Dog chasing rabbits

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Dohyde34

Member
Well I'm afraid I created a rabbit monster. The first time taking my dog out, he's 15 months and this is his first season, I shot a rabbit and he retrieved it. Well fast forward a month and he is rabbit crazy anytime he sees or smells one. It appears to me he hunts harder for rabbits than he does for birds. I am unsure what to do about this. I don't want rabbits to be the priority. But id like to be able to shot them or have him catch them as I love eating rabbit. Anyone have a similar experience or any advice on this?
 
I'm not a trainer, so I can't give you any good advice other than to talk with someone who has dealt with this.

I will also add that the dog is still young and young dogs like to go after anything and everything. Getting the dog on more pheasants will help teach what it is you are looking for.
 
Golden Hour said:
I'm not a trainer, so I can't give you any good advice other than to talk with someone who has dealt with this.

I will also add that the dog is still young and young dogs like to go after anything and everything. Getting the dog on more pheasants will help teach what it is you are looking for.
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Use the same method used to correct him when training
If it were me I would use a tone or vibrate on the collar followed by a nick and maybe a verbal NO! Increase the stimulation as needed. I would take him bunny hunting to cure instead of trying to only cure it while bird hunting
 
Dohyde34 said:
Well I'm afraid I created a rabbit monster. The first time taking my dog out, he's 15 months and this is his first season, I shot a rabbit and he retrieved it. Well fast forward a month and he is rabbit crazy anytime he sees or smells one. It appears to me he hunts harder for rabbits than he does for birds. I am unsure what to do about this. I don't want rabbits to be the priority. But id like to be able to shot them or have him catch them as I love eating rabbit. Anyone have a similar experience or any advice on this?
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Dude, your fault haha
 
I would stop shooting rabbits when that dog was around. A good rule of thumb (safety-wise), don't shoot at anything on the ground while pheasant hunting....pheasants, coyotes, skunks, racoon, anything...bad things can easily happen shooting down like that in cover...dogs will be safer as anyone else with you. If you think you must, pause and make dang sure you know for sure where all the other hunters and all the dogs are first. Muzzles-up fellas!
 
remy3424 said:
I would stop shooting rabbits when that dog was around.
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If I wanted my dog to stop hunting for rabbits, I would start by not shooting them.

If you like to eat rabbit, go hunt them without the dog.

My dog is 10 and she'll chase rabbits, squirrels, stray cats, etc in my yard (I live in the suburbs) but not once has she chased them while we're pheasant hunting. She isn't interested in other critters when we're after birds because she knows we're after birds.
 
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Over the years, my dogs, mostly GWPs, have jumped rabbits, some of which have fallen to my gun and been retrieved by my dogs. Really, never been a problem, or if it was, I just yelled "NO!" and changed my direction; most dogs followed me (although not always).

Now part of my acceptance of their lack of discrimination is my awareness that the GWPs were bred to be versatile hunting dogs and it is literally in their blood. However they want to hunt with me and soon enough (I really never noticed how long), they stopped the chase and followed along, or surged ahead of me to find pheasants. I expect I used the collar upon occasion, but more out of annoyance than discipline.

You didn't mention what breed your pup was, but even if you are as inconsistent as I was, regular reinforcement should bring the dog around. If you expect and insist on breaking off the rabbit hunt, the dog will generally follow your directions, eventually. It shouldn't become a problem unless you make it one.

Best wishes.
 
I would put a stop too it immediately.. My brother had dog chase rabbit right into train. You don't know where the rabbit or deer will run to maybe on to road in front of truck or farming equipment.
 
I'm no help. I have Drahthaars and chasing rabbits is just a fact of owning one. I kind of like watching them chase a big jackrabbit, Usually the jack runs just fast enough to stay in front of the dog playing them for quite a distance.
 
You've kinda created your own monster a bit. But, if you intend to have this dog hunt rabbits and pheasant, you're kind of stuck. As it's hunting what you want just not when you want. As others have said, stop shooting them with the dog around for starters. If they chase a rabbit, give them a command. I usually say "no fur" to my dogs. But use whatever term you want. My dog is also a versatile dog she's wired to want fur too. But years of not shooting them has taught her we don't care about those. She still will chase a rabbit a bit if we stumbles onto one, but usually if I tell her "no fur" she stops.
 
tops911 said:
I'm no help. I have Drahthaars and chasing rabbits is just a fact of owning one. I kind of like watching them chase a big jackrabbit, Usually the jack runs just fast enough to stay in front of the dog playing them for quite a distance.
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Until they chase it across a highway and get smoked, saw it happen. It is curable.
 
Kismet said:
Over the years, my dogs, mostly GWPs, have jumped rabbits, some of which have fallen to my gun and been retrieved by my dogs. Really, never been a problem, or if it was, I just yelled "NO!" and changed my direction; most dogs followed me (although not always).

Now part of my acceptance of their lack of discrimination is my awareness that the GWPs were bred to be versatile hunting dogs and it is literally in their blood. However they want to hunt with me and soon enough (I really never noticed how long), they stopped the chase and followed along, or surged ahead of me to find pheasants. I expect I used the collar upon occasion, but more out of annoyance than discipline.

You didn't mention what breed your pup was, but even if you are as inconsistent as I was, regular reinforcement should bring the dog around. If you expect and insist on breaking off the rabbit hunt, the dog will generally follow your directions, eventually. It shouldn't become a problem unless you make it one.

Best wishes.
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He's a lab. He's also young. I think I make bigger deals out of things with him than I need too.
 
If the dog is collar conditioned and continues to ignore your verbal commands when it takes off after a rabbit I'd turn up the intensity on his collar and drill him good. He'll learn real fast that chasing rabbits isn't fun. Kind of the system they use in snake breaking a dog.
 
Ah when I was just a pup I hunted with a “friend” and my dog chased a jackrabbit and he shot it and beat the heck out of my dog with the dead rabbit. This was before decent e-collars. Gross but effective. Now my e-collared trained dogs leave them and deer alone with just the tone. Don’t shoot anything you don’t want the dog to retrieve.
 
Shock collar is your best option. I used to deer break dogs with a 12 pack and a shock collar. Cruised around the river bottoms drinking beer until a deer was spotted. Stopped and dumped the dog out and headed to where it was. When I saw them wind the deer Bzzz. crude but effective. It's a lot safer to set them up. Look for fresh road kill or borrow one from a rabbit hunter. Lay a drag and zap him at half power or so. Some dogs were easier than others. Had a big Wire that just wouldn't give up. A couple hours without bird contact and she would start hunting deer. I was lucky she survived. She could cover 500 yards and a road before you knew it! Finally, after about three years and multiple, multiple Zaps on high she finally got the message.
 
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