Coonhound & Foxhound Companions
  • Home
  • About
    • Meet the Team
  • Programs
    • Long Ears Alive! Fund
    • Success Stories
  • Resources
    • Why Adopt Coonhounds & Foxhounds
    • Adopting Senior Coonhounds & Foxhounds
    • Long Ears Blog
    • Poster Downloads
    • Long Ear League
    • Promotional Kit
    • Links >
      • Rescue Organizations
      • Hound Activities
      • Useful Links
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Shop

Three's Company

6/24/2014

1 Comment

 
“I thank God daily for Luke, because he is Michael's best friend, and they have a bond that no one can describe.” The words are Nicole’s about her husband Michael. And Luke is Michael’s 4-year-old Bluetick Coonhound service dog.

Nicole’s husband, Michael, suffers from Autism Spectrum Disorder. (ASD is a neurological disorder resulting in developmental disability that affects communication, social understanding, behavior, activities and interests). After severely injuring his back while working at his uncle’s shop, Michael was left barely able to function. Even worse were his feelings of futility, depression and despair.

And then …coincidence or providence?

Living next door to the couple was a breeder with a puppy Michael desperately wanted. But when he approached the breeder, he was told that the puppy wasn’t for sale, and a dejected Michael returned home empty handed. The following day, the breeder called; he’d changed his mind. Never had Nicole seen her husband as happy as the day that small Bluetick Coonhound entered his life. And the loving bond between Michael and Luke was instantly and immutably forged.

Picture
Michael and puppy Luke
If not for Luke …

One of Michael’s many ongoing health problems includes seizures. Seizures, which Luke instinctively and instantly picked up on. After some further instruction from Nicole, the pup learned to recognize when they were coming on and what to do. He would remain with Michael the entire time, never once leaving his side, until the seizure was over.

The same holds true whenever Michael becomes depressed or is bedridden because of his back. Luke stays close to him, comforting and calming him with his presence, and providing the stricken Michael with the solace and reassurance he needs. And yet, this very special relationship doesn’t only work one way. Whenever Luke is the one in need of calming, Michael is there for HIM. According to Nicole, “They know just what the other thinks and wants.”
Picture
Luke brings joy into the family
Once, during a walk through the woods near their house, Michael fell. Luke reacted immediately. He slid beneath Michael, braced himself firmly, and was able to hold Michael's weight while he managed to get back up. Now, all anyone has to say is, "Luke, help me up," and Luke will help that person up. With Michael, however, Luke knows even before he’s asked.
 
The pair is inseparable, and with Nicole’s assistance, the three of them have become regular visitors at a nearby nursing home, where they spend time with the seniors on the rehabilitation floor. Their mission: “to cheer them up and make their day,” says Nicole. Michael loves showing off Luke, Luke loves the attention, and the seniors love Luke. It is a single, joyous and rewarding love fest all round.
Picture
Nicole and Luke
“Michael tells me that he loves Luke more than me,” Nicole admits, “that they have a tighter bond. Does this bother me? Does it make me mad? The answer is ‘no.’ And I will continue to say, ‘no.’ Why? Because I am walking with Michael, step by step, and side by side, just in a different way. I definitely love my Michael, and wouldn't change my baby for anything in this world.”

Article written by Nomi Berger. Nomi is the bestselling author of seven novels and one work of non-fiction. Nomi devotes all of her time volunteering her writing skills to animal rescue organizations both in Canada and the USA.
1 Comment

Hound Dog Sniffs Out New Home (at the dog treat bakery!)

7/12/2012

7 Comments

 
PictureHow could anyone abandon him?
By Andrew Suggs

My wife was home and I was working at the family’s organic dog treat shop, Terra Dog Bakery, in Norcross, GA, when a local resident brought a pup to our store. She told me that the gawky dog had been abandoned and needed a home. He was very skinny and also very young but he was still big for a pup. He had a pleading hound face, lanky legs, and big ol' floppy ears.

How could anyone abandon him? He looked like a purebred bluetick coonhound puppy.

The crazy part of it is that I've always wanted a bluetick, and thought it would be many years before I could ever get one, because we already have two dogs and a young child. But here he was, staring right at me, needing a home and someone to love him. He was a sweet boy, playful and clumsy like a baby. I told the girl that I would take him without really thinking on it for long. How could I let him go? We were not looking for a dog or prepared for another, but what would happen to him if I said “no”?

I have rescued a pup through an “adoption agency,” but never been in a situation like this, where the dog had been abandoned and arrived by serendipity.

So, I left my store that day with the new pup, my mind heavy with a million thoughts, trying to get a grip on what was going on. I stopped on the way home to get him some food and a new collar and leash. I held him the whole time. He was friendly with the people in the store who greeted him. We traveled home. I made sure my wife was seated before I broke the news.

Though it was a total surprise, she embraced him and began thinking of names. My son was excited and smiled as soon as he saw him. "If we are keeping this dog, I am naming him!" my wife said.
We settled on Jamie, after a character in a book she was reading. He looked like a Jamie.


PictureSleephead Jamie
With the uncertainty of his past, we cautiously watched over him for a day until we could get him to the vet. Our vet revealed that he was underfed, had worms, and had yeast infections in his ears. The inside of the poor boy’s ears were covered in a thick black crud. We think he was only about 6 weeks old.

We were upset that he had a rough start, but wanted to give him a shot at the life he deserves. Now, about a month later, Jamie is up to a healthy weight, and putting on more pounds (and spots!) each week. He is doing great eating a home cooked diet. He is such a great dog, very loyal already, playful, energetic, and curious, as any good hound is. Even though he is young (10 weeks), he is already about 90% potty trained and stands by the door when he needs to go out.


PictureJamie selling dog collars
He is my total buddy. He comes to work with me every day and stays with me even while I work a booth at our local farmers market. He is great with kids, other dogs, and people. He is very social and has to say hello to anyone (or dog) he sees. He's a people magnet and draws attention everywhere.

He is teething and he still finds puppy mischief, but all things considered he is the best pup I've ever had. He is very smart, and has already mastered getting over and around baby gates and other obstacles. We have been working on obedience, and he is responding well to reward-based training (pretty great since I bake all his treats!).

Picture
He has that coonhound drive already and is pretty fearless for such a young pup. I took him to the beach with me last week and he had no problems trudging through the ocean waves and climbing over large rocks to catch a scent.

This guy is just a once in a lifetime dog, who came to me in such a crazy way. I feel that Jamie will be a great ambassador for the coonhound breed in our little town and anywhere we go. We intend to come up with a line of treats especially for coonhounds.

Even though our life together has just begun, I love the breed and am so excited to have one in my life!

7 Comments

Sadie Mae, Bluetick of My Soul

4/3/2012

17 Comments

 
Guest Blog by Brianne Charbonneau

It all started back in fall of 2007, in Denver, Colorado. My roommates decided that it was time we got a four-legged friend. One roommate had her heart set on a basset hound and the other on a Dalmatian. I had been dog-deprived for two years and knew I needed something, but retained an open mind about what kind of dog. Together, we decided we wanted a rescue dog. 

We came across a couple of great rescue organizations and heard of a Dalmatian at a shelter near us. We made the drive over, but no Dalmatian. So, we looked at other dogs for over two hours. The last stop was in the sick dog ward. There she was--a beautiful dog. But she was emaciated.
Picture
Something about her was so amazing, but my other roommates were not so keen. I waited for hours at the shelter to meet her and it was the best thing I ever did.
The first question out of my mouth was, "Why is she so skinny?" The shelter person told me, “People starve them to make them hunt.”

[Editor’s comment: Coonhounds hunt just fine even if they are well fed. There are lots of reasons coonhounds come into shelters emaciated—most frequently, because they have gotten lost while hunting and haven’t eaten for several days. However, many coonhounds are not allowed to hunt on a full stomach because that can result in bloat, a potentially fatal problem, and an all-day or all-night hunt can burn off five pounds from a 65-pound coonhound easily. Of course, some hunters do abuse their dogs. On the other hand, many very poor coon hunters take better care of their hounds than they do of themselves. Shelters often perpetuate a lot of myths about coonhounds and coon hunters that make it hard to find pet homes them. Coonhound Companions was formed to help correct that problem.]

I decided to put the skinny Bluetick on a 24-hour hold to allow me to research the breed, since I had never even heard of coonhounds.

[Coonhound Companions wishes more potential adopters would do their homework like this!]

Long story short, I adopted her. If I hadn't put her on the 24-hour hold, she wouldn't have been there the next day. People at that shelter believed coonhounds to be "undesirable" and put them down faster than, say, a Lab. They warned me that they are stupid dogs that are not good for much. [For more info on the breed, see 1 ]

[Ridiculous myth! No wonder that shelter’s coonhounds weren’t getting adopted!]

My Sadie Mae is not stupid and has proven her intelligence over and over again to me. 

Sadie seemed a little bored, so I started to train her at home, in Denver, to give her something to keep her busy.

[Engaging coonhounds in mental work often keeps them out of mischief. Bored coonhounds have good imaginations and can engage in naughty behavior!]

Picture

Sadie was always able to pick something up after about the third time seeing it done. So, my roommates and I decided that we needed to expand her knowledge. I saw something on Animal Planet showing off dogs doing amazing things, so I decided to teach her myself. She loved to play tug, so we started off with tugging on the dishtowel and then progressed to opening the cupboard. The fridge was a greater temptation for Sadie since tasty food was so close to the front. After losing a couple of hot dogs and some chicken, we decided that the teaching her to open the fridge on her own was not the best idea!

By now, Sadie May has been trained in commands for service dogs and she will open cupboards on her own when she is hungry.

[Not uncommon, even for untrained coonhounds. Childproof latches may prove necessary in some cases!]

She opens cupboards and the fridge with a towel.  She has mastered removing socks from your feet without causing pain. She is also trained to match the speed of the person walking with her (never pulling). She will walk next to a wheelchair and match its speed. Sadie has been trained for Touch, so when I put a Post-it in front of her nose, she will touch it with her nose. I can then put the Post-it on a light switch and she will turn it off or on. She will pick some things up on command, but doesn’t like to do this with metal objects. She also knows: Back, Brace, Take It, Drop It, Leave It, Ask (she will touch you with her paw for an object instead of howling or jumping), Fix It (to get leash untangled from feet), Boundary (not allowed outside a certain area). I got most of my ideas from a website 2.

She proved herself so smart at home that I decided we should train in AKC-style obedience and agility. The first class we took was Intermediate Obedience, and then we took three progressively difficult levels of Agility. The instructor, in Michigan, where we live now, runs the number one and two AKC-Agility Corgis in the U.S., and competes in everything with her dogs. She took one look at Sadie and almost died laughing. I still remember her words: "She will never live up to your expectations."

[It's not just shelter people that have misconceptions about coonhounds. A lot of trainers do too!]

That stung, but Sadie and I proved her wrong. Sadie was the first in her class for everything--the first with off-leash heel, the first for off-leash recall, the first coonhound to take agility training off-leash outdoors with this trainer and with the AKC club I train with.
She doesn't get to open doors at our current residence out of fear she'll get a hold of the peanut butter jar.

Sadie’s agility career came to an end suddenly at the age of three-and-a-half, when we learned that she suffers from a back problem, calcification of the backbones.  [This is a problem common in dachshunds, bassets, and other “dwarf” breeds 3.]  Our vet called it Spondylosis deformans. It is also known as “bridging” or “calcifying“ of the backbones. It may be a genetic issue, although it can also be caused by trauma. 4  It can either remain stable or it can progressively get worse. These days, Sadie is not allowed to jump anything over 16 inches and has been on joint medicine. One day she may be paralyzed from this disease, but we take it a day, week, month, and year at a time. We do x-rays every year and there hasn’t yet been any change. Hang the expense. Her well-being comes first for me.

Picture

Many say that coonhounds should not be off leash. That may be true for the majority of coonhounds, but not for all. I have owned Sadie five years now and she has been off leash for three-and-a-half years and HAS NEVER, EVER run off or disobeyed a “Come” command in her life. Although she is not a hunter in the traditional manner (when she ran into a raccoon once, she ran the other way!), she has taken up hunting on her own. Her prey of choice? Mice!

Sadie is stubborn when it comes to sleeping in a comfy bed and will chase off her brother the Mountain Cur (another rescue) [often used for squirrel hunting 5 ].

Picture

She wakes me up at 5 a.m. for breakfast every single day. She hates snow, rain or any other precipitation.

My Sadie Mae is not overly lovey and doesn’t play much with toys. Yet she is my best friend, and my snuggle buddy whenever it’s cold. She loves to sleep, eat, and hunt mice--and not always in that order. She is the best dog I have ever owned or even known.

Coonhounds see into your soul and love you with all they have. I was lucky enough to find a coonhound, my Sadie Mae. Even though I added a mountain cur to our family, I will always have at least one coonhound. I need one to complete my soul.

Footnotes
1 http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/Breeds/BLUETICKCOONHOUNDRevisedJanuary12011 or http://www.Bluetickbreedersofamerica.com/
2 http://www.poodleglue.com/poodleglue/commands_for_service_dogs.html  
3 http://www.dodgerslist.com/literature/CalcifiedDiscs.htm
4 http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/musculoskeletal/c_multi_spondylosis_deformans or http://www.dogstuff.info/spondylosis_deformans_lanting.html or
http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/saortho/chapter_61/61mast.htm
5  http://www.omcba.com/  


17 Comments

Jeb's Story

1/26/2012

13 Comments

 
__ I had always wanted a bluetick coonhound and when I met the Hildenbrands of Pontiac, IL and bought "Cry Baby" from them, it was a dream come true. I had no idea of how that decision would change my life.

Jeb's first years with me we just did basic obedience necessary for a CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certificate and mantrailing (a type of canine search and rescue, typically done by bloodhounds). We traveled around the US and attended well over 30 seminars in trailing, cadaver, and some obedience. I met people that didn't set limits on Jeb because of his breed. This was the beginning of my journey as a professional trainer.

Picture
Senior coonhound Jeb enjoying a hike in the mountains
_ When Blueticks became eligible to compete in American Kennel Club obedience competition in January 2004, we were in the ring that month and earned our CD. A CD is the Companion Dog title given by the American Kennel Club after a dog and handler pass a test three times with a minimum score of 170 points out of 200. The exercises in the test include heeling on leash, heeling in a figure eight pattern on leash, a stand stay while the judge touches the dog, heeling off leash, calling your dog to come from across the ring, a 1 minute sit stay with the handler across the ring from the dog and a 3 minute down stay with the handler across the ring from the dog.

That same year we earned our CDX. The CDX is the Companion Dog Excellent title given by the American Kennel Club when a dog and handler pass a test three times earning minimum scores of 170 out of 200 points. This test is called the Open class. The dog is taken off leash as soon as he enters the ring. There is a heel off leash and heel in a figure eight exercise. The dog must retrieve a dumbbell thrown by the handler across the ring on the ground and over a jump. And the dog must go over a broad jump. The sit and down stay exercises are much harder since the handlers must leave the ring and go out of sight.

After a break while we focused on canine search and rescue work, we returned to obedience competition two years later to earn a title in the advanced class called Utility. In April 2006 we earned our UD (Utility Dog) title. In the Utility class the dog has to execute some very difficult exercises. The running joke of obedience competitors is to call it the "Futility class". Jeb had to complete an off leash heeling (NOI) . A good friend tells me I trained an hour just about every day. I was working hard because by then I believe I realized we could finish the OTCH. Hard to believe when I never thought I'd care about precision nor did I think I had the dog to do it. BUT....I learned that it takes hard work and good solid training -- not necessarily some "perfect" dog. It's work....and yes money to travel and enter shows. The more I pushed Jeb, the more we learned and accomplished together and the more fun we had. I had to constantly balance the "have to" and "fun to" of obedience. With Jeb there were a lot of times it was more about the "have to."


Picture
Jeb and his target after competing in search and rescue
_Back to 2006. We traveled to Long Beach, CA for our first NOI experience. The National Obedience Invitational is held once a year. Dogs who have competed at the highest levels and earned the best scores for their breeds are invited to come compete. Only the best of the best get to come. It was so fun to see so many people I knew and had met at shows. It was wonderful to see all the wonderful dogs. I remember walking in the room that first day and it felt like you could cut the tension with a knife! Very nerve wracking even if you were just there for the experience of it all. Jeb did quite nicely. My goal was to have no NQs (non-qualifying scores or errors) and we didn't. He was quite clean in his performance. That first day was EXHAUSTING! I felt like I was about 90 years old! We were ranked 18th after the first day. I will say that we would have made it to day two even without the only 4 per group count (only the top four dogs in each group get to go to the next round, i.e. sporting group, herding group, hound group, toy group, non-sporting group, working group, terrier group). Jeb was in the top 32 of 95 or so dogs.

On to day 2 of the NOI. I remember hoping to at least maybe win one round. The 2nd day works much like the NCAA Basketball tournament. There are 32 dogs and you are in brackets based on your rank. If I remember correctly, my first round I was up against the dog ranked #15. A sheltie? We won that first round and I was thrilled! I didn't care what happened from there. :) On to round two - another sheltie, this one ranked #3. Jeb was so tired. He lost 12-15 points on no sits. However, the sheltie NQ'd an exercise and lost 20-30 points. We managed to win the 2nd round! I couldn't believe it. (I didn't see the sheltie perform, so I was surprised).


Picture
Jeb successfully clearing a hurdle
_ By now we were down to 8 dogs. I had someone helping me and they were taking me so seriously, I remember thinking I'd better do so too and at least try to look like I belonged at that level. So I sat by Jeb's crate, kept him quiet, got some water in him (with chicken broth in it to get him to drink some). I played my iPod and visualized success. I wanted to at least look good out there. I was up against a border collie -- nice dog. I had no idea there were so many people in the stands -- so many people watching that I felt should have been out there instead of me. But...I was totally focused on Jeb and doing my mental management, so I just did my thing.

Jeb performed beautifully! He did all his sits; he was just wonderful! I was so proud! The applause was HUGE and it was so heartwarming. It was also adorable when Jeb realized all those people were watching -- he looked over and tilted his head at the crowd. It was a great moment. When we came back in with the other team to find out who won, I gave no thought that it would be us. When they went to shake our hands the crowd went CRAZY!!!!! I was STUNNED! We had just made the final four which meant we would be on the podium. I was honestly so stunned I didn't feel much at all. I was done, too. I went in two more times to find out if we'd run off for 3rd/4th or for 1st/2nd. I was done. I just went through the
motions. I was exhausted and happy to be where I was. I lost to Bridget Carlson. I sent Jeb over the wrong jump, but I didn't care. I was oblivious and floating around in a stupor. So I would run off for 3rd/4th. In hindsight, I wish I'd tried, but I was so floored. Jeb did a no sit on a pivot so we were 4th.

I was so proud of that dog. He was so exhausted, but he did everything I asked of him. The one round where I really focused and raised the bar, he rose to the occasion. What a wonderful boy. The rest of the day I was literally numb. It was the greatest thing ever and thanks to hard training and some luck -- we have our medal and crystal eagle for our third runner-up NOI finish. A true Cinderella story if you ask me.

Paula McCollum

OTCH UUD Smokin' Bullet Jebediah Blue UDX3 VER Bh (NAPWDA Cadaver/SAR Area/Obed)


13 Comments

    The Coonie Team

    ​Marybeth Brown
    Charlotte Busch
    Jerry Dunham
    Mary Ann Emerson
    Kathy LaRoque
    Anna Nirva

    Jill Sicheneder
    Jean Stone


    Archives

    April 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    June 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    November 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014
    June 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011

    Categories

    All
    Black & Tan Coonhounds
    Bluetick Coonhounds
    Coonhound Advice
    Coonhound Companions
    Coonhound Events
    Coonhound History
    Coonhound Rescue & Adoption
    Coonhounds In Competition
    Coonhound Stories
    Coonhound Temperament
    Foxhounds
    Fun With Coonhounds
    In Memory Of Special Coonhounds
    Miscellaneous
    Redbone Coonhounds
    Senior Coonhounds
    Training Coonhounds
    Walker Coonhounds

    RSS Feed

Home
Our Story
Donate
Contact Us
to the