Instructions
Acquire a pup with a genetic disposition for hunting. Beagles that hail from show dog backgrounds may have lost several essential gun dog traits. Assess your Beagle's pedigree and verify that many field champions and well-reputed hunters are present there.
Build scenting ability in very young Beagle pups, aged 4 to 6 weeks, by tempting them with savory food in your hand. Toss them in front of the puppy to encourage her to use her sense of smell. Restrict these smell-and-search activities to a brief span of time, as Beagles have very short attention spans, especially young ones.
Incorporate brief lessons on retrieving and tracking to your puppy's learning when he is between 6 and 8 weeks old. Tease your puppy with a rolled sock, toss it down a hallway, and ask him to fetch it. Over time, move this activity outdoors. Once mastered, add rabbit scent to the sock roll. For tracking, tie a hot dog or aromatic treat to a string and trail it through grass. Leave a tiny bit of the treat every 3 feet; this will spur your Beagle pup on. Tie the string and treat behind a tree or hidden location. Introduce your Beagle to the scented grass area. Encourage him to pursue the trail and the treat at the end of it. Over time, increase the distance of the trail and the feet between bits of treats. Eventually replace the treat with a rabbit-scented drag; reward him only with praise for following the whole line and finding the drag.
Tease your Beagle pup at age 14 to 16 weeks with tame rabbits. Use Flemish Giant, Cottontail or Belgian Hare rabbit varieties, among other select types of rabbit. Either leash your puppy or tie him to a tree, loosely but securely. Set the rabbit into the area at a distance from the Beagle and interact with it. Once he shows excitement about the rabbit, release him from the lead. Perform this several times to build his sight-chase ability.
How to Train Beagle Puppies to Chase Rabbits
The Beagle is a natural born hunter. His instincts for chasing prey are indelibly etched into his genes, so encouraging your puppy to pursue rabbits should not prove too difficult. Beagle puppy owners should encourage "tongueing" in their young hounds, or emitting a type of bark-howl that is unique to each individual Beagle. Each dog's idiosyncratic "tongue" is used by beaglers to tell their hounds apart in packs that can number up to six.