Foxhound in an urban environment?

[Anonymous]

We adopted a foxhound puppy from the shelter during the pandemic and what we thought would be an amazing addition to our household has really just turned into a tremendous amount of work and very little positives. Now you have to understand - this is our first dog. And she’s about 60 lbs and strong. She can be sweet with us, but she has food aggression issues, has a tremendous amount of energy around other dogs which makes us not want to have to interact with them at all (because we can’t hold her back, and dog parks seem hot or miss), and she really isn’t the sort of dog who wants to be near humans (at the moment she’s sleeping on a dog bed away from me when she could be right next to me). We have a dog bed in most rooms in the house, plenty of treats, we’ve spent a tremendous amount of time teaching her commands though it’s hard for her to listen because she’s so full of energy, the kids give her lots of love, and we walk her a ton, but it really just to us comes down to this: she’s a hunting dog and not a family hang out and be near people dog. We don’t even give her full access to our house because she can’t be trusted enough (she actually ate cookies through a ziploc bag the other day, I’m a spot I thought was well out of her reach) So I’m asking this wonderful group: anyone been on this situation? Everyone keeps telling us she’ll be different at age 6 or so but that’s 3 years away and by that time our kids off in college. Oh, and yes, she takes anti anxiety meds.

[Anonymous]

She sounds under exercised and under socialized. You need to wear her out to curb the energy. Whatever you're doing for walks isn't enough. Have you tried doggy daycare?

[Anonymous]

This is why it drives me up a wall when people who've never had dogs convince themselves they need a puppy instead of adopting an adult dog. You had no idea what you were doing, didn't train/socialize the dog, and are now looking for an excuse to dump it back at a shelter.

A tired dog is a good dog. Your "tons of" walks aren't enough. It has "too much energy" for dog parks? That's what dog parks are for!

[Anonymous]

Agree with PP. Foxhounds are great family dogs. They are affectionate and sociable but need a lot of exercise. Not walks by kids but running. You need a trainer for the food aggression and also to train you to be better owners.

[Anonymous]

I'll just add that we have an adopted hound puppy and also don't give her run of the house. That's totally normal. We keep her with us so we can train her before she does something she shouldn't. Your expectations may be off on that one. I also wouldn't put it past any puppy to eat an unattended bag of cookies. Totally normal. Just don't leave them unattended and within reach.

[Anonymous]

Good grief. Sounds like you did zero research on the type of breed that would fit your family and went for the "cute" looking puppy. Foxhounds are known for their energy and enthusiasm-all you needed was a quick google search to learn that. This is a you problem. Do NOT dump the poor dog at a shelter after your poor choice.

[Anonymous]

Our foxhound needed long walks in the woods or else she was a nervous wreck.
I'm concerned that you missed the window for easy behavior fixes. If you had this dog since puppy hood, food aggression should be a non issue. You've got to have healthy boundaries for this dog. All the "love" in the world (pets, treats, toys, comfy beds) can't replace what every dog NEEDS-- boundaries. They're just like kids in that way.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for some of the helpful advice above. I realize that some of the unhelpful kind that has come in may have been because I did not clarify something: we are not looking to rehome this dog. I am looking for other people who may have had had this particular type of hound dog, in an urban environment, where it requires a tremendous amount of energy to make it "chill" knowing that we are a 'must leash' community and dog parks are not an option for us due to poor behavior in most dog parks near me. Again, looking for ideas to try. We adopted a puppy during COVID that they told us was a mixed hound. We had no idea until the DNA test it was this type and would be this large and energetic. Trying to figure out how to give it a best life.

[Anonymous]

I’ve never had a fox hound but another large hunting dog, adopted as a puppy. We had to run him hard most days- I would take him for a run in the morning and then to the dog park almost every day for about an hour. It was not easy but what he needed, and that puppy energy was real for 2-3 years. It’s a significant investment of time.

We also did a lot of hiking with him on the weekends.

He’s such a good dog- but when he was younger he needed a lot of exercise. At the time I had a fenced backyard but that didn’t really help- he needed to be very active.

Also- with food aggressive dogs, you need to put all food away, in cabinets, never put. I’ve had those dogs- they will eat through packaging, go through the garbage, etc.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why people are so down on breeders. Choose the right breed of dog and a good breeder & you will have that snuggly, stick-with-you type of personality you are looking for.

[Anonymous]

Yes! I adopted a 2yo female Foxhound several years ago and lived in a 2 bedroom Condo. She ended up being amazing but it took a good 6-10 months for her to become a good pet. Foxhounds are horribly mistreated. They are kept in large kennels and all given one pile of food to eat from, this is why so many have food aggression. They’ve had to fight for it. Don’t feed the dog in the same room
As other dogs, and make the dog lay down while you are eating etc. they needa lot of exercise but can be picky with dog friends. You have to remember how they lived the first part of their lives. Mine turned out to be a great dog after I’d put the time in.

[Anonymous]

I also have a three year old hound/hunting dog. He was bred as a hunting dog and then abandoned at one, when we adopted him. He has SO MUCH ENERGY. So much. He needs to run 3-5 miles, get strenuous walks, and play with other dogs. When he does he is a wonderful family dog - affectionate, calm in the house, and well-behaved. But he needs a lot of exercise. A LOT.

If you adopted this dog as a puppy, the problems you cite are on you, not on the breed. Get yourself a good trainer and invest in training now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She sounds under exercised and under socialized. You need to wear her out to curb the energy. Whatever you're doing for walks isn't enough. Have you tried doggy daycare?

NP Dogs also need mental stimulation. In fact, mental stimulation can wear dogs out more than physical.

https://yourdogadvisor.com/best-dog-mental-exercises/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why it drives me up a wall when people who've never had dogs convince themselves they need a puppy instead of adopting an adult dog. You had no idea what you were doing, didn't train/socialize the dog, and are now looking for an excuse to dump it back at a shelter.

A tired dog is a good dog. Your "tons of" walks aren't enough. It has "too much energy" for dog parks? That's what dog parks are for!

Dog parks are a big risk because many owners do not train their dogs well. The majority of them have zero recall and ignore their owners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also have a three year old hound/hunting dog. He was bred as a hunting dog and then abandoned at one, when we adopted him. He has SO MUCH ENERGY. So much. He needs to run 3-5 miles, get strenuous walks, and play with other dogs. When he does he is a wonderful family dog - affectionate, calm in the house, and well-behaved. But he needs a lot of exercise. A LOT.

If you adopted this dog as a puppy, the problems you cite are on you, not on the breed. Get yourself a good trainer and invest in training now.

Same. I have two hounds, one a failed hunting dog that was bred for that purpose. He has an insane amount of energy. Does your dog like to chew on bones? That tires mine out. I use the filled bones and he’s obsessed with them.

Can you put her in nosework classes? These dogs need a job and love to sniff. Also, how about doggy daycare?