Did I do the right thing?

Have your dogs ever been shocked off a deer? If so it would have been good to test them. If not it could have been a good training exercise. Last weekend the dogs were locked on to a good running rabbit. As they brought him down the fence row a deer popped out. I started questioning if they were running it the way they were pouring it on. I went and stood on the line. Leash in hand (I don't use training collars) ready to whoop the you know what out of them if they came out into the field. The closer they got the more I thought they was running the deer. They got to the edge of the field were i thought the deer came out and turned the track going back away. They was on a rabbit the whole time. I test my dogs on deer any chance I get.

 

Johnathan, what would you have done if your dogs were headed towards a busy road? Posted property where you absolutely knew you couldn't be? NO HARM NO FOUL, you did what you thought was best at the time, there's going to be many times your gonna need to catch your hounds up,don't give it another thought, I commend you for teaching your dogs to come to you with tone, it's just another training excercise that's gonna come up from time to time, enjoy your hounds!

 

If I understand U correctly they Jumped Deer as they were running a rabbit ?? DID they offer to run the Deer or stay on the Rabbit ??
If they took 2 the DEER U did the Rite thing IF they stayed on the RABBIT -Shame on U

Correcting a Dog for running off-Game is the only way they will learn (Hopefully) that t is a NO-NO IMO it is only fair to let them prove what game they are pursuing

It was a Judgement call that could go either way --BUTT now U still do not know if they will run Deer. @ 6 months old they will more than likely 4get the incident

Jim

 

I think you did right man.

In the case Wilbur was talking about, heading toward the road or property line:
One thing I do when I have to call my dogs, especially young ones, off of a rabbit if they are heading toward trouble is to reward them for running the rabbit. Give them a biscuit or a belly rub or head pat. Let them know they did well running the rabbit.

 

If you wasn't in a good position to tell if they switched I'd say you made the right call. If I see a deer jump I usually go over and stand on the track and wait to see what happens.

Most dogs I've seen take a deer track have a different sounding bark than when running a rabbit. It will be hot and heavy with no breakdowns. You should be able to tell by the music if they've changed dance partners.

 

I really think a running rbt jumps deer up sometimes. Someday youll have those E collars , you young buck

 

I'll ask my grandkids to buy me one for Christmas! Till then don't make fun of me for running dogs in tennis shoes!

 

I wont

 

All is good sound advice. If I had a nickel for every bad call I’ve made with dogs I probably could buy me a good dog lol My advice is stop now and get them deer Broke. There at the perfect age to brake before they ever start. An e collar makes it a lot Easier ( maybe you could Borrow or rent one off one of your buddies) But it’s not absolutely necessary they can be broke with out a e collar. Hears one way best to have a buddy help. Go out in the evening till you spot deer in a pasture or hay field. Spook the deer out of the field and get a marked line on there escape route. You go to where you saw the deer enter the woods or wherever and stand on the line have your buddy work your pup across the line if he shows interest and starts running them you will be there to stop the run don’t hold back let him know that’s not Acceptable try doing this a couple times back to back. Then get him on a rabbit and Reward him after the run. Also don’t ever put him down with a known deer runner just to much temptation for a young dog. Good luck

 

I would have let them keep running.

 

Johnathan, It is a hard call, but since you were at a distance and not sure if a hard correction was necessary and your dogs are tone trained, I think you did the right thing. A hard correction may have resulted in one or so hesitant to want to even take a rabbit if indeed they were on rabbit. Some dogs will not be affected either way. I have a young female green started that I witnessed her running rabbit in the pen, but she is a kennel barker so I have been using a bark collar on her when she gets to out of control. I took her out recently and she did as if she wasn't started at all. I at the time had an e-collar on her. I removed it and she was a little more active, but still wasn't much interested. She was eaten up with hunt when I picked her up from the starting pen. Actually I was worried at how much she wanted rabbit at the time for a just started pup. I have hopes she will snap out of it and show me she is a rabbit dog within the next few times out. All dogs are different. WOW!!!! how I got side tracked!!!!! It was a judgement call on your part and you surely didn't hurt your dogs. Before E-Collars some terrible techniques were used in attempts to break dogs off of deer. If your dogs came in to tone, on rabbit or deer, no issue. E-Collar used correctly is a great tool, especially for an old guy like myself. I like to keep my neighbors happy by having quiet dogs also.

 

Good to hear from you John hope all is well and you and yours are idoing good

 

I AGREE 100% just make sure U can put them on a Rabbit ASAP and REWARD him 4 the Rabbit

Jim

 

Man they just need tracks I run in strip pits and on a bad day mine can’t do anything on bare ground either. Sometimes they just can’t smell em

 

Mr Sizemore, how well started are these pups? Have or can they circle a rabbit? I understand your situation. I would NEVER DO THAT AGAIN. If they are just green started this is not something you want to do much of. If they can run a rabbit pretty good. They can run a deer much better. Trust me. You will soon know if you have a deer race going. It is better to take care of deer problems earlier than latter.

 

I think you have to trust your hounds until they prove they cannot be trusted. I would never stop them from a rabbit chase unless their lives were in danger from a road, heading into posted property, or some other serious reason. Most of those issues can be avoided by watching where you run them. I would never stop a rabbit chase because a deer was sighted. I would just be on high alert in that case should they decide to switch to the deer. You just don’t want your hounds to get any idea that running a rabbit is a bad thing. Most good beagles will not leave a rabbit chase for a deer, but your young hounds may not have proven that to you as yet. I think you would have been proud if they ignored that deer, and would have gained confidence in them for the future. You will get another chance sooner or later.