pacobillie, what a beautiful dog she is. Sadly, after lenghty conversations, my wife has asked me NOT to hunt with my Benny the Beagle. She claims it will change his demeanor, make him a killer. My problem is that I love rabbit meat especially done to my beloved departed mom's recipe. I'm having trouble finding rabbits in the grocery store. So, I figured me and my Benny would hunt them. She's also concerned about tuberculosus found in rabbits. In my limited knowledge, I've found this to be true with hares, not cottontails. I also believe that you can find symptoms of it underneath the hide. But the missus is concerned that the dog could bite into it and contract it. So for now, I'm at a stand still with the war department. Do you guys think that hunting rabbits with my beagle would turn him into a zombie seeking machine? would he bite into a tuberculosis ridden hare and possibly contract the desease? would my friendly beagle turn into an ankle bitter? Help!
Beagle Dog - what to do?
- Thread starter gitrdun
- Start date
I have never found a beagle change it's demenor in any way just because it went hunting...except they tend to spend a little more time on the couch afterwards
I think you need to keep the beagle & turf the wife
Mount Sweetness
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Ontario
Put your foot down, the fact is - your wife is babying your dog.
"Beagle Dog,What to do?" Get your self a BIG supply of blood pressure pills!I've had three beagles.Two were excellent ,one was a good yard dog.I loved each of them though.There is excellent advice on this thread but the best tip for traning your Beagle Hound is like one other poster said,Run him with other hounds as young as posslble.Out of most hunting breeds I've never seen the instinct so prevalent as I have in Beagles.Thats why I hate to see beagles on a leash or tied up in yards in town.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Beagles have it built in, I didn't have to teach Cooper our Beagle a thing. Coop caught her first rabbit while leashed, my wife was walking her. They don't just like to chase, they'll happily put teeth into them as well. On her first one, she got to share in the feast, she picked a nice, young, tender rabbit.
Basically, just get him in the field and condition him to guns, I'd bet he'll do the rest on his own, they're pre-programmed. I run Coop on a long line, as she'll get a scent and never come back if let loose. The line works really well, and I can reel her in or out depending how thick the bush is.
The two hunters, or hunteresses:
Basically, just get him in the field and condition him to guns, I'd bet he'll do the rest on his own, they're pre-programmed. I run Coop on a long line, as she'll get a scent and never come back if let loose. The line works really well, and I can reel her in or out depending how thick the bush is.
The two hunters, or hunteresses:
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Not at all, Cooper just gets damn happy when she gets to hunt. It's in their blood, just like ours.
Ask your wife if you're a viscious ankle biting zombie seeking machine, and remind her the little pooch is a predator and loves nothing more than to hunt!Billie the Beagle is most appreciative of the compliment.
On a different note, as noted by others here, beagles have a tendency to stray. That is because once they are tracking a scent, they tend to be oblivious to everything else. I am fortunate enough that Billie comes back to me whenever I whistle. I have trained her to answer a whistle since her puppy days. In 7 plus years with her, I have lost her once, when she took off after a deer. Fortunately, she came back 90 minutes later, but it definitely was not easy on my nerves. Therefore, before you let Benny the Beagle loose, make sure that he is trained to "come" on cue.
A blood thirsty beagle is rarer than an honest liberal. Hunting is what it was bred to do. Take him hunting. Beagles have a naturally soft mouth. I've never ad had a beagle in the 20 years I've hunted with them ever bite into a rabbit. Old sparky would crunch the ribs of a wounded one but never sank a tooth. Fights with coons a different story. You have a gun to shoot it right? Makes sense if you have the huntng dog to take it hunting
Mount Sweetness
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Ontario
First light snow fall here today, had the old beagle out and bagged two bunnies with ease. 13 years old and better than ever...this dog is a beast!
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
My two beagles lived to 17 years of age, I credit much of that to the hunting they did. It kept them fit. I never allowed them to get over weight,and they were both family pets that accompanied us everywhere, including numerous long distance canoe trips. Killers? not hardly, Sucks yes.I have never found a beagle change it's demenor in any way just because it went hunting...except they tend to spend a little more time on the couch afterwards
I think you need to keep the beagle & turf the wife
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Not that it's something you want, but Cooper certainly will put her teeth in the rabbit if she gets on it.
Thats not loosing her!
That's generally what a couch potato beagle does with deer.
Perfect for hunting
Most troubles I have seen with beagles running to far is with kennel dogs, I mean if you were outside in a cage all your life would you be in a hurry to return! IMHO of course !
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Kennel dogs, yes, the kind that have never been in a truck, and puke, or s**t in your vehicle.
My only real trouble with the beagles running too far, was once, when we had three of them out in a foot of snow.
I finally got them back, by tracking them, found out they had gone to another camp, who had been using them, and feeding them.
Then they all went home, and left the dogs behind, including one of their own, (Blue Tick)that was lost. They did leave out some food, and one would hope they were coming back. But my dogs had names, addresses, and phone numbers on their collars. 
We got my dogs back, and rescued theirs as well. Two of us stayed three days after the end of deer season to do it.
I walked a lot of miles those three days.
My only real trouble with the beagles running too far, was once, when we had three of them out in a foot of snow.
I finally got them back, by tracking them, found out they had gone to another camp, who had been using them
, and feeding them. Then they all went home, and left the dogs behind
, including one of their own, (Blue Tick)that was lost. They did leave out some food, and one would hope they were coming back. But my dogs had names, addresses, and phone numbers on their collars. We got my dogs back, and rescued theirs as well. Two of us stayed three days after the end of deer season to do it.
I walked a lot of miles those three days.
The only real trouble we ever had with beagles running to far was when we run them together, they seem to feed of each other confidence & excitement. Singly they're good!
Our camp went together & bought tracking collars because our hunting dogs are also our pets. For about $30 each we have security in not loosing a dog or having it tied somewhere, we know roughly where they are & can track them down quite quickly.
Our camp went together & bought tracking collars because our hunting dogs are also our pets. For about $30 each we have security in not loosing a dog or having it tied somewhere, we know roughly where they are & can track them down quite quickly.
