hunting rabbits

Question
We have a seven month old beagle named Cooper, who has been neutered. Cooper is a house dog. We are considering taking him to a hunting club for some rabbit hunting and exercise but are concerned this may lead to problems of him trying to chase rabbits all the time, or trying to get out of the yard if he smells one. What do you think?  

Answer
Hi thanks for writing..... I am by no means an expert on hunting beagles but what I know of them as pets means I would think this would encourage that behavior as well even when at home. My suggestion would be to contact some hunting clubs first and talk to some of the more experienced owners about how they deal with this. What I do know is that most people who use beagles as hunters dont keep them as pets, they keep packs and they sleep with the pack outside. If you activate or encourage the prey instinct I am not sure how he would know when it is ok and when it isnt.