[beaglechaser]

My pups just turned 17 weeks yesterday. I have been running them every morning and most nights, except when raining or too hot, sinse they were eight weeks old. It adds up to an hour to an hour-and-a half every day. Last night my two males caught a nearly half-grown wild rabbit.

I have been doing habitat work for several years: brush piles, food plots, edgefeathering, etc. I have mowed field roads and two-tracks; I have a lot of rabbits. It's normal to see four or five sitting out at dusk. They usually get a couple of runs each time out.

Here's my questions/thoughts. I'm retired and have the time and could use some extra cash. Would paying a small fee, say $50.00 per month be something anyone would be interested in knowing your dog would get "feet on the ground" every day? I would provide room and board for the dog using my food. Feedback please.

beaglechaser

 

[oldhounddog]

Here's my questions/thoughts. I'm retired and have the time and could use some extra cash. Would paying a small fee, say $50.00 per month be something anyone would be interested in knowing your dog would get "feet on the ground" every day? I would provide room and board for the dog using my food. Feedback please.

beaglechaser

The concept is a good one and could very well make you some extra bucks. First and foremost, due diligence would be the next step. Give yourself time to think through every aspect from a business perspective including liability. Next I would take a look at similar business ventures , perhaps in your area and this will give you some hard information on pricing and services offered by others. Next put everything down on paper to see if anything has been overlooked and make sure that their is a profit margin.



oldhounddog

 

[Lane Rae]

Heck I was looking for someone to start my dogs but many wouldn't agree because they said I was too particular. I will give you my two cents because it may give you something to think about. First my Beagles are not just kennel dogs to me. Not saying they all live in the house, because they don't, but they are very valuable to me and my program. I wanted to make sure first that my dogs would be well kept. I would provide the food and medication and I would expect a concrete, brick or gravel kennel run that is well kept with a warm dog house and clean water bucket all the time. I visited a few kennels and I understand that most keep their dogs on dirt but dirt to me is unhealthy and holds worm eggs, coccidea and giardia and makes a dog sick. A sick dog isn't going to run to his full ability. My next thing would be to make sure the trainer always gives the medication, food and supplements I provide. Keeping them at top health may not be important to the average "Joe" but when your training a competition hound that should be a top concern. The other thing was I would never leave one of my dogs with someone that just leaves them in a starting pen and goes back home. I want my dogs always looked after and with a tracking collar on just in case they run off. When they are of age and have been trained for one they should also wear a trashbreaker. I would want a report once in a while on how they are doing, what bad habits they have and what the trainer was doing to stop those bad habits as well as honesty if that hound isn't worth running or if I should switch to let's say SPO southern instead of running SPO mid-western due to speed. I would always make the owner sign an emergency treatment form so you can take their dog to the vet in case of emergencies and always have them sign a form that they will not hold you responsible for the death or injury of their dog. You may also want to cover dogs being trained and boarded on your home insurance also or take out a pet insurance and life plan. It seems like a way out thought but you just never know what will happen and what owners will blame you for. My trainer also runs my dogs in competition and I pay a portion of gas, hotel stay, dogs entries and a handling fee. That is on top of the monthly fee I pay. If a trainer does all of that and cares for my dogs well and is sincerly worried about their health, well-being and running ability you can easily ask $75 a week and get plenty of people that would want your services and have no extra expenses besides insurance. It is quite a bit to think about. Someone that would ask $50 per month I would expect they would not treat my dogs well so make sure that you are asking what you are worth. Hope this helps in some way.

 

[beaglechaser]

Lane;

Thanks for the input. Most people are not interested in competition dogs; that would not be my choice for training. I was just thinking lots of guys just don't have the time to spend to get their dog started. I run my pups every morning and night, except for rain or heat, have since about eight weeks. Of course I would feed, medicate, take to vet, etc. what ever the owner wanted. My kennels are concrete with good houses, not pallaces, but clean and secure. I would definitely be with them in a running pen or in the field with GPS collars. You can't evaluate something you can't see. My dogs are kenneled but get lots of attention. They have since birth. I like watching a pup develop and to help people. I wanted to keep the rate reasonable so Joe average could afford it. I'll give your thougts a lot of thought. Right now, it's just an idea.

 

[smoochy]

Sounds like a great idea and want to say thanks for keeping average joes in mind its great to see somone who loves working the dogs instead of loving the money

 

[SnowShoeRunner]

Hello beaglechaser im new to site and posted for some advice a fellow memeber directed me to you if you have the chance i would greatly appreciate you looking at my post (Why she just sits down?)and share any advice you would have for me and her.Thanks SnowShoeRunner