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Limber Tail

7/5/2018

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Q from Jean

Have you ever experienced a hound with limber tail?  One of our adopters is asking because their dog’s tail suddenly stopped wagging and its kind of just hanging. 
​
A from Emmy Sue

I'd never heard of it before you asked, but there's a fair amount of stuff on the internet about it.  Other names for it: acute caudal myopathy; swimmer's tail; cold tail; cold water tail; broken tail; broken wag; sprung tail; dead tail; limp tail; rudder tail.  

Here's a good article:  https://www.ducks.org/hunting/retriever-training/a-lesson-in-limber-tail
Swimming in very cold water is apparently a risk factor.  The good news is that it doesn't usually last long, almost always less than a week, usually only a day or two,  even without treatment.  Another source, 
http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/limber-tail-syndrome-why-my-dogs-tail-limp , lists foxhounds as a breed that is known to get it.  Apparently it is caused by overexertion of the muscles and ligaments at the base of the dog's tail, and can be very painful in the short term.  The dog may be in considerable pain for several days, but like any form of overexertion, it can be avoided by stepping up the dog's activity level more slowly.  It is most common in hunting breeds in the opening days of their sporting season.  Pets, particularly ones that love to swim, sometimes get it on vacation. 
​
I have known a fair number of hounds with a permanent crimp in their tail, usually the result of an old break.  Coonhounds wag their tails into solid objects a lot, and a surprising number get their tails broken as pups before they leave their mother.  A broken tail should probably be set by a vet so it heals properly.  The limber tail thing is usually way up at the base of the tail whereas tails usually break lower down when they are slammed into a door or stepped on by mom. 
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Exercise;  Safety off-lead;  Swimming

7/2/2018

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Q from Elizabeth

How can I give my coonhound adequate exercise?

I live in the suburbs, in Westchester, NY. My Coonhound Sparky is 1 year old. I take him to the dog park regularly, and he loves playing with other dogs, but he clearly needs to run in a much bigger space. I take him for a long walk/run (1.5) hours once or twice a week and have been attempting to train him to run off the leash. Do you have any tips for doing this safely/effectively? I was interested to read that they normally hunt out of sight of their handler, because he often does go into the brush, away from me, and I try to stay in contact with him vocally, and he generally does come back. But we have had some challenges, such as, his swimming across and pond and running out the other side (after geese) or swimming way out into the Hudson River (also after geese), which he did this morning. How can I teach him to stay close enough to be safe? Thank you.

A from Emmy Sue


Let's separate this into two different issues:    1) How much exercise does my coonhound need? and 2) How do I keep my coonhound safe off lead?

1) How much exercise does my coonhound need? 


At a year old, Sparky is the equivalent of a young human teenager, and is probably as boisterous as he will ever be.  You say he loves to play with other dogs at the dog park, but clearly needs a much bigger space to run around in.  I'm not sure that's accurate--the easiest way to physically tire out a pet coonhound is to give him another dog to play with.  My hounds have a very big fenced yard to play in, but don't use the whole thing most of the time--they stick pretty near the porch.  My younger hound, George, prefers to charge up and down the stairs when he is wound up.  He also wrestles on the bed with our neighbors' Australian shepherd and circles the flower bed.  These activities are very vigorous but don't take up a huge amount of space.  A young coonhound is very agile and is perfectly happy running around in pretty tight circles and jumping on and off large objects (like a picnic table or bench at the dog park).  Most coonhounds spend a lot of time just lying around punctuated by short bursts of intense physical activity.

You may find that Sparky gets tired out by exercising his nose as much as by exercising his body.  While that won't keep his muscles toned, it will teach him to respect you as his partner by showing him you appreciate what he is good at.  You can find some descriptions of simple scent games you can play with your dog on the late Suzanne Clothier's website here:  https://suzanneclothier.com/article/scent-games-educating-dogs-nose/

Many hunting coonhounds live large portions of their lives tied up or confined to pretty small kennels, punctuated by long runs (sometimes many miles) in hunting season.  The luckier ones get taken out for exercise runs in the closed hunting season, often on farm roads accompanied by an off-road vehicle.  If you have access to a large public park or private farm or estate, there may be a place near you with little traffic where you can let Sparky off lead on a dead end road and keep him in sight while you slowly drive your vehicle or ride a bicycle.. [A hound's maximum speed is usually about 20 mph, but a long run is typically closer to 5 mph]. When at their prime, my hounds could easily do ten or twelve miles, although we rarely did more than five. There are dead end roads near me in the Catskills where I can do this, and I sometimes do, but it is not entirely safe.  There is the possibility of other vehicles and unfriendly dogs, there are all those blind spots when the dog is running close to the vehicle,  plus the possibility that the hound catches a whiff of a raccoon or bear or house cat and takes off hunting.  The hound will usually stick near the vehicle if you keep it running near its maximum sustained speed. My dogs are allowed to hunt and wear tracking collars when they do this so I can find them again, but most hounds, once on a scent, can't be called off easily, so I have to go to them if they tree something.  Almost all hounds will make a racket if they tree something, so they can be found if you listen carefully, but it may be a porcupine or in thick briars or poison ivy, and you will have to get to the dog and leash it up to get it away from the game. This requires a good sense of humor and sometimes some bravery. My hounds are often out of sight when I am doing this--just below road grade in a river bed next to the road, in a blind spot around the truck, etc.  This can be heart stopping until you get used to it.  I ride with the windows open even in winter cold and the radio off so I can hear panting and feet pounding nearby. I put a bright LED light on their collars to improve visibility. Also, a hound that doesn't get out very often may be reluctant to get back in the vehicle when you've had enough.  I keep a jar of extra good treats (freeze dried lamb lungs) in the glove compartment for bribing them back when necessary.




2) How do I keep my coonhound safe off lead?

First, get an LED collar light to improve visibility in thick brush, poorly lit areas, etc. These are cheap--a really fancy one costs $15. Blue is the highest visibility color and can be seen well before you can figure out it's a dog with it. My hounds have scared a few joggers wearing them.
 
These days, most hunters use GPS tracking systems on their hounds when they are hunting them.  These are a considerable investment--a complete system with handheld display device and one collar can cost around a thousand dollars, with extra collars $250 or so apiece. These are available at hound hunting supply stores online, such as Valley Creek, Lion Country Supply, etc. and the big hunting supply chains like Cabela's and Dick's. Garmin is the industry standard brand.  Before GPS systems, there were radio based systems. These were harder to learn to use, and can echo off reflective geographic features. Because these are no longer the state of the art you can get some bargains on these. Try CollarClinic.com for used systems. There are other brands that are designed for keeping track of pets and/or use in Europe that involve a monthly fee, and work on your cell phone, but they are not as sturdy. I live where there's no cell phone service, and some geographic formations (mountains, iron mines) make satellite based systems unreliable. The radio systems can be annoying in mountains--nothing like climbing a mountain to find your dog and discovering that the signal was reflected and you climbed the wrong mountain. The GPS systems allow you to track your dog in real time and to know whether it is getting close to a house or road. They also record other things like your dog's average speed and whether or not it is treeing. The old radio systems lasted longer, however.  The GPS systems lose their charge in less than a full day, whereas the radio systems lasted up to a week. 

Hunters often put shock collars on their hounds as well. While pet owners, myself included, don't usually like to do this, they can be used humanely and they can stop a dog in it's tracks instantaneously and save it's life when it is about to run into traffic or out on thin ice. I do have a shock collar and put it on my dog when it is hunting someplace unfamiliar to me. If you purchase a shock collar, make sure it is one that has multiple settings, including one that is just a tone with no shock.  These can be very useful training devices, but make sure you read/watch the training instructions. Most hounds only take a few light tickles to learn to respond to a shocking system. However, they are smart enough to know when they have a shock collar on and when they don't.   Dogs trained with a shock collar may need to wear at least a dummy shock collar to behave. [A dummy collar has the probes that administer the shocks but doesn't have power. Hunters sometimes use an old broken collar or uncharged  collar for this purpose.] You can't leave the shocking collar on full time because the probes will create sores if you leave it on for more than about 12 hours.

Many hounds (but not all) love to swim. A few hate going over their head. They are typically strong natural swimmers, although some need experience or a swim with a better swimmer to learn from.  But swift currents can cause problems. If you need to call your hound back to shore in a river with a current, like the Hudson, make sure you call him from downstream.  Hounds can drown fighting a swift current either from exhaustion or being swept under an object like a fallen tree or ice. 
You can teach your hound not to chase geese easily enough. Just reprimand him gently after he does it.  Geese don't smell much like coons, and he'll want to please you, so he'll learn. It may be harder to teach him not to eat goose turds. 
You may enjoy watching a competitive hound water race.  There is a hound club I sometimes go to in Wingdale NY (Dutchess County) that holds competitive water races, including one upcoming on July 22, and my home hound club in Sullivan County (near the original Woodstock festival) will be holding one on August 5. Go to https://www.ukcdogs.com/coonhound-events-calendar to find other water races. Without papers, Sparky won't be able to compete, but there are usually practice races he would be allowed in.  Attendance is free for spectators, although purchases from the kitchen help support the club. Bring a leash for Sparky.  


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Do Coonhounds Howl?

6/23/2018

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Q from Matt:
We are looking to adopt a two year old bluetick.  Is it likely to howl? What can we do to prevent that?


A  from Emmy Sue

What some people call “howling,” other people call “hound music.”  That depends on where you live and who your neighbors are!

Coonhounds can be pretty vocal and that may disturb your neighbors, so check your local noise ordinances before you adopt.  

Coonhounds don't usually sing unless they are in hunting mode, although some pet coonhounds that don't hunt will transfer their passion to other contexts.   I have one elderly hound who "hunts" human food, and bellows to beg from the dining table and kitchen counter.  That is fairly easy to stop with the consistent application of a squirt bottle, which--to my husband's annoyance-- I don't bother with often enough.  

Coonhounds rarely howl to fire engines and sirens like they do in cartoons.  When we lived in Brooklyn NY our hounds regularly ignored the chronic street babble like any other city resident.  Some dogs will howl at the moon, but I’ve never heard of a coonhound that does.  One of my hounds used to respond to coyotes singing nearby, but most don’t, although they will converse with other dogs in the neighborhood unless discouraged.

Pet hounds may howl at squirrels or cats hanging around outside windows or on the other side of a fence within sniff distance.  Mine sing at bears or raccoons in my garbage or bobcats on the prowl, but I live way out in the country. Almost all coonhounds will bay or bark at raccoons within scent range, but most pets won't smell that if they are inside with windows closed at night.  Some have sensitive enough noses to wake up from a sound sleep in the middle of the night or from the back seat of the car (with closed windows).  It's almost always some smell that sets them off, and they get super excited when they get a whiff.  On lead, they become very difficult to control, pulling to get to the source.  Each hound has his own game preferences.  Some sing about cats, some will sing for possums unless taught not to.  Some will sing for the mailman who carries biscuits.

The best way to keep the peace with neighbors is to keep the hound from smelling things it’s going to want to hunt.  Barriers that keep hounds from seeing game they want to hunt won’t work.  Hounds are bred to hunt at night, so they use their nose and their hearing more than their sight, and they can smell and hear things you can’t.  And scents can enter houses and cars through ventilation systems.

Pet hounds also sing different (often loud) songs to express their emotions, and these can be very effective at manipulating their humans.  Most hounds will sing enough to pull your heartstrings as you are leaving them behind at home.  If you let that get to you, they can sing all day and disrupt the neighborhood.  Most quickly learn that you can’t hear them after a couple of minutes, so they stop, only to start up again when they hear your car engine upon return.  You can limit the length of time this goes on  by masking the sounds of your departure.  Leave a radio or tv on playing softly--no loud abrupt noises like quiz shows or heavy metal.   Gentle talk or soft music are good.  Nature noises are not good--there’s bound to be an intriguing noise.  My dogs are always responding to exotic animal noises on public radio.

Coonhounds have a huge vocabulary of vocalizations.  They are bred to hunt out of sight of their handlers, usually at night.  They communicate with their humans by “talking” constantly and distinctively enough that their handler can tell what each individual hound is doing when it is hunting with several others.  These noises vary from soft whimpering to loud baying and chopping, with subtle variations.  One of the joys of owning a hound is learning what your individual hound is saying.  I can tell what each of my hounds are hunting by sound alone, and also how close they are to chasing it up a tree.   However, each hound has his own “speech” in every situation, so you have to figure that out for yourself. The better you understand what yours is saying, the better you will communicate.  Musicians have the practice to be particularly good at this.

Incidentally, other breeds of dogs consider hound vocalizations so loud as to be rude.  Bring your hound someplace where there are other breeds of dog, and some of the foreigners may be put off  by how loud the hound is.  Interestingly, other hound breeds and hound mixes tend to recognize and be understanding of hound talk in each other immediately, while terriers or toy breeds may find it annoying.  Hounds that are used to going to dog parks will pick up on this and be quiet when they first arrive.

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Can a Coonhound Get Along With My Cat?

6/10/2018

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Q from Stephanie K.

My neighbor recently moved and was going to take his bluetick coonhound (1 year old) to the ASPCA. Being the sap that I am, I offered to take him in. The problem is, I have an older cat and didn't know that could possibly be a bad idea.

I've had this guy for about a week now, and he's seen my cat and it seemed like he just wanted to check her out, but of course she got nervous and started to run, which I guess may have triggered his hunting instinct? He didn't seem aggressive, more so "What in the world is that?   I HAVE TO SMELL THIS STRANGE THING!" Can these two learn to get along? He's a sweet dog and has even become my jogging partner, so I really don't want to get rid of him, especially because the poor guy’s been abandoned already.


A from Emmy Sue


You don't say where you are, which may be relevant to what hunting training your bluetick may have had already.  In some parts of North America, blueticks are typically used to hunt raccoons, in other parts they are more commonly used to hunt black bears or mountain lions.  There's a great book about mountain lion hunting with blueticks called The Call of the Hounds by Del Cameron.  You might enjoy reading it.  


At only a year, your hound may not have had much hunting training at all, or may have been slow to start, trying the patience of his previous owner.  Coonhounds usually have a hunting "switch" which turns on suddenly. Typically, this happens between 6 months and two years, but for some it can happen earlier or as late as 4 years.  This can be very abrupt, so a hound that doesn't hunt cats one day can suddenly start hunting cats the next day. Given the age of your hound, you should be careful about leaving him alone with your cat for another year, especially in an enclosed outdoor space.  Typically, a cat can climb to a safe space faster than the hound can get to him, but you may have to spend a lot of time getting your cat down from trees, and a few hounds even learn to climb trees!


However, that does not mean your hound cannot be taught to get along with "his" cat quite well. Coonhounds rarely generalize to accept all cats, but they can learn to respect "their" family's cats, or certain individual cats in their environment.   A few never learn, but that is mostly hounds that have already been hunted on cats. It’s not unusual for hunters to begin training their hound pups on barn cats or other semi-feral cats before switching them to other game. Remember that a hound is bred to chase his quarry up a tree and hold it there while barking his fool head off until his hunter comes to kill the game; he is not bred to kill the game himself, although some hounds will do that if the hound doesn't believe his hunter will come to his aid or is very fast and can catch it before it climbs.  And a lot of hunters, like me, use hounds for "catch and release" hunting. The hound doesn't care whether or not the quarry is dead at the end of the hunt, only that his handler praises him for his work treeing and holding the game. Hounds want you to be their partner, and to respect their work. Doesn't sound like yours is a cat hunter yet, but it could turn into one if there's nothing better to sniff out in his environment, so you need to teach him to use his nose on something less problematical for you. You could take up coon hunting, which I did with my first hound, but most pet owners don't want to do that, and it is not necessary.  However, I find that going to a competitive coon hunt or two gives you some insight into how coonhounds work, and that helps you get into their mindset.


To start with, make sure that whatever enclosure surrounds your yard will stop the hound but leave an avenue of escape for the cat--something like a wire fence with a large mesh or at least a tree for the cat to climb to safety.  In the house, give the cat a place to escape to also--a tall cabinet or a sturdy (not cardboard) box with a cat sized opening or a cat door through a closed bedroom door. Remember that coonhounds will jump onto a table or counter with all fours until taught not to, so make sure the cat really has a safe retreat.  While many cats can hold their own swatting a hound on the nose from a counter, a really motivated hound will allow himself to be shredded to get to the cat.
Most hounds can be taught to use their nose on anything you want them to, and not on things you don't want them to, so you have to redirect your hound's nose to something other than cats. If you live in an environment with a lot of more interesting things to hunt (raccoons), he probably won't waste much energy hunting your cat, but if he isn't trained to redirect his nose on something else, he will remain interested in hunting the cat.  So, if you don't want to hunt, you need to tire out his nose doing something less destructive. You could take up some dog sport using his nose, or you could just play "scent games" with him. There are directions for some simple scent games on the late Suzanne Clothier's website here: https://suzanneclothier.com/article/scent-games-educating-dogs-nose/  (registration is free, but you have to register to see the information).  These can be fun. You might also ask around at your vet or pet food store for "scent trailing" or "nosework" classes.  Or, a lot of coonhound owners teach their hounds to seek out their kids.


It’s important that you teach your hound that you and your family value your cat.  The easy way to do this is by letting the cat sit on your lap and petting it when you are all in a room together.  If necessary, tie the hound back so he can't get to the cat while you make a fuss over it and ignore him. If you need to, reprimand him verbally or squirt him with a squirt bottle if he tries to lunge at the cat.  Hounds are usually very eager to please and will get the message quickly if you make your wishes known clearly.


I would be careful about leaving cat and hound together in a confined space for awhile. In a few years, they may sleep leaning against each other, but while the hound is still young, he may wake up and forget he's not supposed to hunt his cat, so make sure the cat is in another room with a closed door while you are out, or crate the dog.  Also, an outdoor running cat is more likely to trigger the hound's hunting instinct than an indoor sleeping cat, so don't leave them alone and unsupervised together in a yard until you are confident they get along.
​


Most hunting hound  owners will dismiss the idea of a coonhound living peaceably indoors with a cat, but I know of a lot of pet homes with both hounds and cats and no issues.  I used to keep two hounds in an apartment in Brooklyn NY, and while they were inveterate alley cat hunters, they were fine with certain cats in stores that offered alternatives they cared about, like the bakery. The baker used to give each a roll, and they completely ignored his mouser.
Good luck with your new hound.





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Why doesn’t my newly adopted hound bark?

5/30/2018

1 Comment

 
Q from Nancy

I recently adopted a coonhound, possibly a mix. The shelter he came from  said that Lucas is about a year-and-a-half-old, although my vet thought he was closer to three-and-a-half.  The shelter said he is “quiet.” He has only barked 3 times in 3 weeks.

Why doesn’t he bark?


A from Emmy Sue

It is not unusual for a newly adopted adult  hound to be dead silent for a couple of weeks in a new home.  My first hound was silent until he went to the vet for the first time and decided to hunt the resident cat. Scent hounds are at their most talkative when they get a whiff of  something that smells exciting.  Once your hound is more comfortable and secure in his new environment, and he knows which smells go with good things, he will probably be more verbal.  Once he decides to chime in, he will be loud, often to the point that you will be nostalgic about his initial silence.

Hounds are bred to hunt out of sight of their handlers,  so a "loud mouth" is a desirable trait in a working hound.  Accordingly, they are bred to be very loud, so loud that other dog breeds sometimes take offense.  If you take your hound to a busy dog park, all hound breeds will be fine with its voice, even dachshunds, but other breeds, such as terriers, may shun him. Some other breeds act like boisterous hound voices are plain rude.  

My speculative theory about this initial silence is that hounds know their loud mouths can give offense, so keep quiet until they are sure their new owners are hooked.  This may be pure fairy tale, but I'm sticking to it.

Most hounds are capable of a large range  of vocalizations.  In hunting contexts, the two most often remarked on are a “chop” and a “bawl.”  A “chop” is a rapid fire short bark, typically heard when the hound has found it’s quarry and is at its most excited.  A “bawl” is the stereotypical hound dog song that is often used when the hound is trailing on a scent, or when the hound finally catches up to his quarry and is telling his handler he has “located” it.

However, hunting hounds are trained to be quiet when they are not "on a scent."  No one wants a noisy “kennel barker.”  At competitive hunting events, barking for no reason or the wrong reason can cause a hound to lose points, an offense called "babbling."  Even barking on the scent of the wrong kind of animal (an opossum rather than a raccoon, for instance) is considered problematic. Hounds that have been "pleasure" hunted--rather than entered in the competition events--are usually trained to open (vocalize) only when "on scent."  A well-trained hunting hound will only bark on the desired game, and will learn to ignore off game.

Nonetheless, most hounds do bark some when they are excited for other reasons, they just make (sometimes subtly) different kinds of noises, ranging from whimpering and whistling to soulful moans to operatic arias.  As you get to know each other better you can figure out what each variant means.  Hounds are bred to give each individual a distinctive voice so that the handlers can tell what each one is up to when out of sight at night (when raccoon hunting is done) with other hounds. Because these sounds are particular to each hound, I can't tell you exactly what yours will talk about how, `but typically, a whiff of the desired scent will result first in whimpering and whistling, then a steady bark or bawl, then a "locate" (indicating that the game has been sighted or is very close) then a "tree bark" --a steady short chop to indicate where the game has been sent up a tree and held. But some hounds have their own idea of what sound goes with what, and some have voices that defy description. I knew one guy who had a hound that sounded like a fog horn and made everyone crack up laughing every time it opened its mouth.

In a pet environment, the hound will eventually start responding to its new handlers' expectations. Mine make a heartbreaking noise whenever I leave them at home to go out.  It only lasts until my car engine is out of hearing, but is very effective at making me think twice before leaving them at home! My husband tells me they can hear me returning long before he can, and begin to sing excitedly.  I had one hound that had a special bark for the UPS guy.  Most hounds will bark to greet guests or intruders, but some have been taught not to sound off for visitors.  Mine have different barks for different kinds of game.  I can tell whether mine are barking at a bear or raccoon or cat just by the sounds they make.  One of mine had a special bark to warn me about snakes.  Since snakes don’t have ears, I find that fascinating.  It probably isn’t effective to warn off the snakes, although I’m sure the snakes can feel the vibrations.


Some hounds will bark at food scents. Most will get excited as you are putting food in their bowl and yowl in anticipation, especially if you are later than usual. If you don't discourage it, yours may holler at you when you are cooking or eating human food. I have one who can disrupt any dinner table conversation. A squirt bottle can help dampen that kind of vocalization if you don’t find it charming.


If you want to hear your hound's voice sooner, you can purchase a bottle of training scent. This is a concentrate in a medicine-sized bottle, which you dilute with water.  It mostly smells like raccoon (it also comes in bear, bobcat or lion) urine and glandular secretions, so you only want to use it outside. It is not appealing to humans.  Lay a trail by dipping a rag in a dilute solution of it.  If you spill it on yourself, your hound won’t leave you alone for days, no matter how you scrub!  You can buy this stuff at hound supply stores, Amazon or even WalMart.  Some of the bigger hound supply stores online: Valley Creek Hunting Supply, F&T Fur Harvesters, Gun Dog Supply, and Lion Country Supply. Or Google "raccoon training scent."  One reliable brand is Pete Rickard’s.  He sells his brand on his website.


Most hounds do not sing to fire engines and other sirens, as they do in cartoons, although a few will. Some also like to sing along with yodeling--try Hank Williams singing Lonesome Blues to see if yours will.
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Why does my hound flip his food bowl?  Why doesn’t he play with toys?

5/30/2018

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Q From Nancy
My newly adopted hound dumps his food bowl out and eats off the floor. Perhaps he was a kennel dog? He likes squeaky toys, but seems indifferent to most toys.

A From Emmy Sue
Hounds are rarely picky eaters, so I doubt that he would bother to flip his bowl just because he was used to eating off the ground. Most hounds will eat anything anywhere until taught not to, including goose poop from the ground and human food from your kitchen counters. Of course, it’s easier to take all the food away when it’s contained in a bowl, so perhaps he was used to competition for it.
As for toys and flipping food bowls, these may be  related. Hunting hounds are working dogs, so are rarely given toys to play with. They are often tied or kenneled out of reach of their fellow hounds, so they learn to amuse themselves with what they have at hand. That can be a bone or a stick, but typically, their food bowl may be the only thing they have to toss around, so they toss it when feeling playful or excited or just exuberant and wanting attention. Feeding time is often pretty exciting.


If you are feeding yours indoors, which you probably should so you don't attract vermin, use one of those hard-to-flip dog bowls, and pick it up when the hound is done eating. He may flip it around anyway, before or after eating.  I use a silicone placemat under my hounds' bowls to facilitate cleanup, although newspaper or cardboard should work just as well. Dry kibble is easier to clean up than wet food or table scraps, but mine usually get some table scraps and have been known to smear greasy stuff around. For water, a bigger bucket is harder to flip, so use a 2 1/2 gallon bucket if he’s inclined to flip his water bowl. Or just leave the toilet seat up and let him drink from that. Most dogs are perfectly happy with toilet water and it doesn’t seem to make them sick. Of course you can’t use those in-the-tank bowl cleaners then; they’re caustic..
​


Most hounds take to manufactured toys pretty quickly once they are offered, but don't always know what to do with them, and may get bored just as quickly. The example of another dog that likes toys may speed up the learning process. Hounds do shred soft toys, and may eat the stuffing of stuffed animals or chunks of sponge toys, which can cause intestinal blockages, so I recommend sturdy toys like Kongs or Nylabones. One hound I know of took to swallowing washcloths. The vet pulled out 16! when the dopey dog finally needed surgery for an intestinal blockage. Most hounds enjoy squeaky toys, but frequently extract the squeaker, so keep an eye out to make sure he doesn't eat the mechanism. In a dog park, hounds tend to play keep-away with a ball or Frisbee, which can annoy the heck out of retrievers. And hounds can turn just about anything stinky into a toy. Mine will steal socks or underwear from the dirty laundry, usually when humorless company is around. I had another who helped himself to the smaller pieces of firewood from the woodpile. He liked to shred them on the couch. Be firm about what he is allowed to play with and what he isn't. Many hounds will gleefully shred anything they can (cardboard, plastic, feather pillows, dirty Kleenex, etc.) into mulch.  

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    Emmy Sue answers questions about coonhound behavior,  including explanations of hunting behavior in pet situations, training tips, and anecdotes about odd coonhound and foxhound personality quirks.  Readers are encouraged to contribute their own comments and suggestions. 

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