The American Beagler Forum

I'm in the process of fencing in three acres. It includes my backyard and kennel. It also encloses some good rabbit cover. I currently only have two beagles, both of which are over the age of five. Both handle well and know how to run a rabbit. My question is; do you expert beaglers see any harm in just cutting them loose in the pen for hours at a time without any real supervision? Like on the days you're too tired after work, or you have other commitments.

Three acres is pretty small for two grown dogs to run in---at least the type of dogs I keep it would be.If you have super conservative medium speed hounds and real thick cover you might get away with it.Otherwise you're liable to end up with a bunch of sight chases and you'll end up wearing your rabbits out and getting them eaten.

I will agree with Shady Grove if it real thick.

If you run in that small of a pen alot you will ruin your dogs for searching. They will get used to just running around in the pen and jumping a rabbit, then sight chase it. I wouldn't put an adult dog in a pen that small. Would be a good puppy pen for starting though. When I run in a pen it is 100 acres which seems big enough as long as you don't put too many hare in it.

Thank you for your opinions. I agree that three acres is pretty small. It is very thick, goldenrod and blackberries except for my yard. I don't think there'd be any site chases unless it was in the yard. The hounds are 13" SPO hounds, and I'd catagorize them as slow. Not like the LP hounds I ran (and preferred) when I was younger. I'm kind of more concerned about the hounds being out without a handler, and just doing there own thing. Does anyone see that as a problem?

sounds like a perfect puppy starting pen