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

Sadie Mae, Bluetick of My Soul

4/3/2012

17 Comments

 
Guest Blog by Brianne Charbonneau

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picture

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picture

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

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

Picture

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

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

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

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


17 Comments
kristin
4/3/2012 01:56:35 pm

So sad that so many hounds are euthanized and passed over in shelters because of lack of knowledge about the breed. As a coon owner and lover for many years, I can say I have never had more loveable, friendly, goofy, expressive friends in my life. They are fantastic with children, very intelligent (when you get past the stubbornness) and make the best companions! Coonhounds will always have my heart!

Reply
Gates S. Murchie
4/3/2012 10:26:44 pm

I have come to the conclusion that coonies aren't necessarily stubborn, but simply unclear on your motivations and the importance of those motivations to them. Since they are intelligent, they don't like to be coerced, but would rather be part of the process. A role reversal exercise reveals that WE are irrational, stubborn and, in some cases, bizarre. "Stop Hunting??? What ARE you? CRAZY???"

Reply
Ave
8/17/2013 03:04:33 pm

I'm a 35 year old cat-lover until we adopted a coonhound. I still love cats, but there is something so magical about a coonhound. I've never been loved by a dog as much as our coonie.

Reply
Emily link
8/17/2013 04:39:42 pm

Ave I'm so glad you and your cat found a good coonhound to bond with you. Just make sure you keep your cat safe. Most hounds will hunt cats, although they can be taught to get along with their own cat and maybe a few others that live in places they like (mine liked the store cat at a bakery that used to give them rolls). A running outdoor cat is a particular temptation. Make sure your cat has a safe place to retreat to so you don't have to climb trees to retrieve Puss when your hound decides it would be fun to chase Puss up a tree and bark its fool head off If your hound is young, bear in mind that a hound that doesn't hunt one day may suddenly undergo a change of heart when its "hunting switch" turns on.

Darin Lee link
4/3/2012 10:44:43 pm

A part of this article reminds me of a dog whom we named Rosie. Rosie was a grand night champion hunting dog who had to be spayed to save her life after pregnancy complications. After that the hunter did not want her, so we took her into our rescue.
Rosie was...well, she was a handful. The transition from hunting champion to house dog took her a little bit to accept. Besides our normal trips to the woods to let her do her "coonhound thing" and get some of the fire boiled out of her blood...we also took her to agility. The agility trainer said pretty much the same thing that Sadie was told. The trainer also said that we should not expect her to do the tunnel and a few other apparatus as it takes dogs time to get comfortable with them.
I looked her right in the face and said..."you wanna bet me?"

The trainer was at least smart enough to NOT take that bet...I would have won it quite handily.
NEVER NEVER NEVER underestimate the possibility of a Coonhound! Maybe that is why I love them so much...they are a dog so chocked full of possibility!

Reply
Tara
4/4/2012 01:29:41 am

Coonhound are definately very intelligent. I have a rescue Black and Tan who can be taught almost anything. She is also an excellent agulity dog. I think our trainer either never knew one to have a poor opinion or just kept it to herself. But my girl has earned many agility titles in USDAA and AKC is working towards her MACH, the top AKC agility title. Coonies just require patience and a sense of humor. People love seeing her and she definately stands out among all the Border Collies and Goldens at a trial.

Reply
Anna link
4/4/2012 04:34:41 am

Our treeing walker coonie Austin will obey commands from 100 feet away. He's the one who has figured out when and where to jump the cat food supply. He's perfected the floppy dog dance with his front paws and bobbing head which almost always produces a treat---in other words he has trained us quite effectively. You want to hear about stubborn? We have the pit bull who invented the word; he lays down his 70 lb. tank body and makes us leash-drag him inside if he is sunning himself on the lawn. Goody two-shoes Austin would never do such a thing; his idea of being disobedient is being asked twice. And he smiles at us, lifting his front lip. I need to get a photo of him doing that!

Reply
Mandy link
4/4/2012 05:47:30 am

I loved this post because I could relate to so much of what you said. I have a coonhound that I rescued from the pound when he was nine months old (he'll be six in June) - he'd been brought in twice before and I was told that if I brought him in again he probably would be euthanized He has extreme anxiety and a distrust of strangers which we have treated with LOTS of positive training, veterinarian behavior specialists, medication and diet and he is so much better than a few years ago. As part of his training we do agility (mostly for fun as he is fairly slow due to his meds), therapy dog training (given his distrust of people he probably won't ever be a certified therapy dog but he was easily conditioned to all the equipment) and he even passed his CGC test last year. We work with an awesome trainer and excellent veterinarian behaviorist who have always believed in him even when I've had my doubts.

Reply
steph
4/4/2012 07:25:34 am

You should submit an article about Sadie Mae to "Garden and Gun" magazine!!!! They have articles on dogs in every issue. It is always a personal story of an owner and their love for their unique companion :)

Reply
Angela Faeth
7/5/2012 10:31:34 pm

Funny you should mention Garden and Gun, I just saw my first copy of it. What a unique combination.

Reply
Kay
4/4/2012 02:07:33 pm

I have 2 bluetick coonhounds, 2 english coonhounds, and 1 treeing walker. They are terrific dogs. We do not use our dogs for hunting. All of our dogs are rescues. They now get to live the comfy live they should have had to begin with. I lose my pillow on a regular basis and am glad to hug a furry one nightly.

Reply
Sandra Morrison
4/8/2012 02:32:00 am

This is so true. Coonhounds complete your soul. And are very intelligent. My old girl Maggie May was the first BT in Canada to get a Rally Obedience title. But her love was man trailing and from doing that I learned how to read her body language. They spend their lives reading us and do a much better job. I learned so much from her. I miss her so much.

Reply
Danielle
7/5/2012 03:44:57 am

I just bookmarked this site! I had grown up with cats and went to the local shelter to adopt my first dog. Out came this skinny, scared dog and I was in love! Not knowing what breed he was, I ordered a DNA test and discovered he is a coonhound. My Bacci is the sweetest, most lovable, most obedient, smartest dog I have ever known and I can't imagine my life without him!!!! Like the author says, coonhounds look into your soul! He is my best friend and I love him with all my heart!

Reply
Angela Faeth
7/5/2012 10:27:51 pm

There are many sides to owning a dog, no two or three or alike. I can count on the sweet side of my coonhound just as I understand that she prefers to hunt more than life itself. It is up to me to keep her safe. Knowing nothing of her early life and observing her day to day for over many years I believe the following to be true.

Hunting trumps food, food trumps "recall" unless you combine the two and her trust and love in me has grown over the years.

Reply
Michael Gilbert
11/14/2012 04:39:45 am

My girlfriend and I just got a Bluetick and love him. He is an amazingly smart dog and very different than any dog we've had before (collie shepard mix, german shepard, husky) but he is also very different to train. We've had him for a month and in that time he has learned to sit, lay down, stay, leave it and retrieve. Since he is already a year old he has some traits that we got before we rescued him and one of them is his pulling on the leash. We have been able to get him way better about the leash but we want to eventually start off leash training and I was wondering if anyone had some tips on how to work them off the leash and keep them focused.

Reply
cynthia
7/7/2016 09:27:43 am

Thank you so much for your story.
I've had Coonhounds for 16 years.
Two that is- My black and tan lived for 16 years and my redbone is currently 14-15. I JUST rescued a Bluetick. Boy I thought I knew a lot about hounds...but this one has been abused pretty badly. It's so sad. She won't even bay. And I love the sound of a hound, music to my ears. I would love to spend all the time it takes to train this sweet girl. She's really messed up behaviour wise-
But at the same time an Angel.
I've always felt that, that hounds see into your soul.
If there is a website that you used to train your hound could you please share it. I would LOVE to train her the way you trained yours. Awesome story 😌

Reply
cynthia
7/7/2016 09:28:33 am

Thank you so much for your story.
I've had Coonhounds for 16 years.
Two that is- My black and tan lived for 16 years and my redbone is currently 14-15. I JUST rescued a Bluetick. Boy I thought I knew a lot about hounds...but this one has been abused pretty badly. It's so sad. She won't even bay. And I love the sound of a hound, music to my ears. I would love to spend all the time it takes to train this sweet girl. She's really messed up behaviour wise-
But at the same time an Angel.
I've always felt that, that hounds see into your soul.
If there is a website that you used to train your hound could you please share it. I would LOVE to train her the way you trained yours. Awesome story 😌

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    The Coonie Team

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

    Jill Sicheneder
    Jean Stone


    Archives

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

    Categories

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

    RSS Feed

Home
Our Story
Donate
Contact Us
to the