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| November 14, 2014 on his way to a new home, he just doesn't know it yet. |
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| Better than a concrete floor |
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| Five days later, what a transformation |
I have to admit when it came to hounds the only types I even thought of were the beagle and the basset hound. And then along came Henry, a Treeing Walker Coonhound, whom we renamed Marley.
Our daughter relocated to West Virginia and became involved with the animal shelter in her area, The Greenbrier Humane Society.
She soon found out that hounds in that area are like pit bulls in our area, no one wants them due to reputation. Here is an interesting history to the Coonhound breed.
Languishing in overcrowded kennels are a breed that people tend to think serve only one purpose, that of hunting dog, a man's dog. If the owner thinks the dog isn't cut out to track down rabbits, fox or coons, than they aren't worth the cost of their upkeep. So out they go. The countless dogs that are picked up by animal control are labeled as strays, with no background to go on to help them get into a forever home. Were they strays because someone dumped them alongside the road? Were they strays because they had their nose to the ground, wandered far and wide, and couldn't find their way back home? A dog that doesn't make a good hunting dog, service dog, retrieving dog, or whatever their particular breed is supposed to excel at, isn't necessarily "stupid".
These dogs need a break. They need a voice to break the misconceptions about their success as family pets. Elvis didn’t help their image any by singing, “You ain’t nothin’
but a hound dog, cryin’ all the time”. Yes, hounds do have a distinct voice, but in one regard they are not any more annoyingly vocal than any other dog if trapped in a crate, kennel, outdoor dog box for hours on end. Any bored, frustrated, lonely dog is going to bark. However, should a Coonhound do what they were bred to do, which is to tree a racoon (or a cat in the usual neighborhood setting), they will let you know so you can come and see what a good job they've done. Marley can be relentless in his tirade but as soon as he sees me he stops and comes running right to me. Left to their own devices, they'll keep barking till they get bored. In other words, don't just let them outside and forget about them, they do need supervision if you have close neighbors.
I have found our Marley "quick as a whip". Dogs only want to please, and with a consistent routine, they soon learn what is expected of them. Most behavior problems stem from a dog's confusion as to what he is supposed to do. Rescue dogs are all the more of a challenge, because you are most likely going to have to help him regain human trust, undo bad habits and deal with past traumatic experiences or neglect. Patience is the key to success with a rescue.
I took this dog in with the full understanding of the challenge I had with a dog who suffered neglect and most likely had no clue how to live in a house. Supervision is paramount, just like with a young child. Think of a two year old. A dog's mouth is our hands. Everything a child sees, he has to touch. Everything a puppy sees, he has to touch, and that can mean destruction. Many times, these dogs may first appear calm and meek. It only took a consistent full belly, a warm bed, health issues addressed, and increased confidence that this new family was his very own, and an amazing transformation took place. This supposedly low energy, depressed dog turned into an energy dynamo with the potential to get into a lot of trouble. My thoughts were, oh great, I just adopted a 45 pound puppy. One thing I found out pretty quick was that this breed needs exercise and lots of it. At least with Marley, if he is wound up with no outlet he will pace and whine and pace some more. But this lanky, impulsive adolescent can just melt your heart when it comes time to settle down. He just can't get enough snuggle time, and it is adorable with his long, deer-like legs sprawled every which way.
My two stipulations were that he be good with my cats and my other dogs. Hounds are bred to hunt in packs of two to four dogs, therefore are by nature very social animals. It took only days for my little pack of three to establish its status order. Hounds are not aggressive dogs, and will avoid a fight if at all possible. A few squabbles, which do sound worse than they really are, and within days Marley was accepted and included in their play, as well as sleeping area.
As far as getting along with cats, some are and some aren't. It didn't take long before Marley knew which cats to leave alone. After careful observation, I now know he only wants to play, but being such a strong dog, he could end up hurting them. Therefore, once again, supervision at all times he is out of the crate, is necessary for a while.
We're only a few months into this new chapter in my crazy household, so I intend to update this post as Marley matures. The whole point is to do your research before you let big, sad eyes make your decision for you. Be prepared to have the time and energy for taking on the unknown.
But, rest assured, the rewards in rescue, fostering and/or adoption far outweigh the extra work.
You are saving a life.
A heartfelt thank you to the hard-working staff at Greenbrier Humane Society and all rescue groups who give it their all to take care of homeless animals until foster groups or forever families can be found.
This little book by September B. Morn is a gem for understanding dog behavior.
Here we have a great advice video on housebreaking a dog of any age.
In this first of a two-part series, Dr. Karen Becker discusses the four key principles for housebreaking a dog of any age.
"Up to 25 percent of dogs relinquished to animal shelters by their owners end up there due to housebreaking problems. The same statistic applies to dogs seen by veterinarians -- 25 percent of behavior-related visits to vets concern toileting."
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| Two months later |
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Though Marley doesn't get to see her much, he still has a special bond with his rescuer
So many problems solved with enough exercise Be aware that the underground invisible fence system may not work for all hound dogs. If possible, an actual, physical fence at least six feet high is ideal. Here is the six month later update |
