Help with beagle rabbit training.?
Keep the dog where he can’t see what you are doing. Take the rabbit fur and tie it to the line on a fishing pole. If you don’t have a fishing pole a long stick will work. Hold the pole out to your side as far as possible and lay down a scent trail. This will insure the dog is following the rabbit scent and not yours. Always praise the dog and give him a treat when he does what he’s supposed to do. Make sure the dog listens to you before you take him out in the field. The last thing you want is to lose your pet. His instinct will take over and the hunting should come natural to him. As for being gun shy, start out with noise when he is eating. Hit a pan with a wooden spoon near him while he is eating. It might scare him at first but he’ll learn that nothing bad is happening because of the noise and he’ll go right back to eating. When he gets used to noise, try a .22 blank from a distance. Move closer as he gets used to the gun shot.
