The American Beagler Forum

Today on the way back from hunting my buddy asked me a question. He asked, how old is too old to start a dog? Well some of you will have several different answers and reply’s but this is the truth here guys. Back 20 years ago I had a beagle given to me. She was owned by an old lady that had to be put into a nursing home. She was AKC reg. and the papers said she was 9 when I got her. She was a house dog and finessed in back yard dog.
Well I was looking for a pet home when she came in heat. My males bread her and she had a litter of 6. The pups got about 4 months old and I started walking them around in the woods at night letting them smell around. The mama dog went also. One night I saw the rabbit and she did too. She started running the rabbit and never looked back. This dog was almost 10 before she ever ran a rabbit or saw one.

Some dogs have it....

THAT IS A GOOD PIONT THAT A LOT HAVE OVER LOOKED WE PUSH FOR THEM TO START A T 6 MONTH TO A YEAR AND THEN WE GIVE UP. I AHD A BEAGLE THAT WAS THREE YEARS OLD AND STARTED. ONLY TROUBLE WAS STARTED RUNING DEER. DID ALL I COULD TO BREAK HER BUT NO LUCK SO I SHIP HER TO A GUY IN SOUTH CARLINA WHERE THEY THOUGHT SHE WAS GREAT. MAYBE WE ALL COULD LEARN A LITLTLE SOMETHING HERE IT REALLY NEVER TO LATE TO STARTE.

I gave a runt male pup to a neighbors little boy as a pet once.He stayed in a fenced in yard his whole life.When the dog was about 4 they asked me if I wanted him back.The boy didn't play with him anymore and the neighbors wife wanted to reclaim the back yard.He liked to dig A LOT and their yard was destroyed.I took him back and took him out with the other dogs.He went with the pack the first time out.After 6 mos.and a gun season you couldn't tell he hadn't been running his whole life.Made a real good dog,one of the best handling hounds I've ever been around.

One of the best dogs I have ever owned was 2 years old when I got him. He was well taken care of but lived in a suburb chained to a dog house since a puppy.

The biggest issue ive seen with starting older dogs is their muscles or lack there of. If a 5yr old dog has been kept in a 12 sq/ft pen all its life Its going to have more trouble building its muscles up than learning to run a rabbit. ( if he has it in em to begin with)

Some of the best hounds I ve had started late.One of the best deer dogs daddy had and I ve ever seen started at 3 years old.