# Training for chasing rabbits



## Trapper99 (May 18, 2008)

I have just gotten two lab/aierdal puppies, one male one female, and i was wondering if it would be popssible to train them to chase rabbits. If so, can anybody give me any hints or tips and how to do it? I've never traind a dog to do anything other than the basic sit and stay commands, so any tips would be of help.

Thanks
T99


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## rolly (Jul 30, 2007)

I'd say get a couple pet rabbit and let the pups chase them around til this fall. Then depending on the mental maturity of them, I don't know how old they are right now, I'd just take them to the woods and encourage them on bunnies. I would gun break them before you go hunting though as a shotgun can scare the crap outta a dog whose never experienced hearing it before. Good luck with them. I have airedale that I use on *****, pheasants, and plan on coyotes and bear and it's just taken exposure to get her to do the first couple.

Nate


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

With pups you can teach nose awareness by dragging little pieces of hotdogs across your yard, start with short drags of a couple feet in a straight line and as they get better put a right angle turn in it so they learn to circle around when they overrun the trail, this is a particulary good drill for pups that will do a lot of ground trailing, and excellent for beagle pups also. their tracking skills and the idea to use their nose to find stuff will be firmly ingrained early.

use a old fishing pole to drag the hotdogs so the pups track the hot dog and not your scent you walk off to the side, remeber start simple so they learn the treat is at the end of the drag that will make them stick to it and be intent on finding it when the drags get more complex.

You can also live trap rabbits after they get larger and let them chase them in a area where they start in the open and get excitied with sight chasing.... from there its just encouragement, chasing rabbits is pretty much natural in any dog its not hard to get them to want to


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