Coonhound experts/owners HELP!

what a cutie!
I have not worked with coon hounds much, but dogbreedinfo.com usually is good with breed discriptions.

I've never met a dog that didn't like to roll in rotting things! [] Actually, my corgi limited her rolling to our gerraniums in the garden for a long time and would come inside smelling quite pleasant, but then she discovered the joy of chasing kangaroos and now she rolls in all sorts of disgusting things.

Never met a coonhound. All I know is that they're very social, need a lot of exercise, and can really sing.

as to the dead animals, just about any breed will do that.

Coonhounds are smart.  They aren't as biddable as some other breeds, as they were bred to work independently of humans.  They are usually dog-friendly, since they were bred to hunt in braces or packs.
The most significant challenge will be to teach a good recall.  You should start right away (best method I have found is Leslie Nelson's "Really Reliable Recall" - it comes as DVD or booklet).  Still, I would not have a coonhound off lead, except in a safe fenced area, as they can get sidetracked by a really good scent. 
Fortunately, they are food motivated (so is the Lab half), and relatively pain-insensitive.  They do love to roll in the grass or on dead stuff, though...then, of course, they lie on the couch. []

What a pretty boy! What's his name?

Our MoJo is a Treeing Walker Coonhound / Boxer mix. Well, I can't tell you much because I've never met a purebred coonhound, so it's hard to discern between the boxer and the TWC.. things I have read that are similar is their tendency to be high strung (if not properly exercised) and their extremely talented noses. While it's outstanding in ability, they use selective hearing when listening to their nose.. and not to us! They are easily distracted by it. [] Both of these things I've dealt with first hand.. while he's out for his stroll/potty at night, we'll stash his bone away for safety. But we're constantly having to change hiding places! Closets, under matresses, in the garage- once he realizes that his bone is missing, he & his trusty nose find it & alert us in sometimes as little as 5 minutes. They're truly smart and clever.. very loving pets.. and obviously entertaining! [] Congrats on such a great mix!!

I pretty much agree with spiritdogs.
 
I have a coonie, and while he's never rolled in anything dead or disgusting (I think he'd much rather eat it instead!), he also doesn't get much opportunity to do so (see below about off-leash coonies). Most dogs will roll in nasty crap if permitted. I've known many dogs who have a particular fondess for waterfowl poop.
 
Teaching scent hounds reliable recall is extremely difficult, though the lab in him may temper that a bit. If you go on petfinder, you'll see there are thousands of coonhounds for adoption that have been picked up as strays. They are notorious roamers. I've managed to teach Marlowe limited recall, but he only goes off-leash in areas with at least partial fencing. I would definately prepare yourself now for the distinct possibility that you have a dog who will never be under reliable voice control off-lead. Not all dogs are cut out for that.
 
With a coonhound/lab remeber: FOOD IS YOUR FRIEND!!! Coonhounds couldn't give a flying fig about pleasing you, but they will sell their souls for a treat.
 

Our Molly is a pure Treeing Walker Coonhound, too.  She never has rolled in anything, except when she's running too fast and trips over her own feet and rolls over herself.  lol  She has never been offleash except in fenced areas because she's untrustworthy, just because if she gets a good whif of something she decides she wants to hunt...she's OFF!

Bogey, however, is a Rottrador (Rott/Lab mix, haha) and he will roll on anything - the sidewalk, grass, dead things, carpet, ME!, you name it... 

Enjoy your hound!

Well, my 20 week old buddy's name is Kobi.  I'm a little disheartened to hear two things:
1.  The off-leash stuff.  That stinks.  I always wanted a dog who could be off leash beside me
2.  They don't care about pleasing their owner, asll they care about is food.  I want my buddy to want to please me.
 
Oh well.  My companion was given to me, so I did not get to pick uout the dog I wanted, but I will love him just the same!
 
GSB

ORIGINAL: gbjork50


2.  They don't care about pleasing their owner, asll they care about is food.  I want my buddy to want to please me.

 
There is no written rule that they don't care about pleasing you.  This dog has been through alot with you, referring to your original posts.  You are the packmate to him.  Believe me that is important, and all the steps that you took earlier help to cement that relationship.  What you need to do is use his motivations to shape his behavior so that he *thinks* obeying you is the most fun ever. 
 
Motivators for hounds are usually very simple things: fun and games, a quick run/romp, and FOOD, oh glorious FOOD, it's my favorite!
 
If you use those tools properly, he will care about pleasing you, just not as much as some other breeds will.  After all he is a hound and he has his pride and dignity at stake.  (What would all the other hounds think?!?!)
 
At 4.5 months his mind is a sponge.  Teach, train, teach, train play and run some more.  Do the training in very short increments-no more than 4-5 minutes at a time.  Hounds are smart, very very smart. The downside of smart is that they get bored easily and when bored they are STUBBORN.  Keep everything short, lively and fun.  You'll find you have a dog that DOES care about pleasing you, can be called off a scent (60-90% of the time) and will obey you.

Maybe I was a little harsh about hounds not wanting to please you. They like to please you. Marlowe is my furry little shadow and he and I share a very strong bond. But when it comes to training for things that are weird for dogs (sitting, staying, basically all the stuff we want them to do), hounds need motivation beyond just making you happy. Your happiness is a pleasant side-effect that they do enjoy. But they are not the type of dog who would just die if you asked them to, generally. They have great, independent spirits and I wouldn't trade a hound in for a retreiver for anything! I like it that when I ask my dog to do something new, his first question is "Why?" That's just like me! We get along great!

But yeah, the off-leash thing. Be very, very careful about testing his recall abilities. If you're really committed to having him be reliable off-leash, go get a 25 foot leash and test his recalls that way, then move to a fully fenced area, introduce distractions in a safe way, the works. And make sure he's got proper ID and a microchip and you're far away from busy roads. You have to appreciate that for a scent hound, their job is following a scent trail, and they can't do that and listen to you or look where they're going at the same time. They literally become deaf and blind to anything not directly related to treeing their quarry when on a track. That includes cars. Just so you're warned. You've got a mix so there's really no telling how he'll do with a recall until you train for it and test it out. Good luck! Sometimes I get whistful for a dog who could be off-leash, but my dogs have so many other great qualities, I'm fine with giving up that one thing for their safety.

Training a hound is all about keeping it positive, interesting and brief. Get to the point, stay up-beat, lots of rewards, be patient, don't drag it on too long.

I think once you've lived with and loved a hound for a while, there's no going back. I myself am a bit of a rebel soul and I question everything, so my hounds and I have a great dialogue between us. We're currently working towards Marlowe earning his CGC title and to be quite frank, he's better behaved than most of the dogs in our class. He may not be doing any fancy tricks, but he's also not barking his head off at every other dog or jumping about and lunging on his leash!
 
Edited because I fogot to mention that they don't just care about food. They also care very deeply about hunting, about sharing your airspace, about getting a good rubdown, about being comfortable and getting in a good nap, about their favorite toy. And if your happiness coincides with any of these activities, you've got a friend for life!

I think once you've lived with and loved a hound for a while, there's no going back.

I totally and humbly agree.  There is nothing more rewarding than the trust, the love and the companionship of a hound.  There's nothing like the light in their eyes when they catch a scent, or in the case of sighthounds, when they spy their prey.

Oh and gbork, I was wondering how you and your demonspawn, I mean hound have been doing.  I know you were having a trying time with him.

ORIGINAL: gbjork50

Well, my 20 week old buddy's name is Kobi.  I'm a little disheartened to hear two things:
1.  The off-leash stuff.  That stinks.  I always wanted a dog who could be off leash beside me
2.  They don't care about pleasing their owner, asll they care about is food.  I want my buddy to want to please me.

Oh well.  My companion was given to me, so I did not get to pick uout the dog I wanted, but I will love him just the same!

GSB

It may come as a shock to you, but dogs seldom "want to please" us.  The simply want some resource, and we are the bearers of all the resources.  The resource could be attention, true, but dogs are not all that altruistic.  They'd rather have liver, thanks.  But, that isn't a bad thing - it can be the route to a wonderfully trained dog if you learn how to use treats judiciously in training with operant conditioning techniques. 
Also, it is risky to let even well trained dogs off leash in public areas.  My dogs have excellent recalls, but I still only let them off lead in very controlled circumstances - for their safety.
You don't have to put your dog on a short leash, though.  Get a couple of 30' cotton training leads and you can still have a blast playing catch, going in the ocean or pond, and walking the trails.

My dog seems to have another taste concerning rotten things- he likes to roll in mowed grass. OK it's better than aything else []

I thing your cute mix is totally normal!