Foxhound in an urban environment?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See if you can find a fenced-in area that will allow you to have your dog off leash. For example, some possibilities are churches, school baseball or track fields, etc. Something fenced in. Then throw tennis balls for 30 minutes for your dog to chase and bring back. If your dog poops, be sure to carefully pick up the whole mess, so that you will always be welcomed back. You can also use the dog park when it's empty, and throw tennis balls for your doggie. Exercise is key.

What the ever-loving F?!?!?!

Do you seriously take your dog onto church grounds, a school track, or a sports field, directly past the "No Animals on the Ball Field" sign, and let them run and poop? You are a grade-A narcissistic jerk, my friend.

You're funny. Do you just stalk people around looking for opportunities to shoot down suggestions? Maybe you need to take some happy pills?

[Anonymous]

Op I have a dog like this, not a foxhound, but one with extremely high energy who doesn't do well with strangers. I spend most of my waking hours exercising this dog. That's what I do, my main employment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op I have a dog like this, not a foxhound, but one with extremely high energy who doesn't do well with strangers. I spend most of my waking hours exercising this dog. That's what I do, my main employment.

OP here. Thanks for commiserating. I feel the exact same way. People who don’t have dogs like this think it’s just ‘take ‘em for a few walks to tire them out’ or ‘put them in the yard to throw a ball around’ but that isn’t nearly enough for a dog who can literally hunt for hours in the backwoods in the South. My dog doesn’t retrieve. She sprints, for live animals, not balls. I can’t take her to doggy daycare to get her energy out because I don’t trust other people with my dog. I get that rescues want to rescue all animals but this dog absolutely is not having its best life walking on sidewalks in DC. I’m giving it what I can but I’m twisting myself in knots (and breaking the law taking her off leash in the woods so she can sniff/pretend to hunt) and giving her special food and medicine because she has allergies, all while also trying to work FT and raise my kids. We got what we got and we aren’t complaining (too much) and we aren’t giving her back. But this system is broken for rescue dogs that need this level of care. Just venting. Not looking for any more flaming please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op I have a dog like this, not a foxhound, but one with extremely high energy who doesn't do well with strangers. I spend most of my waking hours exercising this dog. That's what I do, my main employment.

OP here. Thanks for commiserating. I feel the exact same way. People who don’t have dogs like this think it’s just ‘take ‘em for a few walks to tire them out’ or ‘put them in the yard to throw a ball around’ but that isn’t nearly enough for a dog who can literally hunt for hours in the backwoods in the South. My dog doesn’t retrieve. She sprints, for live animals, not balls. I can’t take her to doggy daycare to get her energy out because I don’t trust other people with my dog. I get that rescues want to rescue all animals but this dog absolutely is not having its best life walking on sidewalks in DC. I’m giving it what I can but I’m twisting myself in knots (and breaking the law taking her off leash in the woods so she can sniff/pretend to hunt) and giving her special food and medicine because she has allergies, all while also trying to work FT and raise my kids. We got what we got and we aren’t complaining (too much) and we aren’t giving her back. But this system is broken for rescue dogs that need this level of care. Just venting. Not looking for any more flaming please.

Even if your dog doesn't retrieve, will she chase? We can throw furry dog toys outside on a long leash and our hound dog will run herself ragged chasing them. I bring several toys and squeak a new toy to bring her back to me (or practice recall with her name) then throw the furry toy. She chases it. Then I call her back. It's retrieving without actually bringing anything back. With treats we've actually been training retrieving as a skill. Our hound is getting better at it. She'll never be like a lab retriever, but can be trained to bring back things I throw. Just like hunting dogs would bring back dead animals to the hunter.

I also don't understand your issue with doggy daycare. It's been suggested many times and is a great way to wear out a dog. What exactly don't you trust?

[Anonymous]

There's a Canine Enrichment group on Facebook that has lots of ideas.

One thing that I've learned is that scent work is very enriching/stimulating/tiring for most dogs. I would guess it is even more so for a hound.

For it to be effective, she needs to be able to experience new areas. You can drop small treats or kibble in the grass for her to sniff out and find. Or you can take her on walks where she is allowed to smell and linger. I don't really know about the urban aspect vs. a natural aspect, but maybe this could be achieved at a park?

Have you tried a flirt pole? That might be a good way to get her energy out indoors. My dog loves it--there's something about the motion of the flirt pole that I think simulates the look of how prey moves.

[Anonymous]

OP, I am one of the failed hunting hound posters from above. We cannot let our dog off-leash because he will run after the first bunny he sees and be long gone. But we have a 50-foot leash that is amazing. We use it on hikes so he can explore... this is the number one way to tire him out. (Number two is running with me.) And we also use it in our yard so he can explore a bit, chase a ball (he doesn't retrieve), jump around with toys (which he treats like live prey). Get creative.

Also try out some different daycares. Some are not what you need, but some are... Clever Dog in Silver Spring, for example, has a huge play area and takes lots of hounds.

[Anonymous]

We too have a foxhound, adopted during COVID. Adoption agency told us only that he was a hound mix but the subsequent dna test we did on him came back 100% foxhound. I admit the first few months were tough and we had a lot of the same issues you described, but after around 6 months things did get better. I think you have to understand that these dogs have not been domesticated and have spent their lives living in barns, so it definitely is an adjustment for the dog to move into a home. They are stubborn, but will obey commands if you persevere. We did not do any formal lessons or training but was able to get him to stop counter surfing and climbing up on the dinner table just by firmly telling him to ‘stop’. They are social and playful dogs so I would urge you to try and persevere with the dog park. Ours has 2 walks plus one trip to the dog park and that is just about enough to tire him out.
In the beginning he would not join us on the sofa and was not a lap dog but eventually he warmed to us and now curls up with us every night. All in all we are very happy with him and he’s turning out to be a great pet, but it did take a while for him to reach this point. Hang in there.

[Anonymous]

I have a rescue foxhound. She was also a wld stray. Got her at 2, she's now 10. She can't ever be off lead, her nose is too hot, and she's an escape artist. She can also dig a hole in a few minutes. But- she is the sweetest dog we've ever had. Super chill in the house, loves all people, kind of an introvert around other dogs. Loves affection, and she's super cuddly.

She is walked several times a day, is not food oriented that much, but loves a special treat. So affectionate, very very much into comfortable beds, sofas. Not destructive at all, very smart, has a lot of language because we talk to her.

Give your dog a chance ..You'll see.

[Anonymous]

So, we had a hound for a year in the past. He was our second rescue. He was one when we adopted him and ended up with so many issues. Like someone said, my job was training and exercising this dog. I’m going to get flamed on this board but we rehomed him, It was a really hard decision but his needs were causing too much stress in our household. We were spending more time after work trying to work on training and exercising the dog than we were with our kids! I didn’t even realize the extent of our stress until he was gone.

Our current dog we got from a breeder and is a perfect match for our family. While it was our mistake for feeling like we could handle a hound, we weren’t going to chance it with a rescue again.

[Anonymous]

Look into doggie daycare where the dog can run and play with dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

I have a foxhound, not my first. You're not exercising her enough. And you haven't trained her sufficiently (if at all), I'd be willing to bet. "Teaching her commands" is not training. And I doubt you really spent a lot of time bonding with her.

And the "she's meant for hunting" is an excuse. I've had hound varieties over the last 25 years (basset, beagle, fox, coonhounds), including a foxhound and a coonhound currently. They are absolutely family dogs. They are sweet and goofy, and have wonderful dispositions. Yes, they are food motivated (so put the food up? Not that hard.) Yes, they have some chase instincts (this is where training helps - mine are taught "leave it.")

I say this as nicely as I can, maybe it's you, not her . . . and in fact, I'd say this is likely. Mine sleep with us, snuggle on the couch, etc. Yes, some need a bit more space at times (one of ours loves us but not in a smothering way, the other is a velcro dog). Maybe stop trying to expect things of her that you haven't taught her, haven't invested in her. I've seen a thousand complaints from people like you: you want a perfect dog w/o the work. That doesn't exist. Don't blame her. Blame yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, we had a hound for a year in the past. He was our second rescue. He was one when we adopted him and ended up with so many issues. Like someone said, my job was training and exercising this dog. I’m going to get flamed on this board but we rehomed him, It was a really hard decision but his needs were causing too much stress in our household. We were spending more time after work trying to work on training and exercising the dog than we were with our kids! I didn’t even realize the extent of our stress until he was gone.

Our current dog we got from a breeder and is a perfect match for our family. While it was our mistake for feeling like we could handle a hound, we weren’t going to chance it with a rescue again.

THey are literally the sweetest, easiest dogs. They'll do anything for food and can train them well for that reason. The problem was not the breed, it was you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op I have a dog like this, not a foxhound, but one with extremely high energy who doesn't do well with strangers. I spend most of my waking hours exercising this dog. That's what I do, my main employment.

OP here. Thanks for commiserating. I feel the exact same way. People who don’t have dogs like this think it’s just ‘take ‘em for a few walks to tire them out’ or ‘put them in the yard to throw a ball around’ but that isn’t nearly enough for a dog who can literally hunt for hours in the backwoods in the South. My dog doesn’t retrieve. She sprints, for live animals, not balls. I can’t take her to doggy daycare to get her energy out because I don’t trust other people with my dog. I get that rescues want to rescue all animals but this dog absolutely is not having its best life walking on sidewalks in DC. I’m giving it what I can but I’m twisting myself in knots (and breaking the law taking her off leash in the woods so she can sniff/pretend to hunt) and giving her special food and medicine because she has allergies, all while also trying to work FT and raise my kids. We got what we got and we aren’t complaining (too much) and we aren’t giving her back. But this system is broken for rescue dogs that need this level of care. Just venting. Not looking for any more flaming please.

The system is not broke. You got a dog and didn't want to do the work. I've had many hounds and and they are wonderful family dogs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op I have a dog like this, not a foxhound, but one with extremely high energy who doesn't do well with strangers. I spend most of my waking hours exercising this dog. That's what I do, my main employment.

OP here. Thanks for commiserating. I feel the exact same way. People who don’t have dogs like this think it’s just ‘take ‘em for a few walks to tire them out’ or ‘put them in the yard to throw a ball around’ but that isn’t nearly enough for a dog who can literally hunt for hours in the backwoods in the South. My dog doesn’t retrieve. She sprints, for live animals, not balls. I can’t take her to doggy daycare to get her energy out because I don’t trust other people with my dog. I get that rescues want to rescue all animals but this dog absolutely is not having its best life walking on sidewalks in DC. I’m giving it what I can but I’m twisting myself in knots (and breaking the law taking her off leash in the woods so she can sniff/pretend to hunt) and giving her special food and medicine because she has allergies, all while also trying to work FT and raise my kids. We got what we got and we aren’t complaining (too much) and we aren’t giving her back. But this system is broken for rescue dogs that need this level of care. Just venting. Not looking for any more flaming please.

The system is not broke. You got a dog and didn't want to do the work. I've had many hounds and and they are wonderful family dogs.

Hounds aren't one thing really. My coonhound/ foxhound is the best house dog ever. Sweetheart 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

I have a foxhound, not my first. You're not exercising her enough. And you haven't trained her sufficiently (if at all), I'd be willing to bet. "Teaching her commands" is not training. And I doubt you really spent a lot of time bonding with her.

And the "she's meant for hunting" is an excuse. I've had hound varieties over the last 25 years (basset, beagle, fox, coonhounds), including a foxhound and a coonhound currently. They are absolutely family dogs. They are sweet and goofy, and have wonderful dispositions. Yes, they are food motivated (so put the food up? Not that hard.) Yes, they have some chase instincts (this is where training helps - mine are taught "leave it.")

I say this as nicely as I can, maybe it's you, not her . . . and in fact, I'd say this is likely. Mine sleep with us, snuggle on the couch, etc. Yes, some need a bit more space at times (one of ours loves us but not in a smothering way, the other is a velcro dog). Maybe stop trying to expect things of her that you haven't taught her, haven't invested in her. I've seen a thousand complaints from people like you: you want a perfect dog w/o the work. That doesn't exist. Don't blame her. Blame yourself.

OP here. I hope you can understand - telling me it’s me and not my dog, when you know nothing about either, makes me ignore you. I’m sure you had some good ideas in there somewhere but your attitude and arrogance left me uninterested in your wisdom.