Seeking Advice from Coonhound and Other Hound Owners

    • Puppy

    Seeking Advice from Coonhound and Other Hound Owners

    Hi, I'm new to the board.  I have a 2 1/2 year old coonhound who has of late been a city dog.  (She was originally from WV but spent most of her youth in shelters.) In the city she was a dear--very calm, sweet and quiet. Only rarely did she howl (mostly at other dogs in the park as a "how do you do";) and bayed only in the company of rabbits when out of the city.  I have since moved to a rural locale--rabbits, wood chucks, and all sorts of small animals frolick in the green pastures.  This drives my girl Morgan crazy.  She whines, she bays, and she is not making a stellar impression on our new neighbors.
     
    Is there any hope?  Will she simply get used to the rabbits as she did the squirrels in the city or does her DNA prohibit her from ever calming down?
     
    Sincerely,
     
    Morgans_minders
    Western, Mass.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I don't know how long you've been in the country, but there's a huge adjustment period.  She doesn't just have new sights to deal with, she's got a million scents that are tantalizing and there are a million scent trails for her to follow.  Mice, squirrels, rabbits, moles, voles, foxes, deer, probably a few moose and bears around too.  She's overwhelmed by all these smells. 

    You might want to do some focus work with her.  Get her learning how to track.  That will give her something to do that will allow her to focus on one thing instead of being inundated by a million things at once.
    • Gold Top Dog
    I have a coonhound who has had the opposite experience (country hunting dog to city hound) and it took a few months of adjustment for him to get the gist of his new duties in that direction, too.

    I would perhaps seek advise from someone who has hunting coonies. These dogs are typically kept outside in kennels and are able to do so without flipping out 24/7 over the critters. It may just be a matter of a desensitization process. I know one way to "break" a coonie of tracking unwanted game is to purchase the scent of that animal and soak it's collar in it so that it smells that smell all the time and thus becomes desensitized to it (not that I'd recommend this for a pet coonie as these animal scents absolutely REEK). Perhaps after a couple months, all those smells and sights will just be old hat and not nearly so interesting.
     
    In the mean time, walk on-leash and don't leave him outside to bay at every single little thing. I also think that competitive tracking would be an excellent idea.
    • Puppy
    Thank you to both Xerxes and houndlove!
     
    Both suggestions are well taken and appreciated.  I'll be working on this with her and I will indeed keep you posted!
     
    Thanks again! Nicole