how to get my beagle to hunt ahead

Okay, I am a new beagle owner (almost 3 months now), with a fairly inexpeiranced youn dog (1 1/2 yrs). Since I gave the dogs age, he wanted me to give my age as well 40... I have hunted with beagles before but they were not my dogs and we had 2-4 with us. Luke (my dog) seems to have a good sniffer on him, seems to run a rabbit well once he gets on one. He has lost a couple but most he has been able to run for a while, maybe 45 min or so. I am getting my kids involved with hunting and we are having a great time. My duaghter 13 shot her first rabbit the other day and my son 9 has been able to get off a few shots. I used to hunt all the time as a youngster, then I found that thing they call girls and my interest changed a little but I have always had a passion for hunting. We own a couple farms, about 250 ac in total so we have a lot of space to hunt so I am excited to spend some time with the kids in the woods.
Now to the real question/problem. When we first hunted he seemed real gun shy but he seems to be working thorugh that well on his own, last time out 6 shots and he never stoped. The big issue I am having is he will not respond to me when called, espically when he is on a rabbit trail. The second is he seems to run them a little slow, but he is accurate, the third is he hunts a little close, 10-15 yds, and sometimes behind us. Will hunting him with a good expearenced dog help with hunting too close or behind us?

The second is he cold trails a little but I can not tell when he is actually on a cold trail or he is about to jump one. I have let him go before only to find out it is a dead end, other times I am ready to move him along thinking he is cold trailing when boom there the rabbit goes. He dosn't seem to send me much of s signal when he is close as opposed to just trailing. He dose howl when he is real close, like when he reaches where the rabbit was sitting his bark changes then he has a real nice chop. Don't get me wrong, I think he has some good potential, but I am afraid of continuing with him and letting him no some things that are not just exactlly right. Any advice?
I have expearence with training border collies on sheep and I think some of the same rules apply in general but its the hunting thing I am a little lost on what to do....Anyone???