Whats the youngest age u have ever seen a pup start running

[Newt]

I once had a twelve week old Little Ireland pup, Little Ireland's Beau Brady X Little Ireland's Janice, that circled a cottontail in a thirty acre enclosure. I noticed the pup, when put on the ground, would have his nose on the ground sniffing. I took him to the enclosure, spotted a cottontail, put him on a line, and he started opening. He continued to the back of the enclosure and returned, still following the line. This pup had such determination to run a line that he became a nuisance. He would run a house cat, squirrel, deer or another dog. This was back before shocking collars or Ole Clipper might have made a good dog. Unfortunately for him, at about eighteen months, he started running dog tracks, barking like a fool that he was, when I was trying to Talley Ho the pack on a hot cottontail line. He ran out of chances.

I had a seven week old pup, Ida, that opened on a San Juan. I noticed some young San Juan rabbits in a brush pile. I picked up the pup and put her on the line. She got happy and opened as she ran the line through the weeds and honeysuckle.
Ida was a mixture of cottontail breeding. Kalagha and Loy breeding on the bitch side and by a Sudduth's Mississippi Homer male. Ida turned out to be a very good gun dog and produced real nice pups.

[BCBeagles]

I have had multiple pups start show their instincts prior to 12 wks. Earliest was 8 wks. This was trailing a rabbit by scent alone or with another pup there age.

I have a scenario here at my place that makes it pretty easy on them. They run loose I have multiple san juans running in the wild(turned loose as young rabbits). They raise young ones so I essentially have my own little group of wild born san juans...lol. The pups start when they are ready. Some early...some later....I really prefer the pup that continually progresses. I have seen many pups that did not progress like they should have. They made OK dogs...but just OK....

It is fun to watch but had absolutely NO bearing on what they finished into. Matter of fact I don't own any of them today....that gives me my answer....

These pups lines included. Heavy indian hills(several branches of that, but mainly thru Major), dingus breeding, Perry's Pete, Ranger dan(thru multiple lines of him), Green Bay(heavy Shooter), Grade hounds....

[chris1971]

I have two pens with my friend Steve that we start pups in. First pen is 3/4 acre that we take pups out into and walk around with them to help jump the rabbit. We have had pups as early as 9-10 weeks put their nose down and open on track but that to me is as green as green gets for a started pup. Once we get them to open and follow track we put them in a 5 acre pen to work it out on their own. But even in this larger pen the rabbits are some what predictable in how they will run and what trails they are on. After they circle we take them to the wild and put them in a fence row between two crop fields to jump and circle the rabbit but this is still setting them up a little bit because the rabbits usually do not range out to far from fence row. After they consistently can run a rabbit in fence row and crop field they go to our rabbit farm that is full of rabbits and really thick. When they can circle a rabbit here then we call them fully started pups. We have had two around the 4-5 month range that could circle a rabbit at the farm. Sorry but no 10 week pup going to be able to walk in this place let alone circle a rabbit. I guess my point is people all call a started pup something a little different just like people look at dogs differently. No right or wrong, just different. Hope your pup takes off like a bandit and never looks back!! Good running

[NorWester1]

norwester,

great video. my question is how did those pups turn out? just curious.

Sam, we ended up with only two that suited us.

In the first video the little bitch my son carries down the driveway, Crash, and her sister Jet, the little white (open marked) pup made the grade.

Here's a clip from January this year that highlights some of Jet's work in the cold and snow. Her sister Crash is with Bud Denny in northern MN who has plenty of video clips of Crash who is usually running near the front end of his pack. Perhaps he'll put up a video if you're interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROG8al8j-yM

Starting them young of course doesn't mean they'll work out. What it does guarantee however is that the ones that do work out will start gaining experience that is much needed running in winters up this way.
It should also be noted that pups descended from parentage who start very young are also likely to start young and therefore a consistency in traits starts to materialize along with the other characteristics we select for.
As far as how "started" is defined....we keep it simple, started means just that ....started, and is not indicative of the dogs abilities or lack thereof. For example if we waited until we saw a hound circle a hare before we called it started....there would be plenty of adult dogs that would fall into the category of not being started simply because they will never circle a hare in winter in this neck of the woods

[wildcatfan0309]

norwester,

great video. my question is how did those pups turn out? just curious.

Sam, we ended up with only two that suited us.

In the first video the little bitch my son carries down the driveway, Crash, and her sister Jet, the little white (open marked) pup made the grade.

Here's a clip from January this year that highlights some of Jet's work in the cold and snow. Her sister Crash is with Bud Denny in northern MN who has plenty of video clips of Crash who is usually running near the front end of his pack. Perhaps he'll put up a video if you're interested.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROG8al8j-yM

Starting them young of course doesn't mean they'll work out. What it does guarantee however is that the ones that do work out will start gaining experience that is much needed running in winters up this way.
It should also be noted that pups descended from parentage who start very young are also likely to start young and therefore a consistency in traits starts to materialize along with the other characteristics we select for.
As far as how "started" is defined....we keep it simple, started means just that ....started, and is not indicative of the dogs abilities or lack thereof. For example if we waited until we saw a hound circle a hare before we called it started....there would be plenty of adult dogs that would fall into the category of not being started simply because they will never circle a hare in winter in this neck of the woods

Another good video
That lil open marked white dog made a great turn there about the 1:35 mark on the video

[Newt]

Here you go. These pups were out of a bitch heavy in Kalagha and Brinskeys run em over Tank. The sire was a combination of Hare and Cottontail bloodlines. Granppy, Wingates Brandon, Sunkenland Sparkey, Gay Deal, and Pearson Creek.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACyOjy79rYQ
Those pups when mature were medium speed.

[NorWester1]

Look pretty good and fast there on the site chase.....must have had to slow down when they were forced to work the track.

[wildcatfan0309]

Yea im not talking about site chasing any of will do that
Nice video though

[Newt]

Yea im not talking about site chasing any of will do that
Nice video though

You are correct. Even pups with no nose will sight chase. However, dogs that don't use their nose or won't or can't smell on bare ground can't run successfully in that enclosure. That pup was using its nose to go back and find the rabbit at a loss.
I didn't keep that pup. Once she started tracking ground scent she was too slow for me. I gave her to my mail carrier. He still has her. I've had a lot of pups even a year old and more who could not catch one of those San Juans.

[st line beagle]

my male that i have now was circleing in 3 1/2 months in the wild and was doing a nice job but he opens early now i have a pup now i didnt try to start untill she was six months and she wont open untill the rabbit is up i blame my self for starting him early

[Newt]

my male that i have now was circleing in 3 1/2 months in the wild and was doing a nice job but he opens early now i have a pup now i didnt try to start untill she was six months and she wont open untill the rabbit is up i blame my self for starting him early

Starting early has nothing to do with mouthiness. I start all my pups as early as they show interest. I put them in the pen as soon they have a Parvo shot, about ten weeks. Some of the same litter will cold trail and some won't. Same litter, some start early and I've had some they would never run a San Juan. I had a bitch pup last year that never ran a San Juan. I saw a cottontail sitting on the lawn one morning when she was about 3-4 months old. I took her out to the spot. She started and circled the rabbit as if she were a well started hound. Unfortunately a coyote killed her a couple months later.

[Tsa la gi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WecWwcZasPo
14 wks 2 days, wild rabbit ( Patch)

[Hare Chaser]

Very nice! Sounds like he is going to have a very nice voice when he matures as well. I have noticed in other videos you have posted that many of your dogs carry very good hound voices. A pleasure to listen to them in full cry I'm sure. When a hound that has the ability to do what it was bred to do and has a great voice to go with it that's a real bonus.

[Tsa la gi]

Thanks Hare Chaser,
He was born in 2012 has matured into a nice Hound, has a great mouth. Most important he is a great rabbit hound, jumps and runs his rabbit with out any help,will cut and swing with my crazy males and gear down and run a good rabbit with my pack of females,with no junk stuff. I think if he was Tri and I knew which format to trial him in he could be a FC and a Bench champion. JMHOO.