My dog is in experienced. I've been working with her for about a month. She's probably worked 30 tracks so far. I can see progress, but every once in a while I'll jump a rabbit and call her to the track and she doesn't pick it up. Is it just part of the learning process for a new dog? Any thoughts on this?
Runs some, but not all
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It can be very frustrating when you are pointing to exactly where the rabbit took off and the dog seems like it notices nothing. Sometimes if you walk it down the path the rabbit took a little ways it can pick it up. I’ve seen this happen before. I don’t know if the dog gets over excited and kinda goes nuts thinking you started a rabbit for it , or if there’s just poor scent.
Keep at it. 30 tracks is still just beginning.
Keep at it. 30 tracks is still just beginning.
Sometimes it is bad scenting conditions or that rabbit just doesn’t give off much scent. Was hunting last weekend with 2 experienced dogs . We killed the first rabbit they got up after them circling it for about 45 minutes. We was taking them to a different spot in the field and we kicked up a rabbit. I called the dogs over to where the rabbit ran and they couldn’t do anything with it. They would go a short distance with it and have a long check , go a little further and long check again. We pulled them off and they jumped another one and ran it for about an hour before we picked them up. They just could smell the second rabbit for a reason I can’t explain. See it when there is young rabbits but is none in our area this time of year and I saw the rabbit myself it was a grown rabbit. Would be interested for someone to explain it myself.
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This time of year doe rabbits dont give off much scent, they are getting ready to have litters. God's way of protecting them. Also, this time of year buck rabbits travel a little bit looking for does to breed, they will run a straight line hundreds of yards until they get back to the range they are familiar with then run circles or go straight to hole.
If a rabbit is jumped call the dog not excitedly, walk to the track and let the dog smell the scent, everyone gets so excited the dog gets overly excited especially being young. The dog should smell rabbit and start the line. Sometime the big jumps it may be hard for the dog to smell. Keep working the area and your dog should hit the line. If not go jump another one. All part of the training process.
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Listen to WVBeagleMan ….he is dead on and knows exactly what he's talking about!
Keep bringing your good little dog...... it gets better with time and dedication.
You have a good eye, keep paying attention and both you and your good little hound will lean plenty and have some real fun times in the great outdoors.
Don't forget to thank God for both of them.
Mitch
Keep bringing your good little dog...... it gets better with time and dedication.
You have a good eye, keep paying attention and both you and your good little hound will lean plenty and have some real fun times in the great outdoors.
Don't forget to thank God for both of them.
Mitch
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I have had the same thing happened more than once . Jump a rabbit myself and put the dogs in the spot and they not do anything with the track . Then get another rabbit and run it . I also believe it happens with a doe in breeding season .
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Mine are running a hard one right now . They ran it good for a hour and about .45 minutes . It is a small rabbit about half grown . I saw where it lost them at and I let them work until they were not getting anywhere and going the wrong way . I walk them on the track and to where the rabbit went in and they never opened . I walked them in the cover a ways and they finally opened up and are running it again .
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Fly , don’t get me and my potlickers confused with the best of them , LOL . I started to late in life to be one of the best of them , but I have fun doing it and that’s what it’s really all about .
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