Heartbroken about the Hounds

[system]

I am a new member of a Hunt and have absolutely LOVED riding with the Hounds. I recently came to suspect that the hounds are killed when they are too old to hunt. Is that true ? I am heartbroken and so angry at myself for being so ignorant about what I have joined. Can this really be true that after 8 or so years of working hard for the hunt, they are just put down ? I’m no troll, though I’m sure you’ll all think so, I am seriously wondering if this could be true. I have asked and everyone I have asked has gone quiet or talked around the issue, which worries me all the more. I’ve looked online and don’t find much; but did see the Iroquois has a web site for the retirement program for their hounds, so I’m hopeful…

pm me please, yes it’s an alter I’m using as I’m active on another discussion forum here.

[Galadriel_Fefalas]

As far as I’m aware yes, old [also lame and sick] hounds are PTS.

[Nlevie]

Most hunts will make an effort to find homes for them if they are suitable to becoming pets. We have our 3rd retired hound living with us now. But it is difficult to find enough good homes for them all, as you can imagine, there are nice dogs looking for homes everywhere, every day ! So, i think there are worse fates for a dog/hound than to be peacefully put to sleep by the people who care for them.

Most hunting dogs have never been inside a house, so not all can be house-trained at an advanced age either, so before you condemn the hunt, please think it through. How many people do you know willing to give a home to an older dog who may very well have health problems within a few years ?

[Jaegermonster]

I think it depends on the hunt.
Our hunt keeps them. We have a special kennel run called “The Old Folks Home” and that is where our most senior and treasured hounds go when they can no longer hunt. As they age we limit their hunting (depending on fixture, weather, maybe they only go out part of the day etc), but as long as they are not suffering or have other issues that would necessitate pts they are kept and cared for.
Again, it depends on the hunt. Hounds are expensive to keep properly and some hunts can’t afford to keep hounds that aren’t working. And some hounds don’t adjust well to house life in old age after living in a kennel/pack environment their whole lives.

[Gloria]

To op: Why don’t you adopt them all then? It’s much better to be part of the solution than part of the complaint. Just my 2 cents.

[system]

[QUOTE=Gloria;4571106]
To op: Why don’t you adopt them all then? It’s much better to be part of the solution than part of the complaint. Just my 2 cents.[/QUOTE]

How could you consider my question “complaining”? I am sad and trying to figure out what I can do to make the situation for our hounds different than I suspect it is. I could not get a direct answer so was trying to figure out what normally happened to them when the were “retired.”

I can not adopt them all, but will try to change their lot in a very civilized way.

How mean spirited of you to attack.

[Nlevie]

Expense ?

That is the other part of the problem. Not enough homes or space in the kennels, and it is expensive to keep and feed hounds who are not hunting, or have health issues. Most hunts do not have unlimited funds, so that’s great that some have in-house retirement programs, but it takes money and personnel to do all the extra work, so maybe you could offer to do some fund-raising for that purpose ?

[Equibrit]

Hounds are not pets.

[Ibex]

^^ Agreed. There are many “working canines” (hounds, police dogs, herding/guard dogs etc) that are simply not meant to be housepets.

Good for the kennels who have found a way to retire their oldsters, or transition as many as possible to be pets. It’s just not feasible for all of them, and there are worse fates than being humanely PTS…

[Lifting_Chickk]

[QUOTE=Equibrit;4571144]
Hounds are not pets.[/QUOTE]

No, working hounds are not pets, but it doesn’t mean they can’t be.

Tell that to my MIL’s hound, retired from Old Chatham, she’s the biggest mush of a couch potato I’ve ever met! Immediately adjusted from hunting life to pet life. It can be done, depends on the hound, I guess.

[cnvh]

I would hope that most hunts would attempt to re-home the hounds who would be OK with that, but if not, I can’t think of a kinder end than being humanely PTS. Better than languishing in an over-crowded shelter or being abandoned, certainly.

I would imagine that many hounds would not transition well to being a house pet… their whole lives have been spent living in kennels with a pack, and having a job to do; just because WE like the warm, cushy, lazy inside life doesn’t mean that THEY would. (Kudos to anyone out there who has adopted and successfully transitioned them; certainly there are exceptions to every rule!)

[farmgirl88]

as far as im concerned the majority of all police dogs and working dogs (for the most part) are very much a treasured part of the family. sure they are a working companion but once those work clothes come off for the day; the majority of them are very treasured members of a family.

While these hounds are not so much a part of the family…yet. i find it quite disgusting to put them to sleep because they can no longer “serve their purpose in the field”… whether it be minor injury or the fact that they are simply too old and to slow to keep up with the pack. Sure its a pretty humane way to end a life but its a disgusting fact of the hunt world.

Its much like the horse racing/dog racing world in a sense. breeding loving/beautiful animals for the pure sense of a man’s “enjoyment in sport” only to be killed a few years down the road when they are no longer suitable for the “man’s enjoyment in sport” and for the sake of calling it a “tradition”. last i knew, killing animals who have served for your personal enjoyment because they are old and not suitable to your enjoyment of a sport is not “tradition”

sickening.

[Corky]

Well now lets hold on before calling anything ‘sickening’.

My hunt keeps hounds hunting into their golden years, and keep them out in hound walks to teach the young pups manners once they can’t keep up on a hunt. Or they will leave off with the hunt, then get picked up by the road whips and deposited in the trailer for a nap once they get tired out. Some hounds only hunt certain fixtures once they get to be seniors, but few are PTS before 8 or 9 years old, unless there is something else wrong with them. 8 or 9 years old is a ripe old age for a large breed working dog! Many are also given to other hunts for their breeding program for a year or two, and are still cared for an appreciated for their ability to pass on great traits to their offspring. Yes, they might have a year or two where they might have lived on someone’s couch before requiring being PTS, but all things considered, a ripe old age and the loving hand of a kind master on your head right up until the end isn’t sickening at all, its the greatest respect one can give an animal that has given so much. I’d rather not see them all given away, just think of all the yahoo hunters (you know the ones, that give all hunters a bad name) that would try to hunt old hounds, lay a heavy hand on them, confuse the hound by using the wrong signals and ignoring the hounds years of training. Or people who want to fuss over them in a house, when the dog has a gapping whole in his heart where his pack used to be. Giving away old hounds or old horses to anyone but a trusted friend is irresponsible IMHO, as it is a cop-out for the responsibility of owning an animal. Humanely putting an animal to sleep is not only taking responsibility, but preventing said animal from ever knowing cold, hunger, suffering, or anything but love and appreciation.

Yes hounds are working animals, but nothing about their life, or death, is sickening. Those that keep Fluffy alive, with ribbons in his hair, long past the time he has lost control of his legs, his bowels, his eyesight and his hearing, is sickening. Hounds have a better life than most companion dogs, and are happy, healthy, well adjusted animals. How many companion dogs can claim that? How many companion dogs are in shelters? Thats sickening.

[Beverley]

HuntNewbie,

I can tell you that there is no sadder sight out hunting than to see one of the stalwarts of the pack, in his 6th or 7th or 8th season, sudden realize he can no longer keep up, sit himself down, and boo-hoo like a baby.

Many hounds are successfully re-homed, but I’ll be blunt with you, there are some hounds that just would not take to being away from their kennels. For those hounds, in my opinion, it is far crueler to try to pass them along to someone and have to adjust to being a pet and a non-pack animal, than to do the right thing and put them down.

In my experience, older hounds typically have a year or two or three of retirement in kennels- they are invaluable at teaching the puppies how to walk out, for example. In my experience, when they get so old they might get beat up in kennels, they often have the run of the place or a separate kennel full of ‘oldies’ as has been mentioned.

Also, sometimes older hounds can be successfully drafted to another pack, where they want and need slower hounds for their hunting needs.

Just as with old horses or our old cats and dogs- we owe it to the hounds to do right by them. Sometimes that can mean happy retirement as someone’s pet. Sometimes it doesn’t, and putting them down is genuinely the right thing to do. Our focus needs to be on the kind thing for each and every hound.

[OneGrayPony]

Hrm…I recognize the writing style of the OP.

just sayin’

[JSwan]

@farmgirl88;4571255

a

sickening.

What is sickening is having to read such drivel from someone who knows nothing about the subject matter.

Most working dogs (any kind of working dog) are well cared for and cherished as part of a pack. Some live indoors with the family, some live in kennels, some are part of a pack or brace, there are all kinds of ways to manage working dogs.

Just like there are all kinds of ways to manage horses. All humane and acceptable - just different.

There is no pop up button on a working dog, telling the owner when to put the dog down.

Pet dogs don’t have those little pop up buttons, either. Some owners keep 'em going no matter what - others live by the motto - better a day too soon than a minute too late.

Most working dogs are large breed dogs - their lifespan is generally shorter anyway. Large breed dogs - no matter how well bred or kept - can develop arthritis or other health problems a bit earlier in life - especially if they’ve worked hard.

Just like people. Just like pet dogs.

One of the hounds in the footpack just celebrated her 16th birthday. Yes, 16th. She’s retired with a member. Not all dogs live that long - regardless of breed or purpose. She’s the exception. Not all hounds adjust to being away from the kennel. It depends on the temperament of the hound.

You have to do what is right for the hound.

Lots of members take in retired hounds, or take them as trenchers. (live at home instead of the kennel but still get to hunt with the pack.)

Older hounds are very much treasured - they are the smart ones who help teach the young ones to hunt. A well trained hound is crucial.

Some clubs have retirement funds, some retire hounds with members, some keep their retirees for a while until the hound has trouble getting around.

There is nothing inhumane about putting an old dog to sleep. It’s just sad. It’s a sad fact of life.

Responsible ownership includes being fully responsible for providing a humane end to any animal in our care.

It’s not working dogs that are being put down by the MILLIONS. It’s PETS.

You’re barking up the wrong tree.

[JSwan]

@OneGrayPony;4571325

Hrm…I recognize the writing style of the OP.

just sayin’

I recognized it too.

[Beverley]

@farmgirl88;4571255

i find it quite disgusting to put them to sleep

There is nothing disgusting about putting any animal to sleep. Always incredibly sad, but not disgusting in the least.

I do lose patience with the growing ‘trend’ of folks who think euthanasia is cruel. It’s usually the kindest thing you can do for an animal.

What is cruel is to ‘rehome’ your loyal old animals and force them at an advanced age to adjust to new surroundings and a new way of life- just so you can spare yourself a little bit of pain and sadness as the owner. THAT is what is disgusting!

[Beverley]

@JSwan;4571360

You’re barking up the wrong tree.

Unless, of course, you are a foxhound. Then you are ‘speaking’ up the wrong tree.

[JSwan]

@Beverley;4571371

Unless, of course, you are a foxhound. Then you are ‘speaking’ up the wrong tree.

:lol:

Or a coonhound!!!