The American Beagler Forum

can bany rabbits create bad habits for dogs like back tracking noticed dog would go back and forth on same track?

Rabbits born this year have little sent as a defence. your hound might have trouble picking it up. he/she might have to work harded to find it. My hound will jump a small rabbit chase it for a few then loose it sent. I don't think there is anything wrong just a part of natures defence.

Mine do the same this time of year with all the young rabbits running around.They run it for a ways then lose it.Then go back to last place they scented it once or twice before they realize that darn rabbit just vanished into thin air ! Time to find a new one ...Pat

have you seen your dogs not be able to decide which direction to go

I have noticed on young rabbits my younger hounds give the appearance of not being sure which direction they shoud be headed for a short time. But I run at least one of them every night and it happens so often this time of year I think they realize this is one of those wierd "vanishing rabbits" and they move on right quick.Now when it comes to an adult rabbit they stick with it till they work it out.If I had one that didn't want to leave what I knew was a faded out young track I would verbally help them get straightened out.After a few of these times they catch on to it.A couple times this year while putting down two or three hounds,one will jump a youngun and it will run right into the mouth of one of the other hounds.I don't like to see it happen as that is one less rabbit they have to chase later on but it sure does seem to make them hounds proud of themselves.I don't know if this will cause some kind of bad habbit down the road but it seems to be ok to me for now.A couple of my seasoned hounds don't give these type of tracks much more than a strange growly chop on thier way by so IMO it just helps fine tune those noses.Just my humble observations...Pat