By Courtney Heart A weighted vest has been the most important tool to turn my coonhound’s behavior around and change my life and his for the better. This is the story of Rusty. I adopted Rusty when he was 6 weeks old. Now 6 years old, he's 3/4 Treeing Walker and 1/4 Bluetick. We have a very calm, quiet home. I’ve raised puppies before but never a hound; and Rusty was a handful. In addition to being a very stubborn puppy, he has always been possessive of his food and toys. Rusty has a very big personality and has always wanted to be in charge of the pack, which includes me, my 9 year old Labrador Retriever Leroy, and my roommate. Rusty was neutered at about 6 months old. I had hoped that would calm him down and make him less bossy and controlling, but it made no difference. At 9 months old, Rusty began showing signs of aggression (growling, snapping) and being overly territorial over practically everything. His resource guarding became excessive, and his anxiety was pretty high sometimes, too. Rusty just takes his job of being a hound very seriously and is always on patrol. He is very sensitive and intelligent; when you speak to him calmly and gently; he seemingly understands your words and sentences. He’s extremely loyal and a velcro dog. Rusty loves to help, no matter what you’re doing, and will sit by you and protect you as you do your tasks. He’s goofy and submissive most of the time -- all the typical sweet coonhound qualities. It’s just this ONE flaw that he has: too much energy and anxiety, which turns into aggression at times. There were times I doubted I could handle this difficult dog any longer. I walk him as much as I have time and energy for, but I work full-time. So my dogs get my left-over energy, which sometimes isn’t much. My roommate enjoys driving Rusty to the dam near us to walk across it. In all, Rusty gets walked about 5 nights a week for 45 minutes each time. We live on an acre of fenced yard, so Rusty has plenty of space to sprint and soar around the property and get some of his energy out. I couldn’t live on a smaller property with him; he would go insane, and I know his aggression and anxiety would be much much worse. The size of my yard and the space we have for him to run around really helps. Other than regular exercise, playing, and other typical activities and interactions that wear a dog out, the one thing that has helped most with Rusty's aggression and anxiety is a weighted vest on his nightly walks. I researched this idea for several weeks and even invested in a $110 weighted vest. I ended up returning it, because spending that much money wasn’t necessary for such a simple training tool. In place of the vest, I looked for a backpack that would be a snug-fit to his body and sit comfortably on him. I found an Arcadia Trail Dog Backpack for only $30 from PetSmart. The improvised vest was our last resort, so once we got it I was super excited to try it. First he walked for a night with the empty backpack; then we added about 5% of his body weight and later upped it to 7%. You can go up to 10%, but this was enough for Rusty to be worn out but not strained. For weight, I used uncooked lentils in a ziplock bag, one on each side of the backpack. Dry beans or rice would work as well. I put the backpack on him inside the house before getting into the car or leaving the property for a walk. Rusty is kind of a maniac in the car, but the vest helps keep him calmer and in place compared to when he is not wearing it. He loves his backpack now and gets excited when he gets to wear it. The weighted pack has calmed some of the tendencies in Rusty's DNA that he can’t always control. With Rusty, working on our verbal communication with meaningful eye contact helps a lot, but he still has days where he’s a handful. I try to just accept him for who he is and keep working on his more obnoxious behaviors while enjoying his loving and sensitive coonhound qualities. He’s a nightmare on the leash when cars pass us; that’s our biggest issue right now, but he’s getting better. He’s just so protective and serious about his job that he can’t resist. If you have a hound, there are some tendencies you might need to accept just like with any dog breed. Give your hound as much exercise as possible and use consistent firm training and commands. Coonhounds can have strong, stubborn personalities; and they might think they know more than you sometimes, Having multiple people in your home who can walk your hound or take them places to get that energy out will help a lot.
If you decide to try a weighted vest, keep it on them in the car and for any and all outings. Have patience ... it took Rusty until he was 6 to chill out and accept that he is a pet hound and not a hunter. I hope using a weighted vest to exercise high-energy, anxious dogs helps other hound families! The opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed by Coonhound and Foxhound Companions. By Marilyn Swan
I recently had to put my 11-year-old Walker Coonhound, Daisy, to rest. She developed a very aggressive form of lymphoma which took her quickly. Needless to say, I was devastated and could not imagine finding another such loving companion. I had rescued her as a 5-year-old. A good friend found this beautiful saying and showed it to me. You can shed tears because they are gone, or you can smile because they lived. You can close you eyes and pray they will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that they left for you. Your heart can be empty because you can't see them, or you can be full of the love you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember only that they are gone, or you can cherish their memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind and feel empty, or you can do what they would want... SMILE, open your heart, love... and go on. (Anonymous) I certainly allowed myself time to grieve but this saying helped me pick up the phone and call a rescue that had listed a dog on Petfinder, Dixie. I am now in a trial adoption with a lovely English Coonhound/ Foxhound mix. She is very frightened now, but I am committed to working with her. Dixie's owner died in March 2020 and she had been in the shelter since then. I keep this saying on my desk and certainly need to read it often to "get a grip" when I'm missing Daisy. I thought it's positive encouragement might help others. Editor's Note: Marilyn wrote a blog post about Daisy's thunderphobia several years ago. You can read it here. By Leslie Lenz My Goldendoodle, Tucker, had just turned 10 when I started thinking about training my next service dog. I had promised myself that I was going to get a rescue this time because I was retired and would have more time to deal with “issues” that could come up with a rescue dog. I was also nearing 60 and a puppy’s worth of energy was out of the question! About this time my friend, Holly, a life-long dog lover, was trying to fill a hole in her dog pack left by Rosie, a beautiful Treeing Walker Coonhound. I got a call from Anna Nirva, looking for a reference for Holly to adopt. After letting Anna know that any dog going into Holly’s pack would have a better life than I do, we got to talking about my search for my next dog. Anna spent some time telling me about all the great traits coonhounds have and I told her that when she found the right dog for me she should let me know. I should have given Anna a lot more credit for not letting a “hot one” go! Meanwhile, I was having a hard time at home convincing, The Ladies, my three caretakers (I’m pretty seriously physically disabled, hence the service dog), that it was “time”. They remembered vividly raising the last puppy, who was a holy terror 'til he was almost three, and were having trouble embracing the idea of a new dog. I heard several choruses of “I won’t love a new dog” and “he’s not ready to abdicate”. They put a lot of effort into being loyal to Tucker. Fast forward a few weeks to the beginning of October, my search of the local rescues wasn’t offering anything I felt was right for our house. The phone rang one night, it was Anna calling to say she was fostering a young coonhound mix that she was hoping could meet my needs. She sent me a picture of “Ellery” that night. Her bright little face, definitely evident ribs and Anna’s assurance that she got along with cats, (yes, we have three of those, too!), just about clinched the deal. Now to be introduced. I don’t know as much about Ellery as I’d like to, but I do know she spent a lot of time in kennels and shelters after being found on the side of a highway in North Carolina. She spent about a week in the county shelter before she was pulled out and put into a kennel for two weeks. Then she started her trip to Wisconsin, which included overnight stays at shelters and vets along the way. She had her first vaccinations, flea baths, and was spayed en route. There were strangers poking, prodding and crating her along with very long hours of driving. Finally, she made it to Anna’s house near Tomah, Wisconsin, approximately six weeks later. Once I heard her story, I wanted to meet her ASAP to determine if she was done with the stop gap”ness” of her life or if I was going to help find her a permanent home. I had spoken to Anna about setting up a meeting the following weekend but she was going camping for the weekend and Ellery was going to Chasing Daylight Animal Shelter for the weekend. Being in a wheelchair has its challenges; transportation is one of them. Tomah, WI, is a two and a half hour drive from my house in Milwaukee. Coordinating me, my wheelchair, someone to drive, Tucker, and Anna with Ellery was darn near impossible. Luckily, I have a few very close friends who are willing to “go the distance” (pun intended) for me, so a drive into the country during fall colors sounded like fun to them. I called Chasing Daylight to find out their Sunday hours, and was told to call them when I got there and the Director would come and open the place up if it was closed. Now that’s dedicated! They also made introducing two completely unknown dogs to each other sound like a piece of cake! And they would do it! That whole Sunday was just about perfect. The weather was gloriously sunny and warm, the drive was easy, and my friend’s husband was also available to come along. We arrived shortly before closing time, so my friend and I went in to meet Ellery while her husband waited in the van with Tucker. Dogs don’t always like me because of the wheelchair and some are really put off by the smell of prosthetics, so I was a little nervous. Ellery was released in the room and immediately started sniffing the huge pile of dog food bags. A short time later she noticed us and came over. She sniffed my friend first, then started in on my wheelchair, then me. She walked her front legs right up my legs and proceeded to kiss me everywhere she could reach. She was completely intent on sniffing every inch of me. She seemed to be relaxed and frankly, a lot happier than I expected. Next hurdle, the face to face dog meet. One of the workers went out to the van to get Tucker for a walk around the grounds. About halfway along the path, another person came out with Ellery to join them and off they went. Next thing I knew I was signing a check for far less than I thought it would be and I now owned two dogs! On our way home my friend asked why I was grinning. Had I forgotten I still had to convince the caretakers to accept Ellery? I told her that the sheer fact that I again shared my life with two dogs was enough to make me smile. Back on the home front, I decided to change Ellery’s name to involve the caretakers in an important decision and help them bond with her. Ellery just seemed a little too formal and one syllable too long. I had read somewhere that dog names should be as short as possible to help them differentiate their name from others. We wanted something as close to Ellery as possible, because we didn’t know how long it had been her name and she had been through so many changes in recent weeks. We decided on Ella. We started by calling Ella .....ry for the first week, then Ellahhh.....ry the next week and, finally, Ella. She seemed perfectly fine with the change. Actually she seemed perfectly fine with everything after Tucker told her in no uncertain terms, shortly after walking in the door the first time, that every tennis ball in the house was HIS. From that point on she seemed comfortable. We gave her a few weeks to relax and get to know us, our schedule, the people who take care of me, my family, their dogs, the cats, the neighborhood, the neighborhood dogs and the weather, before we started her formal training. I should have filmed her reaction to the first snow! It was priceless! I think I can safely say she still hates snow and anything else that gets her feet wet (read: rain). She has developed an 18 hour bladder when it’s rainy; her idea, not mine! This last year has been slightly different for us because, somehow, I managed to literally break my neck. I’ve been sleeping in a recliner since and Ella sleeps either under the footrest or behind the backrest. She was never trained for this. When we’re out and about together she automatically puts herself between me and other people we don’t know. She was never trained to do this. She meets people at our door with hackles raised, a solid WOOF!, sniffing out their intent. She was never trained to do this. Somehow, Ella has made herself into my guard dog. She sits and waits patiently while I fumble with putting the collar over her head because I don’t have the finger dexterity to operate a clip, then she waits again while I take it off! I've always trained my own service dogs from puppyhood on. I always thought they bonded with me and coped with my physical differences because they never knew any other way. Ella was about a year old when she came to me. She most certainly had plenty of experience with people without disabilities, yet she accepts that I have to do things differently. Turns out they do it naturally as a part of loving you. Almost exactly four years later Ella is a great dog. Absolutely the most laid back, quiet, loyal, protective, happy girl. I think she really likes her life. She was a very boney 33 lbs when she moved in. Now she is a muscular 69 lbs. She gets about an hour to hour and a half long walk most days, but if the weather doesn’t cooperate, she’s happy sharing the couch with two cats. It took quite a while train her to get the lady that lives upstairs, but we didn’t realize that she was petrified of the cat that lives there because that one hissed at her at the top of the stairs. So we spent some time “retraining“ both of them with special treats together. She’s very protective of me and if her favorite cat manages to escape outside all I have to say is, “go find Gizee” and she does!
She’s welcomed with treats at the pharmacy and gets a “pet stop” at up to 6 departments in our local big box store. The local Burger King and McDonalds welcome her by name. My caretakers and my family fight over who gets her when I go on vacations. This morning, after accidentally pinching Ella’s toes, I heard my caretaker say, “Oh, Ella, I’m so sorry. You know how much I love you. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Last night I heard another caretaker say, “Ella, to think, you were the dog I wasn’t gonna love! What was I thinking?”. When you have a dog, love just multiplies. Laura Cole posted a video in recent months showing her hound Ham (Hamilton) mastering the last trick he needed before testing for the AKC Advanced Trick Dog Title (now accomplished!). We thought you’d enjoy learning from her experiences as she and Ham moved through the levels of trick dog expertise. A dog with a Canine Good Citizen certification only needs 5 fairly simple tricks for the AKC novice title, so consider spending your rainy days giving treats for tricks and adding to your hound’s credentials. You might be surprised how much your coonie already knows. Ham’s odyssey also holds hope and inspiration for those among us owning hounds with challenging behavioral issues. How did Ham become part of your life? For the last three years, I have been involved in cat rescue through a local organization, Austin Pets Alive! There, I photograph cats in need of homes to help promote them and get them adopted. In that time, I’ve met some amazing animals, but I have also met some incredible humans. Natascha, a current staff member and close friend, is a hospice foster. She had recently lost a cat, Barry, who was expected to pull through. After struggling with that loss, she decided she needed a happy change of pace. She took in two bottle baby puppies, Catahoula and hound mixes Ferdinand and Arabella. Of course, as a dog lover, I had to meet my friend’s new fosters and photograph them. I wasn’t counting on falling in love. Ferdinand, now Hamilton, came into my life when he was just four weeks old. He was weak and a little skinny, covered in big brown cow spots. But he stole my heart from the beginning, and I visited him every week in foster until I took him home at 8 weeks old. Had you owned a hound before? Never. While I wanted every dog under the sun growing up, from Norfolk Terriers to Schipperkes to Rhodesian Ridgebacks, hounds were never truly on my radar. As a city girl, I’d never really noticed them. I grew up with a Chow mix, two Chihuahuas, a Toy Poodle, and a Labrador throughout my childhood years. Based on his markings and his eventual floppy ears, it was easy to guess Ham has Catahoula in his mix. Even after reading about that breed’s respective quirks, I felt that I could handle anything. I intended to go all in with my first dog as an adult — training, socializing, and doing everything right. But boy, Ham has given me a run for my money! I thought I knew so much about dogs before getting him, but he has shown me how much I had (and still have) to learn. He’s also turned me into a hound lover for life. Tell us about Ham From the time he was a puppy, Hamilton was tenacious. I would say that he was equal parts sweet, goofy, and naughty. From chasing the cat, to nibbling hands, to munching every stick he could get his paws on… he drove me crazy. But it was all worth it when he fell asleep on my chest or showed his smarts in how fast he picked up new tricks or commands. He grew quickly and soon exceeded his estimated adult weight of 35 pounds (topping out at 75). Hamilton grew up as a dog park, go-anywhere dog; but after his first birthday, he started to display signs of fear-based reactivity. It turned our world on its head. Previously, I had aspirations to train him as a therapy dog so he could share his infectious personality with others While he had never bitten anyone, he would definitely fall under the ‘fight’ category when it came to a question of fight-or-flight. Suddenly, my over-confident, social puppy was reacting. It was a scary time, when I grew afraid of losing him. But instead of giving up, I took action. I reached out to a behaviorist, and after a long while also decided to add medication into the mix. Addressing his quirks has taken a small village — from my family and friends, to the trainers who love him like I do. His progress has been tremendous, though he is definitely a “project” dog. As I said, he has given me a run for my money — but for all the effort put into training him, all the emotion and fear, I wouldn’t trade him for the world. Our partnership has gotten stronger through our struggles. He’s gotten more cuddly, loving, and attentive. We’ve built trust together. And when it comes to the people and animals he knows and has built up similar trust with, you won’t meet a more loving, happy-go-lucky dog. And after all our hard work, and thanks to muzzle training, we are still able to get out in the world, visiting his favorite pet stores, going to plant nurseries, having playdates with his furry friends, going to classes, and hiking. He’s come so far! What spurred your interest in pursuing Trick Dog Titles? I had never even heard of a Trick Dog Title before attending my training school, Zoom Room. This dog training chain offers a variety of classes, from obedience, to agility, to urban herding in some areas. Alongside that, they also offer various workshops like scent training and tricks and some, including the one in Austin, are AKC certified testing facilities. I started seeing “TKA” listed out on some of my trainer friends’ dogs’ Instagram profiles and looked into it. I realized that Hamilton was already close to a novice title, so we started working on it. When I was growing up, I wanted nothing more than a dog I could train with. I taught my childhood Chihuahua a variety of cute tricks, and made homemade agility “courses” for my Labrador. But Hamilton showed an aptitude for picking up new tricks that none of my dogs growing up had. While some tricks aren’t suited to his abilities or his large size (no back stalls for this duo), it’s been super fun to see how far we can take it. It’s been surprisingly accessible, and a great way to earn AKC titles in spite of his quirks. What training did Ham have before you started working on tricks? Hamilton and I started training from the moment I brought him home. At first, it was just sit, down, stay, shake, but soon we started to class. Puppy pre-school (a socialization class), puppy obedience, and puppy agility were his first forays into training, and we continued to build up in those different areas. Today, Hamilton is in a Canine Good Citizen level obedience class (though we’re not sure if we’ll get that title) and level 2 agility which involves some simple courses. We’ve also done a bit of scent work together, which is a lot of fun for his nose! What motivates Ham? (food, toys, praise, etc.) Hamilton is the kind of dog who stares at you when you throw a ball as if he’s saying, “What do you think I am, a retriever?” A good treat is Ham’s best friend when it comes to rewards — but we have to mix it up so he doesn’t get bored. His current favorites range from fancier fare like freeze-dried chicken hearts and lamb lung, to junk food like milk bones and turkey dogs. While he is a pup with a balanced, nutritionally sound diet, sometimes you gotta break out the “bad” stuff when it comes to doing something super hard. He does love a good squeaky toy, but gets a little too excited about them to use them as a training reward — or not excited at all. It really depends on the day. But food is always a winner. When did Ham get his novice and intermediate titles? Hamilton earned his novice title in January of 2018, a few months before his first birthday. In between, we did a ton of behavior work, so we took a break from working towards his intermediate title. However, less than one year later, he earned his intermediate title. Between the two, he has showed off 20 different tricks and commands. We’ve got around 30 now, which moved him on to the advanced title! Do you work with Ham according to an approximate schedule or just when time and interest allow? Hamilton and I attend classes at least one to two times per week. Right now, that’s usually agility and obedience. In April, we’ll be adding in an advanced nosework course to the mix at a sport training facility. We’re super excited as we’d love to pick up some scent titles, too! When life gets busy, I don’t get as much time to work with him at home on “fun stuff” (e.g. tricks). However, every time we go out into the world I am actively working with him. I don’t leave the house without a clicker, harness, treat pouch, and muzzle. Since the world is full of triggers for him, it takes constant vigilance to make sure he is happy and relaxed. One of the biggest challenges in fact has been learning to keep my cool when we hit a stressful spot. He tends to feed off of me! What trick or types of tricks have been the most challenging for him? Remember that “not a retriever” comment? Catching and holding objects in his mouth is not his forte. Some tricks we have put aside and may never pursue (e.g. “put away your toys”), but others we’ve been able to master. One of those is flipping a treat from his nose and catching it. Does Ham like to ham it up and show off for people? If he knows them, for sure! When Hamilton is relaxed and comfortable, he lives up to his name — whether it’s flashing his pearly whites in a toothy smile, doing a trick, acting like an oversized lapdog, or asking for belly rubs. Strangers, not so much. But if he’s relaxed enough, he may show off a trick on command in public! Books and demonstration videos for teaching tricks are readily available, but did you ever (or often) have to step back and completely rethink your approach for a particular trick in light of what you knew about Ham? As I mentioned before, catching was initially quite hard for him, so I had to work on his coordination. A few things we tried: using popcorn because it’s lighter weight and doesn’t fall as quickly, counting to three before tossing to let him know it was coming, and not letting him have the treat unless he catches it (a race to the treat on the floor). In a hound’s mind, why should he try to catch it if he can just grab it off the ground? That was actually what really changed the game for us! Shout out to our trainer for the idea. Does Ham have any “wild card” handler’s choice tricks that you slipped in because Ham offered the behaviors on his own? Yes! One thing I’ve learned, and advice I’d give, is that things your dog does naturally will be easiest to capture and turn into a trick. For example, Ham loves to be on his back, so play dead (“bang!”) and rollover were really easy for him. So was “yoga” (or bow), as he loves to lean down into a big stretch. How has trick dog training affected your overall relationship with Ham and how you view your hound? It’s been so fun to work on tricks together. I would definitely say it’s a bonding experience, and it’s such a great feeling when I see the light bulb turn on for him! I also feel really proud that we can get these titles together. It’s a good reminder that whether your dog is purebred or mixed breed, you can still achieve together. Go get some ribbons! You may be surprised that your hound is already close to qualifying for a novice trick title. We didn’t intend to go past the first level, but after the first one, we gained confidence and I thought — you know, we can do this. We can keep going. How about sharing some “best practices” and tips for adding trick training to a house hound’s curriculum? Watching videos and asking my trainer who is passionate about tricks for advice was a huge help. But the nice thing is, you don’t really need anything special to get started. Some people use a marker word like “yes” when a dog offers the behavior you want, but I far prefer a clicker. It’s a more precise marker and it helps your dog understand exactly the moment they offered the correct action. It helps them learn much faster. If you don’t know where to start, check out AKC’s website for lists of tricks for the various titles for some ideas. What’s next for Ham? Will he advance to a performance dog title or try something completely different? We plan to stop at the advanced title for tricks. We’ll still keep pursuing trick training, but the performer titles are next level (no pun intended). I think rather than trying hard at something that might not come very naturally to Hamilton, we will instead focus on something he was made for: scent work. We’ve already done a handler discrimination class and a basics workshop, and I’m excited to pursue more oil identification via container searches. We’ll also continue our recreational agility. While he’ll never be an agility dog for many reasons, it’s just another way we bond and grow our relationship. Training is truly a way to deeply connect with your dog. NOTES:
To follow Hamilton’s adventures, see training videos, and read about his journey with reactivity, head over to Ham’s Instagram, which is updated daily at http://www.instagram.com/hamiltontherescue. Dogs of any breed or mix at any age and size can earn trick dog titles. Classes are available in many areas, but trick training is also a great DIY activity. Check local training centers to find an authorized evaluator. The titling entities are American Kennel Club and Do More with Your Dog. The MUZZLE UP Project (https://muzzleupproject.com/muzzle-training), though no longer being updated, houses excellent resources on training your dog to a muzzle. The opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed by Coonhound and Foxhound Companions. You’ve undoubtedly noticed this precious TWC on coonhound facebook pages; and Honeybug with ears flying recently commanded the cover of the 2019 Coonhound Companions Calendar. We asked her owner, Sandy Decker (Sandra Ann), to share her secrets and experiences in photographing her coonie. Coonhound Companions (CC): First, how did Honeybug come into your life? Sandra Ann (SA): I actually was looking at another hound at a rescue in Virginia; but when I inquired, that hound had been adopted. I then gave Bawf Rescue the type of hound I was looking for: shy, timid, scared, and a failed hunting dog. This describes the previous three I have had, and I know they are difficult to adopt out. They almost immediately found one at a local shelter and pulled her for me. Living in an apartment, I have always adopted the shy and gentle hounds because they tend to be less vocal. In fact, 2 out of the 4 I’ve had never barked in the years I had them. And Honeybug, like the others, rarely bays except for a minute of excitement when I get home. CC: When did you first realize that Honeybug has star quality? SA: I believe all coonhounds or foxhounds have star quality if treated well and with patience. A photo of my lost foxhound Daiseybug went viral. I later stumbled across a painting, jewelry, and t-shirts of her on the Internet created from the photo I posted years back. At that point I even made her a facebook page: Daiseybug American Foxhound, which now has posts of my beautiful Honeybug. CC: I’ve seen great action shots of Honeybug as well as lovely portraits. What camera set-ups and settings do you use to photograph Honeybug? SA: Nearly all photos are taken on my Galaxy smartphone. CC: How much image editing do you do in terms of cropping, adjusting exposures, tweaking colors, etc? SA: I rarely edit any coloring or exposures. I try and wait for the right time of day or night. However, on occasion I do have fun with the Prisma app that makes a photo look more like a painting. CC: Some hounds are impatient if not averse to having their pictures taken. How do you coax Honeybug’s cooperation? SA: Well, Honeybug is pretty cooperative and queen of the side eye. I just have to be patient and give her time and space, then snap several at a time. I do not really teach her any commands; instead, I focus on her responses to everyday noises, distractions, and nature. She was in a shelter for over two years and was scared of a leaf falling. Its been 3.5 years now, and I still see many things that she isn’t comfortable with; so I don’t push. I don’t want her to revert to being so scared and anxious. CC: Honeybug’s face conveys a luminous sweetness in many of her pictures. How would you describe your coonhound’s temperament and personality, and how does this inform the images you capture? SA: Honeybug is a very good girl. She is never destructive or loud. She is shy of humans but loves other animals and doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. She acts scared and puts her head down when a stranger tries to pet her but is completely harmless. Once she warms up to someone, she may even let them get a pet in. She’s a couch potato with very little to say. She is just so happy to be loved and cared for that she sticks by my side. She is pretty attached to just me. Even though my elderly parents have Honeybug every day when I am at work, she doesn’t come out of her shell until she hears me walk in to pick her up. Then she comes running out of her bed and jumps all over me. CC: I’ve also seen pictures of Honeybug amazingly calm and collected close to other animals, such as deer and geese. Is this a learned behavior, or is it just who Honeybug is? SA: She’s gentle with anyone and any animal she comes across. Honeybug has been nose to nose with deer, raccoons, opossums, cats, dogs, and even vultures. She simply sniffs them and walks away. They also must know she is a gentle soul, since they do not fear her either. CC: Do you have any additional tips for fellow hound owners trying to capture the essence of their own beloved hounds? SA: Patience, patience, patience. Let them be comfortable in whatever environment and take a candid shot. Forcing them in a position or environment they are not comfortable with will not benefit them or the photo. CC: Has the time spent photographing Honeybug and focusing on her images influenced your understanding of and relationship with your hound? SA: Well, I didn’t realize how much side eye she had until the photos (lol!). Overall, I think my experience with these shy and sensitive hounds helps me understand them pretty well going into the adoption. However, I find it pretty interesting how my photos touch so many dog owners and how the images actually allow them to read her personality. So many of the comments by strangers, just from the photos I post, are amazingly accurate with their descriptions of Honeybug’s nature.
CC: Thanks for sharing Honeybug with the hound community and contributing that engaging photo for the calendar cover. We’ll be tracking Honeybug on facebook. The opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily endorsed by Coonhound and Foxhound Companions. Our 2019 Coonhound and Foxhound Companions wall calendar is ready for holiday giving (for just $20US including shipping). Delight friends, family, and hunting buddies with an entire year of scenthound friends – from Autumn to Willy. You’ll meet at least one hound each month as the calendar showcases long-eared best friends in various scenes such as our cover shot of Honeybug, a stunning Walker, bounding across an ocean beach. In January, Marilla the redtick English dons a fleecy vest to brave her snowy yard. Autumn takes a break from nosing around in February’s snow to let you know she scented something worth thinking about. In March, Cooper lifts his nose to the wind at the end of a lakeside pier. For all of April, Slyder, an adorable pup with pleading eyes, rests his chin on a pipe amidst architectural plumbing. Maggie takes a break from playing soccer with her family for the month of May, and Maybelle invites you to play in a mountain meadow with her during the month of June. Gambit celebrates Independence Day by cooling off belly up on a flag-print picnic blanket in July. Clooney beats the August heat by heading for his toys in the air conditioning. For September, Harper displays wisdom gained with a few gray chin hairs. Hank hangs out by an old-timey farm wagon for October, and mature Plott Max contemplates the future in November. A pack of sweet faces representing the coonhound breeds and a foxhound – Batman Jack (Foxhound), Belle (Treeing Walker), Greg (Black and Tan), Hansel (Plott), Lexi (Redbone), Loo (English), Sadie (Leopard Hound), and Willy (Bluetick) – decorates a peppermint candy for the December holiday season.
The calendars are 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches high when closed and open to 17 inches high. We’ve used heavyweight high quality satin finish paper with a refined wire-O binding. Each day’s square is big enough to fill in with personal reminders so your hound can track trips to the vet, competition events, and play dates with friends. Calendars are $20US apiece, including postage, shipping and handling. Buy 4 and get the fifth free. Any profits go to support our cause – educating the public that coonhounds make great pets – and funding medical care for homeless hounds with curable health problems. To order, go to Paypal.me/coonhoundcompanions or click on the Paypal link on our Coonhound and Foxhound Companions’ webpage coonhoundcompanions.com or our Facebook page coonhound companions. IMPORTANT: be sure to type in the mailing address in the Notes section. Or, you can mail a check and note with order info to: Coonhound and Foxhound Companions ℅ Anna Nirva 1511 Travis St. La Crosse WI 54601 For all orders, please include the number of calendars you want and do the multiplication yourself. You must also include the snail-mail address(es) you want the calendar(s) sent to, and any gift note you want enclosed. Calendars will be mailed from Minnesota or Ontario, depending on where they are going. Contact coonhoundcalendar@gmail.com to request discount information for orders of over 10. A big thank you to all who contributed photos for consideration for this year’s calendar. Photos are selected based on multiple factors, including resolution, variety, etc. We reluctantly had to leave out some great pictures of very lovely hounds. Some images will appear as cover shots on the Facebook page during the year. We welcome submissions for next year’s calendar all during the year (see contact email above) and will announce deadlines and additional guidelines in early summer. Thank you so very much for supporting our work! by Courtney Harris My husband and I both grew up with family pets. One of the things we found ourselves dreaming about before getting married was our future four-pawed family. By the time we hit our first anniversary, we had adopted two cats. We loved dogs but had decided to “cool our jets” before we turned into a proper zoo by Year Two. Fast forward to late, muggy August of 2016. One of my friends was ready to add a dog to her family. We bonded strongly over animals, and she graciously let me tag along when she went to check out a small, rural animal shelter in the neighboring county. We navigated the gravel road and barely put the car in park before hopping out and hustling to the door. We checked out the first few inside kennels first. There were adorable Lab mixes that stopped Katie in her tracks. Every pup was cute, but we’d only seen one side. I rounded the corner and a dog instantly caught my eye. In the second kennel, there was an orange and white dog with floppy ears watching me. I started talking to him. I forgot about the dogs immediately to my right and left. In fact, I may forget many things over the course of my lifetime, but I will never EVER forget this moment I’m chronicling right now. Although he started towards the wall of his cage, he was quick to come to the front to interact with me. Do you know how you feel after watching a two hour film that fills you with more emotions than you can recount? Well, this dog had eyes like the end of a good movie. He looked tired, hungry for affection, and melancholy. But more than that, he looked relentlessly hopeful. My new floppy-eared friend ran his face against the cage wire so that I could squeeze in a few pets. Howard, soon to be Basil, at the Shelter I backtracked to Katie and told her about “Howard” and how I’d like to take him on a walk. Howard was just patient enough to let me leash him up before he scampered across the concrete floors to get outside. He knew right where outside was, and he made sure we got there quickly. He stopped to sniff and pee about every five feet. He was just about beside himself with joy being in the fresh air again. When it was time to go back in, I stopped and chatted with the shelter manager about Howard. We discussed that he was a hound mix and the word “coonhound” was thrown around. I’d never seen a coonhound in person, and I’d barely even heard of one. I just knew that I didn’t come to the shelter prepared to or even looking to adopt, but I sure was praying that my husband fell in love with Howard at first sight like I had. Before leaving, I stopped at the front desk again and expressed that I was very serious about this dog and would bring my husband back the next day. That’s when I found out that, due to an overcrowded shelter, longtime resident Howard was slated for euthanasia in two days. So, I trust that your deduction skills will help you figure out what happened next. The following day, my husband met the dog of our dreams. After we decided “Howard” aged this six-year-old pup, we dubbed him “Basil” and made him a Harris. If you only remember one thing from this little story of mine, I hope it is this: Hounds make extraordinary family members. They don’t make adequate, okay, or even good pets. They are extraordinary pets. I have never been so enamored with a breed. Basil is gentle, affectionate, and loyal to a degree that impresses me every single day. He loves everyone he meets. Although hounds are known for being noisy, I’ve found that this isn’t always the case. He is one of the quietest dogs I’ve ever met. He is as happy to sniff some scents as he is to lovingly snuggle against me on the couch. He’s the doggie best friend that I never knew I needed. It’s a truly a case of “who rescued who?”
Are you considering adding a dog to your pack? I beg you to go check out a hound. That’s right—I’m begging you, stranger. Basil made me crazy for the breed, but he’s not the only wonderful hound I know. I volunteer with a few animal rescues, and I have engaged dozens of coonhounds and foxhounds. Although every dog has its flaws, the love of a hound is infectious. I hope that you’ll take a chance and visit one at your local shelter. I have a pretty good feeling that the floppy-eared canine on the inside of the kennel will be all the convincing you need. The opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by Coonhound and Foxhound Companions. It all started one day in February 2017. Animal lovers Patricia and Jim Matthews found one of the stray coonhounds they had been feeding lying still on the highway near their home in Duplin County, NC. He had been hit by a car. So the kind couple rushed him to their vet and paid to have the injured dog checked out. A thorough examination and x-ray revealed a concussion but no broken bones. Afterwards, the couple brought the poor hound to the Duplin County shelter, where he was named “Jim.” The Duplin County shelter seemed like Jim’s best chance to find a home. The sympathetic staff was known to work with volunteer groups like Pet Friends of Duplin County. About five days later, far off in Wisconsin, coonhound rescuer Anna Nirva checked her FaceBook feed. A post of a cute hound with a concussion caught her attention, Jim. Jim was slated for euthanasia in North Carolina that afternoon, February 24. Unfortunately, in keeping with NC state requirements, the time limit for each animal in a shelter is five days. And for Jim, time had run out. Having pulled other coonhounds from the Duplin County shelter in the past, Anna had worked with several people at Pet Friends before, so she reached out to her cyber contacts, sharing Jim’s picture and asking, “Is anyone interested in helping to save his life today?” Within minutes, she had not one answer, but two! Diamond Dogs Rescue in Wisconsin offered to accept him into their rescue and Rebecca (Becca) Wise offered to adopt him. Already familiar with procedures at the shelter, Anna texted Bobbie Kennedy, the animal control officer in Duplin County, to “pull” him and pay the fee. Pet Friends volunteer Elaine Scott drove Jim to Riverbank Vet, where Anna has an account, for tests, vaccines, de-worming and neutering before interstate transport and adoption. Thomas Marley graciously offered to foster Jim with additional coordination from longtime rescuer Dorsey Patrick, who had also been networking feverishly to help Jim get rescued. Then Anna set up a youcaring.com fundraiser page to pay for the cost of Jim’s vetting in addition to the cost of treating his concussion. The youcaring.com fund began filling up right away, auspiciously beginning with the pledge of $100 from supportive coonhound rescuer Marc Ehrenberg. A week later, though, Patricia Matthews contacted Anna in Wisconsin again. Why? Jim’s brother, Jack, was in the same shelter as Jim, and, like Jim, was slated for imminent euthanasia! But Anna didn’t know about Jack until the story unfolded. Apparently Jim and his brother, now named Jack, had been running loose for weeks. They had been fed by a woman named Tracy as well as the Mathews couple. All three had been trying to lure the second dog to safety since Jim’s accident. Their perseverance had finally paid off. But when the elusive Jack had finally allowed Tracy to touch him, the frightened and skinny dog was trembling. His tail was tucked underneath his belly as though he had never felt a kind human touch before, and it had nearly broken everyone’s hearts. Could Anna do something to help Jack too? The FaceBook page showed 18-month old Jack, scrawny, fearful and hunched over as if trying to draw himself inwards for safety. Once Patricia assured Anna that a friend of hers, schoolteacher Kristen Nicole Fowler, was prepared to foster Jack, Anna texted Marc Ehrenberg who generously offered to pay for all of Jack’s medical expenses. She then called the shelter to pull the thin and withdrawn dog, to the great relief of Bobbie Kennedy, who whooped with joy on the phone. Elaine Scott from Pet Friends of Duplin County drove him to the vet. Soon after, Anna received a call from Kristen, Jack’s promised foster in North Carolina. She was eager to meet Jack, and told Anna that Patricia, who had initially helped Jim with her husband, would stop by at lunchtime on Kristen’s workdays and let Jack out to potty. Kristen also committed herself to working with Jack every night to help him overcome his shyness. Brother Jim, however, was outgoing and happy; he thrived in his foster home with the Marleys and continued to recover from his accident. It took three weeks to complete the vetting process for Jim and Jack, and for independent transport coordinator Melanie Hendricks to arrange both dogs’ travel plans. On transport day, Kristin Fowler drove Jack while Kathy Fowler (unrelated), drove Jim to the pre-arranged meeting place. Then, with the money Anna had raised for their journey, Al & Cena’s Transport placed the reunited brothers in adjoining crates inside a van and drove them from North Carolina to Wisconsin. They arrived the last Saturday of March. The next day, Becca adopted Jim from Diamond Dogs Rescue and changed his name to Charley. Outgoing and confident, he adjusted immediately to her home and quickly made friends with his new doggy sister, also named Penny, a senior rat terrier. Much to Anna’s surprise, Becca turned out to live only two blocks from Anna and Terry! The coonhound brothers had remained neighbors halfway across the country! Further complicating the plot, Becca found romance through her new hound. When Becca had posted on FaceBook that she was adopting a coonhound from North Carolina, a friend of a friend, Sean, read it. As a dog lover himself, Sean thought that a woman who would adopt a dog sight unseen from so far away was a woman with HEART! He knew then that he had to meet her and promptly messaged her. They met in person shortly after Jim, now Charley, arrived. Not only does Sean love Charley, but Charley also loves Sean, and he and Becca have been dating ever since. In the meantime, Anna and her husband, Terry, began fostering Jack, who was not as quick to adjust. When Jack first arrived at their home, Anna or Terry had to carry him everywhere since he was too frightened to walk. It appeared that he hadn’t spent much time in a house before his capture. He would “tip toe” a little bit, but that was all. It took a week for him to gain enough confidence to walk through the hall and kitchen in order to get outside. In April, Becca had knee surgery, and during the first week of her recovery, Charley lived with Anna and Terry, their two resident dogs, Belle and Maddax, and, of course, his beloved brother Jack. What a hound party! Several months later, though, there was a hitch. On a Sunday in June, Anna and friend Karen Lee took Jack for a walk along a dike beside the Mississippi River. As they approached a spillway, Jack panicked at the noise of the rushing water, and although he was leashed and wearing his Batman harness, he pulled backward out of his harness and escaped, dashing into the woods and failing to answer Anna’s frantic calls. After several fruitless hours of looking for him, the search party expanded to include Anna’s husband, her visiting cousin Chris Stiehm and their friend, Bob Maier, who set up Jack’s crate, his blankets and some food and treats near the spot where he had disappeared. No Jack. With encouragement from friend Matt Sheehy, Anna then enlisted The Retrievers, a non-profit group in Minneapolis devoted to finding lost dogs, as well as the Humane Society that “owned” Jack (she always transfers her rescues to a regional shelter or rescue). The happy result was a larger live trap expertly set up with guidance from Mary McCarthy, a caseworker from The Retrievers. Over the next few days, a trail cam borrowed from a friend of Matt’s showed Jack visiting the trap at night, eating and staying close to his blankets for several hours before disappearing again. But he wouldn’t enter the trap. Heartened by his appearances, Anna contacted Becca who brought Charley to the site in the hopes of luring his brother out. Friend Britney Ziemetz joined Anna another night and they searched for hours, calling as they waded through swampy grass. Every morning and evening, teams would search for Jack with waning confidence. Anna’s devoted friend Karen, who lived nearby, visited the trap every two hours while it was light outside, using her bicycle. Her commitment finally paid off when she spotted Jack some distance from the trap! But he heard her bicycle squeak when she braked and he raced back into the woods. Terry and Bob promptly responded by moving both the trap and the trail cam to a narrow, wooded trail not far from where Jack had been seen, as Mary had advised Anna. But still no Jack. On Thursday night, with storms forecast for Friday, a desperate and determined Anna, joined by friends Karen, Matt, Britney, and Becca with coonhound Charley, set up camp near the live trap. With guidance from Mary, Britney grilled hamburgers and crumbled the meat over the nearby trails and they walked Charley around the area to entice Jack to safety with his brother’s scent. Then Anna and Charley lay side by side, restless and uneasy, on her sleeping bag all night … listening. When the morning light arrived with no sign of Jack, a discouraged Anna put the camping gear back in the car, then returned to the dike with Charley who seemed eager to go for a walk. He walked ahead of her on a 20-foot leash, and she followed where he led along a wooded trail. As she rounded a shady bend, her heart stopped. Twenty feet away stood two dogs: Batman Jack was happily greeting his brother! Scarcely daring to breathe, she called softly to him and he came towards her, wagging his tail. With shaking hands and pounding heart, she took hold of his collar, wrapped one end of the long leash around it and led them back to the trap where she finally attached a leash to him. Then she and the two brothers walked down the spillway dike to her car and drove home. After searching the woods for days, despite precautions, both Karen and Anna got head-to-toe poison ivy! The habitat of the island is perfect for the pesky plant and it grows with vigor everywhere, winding up tree trunks and shrubs and surrounding trails forming huge leafy bowers. The friends shared advice and remedies as rashes erupted and crusted over. After his week AWOL, Anna and Terry were even fonder of Jack, but he had a persistent case of hookworms. Anna was only fostering Jack for Coulee Region Humane Society until he could be given a clean bill of health and cleared for adoption to a forever home. Six treatments later, in August, when the hookworms were finally gone, Anna and Terry decided they needed to keep him, and signed his adoption papers, officially renaming him “Batman Jack.” And so, these two coonhound brothers, who had traveled so far to find home, now live two blocks apart and enjoy frequent joyous play dates together! A note about the story:
Because of the broad sweep of rescue, from helping a stray or abused dog to living in a loving home, the many volunteers who help a dog or cat along their journey often don't hear about the start or the end of the rescue story. For Jim and Jack, we do know the entire rescue story. We've attempted to include all of the volunteers and offer apologies if we have missed someone. The blog post writers are also a team of volunteers. Jim and Jack, now Charley and Batman Jack, are probably American Foxhounds. Our team has just launched a new Facebook group, "Life with My Rescued Foxhound," and we invite you to visit and join. We will be sharing more about the brothers and we hope many adopters of foxhounds and mixes will share their stories too. Foxhounds are often confused with other hound breeds and deserve more focus and attention from hound lovers. Our Coonhound and Foxhound Companions 2018 wall calendar is ready to order for holiday giving. Delight friends and family with an entire year of companionable hound friends – from Astoria to Wiley. You’ll meet at least one hound each month as the calendar showcases a wonderful variety of long-eared friends in daytime settings, some spectacular – like the clear mountain lake on our cover this year, featuring a pair of well-behaved hounds contentedly riding on a paddleboard. In January, Hudson, a young redbone with pleading eyes, will pull your heartstrings. In February, tricolored English Cora emerges from her local dog park’s Hobbit Habitat. In March, red-ticked Cooper scratches his back, wiggling on the grass and exposing his belly to the warming sun. In April, Walker mom Astoria gambols with her pups. In May, Walker Maddy May poses with poise in front of posies. In June, Plott Poppy ponders a wild river over her shoulder. July showcases Walker Georgia mourning the end of a picnic on the beach. In August, Hamilton goes for a lake cruise. September’s Walker Lily gazes at the horizon from the seashore. October’s mature Walker Jackson suns himself outside his tent on a camping trip. Boone sings in the Holiday season, first looking dignified, then howling with joy. And the year ends with a full set of hounds gathering around a Christmas tree: B&T Otis & friends, Willy, Hope, Homer, Stella, Hank, Susie Q, Pebbles, Buckeye, Fargo, Watson, and Smokey. The calendars are 11 inches wide by 8.5 inches high when closed, and open to 17 inches high. We’ve used heavyweight high quality white glossy paper held together by a refined wire-O binding. Each day’s square is big enough to fill in with personal reminders so your hound can track trips to the vet and play dates with friends.
Calendars are $20 apiece, including postage, shipping and handling. Buy 4 and get the fifth free. Any profits go to support our cause – educating the public that coonhounds make great pets – and supporting homeless hounds with medical needs. We will be using a new method for distribution this year. Go to Paypal.me/coonhoundcompanions or click on the Paypal link on our Coonhound and Foxhound Companions’ webpage or Facebook page. Or, you can mail a check and note with order info to: Coonhound and Foxhound Companions c/o Anna Nirva 1511 Travis St., La Crosse WI 54601 Click here to get more information on bulk discounts for orders of over 10. For all orders, please include the number of calendars you want and do the multiplication yourself. You must also include the snail-mail address(es) you want the calendar(s) sent to, and any gift note you want enclosed. Calendars will be mailed from Minnesota.. A big thank you to all those who contributed photos for consideration for this year’s calendar. We left out some really nice pictures. Photos are selected based on multiple factors, including resolution, variety, etc. We welcome submissions for next year’s calendar. In general, we prefer action shots to sleeping dogs. Hunting pictures are welcome as long as they are not gruesome. Indoor pictures are also welcome. However, it’s not easy for night hunting or indoor resolution quality to come up to daylight shots. You can see guidelines here. Thank you so very much for supporting our work! by Dianne Channell Gabriel was so special, so wonderful, so charming and so beloved that I have no words to describe how amazing he was and no words to describe my sorrow at his death. Gabriel had to be experienced. The “extraordinary” that I saw in Gabriel may be commonplace for big hounds. I don’t know where it came from or why it was there, but it was definitely there. It had to do with his understanding and interaction with humans as equals and his ability to bend us with charm to satisfy his desires. And his charisma with dogs. All my human friends are dog-obsessed people. We meet for lunch occasionally. At the end of an hour, non-dog people in the restaurant have quietly moved their chairs and tables away from us. We are a group apart. Our phones are low on memory because we have photos and videos of our dogs — not babies, friends, or family! Our forté is dog conversation and vivid descriptions of our wonderful dogs. But even after years of discussing dogs with a dog-obsessed group, my language fails to fully capture our Gabriel’s ineffable charm. Here’s my best try. Background. Gabriel was a mature dog when we met. One day, in my inbox: an email from a woman in Mississippi begging for help. Someone wanted to “get rid” of their dog. I forwarded the email to other people and groups who might be able to help. I forgot about it until a month later, when I got the same email. This time in a bigger font. “This woman wants to dump this dog.” I have the utmost contempt for such people! I spend no time pondering such requests. I speedily clicked “Forward” as if the monstrous contents were infectious. But I made a fatal error with the third plea: I looked at the pictures of the dog. Specifically, I looked into his eyes and I saw the message clearly: “Why are you waiting?” A few weeks and a thousand miles later, one of my dog-obsessed friends pulled into my driveway and I met a brown and white dog, slender in build. Pretty, but not amazing. He walked into our home and met the 13, or 10, or 8 (I can’t remember) or so, other dogs he’d be living with. Gabriel’s history came to me bit by bit. He was reputed to be a “Treeing Walker Coonhound,” later revised to “Probably Foxhound.” It didn’t matter to me. Breeds were beside the point. I’d never met one of his ilk and I didn’t know what the words meant, but who cares? He was a dog. Whatever his breed, it was one not often seen here Santa Fe, where we live. While on walks, people would stop their cars. inquiring about his breed. His early history was murky. He hadn’t had an easy time of it. He’d been found by a hunter, who also happened to be veterinarian, who came across him and a second dog, thought to be a sibling, lost in the woods. Possibly, dumped in the woods, although he was wearing an expensive tracking collar. Through the information on the collar, his owner was contacted. The owner said “Just throw rocks at him if he comes around. I don’t want him. He can’t hunt.” The veterinarian took both dogs with him. Gabriel was taken into the veterinarian’s home and the second dog was boarded in the man’s clinic. (The other dog now lives in Colorado with a loving family.) Then something changed. Divorce or moving or both. Gabriel was in the way and needed a new home. He went into boarding at the vet’s clinic. Not really as safe as it sounds. The veterinarian himself gave little to no thought to the dogs in boarding out in the back. Food, water and exercise were sporadic. Enter a recently widowed woman who wanted a companion. She chose Gabriel. Off he went for two or three years. The woman worked 8 to 10 hours a day, then often went straight to church. Gabriel was alone for as much as 12 hours some days. He was kenneled when home alone. Eventually he let his view of things be known. When the woman returned home in the evening, and he was released from his kennel, he would run up the stairs to her bedroom and pee on her rug. I hope he ruined it. Once more, Gabriel was looking for a new home. And that’s when he came to us. At home with us. At first, he took to my husband, but merely tolerated me. Unprecedented! But Gabriel was unprecedented. In the beginning, Gabriel sat with my husband as often as possible. seemingly to avoid me. He even growled at me and bared his teeth when I removed a bit of cardboard he was pulverizing. Another unprecedented event. Women were clearly not high on his list. He got into a battle with our irascible male who is also highly reactive. Gabriel’s foot got broken. But Gabriel wore his protective Elizabethan collar with aplomb (wearing the E collar should not be taken for granted. We have one dog who throws himself against the wall until either he breaks all his bones or the collar breaks. All kinds of collars.) Never complained about the weekly vet visits for new x-rays and bandages. On early car rides our new hound emitted a low, fearful whining sound. He needed dental work. His teeth were chewed down and told the tragic story of a very smart, active dog, kenneled day after day and hour after hour. He had worn his teeth down chewing on the metal of his kennel. One tooth could not be saved. He had a yeast infection in his ear and blood work showed him to be low on thyroid. We had a spray to try to save his teeth, ointment for his ear, and pills for his thyroid. His age was uncertain. His advocate in Mississippi thought he might be 7 years; our vet thought he might be 10. Gabriel was smart. He had us figured out in short order and became more relaxed. He knew where the treats were stored and when he determined it was treat time, manipulated the handle to the defunct dryer where they were stored to help himself. We then moved them to the top of the oven. Out of reach but not out of sight or smell. Now when he wanted a treat, he would sit to one side of the oven and look at the treats and then look at us. Then he’d look at the treats and back to us. Our other dogs would try to knock the treats off their perch, but none of them had thought of telling us that he/she wanted one. Gabriel was highly civilized. Always a polite, gentlemanly dog, he believed the better path to his goals was a clear request. If my husband gave him a treat once, he’d ask for another at that exact time the next day. He learned from the first experience--it didn’t even take twice. He was mannerly about it, but he never accepted defeat — we would continue to provide chew things at the immutably appointed hour. Extras outside the normal schedule were fine too. He loved to chew. We never trained Gabriel in any way. He came housebroken and always came instantly when called. But he persistently wanted what he wanted and never gave up. My husband, only peripherally aware of the rest of the pack, would exclaim, “He is one stubborn dog!”. Gabriel was a very self-assured and confident canine. I think the self-assurance and confidence translated as stubbornness. He learned all the schedules and that was all he needed to know to train us to fulfill his wishes. He could also move the other dogs to his will. When the Kuranda bed (a raised pet bed, sort of like a non-bouncy trampoline, see pic below) was crowded with bodies, he would stand in the front and use his Jedi mind powers to tell the interlopers that their time was up. It worked. On one occasion, he demonstrated the essence of what it means to be a houndy escape artist. My husband was taking him and another of our dogs into the clinic for toenail clipping. At the door to the vet’s office, where Gabriel had been numerous times for the broken foot and blood tests for thyroid, he slipped his lead and ran, at about 30 miles per hour, into oncoming traffic. We never determined what the allure was. There were no critters. Just asphalt and cars. He was there one minute and without prelude, he was a blur dodging cars! Thankfully, a stranger stopped and opened her car door, and Mr. Sociability hopped in. She drove him back to the vet’s front door. There had been no warning. It never happened again, but we also took extra precautions to keep him in hand. Collar, harness, a firm hand and hyper-awareness. Gabriel made a wonderful but subtle transition. He worked out whatever kinks he had on his own. All our dogs have learned our feeding routine immediately and he was no exception, although for the first two weeks or so he only picked at his food. Our pack eats in their individual kennels (inside — all our dogs live in the house). He knew his feeding kennel. He’d go to his kennel immediately and sit and wait for his food. Because of the incident early on, which broke his foot, we decided to keep Gabriel and the other male apart. The dogs always sleep inside and no one stays out for more than 2 hours at a time. Those two dogs were never out simultaneously. He learned that timetable by himself. Down to the minute. At the end of his “out” time, he’d walk to his kennel and get comfy with his blankets, all without any reminder or argument. When it’s snowing, no one goes out to play; when it stops no one goes out for more than 20 minutes unless they are wearing booties. He figured it out. Gabriel seemed to have a strong desire to earn our trust. Once he was living with us, his life was under his control. Within the the larger schedule of the pack and within the larger protocols of our daily lives, he was the captain of his ship. He did not counter surf (some of our others still do); he did not steal food from my hands (some do). Our dogs aren’t allowed to eat the pillows or the tin foil. They don’t eat my shoes or the elastic laces. They don’t always get to go in the car. We never leave the dogs alone. Never. One of us is always here. My husband missed our son’s wedding on that account. I believe this policy probably aided Gabriel’s adjustment. It was a policy we had adopted a few years before, but it works well for all the dogs. Fears and phobias. Gabriel did come with some baggage. He was terrified of thunderstorms and other loud noises. While sitting in the waiting room at the vet’s, we heard a terrific crash. Sounded like someone had dropped a pallet loaded with 20 big bags of dog food. It scared me, but it terrified Gabriel. I had him on a lead. When he jerked in shock and surprise, he nearly pulled me off the chair. We have magnificent summer storms here, with sheet lightning and booming that rattles the dishes on the shelves. We live within hearing distance of a national cemetery. A gun salute sent him running to his kennel. Those fears taught me to understand “gun shy” in very physical way, transmitted through the lead. At home, as long as he could get into his kennel, he felt safe. Sometimes, if I had enough warning, I’d give him Zylkene, a milk peptide that is naturally produced by the brain to effect tranquility. The French put it into a pill and it’s effective but I don’t always have it around. Gabriel seemed afraid of the dark, so we left hall and bathroom lights on for him at night. I learned not to pick up a broom, shovel or rake in front of him but silently wept inside that this wonderful dog had learned to be afraid of these simple things. I learned to announce my intention to turn on the water hose, giving him time to get to higher ground. He charmed my vet. “Look at him,” she would say. “He understands everything we are saying”. Eventually, he came to me with the same faith he had exhibited in my husband. He came to me of his own volition. He would stand up, placing his front paws on a chair, mattress, low table, and I was to rub his chest and kiss him on the top of his head. Car rides were now fun. No more whining. He lacked only a full time playmate. Our social butterfly. He blossomed into wonderfully sociable dog. After he got over his fear of women and began to actually hang around with me, he was great with everyone. He loved it when one of the dog-people came to visit. (Non-dog people do not visit.) My vague and totally unaware husband became a huge fan. “Hi Gabriel” oozed out of him like honey on a spoon. Gabriel was great with other dogs, too. At first, our menagerie lacked a good playmate for him, but that soon chang. We got yet another dog (even though we are no longer taking dogs in … ) who became the perfect and steadfast playmate for Gabriel. On a few mornings, we’d find both of them sleeping in Gabriel’s kennel. That never happened with any of our other dogs. This newcomer was young and as a bonus, hyperactive, and now Gabriel was in hog heaven. He held his head high as he jogged, danced, pirouetted and waltzed through the backyard. He smiled. He was grace personified. He had élan and a good buddy besides! His mission was found: play and more play. My husband, always a good sport about the dogs and the innumeracy that overtakes my brain when it comes to dogs, makes the occasional sarcastic crack. It was true: we had more dogs at any given time than most people would have in their entire lifetimes. No one ever left. “Until death do us part” is definitely my motto. So one day, when my husband tracked me down in the house to say to me, “Have we gotten another dog?” I thought he was being a smart aleck and I snapped back, “Look, just go get Gabriel and Flynn in the backyard. It’s time for them to come in.” He said, “I’m not kidding. There is another dog out there. Go look.” I did. There was another dog out there. one I had never seen before. He was quite friendly, did not object when I held his collar up to the light to read his ID, but clearly intended to follow Gabriel and Flynn into the house. My other dogs were more territorial and would not tolerate a strange dog walking into the house without lengthy and time-consuming introductions. As far as that goes, none of them would have accepted a strange dog hopping the fence. But Gabriel enjoyed it. It turned out that this stranger dog’s owner had left his pet with his parents down the street while on a trip. The owner had just returned to Albuquerque from wherever he’d been and was, at that very moment, on his way to his parents’ house in Santa Fe to retrieve his buddy. In anticipation of their son’s arrival and the dog’s departure, the pet sitting grandparents had removed a taller safety fence from their yard that they’d put up for the duration of the dog’s stay. But “stay” he did not. Unbeknownst to us, Grandpa had been regularly walking our visitor in the arroyo behind our house. He caught a whiff of Gabriel and our other dogs through the fence, and that’s where he apparently wanted to be. Gabriel was the bee's’ knees! We figured out later that this was not the first time this visitor had hopped our 6’ fence. It explained certain late night knockings on our front gate. People were coming around looking for their “missing” dogs! I called Grandpa and explained that we had his charge in our yard. He immediately set out to collect him. My husband put a lead on our now-recalcitrant guest who clearly had no intention of leaving the party. He had found the greatest fun on the block and he wasn’t about to give it up. My husband alternately pulled and coaxed and eventually the visitor was back in the hands of his babysitter. But not for long. A half hour later, I heard a dog barking. I don’t know how it happens but we’ve learn to identify our dogs’ barks. Not only which dog it’s coming from, but whether it’s distress or joy, let-me-in or something else. This was an unknown something else and it wasn’t coming from any of my dogs, all of whom were in the house. It was October and it was getting dark early and had begun snowing. I went outside. The barking was insistent. I found our former guest on the north side of the house, barking to beat the band, at an empty yard. Gabriel was now inside. I called Grandpa again and once again a broken hearted dog was led away. We never saw our Mysterious Stranger again, but my heart was touched. It explained why one afternoon I heard another two dogs barking at our fence, again on the north side. If they had been children, they would have been saying “Can Gabriel come out and play?” A strange dog hopping the fence could only happen with Gabriel because Gabriel was a special social magnet. In retrospect, we realized we must have had several interlopers stopping by to play with Gabriel. Gabriel never hopped the fence, although he could have done so easily. Why bother? Everyone was coming to him. The True Story of Gabriel is the story of dogs coming from blocks away (our neighborhood has few dogs) to hop the fence and play with him. Those party dogs knew what I can’t express. Gabriel was the essence of joy, joy in its most undiluted and perfect form! Gabriel was everything life should be. He was fulfilled, confident and happy. He was pure bliss. He knew his mission in life: to have fun. That was his path. He went to bed every night with a smile on his sweet face, secure in himself and in the knowledge that we loved him immensely. We had Gabriel for too short a time, only about a year and a half, when he died in November of 2015. When I lost him, my insides turned to glass and shattered. I cry blood-tears for Gabriel, our amazing, wonderful, extraordinary hound who left us all too soon. I love him now as I always have.
The opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by Coonhound and Foxhound Companions. |
The Coonie Team
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