t workin....only took about a week after he started gettin wacked with a newspaper.
Same deal with the shock collar,if he is in site and I call him he better listen cause he won,t get the warning if I know he can hear me.....I almost never hafta shock him anymore heck I can probably get away without the collar at this point but he is a beagle so I don,t chance it unless I,m in the yard and paying attention to where he's at.
As for the house dog again he goes and lays down at dinner time I don,t like begging and knows way to many words from spending time with us.I can leave him in my truck with the slideing window open and he won,t get out....ofcourse that wasn,t always the case the last time he did get out was yrs ago and he got put back in abrutly thru the same slidein window he got out of....now I can leave the door wide open and tell him to stay and thats that
"Reprimands and punishment like the shock collar or a smack on the rear only caused them to become the sneakiest SOB's you ever saw."
Yea my wife and kids tell me that LOL he,s incredably smart and knows when he can and can,t get away with things.I pay attention and he knows better.....my wife says their female beagle wasn,t like that at all so it could be a blockheaded male thing....make that a blockheaded male hound thing LOL
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If its still rabbit season where your at go kill one and let her sniff and chew on it. Get her fired up. Then tie it to a string drag it around your yard and hang it low from tree. Take the pup outside and put her on the trail where you started and hopefully she'll start trailing. At the end she get that rabbit hanging there as a reward.
Worked for me when I had a couple. Then when they get older start taking them out to get on some live ones.
My first beagle was in the house and she was a good house dog once potty trained. But if she ever got out from the backyard or threw the house door, you had to run her down she would not listen and probably have rolled in some crap by the time you got to her.
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I've always heard the best way to train is let her run with some good adult beagles. She'll figure out what there doing pretty quick.
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thanks guys this is exactly what i was lookin for, more the marrier too.
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Ours is a pretty good dog, not too hard headed and very easy going. You do have to watch'em with the trash and never leave food unattended where they can get to it. Our beagle was house broken pretty easy. She hasn't messed on the floor in a looong time. Beagle require a pretty firm, but not harsh, hand for training. And it needs to be consistant. We do keep her outside quite a bit during the day. We installed an invisible fence that works with a shock collar. It only took a few zaps from the collar for her to learn where the boundries are. Haven't had any trouble with her trying to cross it since.
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Calm, assertive, energy :pray:
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Youre better off not to even think about training on rabbits until they are about 9 or 10 months old and then by their selves not with a pack of dogs that know how to make short cuts, that is the best way to ruin a good pup.
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When I was a kid I had 2 beagles.(not at the same time) I had nobody to "run" my dog with,but I read in an "outdoor" magazine to get a Havahart trap.
You catch a rabbit in the trap,then take the trap,rabbit and puppy out in a big field.You get the puppy "interested" in the rabbit,(hopefully VERY interested LOL)The puppy can't get at the rabbit because it's in the trap.About the time the puppy is in a full blown tizzy,with a nose full of rabbit,you let the rabbit out of the trap and let the puppy loose right behind it.
If the puppy catches the rabbit,Mission Accomplished!!!!! Now he knows what the game is all about. :bigsmyl:
Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!
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Perhaps you have a beagle club near you that,ll have a large penned in area with rabbits in it.I joined one for a short time and my buddies got a pen just for puppies that's about an acre in size with everything the bunnies need to escape puppies inside.Way to small for a dog but just right for a pup maybe somebody will have something like that near you and the best place to find out is at your local beagle club
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I like what mac said. First teach'em to come to you, sit and poty train inside when they got that down there more than likely not to be so deaf to your voice. I also like to use certain words when hunting, Hunt'em up, I'll say to Rose. I like to get her going good before I let her go. Rub her whole body, shake her around a bit (gently) just get her blood pumpiun and the whole time I talk bunny to her. I know this sounds goofy but we are the best huntin parters, if we work toghether. I can direct her to good sign, call her to me, Get her to go for a pile or brush,we HUNT bunnies toghether, not just chase'em. My neighbor got me interested at a young age. He would leave a pup by itself (20 ft or so away),until it started to whimper for him, then he would call it to him the pup learned to come to him. When they were ready for bunny training he would buy a floppy eared rabbit from the pet store or a private buyer and leash it like a dog. Then get the pups all excited about seeing it, smelling it, then track the bunny off out of sight guiding the bunny around trees, the barn,the house, our house,pines,brush and then tie it to a brush pile and try to geet it to hide a little bit. Then let the dogs out on its track... the dogs never killed a rabbit when they found it. He has the best dogs in this county. Ever see 6 dogs running a track in a line, on heck of a crazy site to see. and they worked like a well oiled machine all as one.
Take care JB.
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I have beagles and start all of mine when they are 5 months old on a rabbit hide. I keep one in the freezer with a string on it and get it out in the yard and let them chase and play with it. When they are about 6 months old I start taking them with the older running dogs, it doesn't take them long to start. Beagles are the easiest hunting dog there is to train. Most any beagle from hunting stock will run a rabbit. Now, whether or not they are good at it is a whole nother story. I have a nice 2 yr old male that will run the fire out of a rabbit that I would give ya if ya want to drive to Texas to get it.
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When mine were little I took them out and when I finally jumped one I shot it. I didn't think I hit it because it took off. I led them to the spot and they trailed it and to my surprise I had put one pellet through it's lungs. They freaked out when they found it. I was going to tie it to the back of my 4 wheeler but the battery was dead. I had to use my kid's 20 year old, 40cc 4 wheeler. I tied it with about 25 feet of slack and road it around the house for about 5 minutes. They were hot on it's tail the whole time.
Back then I never kept them penned. I would let them out and they would leave the house and come back late in the afternoon. Many times I would go outside and hear them burning one up. They were lean and mean that summer. They got to the point were they would catch the rabbit and eat it. That combined with the fear of them getting picked up or hit by a car caused me to fence in the back yard. Actually had one of them get caught in a leg hold fox trap once too.
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My beagle is one year old and makes a great house dog. Figured out the potty training with no trouble. Can't hardly get the thing off it's dog pillow. Gets outside and acts like she's freezing to death. I guess here in the midwest that's not too uncommen right now. My dog loves to eat. Constantly has her nose to the floors, rugs, oven, everything just looking for something to lick or eat. Biggest drawback that I've found is the shedding. I never seen a dog shed like a beagle, hair on everything she lays on.
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I've got two in the house, and they are crate trained and ask to go outside. A tri tronics collar set was the best thing I ever bought. Made a huge difference in my dogs. If you want to get them started on rabbits, you may want to find someone with a starting pen in your area, and get her in it. There are several good web sites for beagling as well. Beagles are a l;ittle hard headed, but they really are loves as well. I don't think I will be without one again!
Bryan
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Tim, that's a very good looking pup. I think beagles are the greatest all around dog anyone can have as a companion. I admit to being a little prejudice because I love beagles, they are great hunters and great pets. They will fit in your lap eaiser that a lab, plus they eat less than a big dog. I've had at least one around just about all my adult life.
I use to keep my beagles outside in a pen but the last two I've had I kept in the house and they were part of the family.
You always hear that beagles are stubborn, don't listen and don't mind. I've seen dogs like that and also a lot of kids. Smacking them or shocking with a collar will only make them timid. A shock collor may be necessary if they take a liking to chasing deer. For the most part you train a dog with LOVE..and lots of it. A beagle is a sensitive dog and will respond in a positive way to love and kindness. They are a loving breed and love to please their master.
The key to making a beagle LISTEN to you is spending time with them. My last beagle Maggie was with me in the shop all day. I taught her tricks for the amusment of customer and kids that came in the shop. She would sit up, roll over and play dead. A neat trick she would do was when I let her outside, she would push on the door to come back in then...she would close the door with her front feet.
My current pal Dolly is also very smart and minds very well. She loves to hunt and comes from champion field trial stock. She goes everywhere with me, to the grocery store, Post Office or where ever. I leave her in the truck and she lays on the dash waiting for me. People that pass by comment on the dog on the dash and I tell them she's my dashhound. :D
In my opinion the only training a beagle needs is to be taken out in good rabbit country. They come by running rabbits naturally, it's bred in them.
I even took Dolly to deer camp last fall. She scared off a bear that had been coming into camy every night..he never came back.
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Dolly-me.JPG)
She also love to tree squirrels.
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Dollys%20squirrels.JPG)
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Longbow_bunny.JPG)
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kctreeman.....Our beagle doesn't seem to shed much at all. She goes through a phase around late Spring where it's pretty noticable, but the rest of the year, it's not bad at all. Of course, she gets brushed frequently and bathed at the slightest sign of here stinking up the house.
Deerstalker.....They are a loving dog for sure. Once they get attached to you, they'll follow you anywhere. If I even think about sitting on the floor, Lily is either in my lap or laying right up against me. She's a sweet girl.
(http://cluster.ezphotoshed.com/users/chrisw8658/photos/1150495865-2.jpg) (http://cluster.ezphotoshed.com/users/chrisw8658/photos/1150495865-1.jpg)
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Beagles have a lot of energy, especially a young dog so they need to be exercized every day. A game I play with Dolly is throw and fetch. A tennis ball works good for this game, basically I throw it and she brings it back. Sometimes she plays by herself in the yard with an empty plastic pop bottle of milk jug.
If you keep your beagle in a pen all the time or he lays around the house and only gets to run on the weekends, the dog probably won't respond to your commands...he just wants to GO!
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i apreciate all the input.
Incognito; thanks but texas is a LONG way lol
thanks again, we are all brand new to beagles and all this will hopefully help us make a great hunting partner. keep it coming!
Tim
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I try and run Lily daily. She loves a frisbee. I can get more distance out of it than a tennis ball. I like to get her out in the late afternoon and run her before supper. Man, when she runs, she runs hard and fast. I found that if I run her good at the end of the day, she sleeps better at night and is not as rowdy in the house. It also keeps her in shape. Beagles can get fat real quick if they don't get enough exercise.
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Ron: what a great looking dog and sounds like she is pretty brave, chasin bears away and all, but i was laughin readin that because i could just picture it.
Chris: between my dog and my brothers beagle i have the same "problem" whenever i sit on the floor i have a dog laying somewhere on me almost instantly, great looking dog.
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MR.La CLAIR could not of said it any better!!!I had beagles most of my life and all they want is for you to love them and they show it back more than you can imagine.Just take them out as a pup and they will play at your feet but ignore them and they slowly go out a little further at a time and explore!!! Soon you can walk a bit and they will be in tow .Stop let them explore and after a while when you here that first bark it will send chills up your spine and you will feel like a proud DAD watching your son play ball!!!If you jump a rabbit call him over and get him worked up as to where you jumped the rabbit!!Nature will take its course.You get exactly what time you spend with your new buddy.AND the rewards and memories are a lifetime treasure to enjoy
DEAN
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check out the american beagler web site. Lots of great stuff on there. I have 4 beagles. One lives inside. They all mind well & I always have 1-2 with me. I start them at 5-6 months old. I like to use a domestic rabbit first & then a dead wild one on a rope. I alternate between bringing them with the older dogs & solo time. Just remember they are like kids & each one is a little different as to when they mature. Be PATIENT. I cant stress that enough. My 11 month old female really didnt start until 9 months & it wasnt for lack of effort. She will run the fur off of one now & makes my 2 year old work hard to keep up. He started at 5 months. Good luck & e-mail w/ any questions. Be patient & use lots of praise with the dogs. Mike
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My nieghbor was off from work for a couple months when he got his pup and spent everyday with him at a young age,it does make a big differance in how well he listens.Most of us hafta go to work which makes that a little more difficult.
Actually the deer thing was the reason for my first try with a shock collar.It wasn,t the trakin part it was when the deer got up in front of him and he saw it...the collar worked very very well to take care of that.
The 2nd time I used a collar was on the tradgang bunny hunt which was several hrs drive from my house and I wanted to make sure I came home with the dog.He picked up on the warning tone so fast that I bought my own.
More times than not,without alot of effort in training at an early age or a collar which also needs training with, beagles with their nose down will look at you ackknowledge they heard you and put their nose back down headin the other way.
Since I,ve used the collar I don,t need it at this time really and he won,t just blow me off when I call him,he may come at beagle pace but he will be coming LOL
Enjoy your dog they make great companions
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Not to brag but I'm the worlds smartest beagle. Just ask my master.
Dolly LaClair
(http://www.shrewbows.com/rons_linkpics/Computer_Beagle.JPG)
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Nice pic I see she share's your interest LOL
I,ve got this funny feeling based on the call from my wife a few min.s ago that I,m gonna have a house broke spay'd 2 yr old treeing walker little girl wiating at home when I get there.She's been wantin a dog for to call her's for a little while now guess I,ll see when I get home tonight
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There shouldnt be any trouble gettin her enough exercise as she will lead a very active life i am sure. i was also wondering how are they with water? i know it can vary with each specific dog but in general. we wont be able to test her with the water for a while.
no: thanks for the offer i just may do that down the road.
Ron: lol what a great picture, thanks for sharing
Swampbuck: good luck let us know how u make out with that and see you saturday.
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My family would be lost without our beagle! I've raised blueticks, fox terriers, a bunch of house dogs and none of em can come close to this beagle I have now. Litter trained right quick too.
One thing I have learned about house training.
I used to live in a townhouse that permitted pets but no poop on the lawn. So we trained our dog by taking him on 15 minute walks, so he wouldnt go in the yard.
When we bought our house we hoped he would go potty in the fenced in yard. NOPE- he will not go to the bathroom without being taken for his walk. It'd sure be nice just to let im out in the yard during these sub 0 temps. But no way will he go in the yard! Keep that in mind during potty training.
Beagles really need love and they give it back 10 fold! That sure is a nice looking pup!!
Good Luck!!
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You guys are KILLIN' me with all this beagle talk. I miss mine sooo badly! I have shared my home with three beagles over the years. All were special and all ended tragically.
Number One was a male named Raliegh. I was a young and inexperienced dog dad, but did alright any way. Through firm, consistant and loving training, that dog would jump over a deer trail like it was hot lava. Was just as good at birds as rabbits. He would actually range like a quartering spainel in the grouse woods.
I put him down at 8 yrs. old due to a degenrative spine coondition.
Broke my heart.
Number two was my houndawg named Flash. I worked that dog every day when he was a pup on basic obedience. He would walk off-leash on city sidewalks looking at me like a highly trained lab does. He was a good hunter as well.
I put him down at only 3yrs. old due to a rare blood disorder only after my former wife and I decided to try to buy his life back. $4000 later I couldn't stand his pain any longer. Broke my heart.
Number three was Jack. Flashes half brother from a breeder in Coldwater, MI. Great dog, was just getting his head out of his rear-end when I couldn't stand the pain any longer and was divorced. He lives happily with my former wife and her divorce attorney.
Broke my heart.
Mick
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Another note: The breeder that sold me my pup told me to keep his food bowl full at all times. This would prevent him from binge eating and being over weight.
Also he told me to keep his dog food to a MINIMUM of 27% protein for an active dog.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Osnishi/Dsc01810.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/Osnishi/Shisleeper.jpg)
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I can't wait to own a beagle. My sweetheart bought me a beagle calender for Christmas to tie me over until we can have one of our own. Gonna call her Artemis, Missy for short.
Not so much into the rabbit hunting, thoughI do like the idea of treeing squirrels. I have the crazy noting of using the beagle for blood trailing wounded game. Wish me luck!
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My first coon hound was feed that way but had been fed with a bin type feeder his whole life starting shortly after he was weaned from his mother.My beagle now I think would burst if I let him eat what ever he wanted LOL I keep a close eye on his wieght and feed IAM's lamb n rice adult formula.Feed him puppy food the first yr,both parents where 13" he stands 17.5" and wieghs in @43#s no fat.
I always used that real high pro on my huskys and some on my hounds if they was runnin hard enuff but it sure makes their farts stink I tell ya LOL
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here's a couple pics of my newest dog...she's just under a year old. This is my 3rd beagle and has the potential of being the best hunter yet. To bad all the snow around here has put a squelch on the rabbit hunting
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y106/lgmarshall/brandy/brandy005.jpg)
(http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y106/lgmarshall/brandy/brandy006.jpg)
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Never heard the 'keep your puppy's bowl full' theory before. Probably akin to breast feed on demand vs. schedule feedings for newborns. We always fed three x's a day till 16 weeks and then twice thereafter without adverse effects.
Here's my oldest daughter's beagle she got a couple years ago on her 12th birthday. Probably the prettiest we've had with the blue and brown ticking. Mother was a 15" with father a 13"...Lilly is almost 17".
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v85/barndwellers_md/LILLY011.jpg)
As a kid I let my dogs run loose all the time...didn't ever make sense keeping a farm dog couped up. Had several get killed when the wabbit went across the main road. Several got injured when the truck's front tire got em, or the VW beetle go-cart swiped them...they got put down with my .22 pistol. Wasn't fun.
One of them was missing for months...probably my favorite of all time...Deuce Boy.
My grandmother happened to run into her friend up at the corner store and they got to chatting about her 'new' dog. Come to find out this lady found Deuce and thought he was a stray since he didn't have a collar (he ripped it off on a fence). So she got him fixed and took him in and cared for him. She felt bad for me and said I could have him back...I let her keep him.
It was probably six months between the last time I saw him and when I went to visit him. My truck had a loud Flowmaster muffler on it and when I pulled in he went bonkers and knew it was me.
I visited him from time to time for years....watched him grow into a fat monster. :)
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I dunno where or how our breeder came about the full bowl idea. I can tell you this, this beagle has never eaten more than a cup of food a day. His bowl holds exactly one cup and it gets filled once a day.
Maybe I could've put it better by saying that we keep food in his bowl constantly, only adding or re-filling when empty.
He has maybe 15 dogs, a very nice kennel set-up. He also lets everyone of his hunting stock free in the yard for a time being everyday. He feels it keeps them happy.
I made a comment about beagles being stubborn and hardheaded and he proved me foolish by calling each dog by name, as soon as they heard their name right back into the pen they went- by themselves! :clapper:
He hunts 8 or 9 dogs regularly, and one thing I noticed immediately is that every dog has a simple 1 syllable name like Belle, Smoke, Joe etc. Next time I see him I'm gonna ask him about that.
Anyhow they're great dogs and I cant wait to be able to hunt over my beagle with my bow!
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Halle and her first of the year.
(http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f164/BuzAL/DSC01069.jpg)
Some tips I haven't seen are-
-Get a book on crate training if you don't know it already. It really works if they haven't learned they don't mind being nasty. Leave 'em in there all the time they aren't supervised, they don't like to mess their bed. The trick to house-training is to realize that house training is really people training more than puppy training. Take 'em out of the crate every hour or so with plenty of praise for the good deeds for a couple days and you'll never have a problem. Pick them up from the crate and set them down outside so they don't get a chance to think that outside the crate is "outside" before they get outside.
-Only ONE toy. If you get them one toy at a time, they can easily be taught that everything else is non-chewable. Takes lots of "NO"s though.
-Weather matters. Don't take the pup out on a nice dry mid-morning that's wariming quickly and expect good scenting conditions. Go early mornings, afternoons after the thermals begin to cool and when the air hangs low to the ground. Moist times, too.
-Carharts and patience. It'll take lots of times with her just chasing them off before one finally comes full circle. Be glad for those times, and realize the circles will come. And help her get a trail started.
-Once the chase starts, realize that the rabbit is 100-200 yards out in front of your dog, just hopping along slowly. Its likely not running just ahead of the dog. By the time the dog starts back toward you, you'd better be hunting. Your stand should be very close to where the rabbit started, he is coming back.
-Then start imitating a carrot. Act just like one and make the very best carrot calls you can. Be as loud as you want, as long as it sounds just like a carrot growing there ready to eat. Any other movement or sounds will result in your dog doing a 90 degree turn about 25 yards out in front of you. Maybe if you act like a carrot then you'll get to hear that little rustle-rustle that tells you its time to tighten up on that bowstring in a little while. Time your draw correctly with their good eyesight or it'll be another circle. :-)
-Field points work great for rabbits in front of dogs. Haven't lost a hit rabbit yet. Safe for the dog, too.
Beagles are the most willing hunting partners and best roommates you've ever imagined.