In mid-September, we headed to Švábenice with our young Beagle, Jeff. An important training milestone awaited us there on September 14, 2026: for the first time, we wanted to put his natural…
On the Trail to the Black Knight
In mid-September, we headed to Švábenice with our young beagle, Jeff. An important training milestone awaited us there on 14 September 2026: for the first time, we wanted to test his natural scent work abilities in practice. At our kennel, Dukes of the South, we pride ourselves on ensuring our beagles do not forget their original calling. Falco had already successfully passed the blood tracking exams for scenthounds (BZH), so it was only a matter of time before we introduced Jeff to hunting practice as well.
The training session, led by trainer Lucka Kurešová, began with a gradual introduction to game scent. First up was a wild boar trotter. Young dogs often hesitate at first, but Jeff did not deny his hound genes for a single second. He took to the item immediately, and his curiosity provided the exact drive we needed for the subsequent work.
Laying the track came next. The terrain tested Jeff's focus, but the youngster put his nose to the ground and moved forward with confidence. However, the main test of the day awaited at the end of the track—the reaction to a wild boar head. For a young dog, such a find can be surprising and sometimes prompts hesitation or aloofness. Jeff, however, reacted completely naturally and with great poise. He handled the entire situation without any issues and with keen interest.
The praise from Lucka Kurešová, who highly commended Jeff's attitude and drive to work, was the best feedback we could ask for. We took away a fantastic feeling from the training in Švábenice, knowing we have a solid foundation to build on. Jeff demonstrated not only an excellent nose, but also a level head, which makes for the ideal basis for his ongoing hunting training.