Foxhounds as pets?

[JBCool]

My mom lost her old dog and is window shopping a bit for another. She noticed a sweet 3yo foxhound at the SPCA yesterday, but doesn’t know much about them as pets. We don’t know if the dog has been hunted before (how old do they start anyway?) but she is already spayed. Mom is a pretty good hand at handling dogs, just hasn’t had a hound before.
How are they to train to sit, come, etc?
Will she be content stay home or is she going to want to wander & hunt?
For example, if they go for a walk in the field & she catches a scent, will she come back when Mom says to or will her nose win?

Mostly, the dog’s living arrangement will be a fenced back yard or the screen porch & maybe house, but Mom lives in a pretty rural area, but next to the busy main road going through it, so she can’t just go wander around when they are out for a walk or working in the yard or barn.

Thanks for the advice!

[Frivian]

I don’t know about foxhounds specifically, but everything I’ve heard and read about hounds as pets is to never, EVER, let them off-leash. The nose will win every time.

[LexInVA]

How about a Beagle instead? Much easier to deal with and far cuter.

[SLW]

We had a Whippet (a sight hound) for 14 years and he was the perfect pet. As Frivian offered, he was never off lead in an unsecured area. He did learn and show in local level obedience but hounds will never be like a Border Collie when given a command.

My hunt club retires foxhounds either because they show no interest in hunting at a young age or they age out from the work. These hounds have no problem going from a group kennel lifestyle to a single dog, couch lifestyle.

[FitToBeTied]

We have a foxhound that came from the hunt. She was a non-hunting fox hound. She used to be quite the wanderer but was always home for dinner. As she has gotten older, she is less inclined to go anywhere.

It is fun when she decides to hunt while I am exercising horses, we’ve had some good runs.

Overall, very easy to train.

[My_Two_Cents]

Our daughter has a foxhound mix. She has a lot of love to give her humans. Very smart. High energy. But she will never be able to be off lead. She has the attention span of a flea. She will do a command immediately when asked, she just can’t hold it longer then a split second. We have a very long light rope on her and it works out OK. No regrets on getting her as a rescue (she is very lovable) but good dog training skills and patience are needed.

[LauraKY]

I think you have to like hounds. I have one, he’s a pretty good dog, but he decided to adopt me. I would have never chosen a hound…and he would have never been my first choice. I prefer cockers and collies. I like their personalities.

But, he’s no longer a wanderer. For the first couple of years, he would jump at any chance to make a break for it. Not anymore. He just looks for a warm spot in the sun…until a cat or rabbit appears. Good fences are important.

He’s quite the talker too…and loud.

[hauntedoblivion]

[QUOTE=LauraKY;7524276]
I think you have to like hounds. I have one, he’s a pretty good dog, but he decided to adopt me. I would have never chosen a hound…and he would have never been my first choice. I prefer cockers and collies. I like their personalities.

But, he’s no longer a wanderer. For the first couple of years, he would jump at any chance to make a break for it. Not anymore. He just looks for a warm spot in the sun…until a cat or rabbit appears. Good fences are important.

He’s quite the talker too…and loud.[/QUOTE]

Definitely agree with this. I have an almost 2 y/o coonhound mix, but we ended up with him sort of by accident. In fact, when my husband and I were talking about adding another dog to the family, I said “no hounds!” That being said, this dog has completely won me over and I would not trade him for anything. We’re even thinking about getting another coonhound!

He is a very smart dog and learns tricks easily - pretty food motivated. However, when we’re out and about, he really doesn’t care about the food and is easily distracted. He is NEVER allowed off leash in an unsecure area as he has proven that he will take off if given the opportunity. When we go for walks, I let him have a long lead so he can sniff around and enjoy himself - it works for us. He is pretty high energy but it seems to come in spurts. There are times when he is content to lay around for hours and do nothing. He is also pretty vocal and seems to have an opinion about everything.

Hounds aren’t for everyone, but they really can make great pets. Good luck to your mom!

[Donkaloosa]

I love hounds, but they are not for everyone as others have already said. They are noisy. They follow their noses and can’t be off-leash. They need a fenced in yard. My coonhound was pretty much a couch potato, but when he was in the mood, he’d zoom all over the yard — then come back in and sleep. Most hounds aren’t too great on the obedience scale but it’s because they’ve been bred to go out and work independently, not relying on their handler. But they are lovely dogs, great with kids, and love scritchies and snuggles.

[Foxtrot_s]

Wonder how a foxhound got to be in the SPCA - we are pretty careful with re-homing.

[rivenoak]

[QUOTE=LexInVA;7524140]
How about a Beagle instead? Much easier to deal with and far cuter.[/QUOTE]

Cuter, yes, but easier to deal with? Bwaaaahaaahaaa. The 3 beagles I’ve had have been bigger PITAs than the 2 foxhounds. Much more likely to cause mischief. The cuteness doesn’t quite make up for it. :lol:

Foxtrots, maybe the SPCA dog is more of a show-ring hound than a hunting foxhound?

Lots of the above posters have covered the good and bad of hound ownership. But, it does very much depend on the individual person and dog.

[JBCool]

Ok, thanks, guys! I’m sure each dog is different, but it sounds like probably not a great fit for where Mom lives. Too much of risk with the road.

LexinVA: Mom wasn’t particularly looking for a hound, that was just the one dog that kind of caught her eye at the SPCA. Thanks, though!

[Belmont]

A ton of our fox hounds retired to the couch after hunting. The only thing that you have to worry about “IF” it was a hunting hound, is that they were kennel trained not house broken. They were very easy to retrain and quickly became acclimated to the house dog life. Hounds are very smart. Yes, some will follow their nose, but as long as they are trained to come back to your voice and not hard headed (like my catahoula), they won’t just leave and keep going.