This topic can be a bit controversial for some folks (although I do not believe it warrants a place in the "Dog House" along with Scooby4's Dating Rituals). While I know that we all love our dogs and are general all-around pet enthusists, it is a fact that some dogs (in fact, quite a few) were bred to hunt. And yes... they are hunting other animals.
My dog Ginger is a Beagle. She is a wonderful companion and an excellent house pet. She is very well behaved, does tricks & doesn't bark (ironically). BUT there is nothing... absolutely nothing that makes her happier than being able to run free in the fields, beating the bushes and thrashing through the brush - totally intent upon finding a rabbit!
I am no longer a Hunter (per se), but I used to hunt frequently with my father. Growing up my father always had Beagles as he was an avid hunter. He taught us to love and respect nature. He also taught his boys to hunt. As a family, we did not have much (in the way of money) and so any game that we bagged was cleaned, processed and prepared as food. Rabbit, Pheasant and Deer (processed and frozen) sure helped to lower my Mom's bill at the market. To this day nothing makes me feel more relaxed than a brisk, sunny morning, walking in golden fields, smelling the fresh air and hearing a Beagle off in the distance howling. It reminds me of a simpler time. A time when my biggest worry "was for Christmas, what would be my toy" - thanks to Stevie Wonder for that line.
Some of you may not know about Beagles and their inherent drive to hunt. They are truly amazing and I thought you might be interested in knowing why and how they do it. Many breeds were bred for hunting - just look at an AKC breed chart to see how many. Because times have changed and many dogs were bred for show and as pets, some breeds have lost most of their original intended traits in favor of more current desirable ones. This is, in a way a bit of a shame, as their original traits and abilities were so incredibly remarkable.
I won't bore you with details about the Beagle's history as all of this is readily available at breed info sites. I will suffice to say that the Beagle is one of the oldest hunting breeds, originating in England and spreading across Europe. What I would like to emphasize in my ramblings are the current common misconceptions about this breed and the myths associated with hunting them.
You can only hunt with or make house pets out of your Beagle:
Not true... my Dad used to swear by this. My Ginger is a wonderful housedog and is first and foremost a housepet... BUT SHE IS A HUNTING CHAMP - one of the best hunters I've ever seen.
If you allow your dog to hunt, it will be aggressive and unfriendly:
A Beagle on a scent is intent upon only one thing - finding and keeping that scent trail. But it's howls and barking are not one of rage or anger, but rather a deep, instinctive almost feverish drive to find it's game. If stopped and taken off the trail, a Beagle will soon calm down and be licking your face and hands and just wanting to be loved and loving you.
Your Beagle wants to tear that rabbit apart:
Actually, when confronted with a rabbit that won't run, a Beagle is often puzzled and doesn't know what to do. Many a rabbit was brought back to my father unhurt and in a Beagle's mouth. Dropped at his feet with a sort of "I dunno" look from the dog. "He won't play".
Some general information and some photos to follow:
Beagles trail by scent. They rarely look up and as a consequence of that fact, they almost never really "see" the rabbit. Occasionally a rabbit will sit tight, and when a dog or a pack is scurriedly canvassing the area, they will "jump" the rabbit... and off they go. The dogs feverishly chase the hare, but shortly the rabbit will outrun them and they will quickly return to trailing (smelling the ground for the rabbit's scent). Beagles will hunt ALL DAY. Nothing makes them happier. They will run until they can't stand anymore. Of course, a responsible owner will never let them do this. Some people worry about the firing of guns when hunting and the subsequent danger to the dogs. Actually, the proximity of dogs to rabbit is rarely ever close. The rabbit stays well in advance of the pursuing hounds and will continue to move ahead as he hears the dogs getting closer. A bagged rabbit is often shot, cleaned and field dressed before the trailing dogs finally catch up.
Another almost always misunderstood trait of a Beagle is his notorious howl while on a trail. A trailing hound lets out a crazy, I am soooooo-awwhh-awh-roooo excited howl like you've never heard. Many people hearing this for the first time actually think something is wrong. I mean, really wrong. I once had a lady (who was jogging by a field I was in) ask me what I was doing to my dog. When I said nothing and tried to explain, she said, "I think your dog is hurt". I said no, that he was chasing a rabbit. She said, "he is most definitely not", she could see him and he was barking "at the ground"!!! She demanded that I go get him and when I refused she left and threatened to report me to the Humane Society.
So enough about Beagles - time for the photos. Ginger and I went out this morning in a nearby field that we frequent on nice days before heading off to work. Following are some shots (photoshots) of our outing:
Robins and Blossoms are the first sign of Spring in SW PA
This is how a Beagle reacts to an open field... START SMELLING AROUND
Uhh Ohhh... I think I'm smelling something here...
(Here's where my tail starts wagging and swishing wildly)
WHIPPEEEE!!! Which way did dey go... which way did dey go...
Now I'm trailin... check out my tail!!!
Ohhh... now I gotta scream (bay), "look out rabbit, here I come"
Although I ran the rabbit past my Dad many times
He was only able to get one shot... ONE SHOT???
No... not a gunshot - one camera shot of the rabbit,
so you can see how hard it is to get a good clear view of a running rabbit!!!
On the way out of the field (a dog's gotta go to work sometime)
I met a new friend. He told me that he (well not he, but his grandparents)
used to herd animals, but that he likely would not chase a rabbit. BOY...
he doesn't know what he is missing!!! :
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all for hunting (they have lots and lots of land) but they are house pets as well and they are ADORABLE! 
Originally Posted by dab_20
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