How to Buy a Rabbit Dog (or Any Hunting Dog): Advice from an Old Dog Trainer

Based on advice from Carl Moore of Coon Hunters Supply in Memphis, Tennessee, a longtime dog trainer and seller.

As an old dog trainer and seller, Carl Moore was always surprised by how many people bought a dog without first deciding what they needed it to do. His advice on how to buy a hunting dog works for a rabbit dog, a coonhound, a bird dog, or any dog at all. The short version: decide on the job first, then the breed, then the dog.

Step 1: Decide what your sport really is

Carl liked to joke that if you want a dog to hunt rabbits and protect you from elephants, you probably need two dogs. Most dogs aren’t bred or trained to do two very different jobs well. So be honest about your main use. Rabbits? Coon? Ducks? Upland birds? A family dog that hunts a few times a year?

Step 2: Match the dog to how you hunt

Say you’ve settled on rabbits. Now think about your style:

• Do you like to push brush and jump rabbits yourself, or stand still and let the dog work the track and bring the rabbit back around to you?
• Do you want speed, or is a slow, steady chase better for your country and your shooting?
• How much mouth do you want? A dog that opens a lot on track lets you follow the chase by ear.
• Will it live in the house as a family dog, or in a kennel?
• Do you want to train it yourself, or would a well-started or finished dog suit you better?

Step 3: Choose the breed

Most rabbit hunters choose a beagle or a basset hound, though other hounds can do the job too. Bassets are slow, deep-voiced, laid-back and not excitable; beagles are quicker and very popular. Both make good family hunting dogs. Unless you plan to breed, a good grade dog can hunt as well as a registered one. Read our guide on how to train a beagle to hunt rabbits.

Step 4: Check out the dog and the seller

• If you can, watch the parents hunt before you buy a pup.
• Always see the dog in person, or send a friend you trust.
• If possible, hunt a started or finished dog before you pay.
• Check the seller’s reputation and references, and follow our buyer safety tips.
• Give a new dog time. Some dogs need a few hunts to learn how to hunt with you.

And when you’re happy with your dog, Carl suggested sending the seller a note to say so. Good breeders appreciate hearing how their dogs turned out.

Gear for your new hound

Hound hunters rely on electronics to keep track of fast or far-ranging dogs. Look at our GPS and tracking equipment and long-range trainers such as the SportDOG HoundHunter, plus remote training collars for basic obedience and recall.

Browse beagles for sale.