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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! 
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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.
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Ella's post on Facebook.
PictureElla 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. 

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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!
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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.
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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.
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An evocative picture of Ella from her vet clinic in North Carolina.
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Meet Hamilton, the Tricky Coonhound

6/9/2019

2 Comments

 
Laura Cole posted a video in recent months showing her hound Ham (Hamilton) mastering the last trick he needed before testing for the AKC Advanced Trick Dog Title (now accomplished!). We thought you’d enjoy learning from her experiences as she and Ham moved through the levels of trick dog expertise. A dog with a Canine Good Citizen certification only needs 5 fairly simple tricks for the AKC novice title, so consider spending your rainy days giving treats for tricks and adding to your hound’s credentials. You might be surprised how much your coonie already knows.

Ham’s odyssey also holds hope and inspiration for those among us owning hounds with challenging behavioral issues. ​

How did Ham become part of your life?

For the last three years, I have been involved in cat rescue through a local organization, Austin Pets Alive! There, I photograph cats in need of homes to help promote them and get them adopted. In that time, I’ve met some amazing animals, but I have also met some incredible humans. Natascha, a current staff member and close friend, is a hospice foster. She had recently lost a cat, Barry, who was expected to pull through. After struggling with that loss, she decided she needed a happy change of pace. She took in two bottle baby puppies, Catahoula and hound mixes Ferdinand and Arabella.
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Of course, as a dog lover, I had to meet my friend’s new fosters and photograph them. I wasn’t counting on falling in love. Ferdinand, now Hamilton, came into my life when he was just four weeks old. He was weak and a little skinny, covered in big brown cow spots. But he stole my heart from the beginning, and I visited him every week in foster until I took him home at 8 weeks old.

Had you owned a hound before?

Never. While I wanted every dog under the sun growing up, from Norfolk Terriers to Schipperkes to Rhodesian Ridgebacks, hounds were never truly on my radar. As a city girl, I’d never really noticed them. I grew up with a Chow mix, two Chihuahuas, a Toy Poodle, and a Labrador throughout my childhood years. Based on his markings and his eventual floppy ears, it was easy to guess Ham has Catahoula in his mix.
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Even after reading about that breed’s respective quirks, I felt that I could handle anything. I intended to go all in with my first dog as an adult — training, socializing, and doing everything right. But boy, Ham has given me a run for my money! I thought I knew so much about dogs before getting him, but he has shown me how much I had (and still have) to learn. He’s also turned me into a hound lover for life.

Tell us about Ham

From the time he was a puppy, Hamilton was tenacious. I would say that he was equal parts sweet, goofy, and naughty. From chasing the cat, to nibbling hands, to munching every stick he could get his paws on… he drove me crazy. But it was all worth it when he fell asleep on my chest or showed his smarts in how fast he picked up new tricks or commands. He grew quickly and soon exceeded his estimated adult weight of 35 pounds (topping out at 75). Hamilton grew up as a dog park, go-anywhere dog; but after his first birthday, he started to display signs of fear-based reactivity. It turned our world on its head. Previously, I had aspirations to train him as a therapy dog so he could share his infectious personality with others
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While he had never bitten anyone, he would definitely fall under the ‘fight’ category when it came to a question of fight-or-flight. Suddenly, my over-confident, social puppy was reacting. It was a scary time, when I grew afraid of losing him. But instead of giving up, I took action. I reached out to a behaviorist, and after a long while also decided to add medication into the mix. Addressing his quirks has taken a small village — from my family and friends, to the trainers who love him like I do.
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His progress has been tremendous, though he is definitely a “project” dog. As I said, he has given me a run for my money — but for all the effort put into training him, all the emotion and fear, I wouldn’t trade him for the world. Our partnership has gotten stronger through our struggles. He’s gotten more cuddly, loving, and attentive. We’ve built trust together. And when it comes to the people and animals he knows and has built up similar trust with, you won’t meet a more loving, happy-go-lucky dog. And after all our hard work, and thanks to muzzle training, we are still able to get out in the world, visiting his favorite pet stores, going to plant nurseries, having playdates with his furry friends, going to classes, and hiking. He’s come so far!
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What spurred your interest in pursuing Trick Dog Titles?

I had never even heard of a Trick Dog Title before attending my training school, Zoom Room. This dog training chain offers a variety of classes, from obedience, to agility, to urban herding in some areas. Alongside that, they also offer various workshops like scent training and tricks and some, including the one in Austin, are AKC certified testing facilities. I started seeing “TKA” listed out on some of my trainer friends’ dogs’ Instagram profiles and looked into it. I realized that Hamilton was already close to a novice title, so we started working on it.
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When I was growing up, I wanted nothing more than a dog I could train with. I taught my childhood Chihuahua a variety of cute tricks, and made homemade agility “courses” for my Labrador. But Hamilton showed an aptitude for picking up new tricks that none of my dogs growing up had. While some tricks aren’t suited to his abilities or his large size (no back stalls for this duo), it’s been super fun to see how far we can take it. It’s been surprisingly accessible, and a great way to earn AKC titles in spite of his quirks.

What training did Ham have before you started working on tricks?

Hamilton and I started training from the moment I brought him home. At first, it was just sit, down, stay, shake, but soon we started to class. Puppy pre-school (a socialization class), puppy obedience, and puppy agility were his first forays into training, and we continued to build up in those different areas. Today, Hamilton is in a Canine Good Citizen level obedience class (though we’re not sure if we’ll get that title) and level 2 agility which involves some simple courses. We’ve also done a bit of scent work together, which is a lot of fun for his nose! ​
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What motivates Ham? (food, toys, praise, etc.)

Hamilton is the kind of dog who stares at you when you throw a ball as if he’s saying, “What do you think I am, a retriever?” A good treat is Ham’s best friend when it comes to rewards — but we have to mix it up so he doesn’t get bored. His current favorites range from fancier fare like freeze-dried chicken hearts and lamb lung, to junk food like milk bones and turkey dogs. While he is a pup with a balanced, nutritionally sound diet, sometimes you gotta break out the “bad” stuff when it comes to doing something super hard. He does love a good squeaky toy, but gets a little too excited about them to use them as a training reward — or not excited at all. It really depends on the day. But food is always a winner.
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When did Ham get his novice and intermediate titles?

Hamilton earned his novice title in January of 2018, a few months before his first birthday. In between, we did a ton of behavior work, so we took a break from working towards his intermediate title. However, less than one year later, he earned his intermediate title. Between the two, he has showed off 20 different tricks and commands. We’ve got around 30 now, which moved him on to the advanced title!

Do you work with Ham according to an approximate schedule or just when time and interest allow?

Hamilton and I attend classes at least one to two times per week. Right now, that’s usually agility and obedience. In April, we’ll be adding in an advanced nosework  course to the mix at a sport training facility. We’re super excited as we’d love to pick up some scent titles, too! When life gets busy, I don’t get as much time to work with him at home on “fun stuff” (e.g. tricks). However, every time we go out into the world I am actively working with him. I don’t leave the house without a clicker, harness, treat pouch, and muzzle. Since the world is full of triggers for him, it takes constant vigilance to make sure he is happy and relaxed. One of the biggest challenges in fact has been learning to keep my cool when we hit a stressful spot. He tends to feed off of me!
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What trick or types of tricks have been the most challenging for him?

Remember that “not a retriever” comment? Catching and holding objects in his mouth is not his forte. Some tricks we have put aside and may never pursue (e.g. “put away your toys”), but others we’ve been able to master. One of those is flipping a treat from his nose and catching it.
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Does Ham like to ham it up and show off for people?

If he knows them, for sure! When Hamilton is relaxed and comfortable, he lives up to his name — whether it’s flashing his pearly whites in a toothy smile, doing a trick, acting like an oversized lapdog, or asking for belly rubs. Strangers, not so much. But if he’s relaxed enough, he may show off a trick on command in public!
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Books and demonstration videos for teaching tricks are readily available, but did you ever (or often) have to step back and completely rethink your approach for a particular trick in light of what you knew about Ham?

As I mentioned before, catching was initially quite hard for him, so I had to work on his coordination. A few things we tried: using popcorn because it’s lighter weight and doesn’t fall as quickly, counting to three before tossing to let him know it was coming, and not letting him have the treat unless he catches it (a race to the treat on the floor). In a hound’s mind, why should he try to catch it if he can just grab it off the ground? That was actually what really changed the game for us! Shout out to our trainer for the idea.

Does Ham have any “wild card” handler’s choice tricks that you slipped in because Ham offered the behaviors on his own?

Yes! One thing I’ve learned, and advice I’d give, is that things your dog does naturally will be easiest to capture and turn into a trick. For example, Ham loves to be on his back, so play dead (“bang!”) and rollover were really easy for him. So was “yoga” (or bow), as he loves to lean down into a big stretch.
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How has trick dog training affected your overall relationship with Ham and how you view your hound?

It’s been so fun to work on tricks together. I would definitely say it’s a bonding experience, and it’s such a great feeling when I see the light bulb turn on for him! I also feel really proud that we can get these titles together. It’s a good reminder that whether your dog is purebred or mixed breed, you can still achieve together. Go get some ribbons! You may be surprised that your hound is already close to qualifying for a novice trick title. We didn’t intend to go past the first level, but after the first one, we gained confidence and I thought — you know, we can do this. We can keep going.
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How about sharing some “best practices” and tips for adding trick training to a house hound’s curriculum?
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Watching videos and asking my trainer who is passionate about tricks for advice was a huge help. But the nice thing is, you don’t really need anything special to get started. Some people use a marker word like “yes” when a dog offers the behavior you want, but I far prefer a clicker. It’s a more precise marker and it helps your dog understand exactly the moment they offered the correct action. It helps them learn much faster. If you don’t know where to start, check out AKC’s website for lists of tricks for the various titles for some ideas. 

What’s next for Ham? Will he advance to a performance dog title or try something completely different?

We plan to stop at the advanced title for tricks. We’ll still keep pursuing trick training, but the performer titles are next level (no pun intended). I think rather than trying hard at something that might not come very naturally to Hamilton, we will instead focus on something he was made for: scent work. We’ve already done a handler discrimination class and a basics workshop, and I’m excited to pursue more oil identification via container searches. We’ll also continue our recreational agility. While he’ll never be an agility dog for many reasons, it’s just another way we bond and grow our relationship. Training is truly a way to deeply connect with your dog.

NOTES:

To follow Hamilton’s adventures, see training videos, and read about his journey with reactivity, head over to Ham’s Instagram, which is updated daily at http://www.instagram.com/hamiltontherescue.

Dogs of any breed or mix at any age and size can earn trick dog titles. Classes are available in many areas, but trick training is also a great DIY activity. Check local training centers to find an authorized evaluator. The titling entities are American Kennel Club and Do More with Your Dog.

The MUZZLE UP Project (https://muzzleupproject.com/muzzle-training), though no longer being updated, houses excellent resources on training your dog to a muzzle. ​

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

2 Comments

Picturing Honeybug

2/26/2019

3 Comments

 
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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.
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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.

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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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CC: Has the time spent photographing Honeybug and focusing on her images influenced your understanding of and relationship with your hound?
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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.
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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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3 Comments

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.​
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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.
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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.

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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.
​
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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.
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Lessons From a Blind Coonhound

9/21/2014

5 Comments

 
By Melissa O'Brien
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Two years ago we adopted a blind coonhound whose name was Priscilla when we met her at All Breed Rescue. Little was known about her. She came to Vermont from a shelter in the south; she had had puppies just before making that transition, though none of them survived. She was about 5 or 6 years old, and she was missing one eye. The other eye was clouded over by what we though might be a cataract condition, but we later learned was scar tissue. 

We renamed her Daisy Mason, paying homage to the magnificent woman who was the housekeeper in the home where I lived and worked in Kentucky for many happy teenage summers. Daisy Mason, the woman, was small of stature but large of personality. She worked her way, daily, through the southern mansion inhabited by the wonderful Jones family, with grace and always, always, humming a tune. Miss Daisy Mason, like her canine namesake, was loyal, loving and peaceful. A true southern grande dame survivor.

Though the story of her past remains a mystery to us, Daisy has taught us that it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter that she may have been neglected or abused. She probably was, and yet she shows no signs whatsoever of having gone through those hard times. She lives each day as if she has no memory -- a deep and powerful blessing. Last year, after living with us for just eight months, Daisy made it through the difficult testing process to become a member of the Therapy Dogs of Vermont family, proving that though one may have been "disabled," displaced or mistreated, one has the capacity to turn those struggles into something beautiful. 

Daisy, once abused, is one of the most powerful healers I know.

Lessons From a Blind Coonhound
  • Let go of the past. Right now. It is done, it is over and if you drag it with you into today, you will miss the opportunity to receive the loving gestures that have arrived. You will miss noticing that the world is on your side.
  • Howl when the spirit moves you. It doesn't have to be pretty; that's not the point.
  • Sit and stay are way overrated.
  • Be of service. Even the most impoverished among us have something to offer. Do not spend your life in victimhood. Get yourself to the nearest nursing home or hospital or school and be with people who need you.
  • Trust. The world will let you down, beat you down, turn you around and spit you out. Even when it feels like a bad idea, keep trusting. Eventually someone who believes in you is going to come along and you will to want to be open and ready to receive that pass.
  • Be still. Be patient with the humans around you, especially the ones who think they know everything.
  • Though someone may have hurt you, be loving, be gentle. Teach everyone, by virtue of your own behavior, how to be better.
  • It is absolutely, positively NOT a waste of time to lay down upon a warm slate tile on a sunny day.
  • Even if your best friend looks and acts nothing like you, love him anyway. He may be an overweight, food-thieving brown Lab, but he loves being with you and that's enough.
  • Though you may not be able to see what's up ahead, go there anyway. For certain you are going to bonk into some obstacles, but keep going. Go with curiosity and glee. Walking tethered to someone else's lead might be safer, but running ahead on your own is far more satisfying. And fun. Discover for yourself the wonders of the world.
Reprinted with permission from the Melissa O'Brien's blog. Thank you Melissa!
5 Comments

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.

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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.”
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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.
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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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All about "All Hounds on Deck"

3/18/2014

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It started with a single stray hound and a pair of loving hearts.

The stray, ultimately dubbed Major Hound, was a Treeing Walker Coonhound found loitering on a regular basis outside the Wal-Mart in Farmerville, Louisiana, where Sandy Lunte lived. As a longtime devoted dog rescuer and re-homer working alone, she saw him as one more dog in urgent need of rescuing. She spent the next three weeks trying to entice him close enough to safely trap him, until finally, with the help of local vet Dr. Damon Odem, she succeeded. And so it was that this abused, abandoned, and beautiful dog snared Sandy’s heart, aroused her curiosity about coonhounds in general and ignited her passion for the breed itself.

Coming to Sandy’s own rescue, when she needed a second loving heart and a second pair of helping hands, was her close friend, Elisabeth Grant-Gibson. Sliding into her new rescue role with eagerness and ease, Elisabeth quickly acquired three foster dogs. Late one Sunday evening, as the pair was driving to Elisabeth’s house with yet another hound for her to foster, Elisabeth casually remarked, “We’ve got all hounds on deck now,” to which Sandy promptly replied, “That’s the name.”

With that, All Hounds on Deck was born and officially launched in June 2013. As to the playful logo with its prominent peace sign? It was the brainchild of graphic artist Amy Sliger. “Peace Love & Hounds is our motto,” says Sandy. “We’re peace-loving hippies. We also LOVE Coonhounds because they’re dear, dear dogs. Silly, funny, and oh-so-loving. They’re also terribly misunderstood and constantly mistreated around here. Since so many people don’t realize what wonderful pets and loyal family members coonhounds make, we’ve made educating the public about them a vital part of our mission.”
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A whimsical logo and slogan printed on shirts and sweatshirts have been popular among fans.
Although not exclusive to hounds, the rescue focuses on medium- and larger-sized dogs, who are often the most difficult to place. Having modeled themselves after several rescues they admire, what sets All Hounds apart from some of the other local groups is that they fully vet their dogs – deemed unadoptable by many -- while keeping their adoption fees low. “We’re also not limited as to where we acquire our dogs,” explains Sandy. “We take them from shelters, from dumpsters, and from the streets.”

Because All Hounds is such a new rescue group, their earliest funding came out of Sandy’s and Elisabeth’s own pockets, and they were the group’s sole foster homes, together with a local boarding facility. But as they quickly began rescuing more dogs, they started to work on establishing a network of temporary foster homes. And although they had begun by using volunteers strictly on an event by event basis, over time that base began to grow.

Their decision to pull a dog – whom they named Shemp Hound -- from a local shelter was a game changer for them. Although they had nowhere to place him and no funds for his medical costs, they posted his story on Facebook and appealed to the public to call in donations directly to their vet. To their relief and delight, their first fundraising effort was an unqualified success.

Building upon that success, All Hounds continued to use not only Facebook, but also some of the burgeoning websites devoted solely to raising money for rescues. Two of their own most effective fundraisers were leaving collection cans at area businesses and selling All Hounds on Deck t-shirts with their whimsical logo. Then, as more people became familiar with them, contributions from other donors, both public and private, began trickling in. And as a non-profit rescue, they continue to rely solely on the generosity of others to sustain them.
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Cindy the Coonhound on her way to New Jersey, transport provided by Pilots N Paws.
One of the unique features of All Hounds on Deck is that most of the dogs they save from certain death are re-homed out of state. And for these operations to succeed, all HANDS must definitely be on deck. And on call. Sandy and Elisabeth have personally driven dogs to the northeast four times. The majority, however, are delivered to their forever homes by volunteer transport, a remarkable and highly coordinated network arranged through an independent rescue coordinator. Like a relay race, a volunteer will drive a pre-arranged number of miles until another volunteer takes over, and so on and so on. Most transports involve between 20 and 30 different drivers and take between two and three days to complete.

A major support to Sandy and Elisabeth in the area of rescues and placements has been Jerry Dunham, founder of Tejas Coonhound Rescue, and an integral part of Coonhound Companions. Case in point: a beautiful, tri-color English coonhound they called Cindy Hound. Found in December on a highway in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, she was taken to the shelter, where she languished for weeks with no interest shown in her whatsoever. Despite being a sweet and obviously loving dog, she was scheduled for euthanasia by the shelter due to overcrowding.

In desperation, Jerry, who had first helped Sandy with Major Hound’s rescue, contacted her and asked for her help. All Hounds promptly posted Cindy on Facebook, and to everyone’s profound relief, a potential adopter was found and ultimately approved. After Jerry had arranged for Cindy to be flown to Monroe by Pilots N Paws, Elisabeth drove Cindy across country to New Jersey, where her adoptive family was eagerly waiting to welcome her to her forever home.

As part of their mission to educate the public about coonhounds, dog health and safety, and responsible pet ownership in general, Sandy and Elisabeth are frequent guests on several local radio and television programs. They also speak with students and work individually with children whenever they appear at public meet and greets. And they are currently laying the groundwork to visit schools with Jack, who is Sandy’s onetime dumpster dog turned certified therapy dog.  
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Sandy and Elisabeth share the message widely that coonhounds are wonderful companions.
As All Hounds on Deck continues to grow as a rescue and in reputation, both Sandy and Elisabeth continue to lead by example. Sandy and her husband, Tony Cortellini, share their home with four rescues including, Major Hound, the Treeing Walker Coonhound who started it all, and Elisabeth not only fosters dogs, but her cat, Gin, lets them “cat-test” the dogs they rescue, while her backyard fence allows them to test for fence jumpers.

Article written by Nomi Berger. Nomi is the best-selling author of seven novels, one work of non-fiction, two volumes of poetry and hundreds of articles. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with her adopted morkie, Shadow, and devotes all of her time volunteering her writing skills to animal rescue organizations throughout Canada and the USA.
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Hello. My name is George ... now.

1/23/2014

14 Comments

 
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"Hello. My name is George ... now. I used to have another name; at least I think I did. That was a long time ago & I don't remember.

About a year ago, the only person I'd ever known dumped me in a strange place. It was dark & I was scared. I didn't know what would happen to me - I only knew that everything I had known was gone.

I hid behind a dog house. Once the light came, a stranger approached me & took me inside. There were a lot of other dogs there & I was even more scared than I was outside. The stranger was nice. She talked to me, fed me, & gave me a blanket. I waited there for someone I knew to pick me up & take me home. Little did I know that wouldn't happen, at least not the way I thought it would.

That lady, Monica Collins, was so kind & gentle. She told me I was safe & told me she'd help me. She said to be brave & she took my picture. I am not a brave dog but I stood there & she snapped some shots.  Of course I didn't know it, but those pictures - they saved my life."


On November 10th, 2012 a young Treeing Walker Coonhound was abandoned at the Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter in an outside pen. The photos taken by a dedicated volunteer were posted on the Coonhound Rescue Network page on Facebook and were shared no less than two dozen times by well-meaning hound lovers from across the country. In the post, Monica wrote:

Please help me find a place for a sweet hound they just got here at the shelter today. A young male, doesn't look quite a year old by his teeth, dumped in the outside pen. He has beautiful markings & long ears. Not sure what you would call him ... other than hound. He is very scared, but he does let you handle & pet him. I loved him & made sure he got a nice clean blanket to lay on. He wasn't sure what to do & sat & looked at it. He must have been outside all his little life.
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My husband and I had often discussed bringing another hound into our lives and something about these pictures touched our hearts. The photos were heartbreaking – maybe it was the small cement cell he was in, the roach of fear in his back, or the string of stress-induced drool that hung from his lip. We shook on it – we'd try to give this dog a real home. After posting my initial interest and inquiring as to the logistics of getting the dog from northeast Texas to southeast Connecticut, a familiar voice chimed in, that of Jerry Dunham, a long-time, well-respected coonhound rescuer.

We already had two coonhounds, Clementine, a 6 year old Black and Tan Coonhound, and Sonny, a raucous 2 year old Redbone Coonhound. Naturally, we struggled with the ramifications of bringing a teenage, intact male, unknown dog into the midst of our home. Jerry contacted me via email and arranged, with Monica's help, more photographs and  the results of a temperament test. The boy was tested for food, dog, and cat aggression. He passed with flying colors.

Knowing there was a lot that could go wrong, but feeling as though it was the right thing to do, I contacted Jerry and  Monica giving the go ahead for the adoption to proceed. Needing a name for the necessary paperwork, my husband picked George. This would seem like the end of a sad story, but really it was just the beginning.

Over the course of the next week or so, flurries of emails were exchanged, advice was sought, phone calls transpired, and arrangements were made. As all the necessary details of a long distance adoption were being set in place the shelter filled up and our boy was placed on the PTS list. His time was up there and he needed to be removed from there immediately.

Dog Runner Pet Transport, the operation run by Elaine and  Dave Stutz, couldn't pick George up for another eight days. Through a network of very kind and selfless volunteers a local boarding facility in Mount Pleasant, Texas,was found that agreed to house George for one week. Unfortunately Dog Runner couldn't pick him up there due to logistics. George needed to be transported, for an overnight stay, near Plano, Texas. Bright and early on the morning of November 26th, he was picked up and  on his way to us.

That journey of over 1500 miles took four long days. In the meantime, we set things up at our home as best we could. We'd placed a crate in the living room, lined with a soft bed. An extra dog bowl and a new collar were purchased. I'd made a veterinary appointment for George on the following Monday and we had enlisted the help of a trusted friend of ours to help with dog introductions upon his arrival.

On Saturday, December 1st we got the call we'd been waiting anxiously for for over two weeks. The transport was not only on its way and joy of joys, it was running early! I was too nervous so I sat in the front seat, wringing my hands, as my husband drove. We met the transport in nearby Mystic, Connecticut on a cold, drizzling, snow spitting afternoon. Our first sight of George was of him stretching his legs and bawling at a passing horse drawn carriage. He looked young but bigger than I'd thought from the photographs I'd seen. He seemed happy. He seemed worthy. But best of all, he seemed like ours.

Once parked, I nearly leaped out of the car. We introduced ourselves to the Stutz's and thanked them. George was brought over to us and in an instant, he could tell something would be different. He was hesitant and uncertain. Of course part of me expected this but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed he didn't jump into our arms. I tried to bribe him with treats but slowly he backed away from me. I was nearly heartbroken. It was understandable though, this boy had been through so much and I'm sure he was very unsure as to whether this situation would last. In just a couple weeks he'd been dumped in the shelter, from boarding to boarding, living nearly a week in a crate on a trailer, and finally to us.

Dave and Elaine made encouraging small talk and held him as we slipped on his brand new collar. We said our good byes as Dave tenderly lifted him into the back of my car. I rode home in the back seat with George, hoping to make him feel a little more comfortable. He sat politely and quietly. All the while he looked out the window, wondering I'm sure, why he was here, who were these new people, what would become of him, and why it was so damn cold.

It's a very long way from Texas to Connecticut in more ways than one. Only part of George's journey was over, the next part was yet to begin. He was, for all intents and  purposes "home" even though he didn't know it yet.
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"So that's the story of how I got my very own family. I can't believe how much has changed. Now I have a mom & a dad & a brother & a sister. I have a soft bed, my own blanket, & regular meals. I get petting & cuddles every single day. I get to go for long hikes in the park too. I'm learning a lot & trying to be a good boy. I love it here & my family loves me. Every day I think how lucky I am – it's been like winning the dog lottery!

It could have been different. I don't like to think about that. What if there had been no Monica? What if those people hadn't shared my pictures? What if my mom hadn't seen them? What if everyone had turned their backs & hadn't helped? Where would I be?"


The very sad fact is that without the generous help and support of so many kind-hearted people, George may have ended up like so many other hounds that get dumped in shelters – if they're lucky. His story has a happy ending but many, many other hounds won't get that. 

Coonhounds, by the dozen, are euthanized every single day because there is no one to help them, to want them, or to see their value as wonderful family members.

In rescuing this boy, experiencing the joy and love he has brought to our lives, I know we've only made a small difference to the situation. To George though, that difference is everything.

— By Ellen Jones

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For Love of Jethro

10/24/2013

8 Comments

 
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Her given name was Elisabeth Spain, but in her hometown of Owensboro, Kentucky, she was known simply as Riley. A typical teenager in some ways, certainly. Unique in others, absolutely.

After enduring months of crippling pain, she was finally diagnosed with hypermobility (a condition where joints pop in and out of their sockets) and fibromyalgia (the result of having contracted the H1N1 virus) early in her freshman year of high school. Everyone predicted a future of impaired motor function and limited possibilities for her. But not Riley.

By the time she was a sophomore, she proved just how wrong they were. And just how much of a typical 16-year-old she could be. She was surrounded by caring friends, had a wonderful boyfriend, and drove her own car. Atypically, she worked after school at the Town Square Animal Hospital and Pet Resort. Why? Because animals were her passion.

One night in late November of 2011, as she was following some of her friends on Facebook, she did what she usually did. She clicked onto the page of the local kill shelter, glancing at the photos of the dogs, many with comments such as "cute" and "I’d love to take this one home" underneath them. Scrolling further, she was suddenly brought up short. Staring out at her with a long, sad face and long, droopy ears was an extremely thin Treeing Walker coonhound with no comments under his photo at all. His name was Jethro. 

PictureSad-eyed Jethro.
And something deep inside Riley responded. She promptly burst into tears because, as she herself explained, “he looked so sad, and no one felt his sadness.” When she saw that he was scheduled to be euthanized in two days, her heart sank. She quickly printed out his picture and took the paper Jethro to bed with her. 

By the following afternoon, she had made up her mind. She told her mother that she wanted to save Jethro’s life. Her mother was stunned. They already owned two poodles. Why would her young daughter who loved two beautiful poodles suddenly want to save the life of an old, ugly and dying coonhound? But Riley was adamant. She could neither be swayed nor moved. This was what she wanted to -- needed to -- do. In the end, her mother grudgingly relented.

But her permission came with three rules. One. If they did get Jethro out in time, Riley would have take him to daycare at the animal hospital with her every day. Two. At home, he would have to stay in a crate. Three -- and the hardest for Riley to accept – she had one month to rehome him or he would be returned to the shelter. To the agitated teen, all this meant was a stay of execution, a temporary reprieve for this hapless dog. And she was determined to do better than that. But for the moment, there was no time to waste. And so she quickly agreed to her mother’s terms. 

They drove to the shelter, arriving exactly ten minutes before closing time. And those ten minutes literally saved Jethro’s life. They were taken back to the kennels and neither of them was prepared for what they saw. The coonhound was scarcely more than skin and bones and too weak to stand or walk. A tearful Riley ran to him, and the ailing dog had just enough strength to lift his head and lick her face. Riley immediately took this as a sign. She was doing the right thing. And Jethro knew it too. As her mother signed all the necessary papers, they were told that prior to his leaving the shelter, Jethro would have to be neutered. They were also warned that because of his age and poor health, it was doubtful that he would even survive the surgery. 


PictureJethro rests on his new soft bed.
After worrying about him the entire next day, Riley and her mother drove up to the vet’s office just in time to see a dog catcher dragging Jethro away. Riley jumped out of the car, picked up the scrawny, half-sedated dog and held him like a baby while the shelter was contacted. When Jethro was finally released into her safekeeping, an elated Riley exclaimed, “As I clung to my beautiful, alive, and slightly smelly, first foster dog, I was the happiest girl ever!” 

At home, both toy poodles seemed to understand what was happening, and after a few curious sniffs at Jethro and a few half-hearted barks at Riley, the pair headed to her bedroom. Next to her own bed was a crate filled with warm, cozy blankets and a wonderful new dog bed. Just for Jethro.

That night, Riley kept a watchful eye over the sleeping dog she had rescued. “I believe and always will,” she later said, “that Jethro knew he was finally safe from harm. The look in his eyes that first night hasn’t changed in 2 years. It’s a look of pure happiness and relief.” 

But ever conscious of her mother’s third rule, she kept her word and started Googling various coonhound and senior dog rescue groups. “Hi,” she wrote again and again. “My name is Elisabeth Spain. I’m 16 and I’ve saved a coonhound from being put down in Daviess County, KY. His name is Jethro. He’s 10 years old and what a wonderful dog he is. He loves to play ball and chase. He’s microchipped, neutered and up-to-date on his shots. I would love to keep him, but my mother has given me a month to either rehome him or find a rescue for him. CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME? Transportation is not a problem. Thank you for any help. Love, Elisabeth and Jethro.”


PictureJethro's Facebook page helped him find an adoptive family in Texas.
For every hopeful email she sent out, every answer she received was discouragingly the same. None of the organizations could take Jethro. They were simply too full. Undeterred, she cast her net wider until finally, her efforts were rewarded. Coonhound Companions replied that although they themselves couldn't take him, they would help her rehome Jethro within the month.

And they did. They located a suitable adopter in Spring, Texas and arranged for Jethro’s transportation there. With mixed emotions, Riley relinquished the dog she had only just gotten to know, convincing herself that it was best for Jethro and that she had kept her promise to her mother. But, in reality, it didn’t make letting him go any easier. Now all that remained of her own coonhound companion was his crate, his dog bed and her printed picture of him.


PictureJethro's "lost" poster was widely distributed.
Within 24 hours of arriving at his new home, however, Jethro escaped through the fence and disappeared. Thanks to Facebook, people in the town were alerted to the situation, prompting them to put up posters everywhere and search the shelters. He was found 4 days later. It seems he had wandered into an open garage only blocks from his adoptive home and was taken in by the owner. At first the man had considered keeping him, but then changed his mind. He brought Jethro to the local shelter, where he was immediately recognized as the missing dog in the posters. Unfortunately, though, when Jethro was returned to his adoptive home, some family issues arose that jeopardized his safety, and Coonhound Companions quickly stepped in.

Riley, meanwhile, had spent the entire week without Jethro in utter misery. She realized how attached she had become to him and how desperately she missed him. When she heard that he couldn’t stay in his new home, she couldn’t have been happier or more relieved. What were the chances, she wondered, what were the chances. Acknowledging the depth of their daughter’s feelings for the dog she had rescued, her parents agreed that Jethro could return to Owensboro. He would stay with Riley’s father, who lived close enough for Riley to visit him. For Riley, it wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a solution. Her beloved Jethro would be coming home!

But his homecoming would prove anything but simple. It was like a page torn from an old movie script – part comedy of errors, part Ripley’s Believe It or Not.  It began with Coonhound Companions arranging for Jethro to be surrendered to the Houston County Hearts Hound Rescue. While he was there, he underwent some much-needed dental surgery, paid by the Coonhound Companions "Long Ears Alive!" fund. Through Pilots ‘N Paws, he was flown to Little Rock, AK, where he was to be driven to Jonesboro for the night. Another pilot was to fly to Jonesboro from his home in Missouri to take Jethro to Kentucky Dam, where Riley and her father had agreed to meet them.


PictureRiley and Jethro are reunited and going home.
When the driver couldn’t make the trip to Little Rock, the original pilots flew Jethro on a circuitous route through several counties, picking up various bloodhound rescues along the way, until they finally reached Jonesboro. The next day, the plane in Missouri that had been reserved to fly to Jonesboro and pick up Jethro wasn't at the airstrip. The previous renter hadn’t returned it and no one knew where it was. 

When the plane eventually did show up, mechanical problems grounded it for days. Ultimately, the stranded pilot, sympathetic to the plight of the waiting dog and the anxious teenager, got in his car, and drove to Jonesboro himself. He picked up Jethro and drove all the way to Kentucky Dam, where the exhausted dog was reunited with an equally exhausted, but elated Riley. 

(While all of this had been happening to Jethro, young Riley had had a cancerous lesion 
removed from behind one ear.) 

Everything was forgotten though, when the “forever mommy” as Riley called herself wrapped her arms around her skinny, shaking hound and vowed to never let him out of her sight again. Rather than going home with her father, she returned to her mother’s house. And the slow but steady rehabilitation and revitilization of Jethro began. He gradually started putting on weight, pleasantly filling out his gaunt, long-legged frame.  He became Riley’s constant and adoring companion, one who lived to love and be loved. 

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Riley soon discovered that the loyal and lovable Jethro also loved going for car rides and playing fetch. She learned how affectionate he was with other people and how good he was with other dogs. She found he loved to snuggle, to get his tummy rubbed and to watch TV with her. And each time she looked at him, she saw his gentle soul reflected in his eyes.
These were the best of times for the young girl and her dog, but punctuating them would also be the worst of times. 

Because, as the months passed, with each step forward, Jethro took another step back. He bounced physically from one health crisis to another (including the drainage of infected fatty tumors, irritable bowel disease and pancreatitis) and his doting, forever mom bounced emotionally with him. Every time the aging dog was hospitalized, the vet recommended that he be euthanized. But Riley wouldn’t agree and Jethro wouldn’t succumb. He rallied each time, just in time to get sick again. But neither girl nor dog gave up or gave in. United by bonds stronger even than love, they fought together and beat the odds together.

Tending to Jethro and seeing him improve under her care gave Riley an idea. Why couldn’t she look after other dogs the same way? At the animal hospital, she watched sick and injured animals coming and going all the time. And she knew that only one kind of animal interested her: the ill and unwanted. Like her beloved Jethro. With her mother’s permission, she became a foster for a local rescue called Saving Paws Animal Rescue of Kentucky (S.P.A.R.K.Y.). She fostered both puppies and kittens -- some for just a weekend, some for longer, and some for whom she herself found adoptive homes.
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Then in the spring of 2012, she adopted (a decision she laughingly attributed to Jethro) a black coonhound/lab mix puppy. Her name was Lexi. She was part of a litter dropped on the side of the road and brought, sick and dehydrated, to S.P.A.R.K.Y. Riley and several other volunteers, together with a vet, nursed them all back to health. While the rest of the litter was adopted, Lexi remained the Riley and her family. And of course, Jethro, who couldn't have been happier.

“She’s brought out the puppy in this old man,” said Riley. “Since she’s been here, Jethro hasn't been in the hospital once. Its amazing! Lexi is also a blood donor at the animal hospital and Jethro encourages both of us all the way. He’s like our own little mascot.” 

When Riley decided to work at her cousin's veterinary clinic, faithful Jethro accompanied her there. Today, Jethro either cuddles with Riley in her bedroom or camps out in the backyard, depending on his mood. And the bond they share has only grown stronger with time. Riley is still the compassionate teenager who gave her heart to an ailing and aging dog. And Jethro is still the gentle survivor of a thousand scars who holds Riley’s young heart in his large, loving paws.

Article written by Nomi Berger. Nomi is the bestselling author of seven novels and one work of non-fiction. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with her first pet -- and the love of her life -- her adopted morkie, Shadow. Nomi now devotes all of her time volunteering her writing skills to animal rescue organizations both in Canada and the USA.
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Seven, the Rescued “Police Dog”

9/28/2013

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By Officer Katie Zaimis

There she was, excitedly leaning against the door of her cage at the animal shelter. With trusting brown eyes, a white-tipped tail, and those floppy, spotted ears, she was the most adorable puppy I had ever seen. I had seen her for the first time a few nights prior in the hallway of the police station, on an early morning after my shift. I had not been able to forget about the 8-week-old abuse victim ever since. The officers who witnessed the incident had apparently seized the pit bull/beagle mix from her owner, and the puppy was going to be kept at the shelter until the court hearing. I didn’t know yet if she would be put up for adoption or returned to her owner, but I knew how much I wanted to keep her.

My husband Alex and I both love dogs, but we live in a small townhome without an accessible backyard. We had previously agreed that we wanted at least one dog but had decided to wait until we moved into a larger home. Now, a sweet little face and wagging tail were quickly convincing me to reconsider. Over the next month, I visited the puppy almost every day. I brought her treats and toys, clipped her nails, and took her for walks. Her name at the time was “Princess,” but she had not been treated as one. I decided that I wanted to name her Seven of Nine after a character from Star Trek: Voyager (the character on the show was also “rescued!”)

Animals are a special kind of victim—they can’t tell anyone that they are hurting, or seek help for themselves. It was a stressful month knowing that Seven might eventually have to go back to her owner. She would not likely get another chance to be saved.

When the court hearing came around, I was relieved to find out that the owner had decided to sign the puppy over to the county. I went to the shelter and filled out the adoption paperwork that same day. Seven was finally ours, and would have a loving home for the rest of her life.
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Having had zero experience at raising puppies, I relied heavily on advice from friends and Internet research.  One thing I never expected was the constant biting during the teething process.  I came to realize that a dog’s natural reaction to touch is defensive, and they need to be taught to view humans as non-threatening.  This must have been especially difficult for a pup already injured by a human at such a young age.  Seven used to latch onto hands, arms, shoelaces, pants legs—pretty much anything that she could sink her razor sharp puppy teeth into.  With a lot of time, patience, and the occasional band-aid, we slowly taught Seven bite inhibition.  Ignoring bad behavior and praising good behavior goes a long way when training a pup.  I would yelp like a puppy and let my arm go limp if she bit me, and turn my head away and ignore her if she was pulling at my pant leg or shoelace.  We gave her chew toys, Nylabones, a Kong ball (I like to freeze it with peanut butter inside), and even pieces of ice.  I used to pet her while feeding her treats so that she was too distracted to start chewing on my hands.  It took time, but this type of training proved to be extremely effective and resulted in a much gentler puppy!

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House training is another challenge, even more so when it is raining outside.  Seven hates the rain so much that we got her a tiny raincoat for when she needs to go out during inclement weather.  I took her for a walk one day to allow her to do her business, when she suddenly decided she did not want to walk home.  I found myself walking down the side of the road holding a puppy in a raincoat, and an umbrella over both of us.  I could not imagine what passersby must have been thinking!
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Anyone who has ever trained a hound knows how willful they can be.  Training is a challenge, but it can be very rewarding if done properly.  Hound breeds are extremely intelligent and can learn new things very quickly.  At five months, Seven already had a decent repertoire of tricks memorized.  She learned how to sit, shake hands, high five, and low crawl.  If I told her to “twist” she would spin around in a circle.  Our latest trick is my favorite—I point my finger at her and say “bang bang!” and she rolls onto her back with her paws in the air. 

At six months old, Seven has started baying and chasing squirrels.  Her beagle side is definitely asserting itself.  Our walks require a bit of patience since she wants to investigate everything along the way.  She seems to enjoy tracking and sniffs the ground with her nose down, tail up.  She began doing this while she was still at the shelter, but her senses seem to have developed more now.  She is a hunting dog at heart, but such a loyal and wonderful companion.
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Seven has a ton of energy and we make sure she gets plenty of exercise to match it.  She runs with larger dogs at the park and gets several walks a day.  She seems to operate in short bursts—she will run and play for an hour, but then nap for the rest of the afternoon.  We play fetch games with her squeaky ball and Alex throws Frisbees with her at the dog park.  Once she has had her exercise, Seven loves to be held and prefers to use any nearby human as a pillow.  She even sleeps in our bed at night.

For all the challenges of owning a puppy, the rewards are tenfold.  We look forward to a lifetime of adventures with our sweet Seven of Nine!

Editor's Note: Beagles are "cousins" to coonhounds and foxhounds and we thought our readers would enjoy reading this engaging first-person account and excellent photographs! Our organization does encourage adoption of hound mixes.
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