Hello,
I'm from the Maritime's. My wife just got me a beagle pup for Christmas.It's not a registered beagle pup but her parents were both good hunters, so i'm told. Anyway i want to try and hunt with her as well as being a house dog. What are your opinions on house dog's being hunters? Are they as good? Are there any disadvantages?
House Dog
Moderators: Pike Ridge Beagles, Aaron Bartlett
house dog
My hunting partner has a littermate to my male pup and at 7 months old she hunts just as hard as he does and she stays in the house and my dogs stay outside. So, I dont think it matters. just my 2 cents. Paul 
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New York Hillbilly
- Posts: 687
- Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2002 11:54 pm
- Location: Soldotna, Alaska
house dog
Slick,
Oh boy are you looking for trouble!! I can't wait to here the replies to this one.
I have heard keeping a hound makes them lazy, spoiled, lose their nose and on and on. You have to really treat them like "dawgs" to make em hunters, or so I've heard. Hoooey is what I say! If my wife would allow it my hounds would have free run of the house, sleep on the bed and watch football with me. All eight of them! I love my hounds almost like kids. And you know what? It shows when I take them hunting. They all know their names and come when called. And even though they can be hard headed and do so stupid things at times(like their owner), they are still a pleasure to have as hunting partners. They have bonded with me to the point they see me as the lead dog in the pack and go out of their way to please me. I can't keep them in the house by order of the "queen" of my castle. 
So I do the next best thing which is keeping them warm in the winter, the kennel air conditioned in the summer (I don't even have AC in the house) well fed and watered. I also have an old Lazy Boy out there that I go out and just sit in as they run around the inside of the building. They horse around and climb all over me as I rough house with them. Sometimes they get jealous and nip each other so I have to be careful nobody feels left out. I hate hunting with some of my buddies hounds simply for the reason that they don't listen. 
Running around screaming DOWWWWWWNNNNN and CATCH EMMMMM is not my idea of a good time and is not the fault of the hound. If the only time you see them is to toss them some food and water and throw them in the truck to go hunting (or trial) who is to blame cause they don't behave? I mentioned in the past an old farmer I knew (Skeet) as a kid. He got his little female beagle from the pound and kept it in the house with him and it was one of the best I had ever seen. It didn't seem to bother her any. The only down side I can think of is if it somehow might effect them geting a heavy enough winter coat to tolerate long periods hunting in extreme winter conditions. Here however I have to plead ignorant as it is only speculation on my part, as I have no first hand experience. Remember, I can't keep them in the house. But I would if I could!! 
Peace,
New York Hillbilly
Oh boy are you looking for trouble!! I can't wait to here the replies to this one.
I have heard keeping a hound makes them lazy, spoiled, lose their nose and on and on. You have to really treat them like "dawgs" to make em hunters, or so I've heard. Hoooey is what I say! If my wife would allow it my hounds would have free run of the house, sleep on the bed and watch football with me. All eight of them! I love my hounds almost like kids. And you know what? It shows when I take them hunting. They all know their names and come when called. And even though they can be hard headed and do so stupid things at times(like their owner), they are still a pleasure to have as hunting partners. They have bonded with me to the point they see me as the lead dog in the pack and go out of their way to please me. I can't keep them in the house by order of the "queen" of my castle. So I do the next best thing which is keeping them warm in the winter, the kennel air conditioned in the summer (I don't even have AC in the house) well fed and watered. I also have an old Lazy Boy out there that I go out and just sit in as they run around the inside of the building. They horse around and climb all over me as I rough house with them. Sometimes they get jealous and nip each other so I have to be careful nobody feels left out. I hate hunting with some of my buddies hounds simply for the reason that they don't listen. Running around screaming DOWWWWWWNNNNN and CATCH EMMMMM is not my idea of a good time and is not the fault of the hound. If the only time you see them is to toss them some food and water and throw them in the truck to go hunting (or trial) who is to blame cause they don't behave? I mentioned in the past an old farmer I knew (Skeet) as a kid. He got his little female beagle from the pound and kept it in the house with him and it was one of the best I had ever seen. It didn't seem to bother her any. The only down side I can think of is if it somehow might effect them geting a heavy enough winter coat to tolerate long periods hunting in extreme winter conditions. Here however I have to plead ignorant as it is only speculation on my part, as I have no first hand experience. Remember, I can't keep them in the house. But I would if I could!! Peace,
New York Hillbilly
When my life on earth is ended....this is all I'm gonna say...Lord I've been a hard working pilgrim on the way!
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Guest
I agree, keep them in the house. I have an inside beagle as well as a couple outside. they all hunt great. Hillbilly is right though, I live in northern Michigan, and my inside dog just doesn't have the heavy coat for a long cold day afield, but then again theres times when i get to cold. I say keep it in the house and enjoy, you will not be disappointed.
It can depend on the specific dog. I would think being kept outside or in a kennel 100% of the time can be just as bad on "hunting instincts" as keeping it inside of the house. It seems to me that the "spoiled" dogs end up being the ones dying to please their owners. They are also the ones I see who go nuts with excitement when they see they're about to go to the field or get in the truck. I see too many kennelled dogs whose focus is just on getting out of the kennel, and that becomes their drive. The couch-potato beagles I know were useless as hunters in the first place, regardless of how often they were kept outside or inside.
As for the coat issue, I've got a female with no fat and a relatively thin coat, but she will shiver and shake outside all-day long and refuse to come indoors if she knows there could be a critter out there. The cold will get me long before it gets her!
As for the coat issue, I've got a female with no fat and a relatively thin coat, but she will shiver and shake outside all-day long and refuse to come indoors if she knows there could be a critter out there. The cold will get me long before it gets her!