Keeping hounds in the house

[Doberpei]

I’ve lurked for years on the forums, but this thread finally got me to register. I am in the same boat as Darden trying to re-home a hound.

I adopted what I thought was a foxhound from the local shelter about two months ago, and I have since discovered that he is a Treeing Walker Coonhound. He was found wandering, and no one knows anything about his background. In the two months I have had him, I have discovered that he is incredibly well house broken toilet-wise, a big plus. He is also terrified of gunfire, fireworks, and horses, so he probably didn’t have a successful career treeing coon. His fear of fireworks has become so acute, I can’t walk him after dark. We’re getting through the separation issues at home, but he goes to work with me and he won’t let anyone else walk him (he growls and plants himself). I have put him on Clomicalm (canine prozac basically), and am working with dog trainers (group and private lessons). I have also used the Rescue Remedy and Benedryl when he seems to get really stressed.

One of the dog trainers told me that studies show it takes shelter dogs about 3 months to fully acclimate to their new environments. With this guy, I’ve never had the same dog two weeks in a row. Just reading the posts in this thread has given me great hope that this new dog and I will be able to have a life together.

For the people who have hounds who live with cats - can you tell me how you get there? This guy is a terrible cat chaser, and he caught one the other day (I am hoping that the three puncture wounds in his nose will make him think twice the next time he tries to get the kitty) - is there a way to break them of the habit without actually killing the hound?

Thanks everyone for a most helpful discussion thread.

[ArtilleryHill]

Walker hounds

If I remember correctly, and I think I do, Walker hounds are famously shy to begin with, which is something to keep in mind with your hound. Where I’m from, Walkers–again, relying on my memory–were largely bred for night hunting (in which hunters build a camp fire, turn their hounds loose, and spend the night listening to the hounds’ beautiful cry from nearthe campfire) and often were used for such independent hunting work, meaning they were more inclined to go hunt without intimate direction or aid from the huntsman.

On top of that possible bred-in shyness, your fellow could well have been exposed to any number of bad things on his way from puphood to shelter, something you’ve obviously taken into account, too. So consider that you are already accomplishing a great deal with this hound, because you probably are having to deal with both “nature” and “nurture” (meaning, in this context, whatever life dealt him before you) in working with this hound.

Have hope! There are two Walker hounds, both former strays adopted from shelters, have lived in my suburban neighborhood, and both owners have told me they have had similar issues. It hasn’t always easy for the owners, but they were making progress when one moved away. The one that is still living here is a wonderful dog and is adapting so well that he’s a great favorite among all the neighbors. He still can be aloof or a little shy with strangers, but he walks twice a day on his leash around the neighborhood like a real gentleman and plays around his yard quite well.

We also recently picked up a Walker hound from a local shelter. He was so terrified when we got him I wondered if he’d ever come right, but he is only a year old, which seems to help! He is now doing GREAT with his new owner, a professional dog handler who has brought this hound from cowering and peeing in a corner anytime he saw anyone to walking happily on a leash and playing with people he knows; that’s taken about two months. Yours sounds like he’ll take longer, but I hope you’ll find some reason to stick to your path with some professional help and a lot of patience and understanding for the Walker’s particular personalities and needs.

[Ashby]

@Darden;3433005

This is off topic (and I apologize to the OP) but if any of you can help, I’d like some advice from real beagle people.

I adopted a male beagle (2 years old) about 2 weeks ago from the local pound. He didn’t have much time left and he got me- couldn’t leave him.

I have 2 issues- He does not seem to fathom that he has to ask to go out.

We have had this issue, too. My beagle is extremely shy. Knowing he previous owner as I did, I am very sure she was never struck, but she always acted like a victim of abuse, and after a year she’s only starting to get normal. Of course she could never ask to go out. I realized two things:

First, I was going to have to become very sensitive to her little looks and postures, so I could catch her nonverbal cues. It’s hard to catch that moment when she’s just looking at the door with that “I have to go” expression, though.

Second, I kind of gave up on the idea that she would do all her business outside, and I trained her to use a kind of giant litter box. Part of our basement is unfinished and I spread shavings and kitty litter down there, then transferred some of her poop from the back yard to the shavings. She caught on to that very quickly and now trots nicely by herself down to the basement when she wants to “powder her nose.” Cleanup is easier than if she went exclusively outdoors because at least the poop isn’t spread all over the back yard; it’s in a confined spot. It’s no harder to clean up than a cat box. Very little odor. This relieves my worry since I have to be at work all day and there’s no one to let her out, and as a beagle she is NOT going to hold it until 6 p.m.

Next - his separation anxiety is acute. He does not want to leave my side (helpful at the barn and when we are out riding) but not great at home. He wants me to be with him when I put him outside and when he eats. And he does not want to be left alone ever even if i have to run a few errands and leave him in his 4x6 foot indoor wire cage.

Well, my goodness, the poor dear has already been abandoned once, and he doesn’t want to be left again. My sighthound is a rescue, and he was initially liike this. It got better with the passage of time, though. He realized that mommy would always come home to him.

[Doberpei]

Walkers

[QUOTE=ArtilleryHill;3433788]
If I remember correctly, and I think I do, Walker hounds are famously shy to begin with, which is something to keep in mind with your hound. [/QUOTE]

Thanks so much for the information and “support”!

This guy is not shy - very outgoing and friendly to strangers, but in an aloof sort of way. The dog trainer said that the Walkers tend to be “high strung” when compared to fox hounds. He is independent in many ways, but he’s clear about the fact that he doesn’t like to go to bed without the pack (that would be me). So it’s great when he has the confidence to put himself to bed! I celebrate the little victories whenever possible.

[QUOTE=ArtilleryHill;3433788]
Have hope! There are two Walker hounds, both former strays adopted from shelters, have lived in my suburban neighborhood, and both owners have told me they have had similar issues. It hasn’t always easy for the owners, but they were making progress when one moved away. The one that is still living here is a wonderful dog and is adapting so well that he’s a great favorite among all the neighbors. He still can be aloof or a little shy with strangers, but he walks twice a day on his leash around the neighborhood like a real gentleman and plays around his yard quite well.[/QUOTE]

I do hope that I can provide him the exercise that he needs. It was troubling when I discovered that he was a Walker and not a fox hound, because all the books say that the Walkers need more exercise than can be provided by walking a few times a day. When I adopted him, the shelter said he was 4, and then the vet said he was between 1 & 2, and probably closer to 1. Since I live in a townhouse, walking is our primary exercise - and even when I take him to a friends with a well fenced yard and a willing playmate, he prefers to sit on the deck and hang out. So for right now, I am not letting him read the book with his description, maybe he won’t know he’s not getting enough exercise!

[Darden]

Thanks for the advice.

Yes, Beagle will not go into a crate. When left by the people who adopted him prior to me (and returned him) he ate his way out of the plastic crate. I know, I was horrified too. I have a 4 foot by 6 foot wire “gate” that I put across one of my alcoves in a spare room and gradually built up time in their when I ran errands, etc. He has all of his toys and a kong thing and water and the TV and AC and fans on when he’s in there. And he clawed through the dry wall on one wall after I left him about 5 hours. So destructive he is but I have to say that when I’ve returned home his is always lying in his bed quite calm and not shaking or distraught. It seems like he destroys things and then just waits for me. I don’t know.

So it sounds like I should talk to my vet about some anti anxiety meds while we work on a very strict schedule and keep an eye on any clues to when he has to go out.

I’m not giving up on him. I’ll just need to learn how to fix the drywall and repaint and get a better large cage for him. I ordered one that’s 4x4x6 feet so I’ll just keep trying. He’s great at the barn on and off leash, with the horses, cats, other dogs, at day care, at restaurants, out shopping, at the lake, etc etc etc etc etc.

Thanks, all

[Grasshopper]

Re the learning to ask to go outside: the bell method seems to work really well for many people. The idea is you hang a bell on the doorknob, and every time you take or let the dog out, you guide its nose to ring the bell, then open the door and out it goes.

Warning: they then learn to ring the bell when they are just bored and want to go outside! But, better than accidents inside.

We have two big dogs and they just rattle the doorknob with their noses when they need to go (or our male just stands up and puts his front paws on the glass), but the bell is great for smaller dogs like Beagles. Ours have now figured out this works to ask to come back inside, too (they like the AC!).

You could also train them to answer the question “Outside?” Ours use the doorbell trick when they really need to go, but sometimes they will try to get our attention in other ways first. It can be hard to tell if they just want cuddling or need to go out, so we ask “Outside?” and if they get excited and run to the back door, that’s a “Yes!” If they just position themselves for more scratching, that’s a “No.” Actually, somehow I get the feeling they trained us with this one, but if it works, who’s counting? :lol:

[Doberpei]

Separation Anxiety

If you go the chemical calmative routine - be aware that Clomicalm can take up to 3 or 4 weeks to have an effect. Some people prefer Valium, which is much less expensive.

Instead of an enclosed crate - do you think he’d do ok in a wire crate? My Walker loves his crate - and it has been a blessing. Part of my work with it has been that he goes in it for a while when I am at home. For two months, he was only fed in the crate, if he wanted food, he had to go in. Sometimes I closed the door behind him, and sometimes I didn’t, but I put the bowl all the way in the back so he had to go in all the way. I also put his stuffed kongs and things in the crate in the back, so again he has to go in and get them if he wants to play. He traveled 8 hours over the 4th of July in the back of my car in his crate, and then when we got to our destination, the crate was transferred to the room where I was staying, and he felt like he was at home, and when he got stressed, he put himself in the crate.

A friend of mine who does hound rescue also recommended that I not put a blanket or bed in the crate in the beginning, in case he was destructive, until he viewed the crate as a good thing. And he was destructive for a while, so I would try with a blanket periodically, and eventually he stopped chewing it, so then I put in the dog bed.

Sometimes I would sit in the room with him in the crate. I started at 20 minutes, and worked up. Yes, he might howl, but my friend’s response was “ear plugs”. Now when I pop him in his crate, he generally falls asleep within 5 minutes, even if I am sitting in the room with him. I think he falls asleep when I leave him, I fill his kongs and leave them in the crate for him to play with when I am gone and usually they’re untouched.

I don’t let him out of the crate when he is howling or barking, even if I come home after being gone for hours (sometimes I have had to be quick to let him out in the pause between barks!). And I ignore him when I let him out of the crate. There’s no difference between his being in the crate because I am vacuuming, or because I have gotten home after going out for 4 hours.

Another friend did have her dog break a tooth chewing on a wire crate - so if your Beagle really gets that frantic, he might have a problem.

[QUOTE=Darden;3436359]
Thanks for the advice.

Yes, Beagle will not go into a crate. When left by the people who adopted him prior to me (and returned him) he ate his way out of the plastic crate. I know, I was horrified too. I have a 4 foot by 6 foot wire “gate” that I put across one of my alcoves in a spare room and gradually built up time in their when I ran errands, etc. He has all of his toys and a kong thing and water and the TV and AC and fans on when he’s in there. And he clawed through the dry wall on one wall after I left him about 5 hours. So destructive he is but I have to say that when I’ve returned home his is always lying in his bed quite calm and not shaking or distraught. It seems like he destroys things and then just waits for me. I don’t know.

So it sounds like I should talk to my vet about some anti anxiety meds while we work on a very strict schedule and keep an eye on any clues to when he has to go out.

I’m not giving up on him. I’ll just need to learn how to fix the drywall and repaint and get a better large cage for him. I ordered one that’s 4x4x6 feet so I’ll just keep trying. He’s great at the barn on and off leash, with the horses, cats, other dogs, at day care, at restaurants, out shopping, at the lake, etc etc etc etc etc.

Thanks, all[/QUOTE]