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| 4 months later |
It has been four months since Marley came into our lives from The Greenbrier Humane Society in West Virginia. I can now say we've made the adjustment and thank goodness it is behind us. That is said with a tired laugh because getting Marley (previously Henry) acclimated to become a well-mannered house dog has been quite the challenge.
We know as parents it does our kids a disservice to compare them to one another. It is the same with our dogs. To compare Marley to our other dogs wasn't at all fair and we sought out information on his breed several times to try to understand just why certain behaviors were so frustrating.
Hounds are scent dogs which means they get easily distracted. Getting them to stay focused when outside to go potty and not get sidetracked can make a five minute pee time stretch into fifteen. Also, because he had been confined to a cement floor for weeks, I believe he thought that using the basement floor as the spot for elimination was the right thing to do. Once a certain spot is used, the habit of returning to that same spot can be hard to break. I've relied on enzyme sprays and vinegar to eliminate any odor that he may detect even if unnoticed by anyone else.
We brought Marley home during the month of November which was not an ideal time of the year. First of all, it was hunting season and the sound of gunfire sent this dog between my legs several times, totally thwarting any further attempts to get him to go potty. Who knows what he went through with his previous owner and "puppy hunting dog training", but loud noises seriously unnerve him.
Second, winter weather can be quite the deterrent to getting outside enough for adequate exercise if dependent solely on the leash. We already had the underground, invisible fencing system for our other dogs. We just had to wait till the weather broke so we could have the fencing company come back with more flags and give Marley a bit of training. I also wanted to have some time till we had walked our property perimeter enough so that Marley would have a sense of his limitations and the line would be well marked with the dogs' urine spots.
We had our doubts that underground invisible fencing would work with a hound. Usually, the advice is that an actual physical fence (at least six feet high) is necessary to keep this type of dog home when off leash. They are scent dogs which means once on a mission they may go right through the warning beep and zap of the underground line. They are excellent jumpers and have even been known to try to climb trees (they were bred to tree a coon so if excited will try in earnest to climb after something they want). But with Marley, so far our system is working. It could be that he is just a sensitive soul, or perhaps he just wants to stay home with the other dogs.
Again, being a scent dog as well as a tall dog, it is still difficult to keep Marley from jumping up to reach things on the counter, stove top, stay out of the trash, recycling and compost bucket under the sink. Two things that do deter him are either the squirt of the water bottle or a shake from a can filled with coins or screws. The cabinets are child-proofed to keep his prying nose out of there.
It is very accurate that these dogs are described as chow hounds. I have to really pay attention at feeding time or be sure Marley eats in his crate. Since he had a history of hunger and eats so fast compared to the other two dogs, he needed to learn he couldn't just stick his head into their dishes and help himself.
Initially, when the three dogs first met, Marley was the submissive one and seemed to be fine with that status. But as a young adolescent male, as he grew more secure with his new environment we did have a few incidences where he challenged one of the other dogs. Thankfully they worked out their issues, but the experience of fighting dogs almost cost Marley his happy home. Thanks to some good advice, more time, and plenty of opportunity for exercise, there is peace and play again.
Interesting with this dog is that whereas with the other dogs, a loud voice was usually enough to grab their attention and nip in the bud any path of destruction. Not with Marley. Yelling was futile and didn't phase him one bit. What works is a loud "eh eh" followed by distraction and positive reinforcement. I think he just does things since he knows I'll come running and get involved in his antics.
We have a gate across the hallway leading to the upstairs. Marley knows that is where the cats hang out along with all their crinkly, jingly toys. So any chance he can get, he'll sneak up there. There is a 10 x 7 inch cat door as part of the gate and this sausage bodied dog, though now a good 55 pounds, can still amazingly slide right through that hole with hardly a sound. Hopefully, he'll eventually be able to have free run of the house but for now he is too unpredictably destructive. One of his favorite games is to get under the blankets and have a good old time.
Now that life has settled down we are really starting to enjoy this dog. He is just such a happy to be alive free spirit who bumbles his way through the day. Anyone who needs a good laugh should spend time with a hound dog. Given room to run and stretch those long legs, it is so satisfying to just watch this dog and reflect back on how far he has come. The way he leaps and prances, it reminds me of a young frisky foal, chasing the wind.
Anyone thinking of getting a hound dog needs to fully understand their need for enough play, enough time to sniff to the hearts content and just run around. Pent up energy leads to long, frustrating days of pacing and whining and anxiety ridden trouble. If there is the need to be cooped up in a crate during the day, there has to be a release when set free to get all the boredom out of the system.
A tired dog makes a good house dog.
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| Updated May 2015 Six months in his new home, 25 pounds heavier and what a transformation  |
