How to Train a Beagle for Hunting in Alabama

Beagles have been used for centuries to hunt pheasants, quail and foxes by English nobility. The breed was developed specifically for hunting. This makes beagles the ideal choice for rabbit hunting in Alabama. As beagles are an energetic and intelligent breed, training must begin early. Obedience training establishes the bond and respect between trainer and dog and is the foundation for the hunting dog training. Training a beagle takes patience and practice. A beagle must be completely trained before you take it out on a hunt.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog treats
  • Pair of socks, rolled up
  • Rabbit scent
  • Hot dog
  • String
  • Frozen rabbit in a gallon-size freezer bag
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Instructions

  1. Search, Find and Retrieve

    • 1
      Dog treats are an important training tool.

      Start search-and-find training when your beagle puppy is 4 to 6 weeks old. Let the puppy smell dog treats or pieces of hot dog in your closed hand. Toss the treats on the ground and let the puppy find them using its nose. Repeat daily, gradually increasing distance and difficulty of the search. This should be done on grass and dirt similar to what is encountered on an Alabama rabbit hunt.

    • 2
      Use a sock roll to teach fetch and retrieve.

      In a hallway, tease your 6- to 8-week-old puppy with a rolled up pair of socks. Toss the sock down the hallway. Give the "Fetch" command and encourage your puppy to get the sock. When the puppy gets the sock, call the dog to return it to you. Upon return, take the sock away from the puppy and overly praise and pet the dog.

    • 3

      Once your puppy is returning the sock to you on command, move the training outside. Add rabbit scent to the sock. After success, replace the sock with a frozen rabbit. The puppy is to fetch and retrieve, not chew or eat the rabbit.

    • 4

      For tracking, place a hot dog on a string. Drag it around in the grass. Every 3 feet leave a tiny piece of hot dog for a reward. Gradually extend the distance between the treats and the length of the trail. With success, progress to making a trail with rabbit scent through the typical Alabama bushy, wooded terrain and a reward only at the end of the trail. Do not make it too difficult for your puppy to be successful.

    • 5

      Introduce your puppy to tame rabbits at 14 to 16 weeks of age. Hold your puppy on its leash to watch your children or a friend chase a tame rabbit in the yard. Once your puppy is excited, let it go to chase the rabbit. Do this several times.

    • 6

      Out of your puppy's sight, let the tame rabbit make a scent trail by hopping around the yard. Place the rabbit under a weighted milk cart at the end of the trail. Bring your puppy out to the beginning of the scent trail. Let it track the rabbit. Reward the puppy once it has found the rabbit at the end of the trail. Progress this training as your puppy gets older by creating the trail in the actual Alabama hunting grounds.