Category:

Open Your Heart, Love, and Go On

2/20/2021

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.

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The Dog They Weren't Gonna Love

11/7/2020

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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.

Ella's post on Facebook.

Ella on Anna's porch.

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.

Leslie and Ella, going home!

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!

Leslie, Tucker and Ella taking a walk.

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.

Ella and friend snoozing.

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.

An evocative picture of Ella from her vet clinic in North Carolina.

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Picturing Honeybug

2/26/2019

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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.

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The Truth About Coonhounds ...

3/14/2016

30 Comments

“Coonhounds and Foxhounds Are Only Good for One Thing… HUNTING!”

NOT!
The Secret’s Out: They Make Great Pets!

There’s a myth still circulating about coonhounds and foxhounds: They are only good for one thing — hunting. But anyone who’s ever shared home and hearth with one quickly learns that they make great pets too.

Austin in his t-shirt wagging his tail. His tail never stopped.

Black and Tan, Bluetick, English, Plott, Redbone, or Treeing Walker coonhounds, and all foxhounds, are pretty darn resilient, and incredibly forgiving toward humans. No other breed that I know of would tolerate the cramped quarters of a dog “box” in the back of a pickup truck, cooking in the heat during a Texas summer or freezing in the cold during a Minnesota winter, moving along at highway speeds, without emerging with some physical or psychological damage. The big hounds usually come through that perfectly happy, which I attribute to their inherently benevolent temperaments.

Bred to work as full partners, out of sight of their human hunting buddies, they are also about the most loyal, affectionate dogs around, closely attuned to the wishes of their handlers and eager to please.

I’ve been rescuing hounds, mostly Treeing Walkers, for over 30 years. Almost all of mine have been exceptional companions. Not only are they affectionate by nature, they are rarely quarrelsome with other dogs. Coonhounds are bred to team up, hunting with dogs they’ve never met before, so they’re good at making friends with strangers.

Foxhounds resting together after a hunt.

They’re generally pretty easy to house train, too, even if some rescue hounds need to be taught all sorts of indoor manners before they are adopted out because they haven’t shared quarters with humans before.

Coonhounds and foxhounds are really beautiful dogs, too. They come in a wide variety of rich coat colors and patterns -- red, “blue” (mottled black and white), black, brindled (striped), tri-colored like a beagle -- with such endearing features as tan “almonds” over the eyes, black “pencil lines” on the toes, and perfect spots for kissing on the top of the head, to say nothing of those long silky ears. Hounds have a short, dense coat which is easy to keep clean. Ninety-eight percent of the Walkers I’ve rescued over the years lived long, healthy lives, with none of the health issues (hip dysplasia, degenerative myelopathy, hypothyroidism, cancer, etc.) that seem to plague so many of the more popular breeds.

One of our Walkers, a male named “T.J.,” lived to the ripe old age of 17, with clear eyes, no skin or ear problems, and cancer-free. Without a doubt, he was the finest example of a well-bred coonhound I’ve ever known. Breed longevity is a bonus for any dog lover, but longevity and good health is the ultimate “package” deal. Of course, T.J. was exceptionally long-lived, but 12-14 years is not unusual for a coonhound or foxhound that hasn’t met an unnatural death in a “shelter” or crossing a road, intent after game.

T.J.

And there’s a new concern added to the burdens that coonhounds in shelters have faced. Over the last few years, the American Kennel Club, the largest registry of purebred dogs in this country, has begun to recognize most of the coonhound breeds. (They’ve recognized two breeds of foxhounds and American Black and Tan Coonhounds for much longer.) That may well increase the price breeders, both good and bad, will charge for purebred puppies. In the past, only the United Kennel Club, the National Coon Hound Association, and the Continental Kennel Club, much smaller registries, recognized these coonhound breeds, and these are largely hunting registries. Puppies weren’t worth much until they were trained to hunt and proved their skills. AKC registration may give breeders an incentive to produce pups without regard for the working characteristics that have kept coonhounds and foxhounds so robust until now. I hope that AKC recognition for conformation doesn’t prove disastrous for these hounds, as it was for German Shepherd Dogs and a host of other breeds which became popular after gaining recognition from the most recognized registry in the world.

So the next time you visit a shelter, rescue, or animal control facility and see one of those “only good for one thing” hounds, please consider adopting it and giving it a chance to be your beloved pet. Chances are it will be a great companion. Perhaps some hunter had too many dogs to feed, the hound is gun-shy, or your candidate came into the shelter as a stray after it went too far afield, lost its tracking collar, and couldn’t find its way home. Kill shelters in almost every southern state are brimming with unwanted coonhounds and foxhounds, which are usually near the top of the euthanasia list at public shelters, outranked only by pit bulls and owner surrenders. The myth about coonhounds and foxhounds is so widespread that I believe that only one in five shelters in the South even attempts to find rescue for them. When shelters do reach out, the few rescues willing to take hounds are often full to capacity. I know. I’ve turned down too many needy hounds myself, although I always try to help if I possibly can.

Bonney Williams
Director, Etosha Rescue and Adoption Center

The opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by Coonhound and Foxhound Companions.

30 Comments

Three's Company

6/24/2014

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“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.

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.”

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.

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.

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Gifts for hound lovers: calendars, tshirts, mugs and more!

12/9/2013

FOLKS, HERE IT IS - our 2014 Coonhound Companions wall calendar featuring AMAZING and inspiring photos donated by our houndy-loving pals! Price is just $16.99 each. Remember to select January 2014 as your starting month if you want a traditional calendar. Beautiful full color throughout and nice heavy paper stock. Just about every breed represented. Every dollar of profit supports our programs directly. Admit it: you want one!

It won't be a silent night when you wear coonhound and foxhound themed apparel and gifts. You'll get lots of compliments. Check out our newest selection of designs in the Coonhound and Foxhound Companions store on CafePress.

Follow this link to get our special pricing.

Every penny of profit goes directly to our programs because we are 100% volunteer based. Help us help the hounds! Read about our most important life-saving program here: Long Ears Alive!

If you prefer to donate to Coonhound Companions, find information here. We are fiscally sponsored by Sunbear Squad Inc, an all-volunteer, non-profit humane awareness organization with 501(c)3 status. Your donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law.

Thank you for supporting our work!

$100 for 50 Fundraising Challenge for Coonhound Companions!

12/15/2012

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Please help us by going to our home page and clicking on the Donate Now Button!
We need 50 of our fans and supporters to donate toward
our new fundraising campaign to help us meet our
new $100 challenge. When we get to our goal of 50 donations, one of our board members will generously add $50 and a long-time friend and hound lover will donate the other $50. WOW! an additional $100!

We are on our way to meeting the challenge; our numbers are growing! Can you help us get the word out by emailing this to a friend or sharing it on your facebook page? A donation in any amount of $10 and over counts toward the 50 needed to qualify for the challenge.

Do you admire the work of Coonhound Companions and want to help share the message that coonhounds and foxhounds make great pets? Please share this blog with a friend!
Do you like the colorful promotional posters we supply for free to shelters and pounds? They help hounds get attention from potential adopters. They really work. Please donate!
Do you like to help ill or injured coonhounds in shelters? Ringo got that help! A sweet, older Treeing Walker, Ringo came in to an Ohio shelter very skinny, hungry, with dangling tumors. Our Long Ears Alive! program donated to his care to have the tumors removed. He's now alive and well and living with his new family in New Jersey. Help us help them!

Ringo's winning smile says it all!

Coonhound Companions is the first international advocacy group for the adoption of coonhounds and foxhounds and we are making a difference. More hounds are being adopted because of our work and your support.

We have helped get dozens of “long ear” dogs the care they need to become adoptable.

Thank you for helping us spread the word so we can help more Coonhounds and Foxhounds in need!

Coonhound Companions is registered as a 501(c)3 through our fiscal sponsor Sunbear Squad Inc. and your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law in the United States.

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New Coonhound and Foxhound Stuff in time for the Holidays!

11/7/2012

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Got coonhounds? Got foxhounds? Coonhound Companions has added new merchandise to our store on CaféPress. We offer a 2013 Coonhound Calendar, and a new design featuring our logo surrounded by a variety of coonhound breeds available on every conceivable style of t-shirt and more.

Go to www.cafepress.com/coonhoundcompanions to view the variety of merchandise available in support of Coonhound Companions’ cause. Please make sure you go directly to our site for the best possible price. If you go to the general CaféPress site and search for coonhound merchandise, you will pay a premium price.

Calendar:
The calendar sells for $16.99. If the price you see is higher, go back through the link above to get the best price. When entering your order, make sure to request that your calendar begin with January 2013, otherwise CaféPress will begin your calendar in the current month. The new coonhound logo with hounds graces the cover of our new calendar, but you can click through and view the entire year of a dozen coonhound photos on the site before you buy. Thank you to volunteer De Anna Lynn for the design.

New logo & hounds design:
We have a new design, thanks to volunteer Stan Gove, showing a bunch of coonhounds and foxhounds surrounding our logo. Get it on a mug; Get it on a beer stein; Get it on a drinking glass. Get it on a t-shirt; Get it on a tank top ; Get it on a hoodie. You name it; we’ve got it. But, again, make sure you go through our direct link—searching for “coonhounds” on the CaféPress site will result in a higher cost to you.

And while you’re purchasing Coonhound Companions merchandise for friends and family to support our cause, don’t forget to look at our Connie Coonhound designs and our Long Ears League designs as well. These have been available for a while, but they are still fun for coonhound lovers.

For more information, email info@coonhoundcompanions.com

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Introducing the Long Ear League

3/17/2012

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Click to get to the start-up kit and web page.

Coonhound Companions (and Foxhound Companions) have now posted helpful hints for starting a Long Ear League chapter. These tips can be found on our website for free download. Just click on our logo, left, to get started. Our web page includes a start-up kit with art for signs, posters, business cards, and a link to a store with logo t-shirts and other gear, and lots of links to outside coonhound information.

Long Ear League is a new idea from Coonhound Companions. We hope to encourage the formation of meet-up groups for owners of pet coonhounds and foxhounds that will enable coonhound people to meet each other and have social events with each other, both with and without the presence of their pet coonhounds.

Getting together with other hound owners and their dogs is great fun. Most hounds are sociable with dogs and people, and interact well with each other and with children. Meeting other hound owners will help you compare experiences and learn about training ideas, fun activities, and quirks of the breed from each other. And no one appreciates how gaga you get over your long-eared companion than another pet hound owner! What could be more enjoyable than a group of sociable coonhounds singing their hearts out?

Coonhound Companions (including Foxhound Companions) is an advocacy group educating the general public about coonhounds and foxhounds, with the aim of helping long-eared hounds in shelters find adoptive homes more quickly. Coonhounds and foxhounds are bred primarily as hunting dogs. Since they also make great pets, those that lose their hunting homes are often stranded in shelters and rescues for lack of interest. We want Long Ear League chapters to be mostly fun, but we also hope that gatherings of pet coonhound owners will attract public attention to the full range of potential for these lovable long-eared dogs.

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Elvis is still King! (Taking a chance on Elvis!)

1/12/2012

8 Comments

Our big, boy Elvis.

Last March I received an email from a woman in Wisconsin who was trying to help her neighbor’s eleven-year-old coonhound, Elvis. The family was moving and could only take two of their dogs to their new home. Elvis was dealt the bum card—they either had to find him a home or have him euthanized.

After posting his picture and description on the Nose to the Ground to Help Hounds’ Facebook page and other sites, I saw negligible interest in poor Elvis. Every night I would talk to my husband, Bill, about how Elvis’ time was almost up and it did not look good. Bill slowly started asking questions: “Where does Elvis live”? “Is
he housetrained, ”? “Crate trained”? Finally Bill said, “Set up an appointment. We will check Elvis out.“

Off to Wisconsin we go---mind you we were thinking of a 60 lb coonhound. Little did we know that Elvis was 105 lbs, full of lumps and warts, and a little unsteady on his legs. Boy, were we surprised when we met Elvis!

However, he was also a big, absolutely lovable lug of a senior hound! He had the sweetest big face, droopy lips, and a bark that shook the windows in the house. We had brought our dog-reactive “Bagel” (Beagle/Basset), Elroy, to meet Elvis, so we took them for a walk together. They seemed to get along – a big plus. Bill looked at me and said, “Your decision.” Why did he even say that? He knew what my decision was.

Elvis and new friends at home.

So, we drove back home to Illinois with a big dog head poking between our front seats, I am sure it was a sight! We arrived home and introduced the rest of the Taney clan to Elvis. Our Beagle, Ricky, was fine but our normally accepting Basset, Ellie, and Chihuahua, Tippy, made it clear they did not approve, lunging and snapping at poor Elvis. Ever the good boy, Elvis, did not react to their rudeness. Whew! He was to stay. The first couple of months took some adjustment, but now all get along fine, including our parrot, Bob.

Each day we learn something new about Elvis; he is house and crated trained, knows sit, down, high five, shake, catches treats in mid air, hates garden tractors, loves to ride in the car, loves to counter surf (proudly rearranging the kitchen counter), loves to boat and wade in the lake. My husband even sold his sports car so we could get a van, because Elvis, our other dogs and Bob the parrot just did not fit in our smaller car!

Ah, a room with a view...

We have adopted other senior dogs in the past, smaller in size, but their time in our household was just as rewarding and we cherished our time together. As I am finishing up this article, Elvis is lying in the middle of the floor, relaxed and happy, as are we. I know many people worry that senior dogs “won’t adjust.” Well, we know from experience that is not true. Seniors have so much to offer! Go ahead. Take a chance and see! Adopt a senior hound!

By Susan Taney, from Nose to the Ground to Help Hounds

Visit her website at:
http://www.savethehounds.org/index.html
And on Face Book at:
http://www.facebook.com/nosetothegroundtohelphounds?ref=search&sid=1137528323.3648328271..1

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