We just retired my favorite hound “Benny” to a home with one of our members. He’s an eight year old cross bred hound. I have been a member of our hunt for six years and Benny has always been my favorite. He is big and beautiful and has this booming voice that just lights up the pack. I could always be sure if Benny gave cry they were on the line. It’s very hard to see him go. I have happy thoughts of him laying on the couch or in front of a warm fireplace this next winter but will miss him greatly.
Who is your favorite hound in your kennels and why?
Would love to hear something special about a hound you adore past or present.
Oh, well, gee, that’s like saying which of your children do you like best? But I do have a few favorites…will get back here later!
Beagle!!! I have a beagle, loves to hunt down anything that is on the ground. Great rabbit, quail, raccoon, squirrel, fox, possum dog. Loves the horses too, tries to kiss them, its funny.
We just adopted one
And he is fine but…
We live in the country - kinda. I.E. no fence and lots of land, pond and a fresh water creek to hunt.
He stays by the house…in the woods. He comes in the morning and evening for his meal and he also comes into the house when it is raining and paces a circle drooling. Last time it rained, I put him on a leash and had him sit next to me.
He plays or ignores the playing of our other dog, will not come close to the house if it is not raining cause he doesn’t like it in the house. My husband thinks he is the perfect pet. One dose of loving a day and no more dog fur on the floors.
He runs from most people but is very friendly if they get him to come in for affection. Loves lots of scratches on his back. Loves to follow me while I ride around the place. If he would come better to his name, I would take him on trails, but am afraid I would never see him again. He gets all excited when I hitch the trailer. You just know he thinks he is going for a hunt.
I thought he would warm up more as he settled. Not sure that will happen.
Amy B from Red Rock Hounds. She spent 3 days with me over last Christmas after getting split from the pack when they were in our valley. What a cool dog. I did my best to have her completely spoiled before Lynn came and got here:lol: The joy on her face when she saw Lynn showed me just how much those dogs love doing their job. I love animals that work for a living and love their work. I hope someday to gave a retiree a home.
As a former hunt member and whip this is a great question. I have a few but a couple stand out.
My first is an old hound named Drummer. He was nearing retirement when I joined the hunt but he was amazing. You would hear him start on a line and when you saw him the other hounds were just standing around wondering what the heck he was doing. It never failed, he’d seem to pick up on the coldest of lines and then suddenly on que would be joined by the others whose very good noses weren’t quite as great as his. WHat a voice!
My second favorite was Uncle. He was a steady hound who every once in a while showed a little bit of a playful side of him. I have a photo of him and remember his wonderful voice which swear was “unc, unc, unc” at the start of a line. RIP uncle , you were a good hound.
I did want to clarify “working hounds”. I have had 2 bluetick PMD’s who have been my pets. Both retired from hunting, my current hound chuckie adores cat food and sleeping on the bed. He’s great company on trail rides and is my biggest fan. YOu should hear that voice when I come home in the evening .
I have lots of favourite hounds lol, but that’s because I puppy walked so many of them. I think nearly 1/3 of our pack has been with me at some point. My favourite would have to be the first that I walked. She has passed on now, but I am on to her grandchildren.
Very sad for me though. I have had one here for the last few months. He hadn’t really started hunting yet, and was pretty gormless (well, aren’t they all?) but a lovely hound. He got out a few nights ago and for the first time decided that he could hunt. Got hit and killed on the road. 
. Very sad. Buried here though, so here forever now.
Santa Fe Weps ('97, I think)
She’s now my house-hound. Sings only when I come home, allows Master William to ride her/pull her mouth/generally abuse her as a toddler will, stands up pretty on her toes for a cookie, & isn’t afraid to face down a breeding pair of pitbulls coming at me and William.
She gets loose every once in a while and hunts the neighborhood, looking for coyotes, but I think all we’ve got are bunnies. She ignores my dead-duck calls on the horn, but I love her anyhow.
Having come to Grand Canyon Hounds in their inaugural year, she retired from hunting to become my pet. Lots of people, coast to coast, know of her & I’m happy to give her a place to live out her days.
My Favorites
Well, from my beagle pack it is Sandanona Glisten '01. She’s sweat, steady as can be, biddable and a determined hound. She’ll go into brush piles until all you see is her tail, she never misses a chance to check a culvert or other things. She’s the smallest of the hounds in my pack but very mighty. In addition she has won the Gold Cup performance trials in the beagle division two years running.
http://www.pbase.com/stl_don/image/85400672
I also have her littermate Sandanona Glamour. She’s got a better nose but is not as steady and will run coyote or fox. Makes for an exciting day. However she’ll spice up the hunting even on a blank day as she nearly always finds something to start speaking on.
http://www.pbase.com/stl_don/image/70155668
Then, as far as the Bridlespur hounds, my favorite is Millbrook Cheerful. She’s a small hound aptly named as she’s a bundle of energy and always appears to be cheerful, almost looks like she has a smile on her face. She also does well at performance trials and has helped Bridlespur give a good showing many times. She’s sincere and steady with a great nose.
We gotta puppy!
The Wateryglens announce the arrival of a 7 month old french basset puppy “Calais” from our Ashland Bassets Hunt kennel. She’s a blue ticked (lotta black, brown points, brown spots over eyes, ticked chest/legs, ticked w/white tipped stern) Bleu de Gascogne! Parents were french immigrants! ;):lol: Runt of the litter, small, wasn’t entering well, too shy so wooooohooooo she’s our new child!! Been home 24 hrs and I’m exhausted. Lots of puppy drama! :winkgrin:. The 2 cats have begun their part in her education of course and she’s only reacted to the horses once when one of them came up to her at the fence and fixed it’s beady little eyes on Mademoiselle!
And Mademoiselle has already napped on the couch with me! Just HOW do they know how to do that!!!
Basset genes!!! 
So now I’d have to vote that Calais is my favorite hound!!
Great Thread!!!
Love this thread.
In the off-season, this is a easy answer. But during the season, it’s always interesting to see if there is a new entry that will challenge the old hounds.
In our hunt, we have a hound named Donovan that is a complete pain in the arss for us whips. While roading, he will make attempts to “mark” every opportunity he gets.
But damn, if his nose is not true, then I’m still a novice. Inevitably, he is a lead/strike hound on most of our chases. Whenever I see a flash of white on the tail of our quarry, I know that it is him.
It is definitely a love/hate thing.:winkgrin:
I’m totoally with ya Outfox…I have a love/hate relationship with a couple of the bitches in our pack.
Nimbus has the alias “A.D.D. dog” but when she gives cry it’s heard over the next three hillsides and is as sweet a hound as you’ll ever run into.
Dianna is know by all hunt members because as they put it… “she’s the one the whips are always yelling at!” But in reality she’s one of my favorites because she’s got such great hunting instincts and always makes a good hunt out of a so so day.
Great Topic
Our entry changes quite a lot year to year, but I especially like Midland Luck. His voice is a little deeper than most of the other hounds and it seems like he is always right there. Midlan Rose is another favorite since we walked her, she is beautiful and shewon a show in Virginia when she was young and, oh yeah, is a good good huntress.
