What about hounds turns people off?

[Sweet72947]

I have always wondered this. In rescue we are inundated with hounds, and hounds always take a long time to adopt out. In my experience, this is what I have observed about hounds:

Most are very people/dog friendly. There are varying levels of prey drive (most end up in our rescue because they failed as hunters). They don't seem to bay more than other dogs bark. Some may drool copiously. They love to sniff! They tend to be silly and dopey. They are generally as trainable as other breeds, although they can be stubborn about it, and sometimes they just don't care. Also, I have noticed that a lot of hounds tend to be very food motivated. Their exercise requirements also vary by dog, but I have noticed that as pups they need lots just like labs and other active breeds, but as they mature they mellow out and don't need more than a few walks + 1 run a day. They also shouldn't be let offleash in an unfenced area as they get carried away with sniffing and will wander off.

So what about hounds don't people like? Why has this cute dog (Punkin) been at our shelter so long when there is nothing wrong with her (excepting not liking cats?)

 

[Lilavati]

I rather like hounds, since I grew up with them, but they aren't really on my list. Why? Mostly independence . . . hounds can be difficult to train . . . not because they are stupid, but because they have better things to do, like sniffing around and finding a rabbit than listening to you. Some breeds of hound are also notoriously hard to housebreak. Others are escape artists. Many, if permitted off leash, will take off after something and never come back . . . they are, after all, hounds. Now, that doesn't apply to all hounds, and so why that sweetie has no home, I don't know. I will say I'd be far more likely to get an adult hound from a rescue, who I could evaluate, than a hound puppy.

 

[Maxy24]

I have never liked the droopy eye look that many hounds have, the one you showed does not have it though, she's a cutie! other than that I like hounds.

 

[sheepjoke]

hmm....just a few observations....many hounds have the hound smell and you know what I mean if you have smelled it. many hounds are not at all interested in pleasing people instead are lead by their noses so they are not very good pets for people wanting a dog that wants to make them happy they can be hard to housebreak and hard to train in general. their are very few hounds i would consider owning from the scenthound group which are to me the stinkiest and least apt to want to please people. i think it takes a very certain person to enjoy the company and traits of many of the scenthounds and especially some of the huntingbred scenthounds that can end up in shelters that are high energy and drive and really hard to control in any manner. did i mention the baying/barking/noise...oh. yeah that can be a real deal breaker to.




sheepjoke

 

[SharkBait]

i like them in general, but i'm not sure if i'd want to own one. Simply because a lot a people say once you let them go they won't come back. In other words, they're not the most loyal of dogs. Would this be right?
Beagles and Rhodesian Ridgebacks are my favs!

 

[StillandSilent]

Hounds are stubborn. They are virtually impossible to train for off leash work. Many of them bark a lot. Of course, I wouldn't want my Lilly any other way.
I'm actually very curious about this hound smell. Lilly doesn't have any odor and none of the dogs at our shelter seem to have a particular odor. We see quite a few hounds of all types, mostly "huntin' dawg" drop outs.

 

[Gempress]

IMHO, I think people just don't seem to think about hounds, especially the larger scenthounds. They don't seem to be a very popular or well-known type of dog.

If you ask someone for a good family dog, most people will start naming labs, goldens, collies, spaniels, GSDs or even beagles. You won't once hear somebody say black and tan coonhound or bloodhound, even though all the scenthounds I know love children. They're just not the first thing that comes to mind.

I guess people don't think of them as actual pets. They think of an old hound asleep on a rickety wooden porch. Which is sad, I think.

 

[BostonBanker]

The independence and unreliability off-leash is my number one turn-off. After all, a scent hound is bred to follow a scent, ignore everything else in their path, and get to the end of the trail...then stand there and bark. Not really how I want to spend my hikes!

In general, I think people do forget the positive traits hounds have. They can make super family dogs, as long as there is a fenced in yard. Many are extremely tolerant of children.

 

[Gempress]

Simply because a lot a people say once you let them go they won't come back. In other words, they're not the most loyal of dogs.

While some hounds are more aloof (especially sighthounds), the lack of recall doesn't mean your dog isn't loyal to you. Zeus is the sweetest, most loving dog. He's very attached to Hubby and I. But if I let him off leash, he'll be gone in a second.

It's not that the dog doesn't love you. It's that the pull to chase and track is very strong in these dogs, and they can keep going for quite a while as long as there's quarry to follow. But once that scent/sight goes cold, you can bet they'll be looking for a way to get home.

 

[Xerxes]

I can't understand why people don't adopt hounds either. Maybe they just don't have the panache of other breeds, or the spunkiness of other breeds.

Personally sighthounds are my absolute favorite dogs of all time. And after seeing how stubborn yet incredibly trainable a sighthound (which is renowned for being stubborn and incredibly independent) is, I don't think I'll have many dogs that aren't sighthounds.

They've also turned me on to my next love...scent hounds. I'm interested in Bloodhounds now. Drool or no drool, stubborn or not. Hounds like to have a fun time. Maybe that's what people don't really like...hounds like to have fun with life-even when that fun doesn't coincide with the human's idea of fun.

 

[bumhouse]

I have heard it said that hounds can be smelly. I am not sure of the validity of that statement as I have never owned one. Perhaps the owners of these dogs were not very vigilant about doggie hygiene? The dog you picture is adorable though and I can see your frustration at not having found him a forever home!! Good Luck......

 

[Herschel]

The independence and unreliability off-leash is my number one turn-off. After all, a scent hound is bred to follow a scent, ignore everything else in their path, and get to the end of the trail...then stand there and bark. Not really how I want to spend my hikes!

In general, I think people do forget the positive traits hounds have. They can make super family dogs, as long as there is a fenced in yard. Many are extremely tolerant of children.

+1

 

[SizzleDog]

I love sighthounds, but the scenthounds aren't my cup of tea. Even amongst the many show hounds I've known, IMO they *do* have a smell that is different than other breeds.

I don't like drool, I don't like hound smell, and I don't like baying... so a scenthound is pretty much out for me. They're neat dogs, just not ideal for me.

Bring on the sighthounds though... mamma mia they're neat!

 

[Julie]

Ahh... Hounds...... I love them! A baying coonhound is a very calming and proud sound to hear. (At least for me).

I could listen to a distant bay easier than most radio stations.

About the "hound stink"..... In my opinion, alot of hunting hounds are tied to doghouses or in kennels, with very minimum hygene. That could explain the "stink". I kept my brothers English Blue Tick for several months when he was in the middle of a move. And that dog was impressive. Bonded with me very quickly and was very protective over me. This was an outside dog, but with me was converted to house dog. No potty problems and no offensive odor either. Blended well into our family and with my two other dogs at the time.

And another thing... English Coonhounds really should be considered guard dogs, not watch dogs. I have been around many and all of them would give their life to protect the ones they love, I assume similar hunting hounds would do the same thing.

As for hounds not being adopted... I think society in general does not even consider the hound types as a family pet. For the right family a hound could make a wonderful companion and pet.

 

[Charliesmommy]

One word - Drool. I just can't deal with it.

 

[houndlove]

Ahhhh....hounds.

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about them for one thing. Remember everyone, the beagle, a very popular family pet dog, is a hound, and a most houndy hound at that. Do beagles drool? Not really. Do they have droopy eyes? No. Do they have an offensive odor? Apparently not enough of one to keep them from being a very common family dog. So when people think "hound" I have a feeling they aren't thinking of the full spectrum of hounds. They're thinking bloodhound and basset hound and when they see the word "hound" in a name they are thinking "Oh this must be just like a bloodhound--no thank you." And yes, both those breeds do drool and both have droopy eyes. But coonhounds and beagles don't. Marlowe doesn't drool any more than any other dog with his kind of muzzle shape. Their propensity to bark is much more of a individual thing--some will bark at anything, others know when to cool it. I can't even remember the last time Marlowe barked in the house.

And the other thing is how people emotionally interprate their breed traits. A dog who is not good off-leash is not necessarily a disloyal dog. There's nothing inherently wrong or defective about a dog who can't be off-leash without a fence and it doesn't mean they don't love you. It just means their powerful prey drive takes over their brain when activated. A dog who is independent-minded isn't necessarily a stubborn or pig-headed dog, just one who needs to learn in a way that takes into consideration his need to think and figure things out for himself. A dog who is not handler-focused is not a dog who doesn't love you and want to be around you--it's just a different way of expressing that. Marlowe wants to find coon for me, not retrieve balls for me. One thing is not any more showing of love than the other. As for training....well, Marlowe was the only dog in his class to get his CGC and our agility trainer has strongly recommended we continue with it and plan on competing in the future. I train my hound the way he needs to be trained, and he rewards me 100-fold for that.

I honestly wish more people would consider adopting a hound. Especially people in cities actually. It is much less of an issue in a city whether or not your dog can go off-leash without a fence because even if your dog could do that, in a city there's not much of an opportunity for any dog to safely do that. Even if I had dogs that were good off-leash I don't know when I'd utilize that fact. Hounds are notoriously friendly and nonaggressive with both people and other dogs. They are famous for being great with kids, are sturdy and tend to be healthy, especially ones from working lines. They love to be loved and they love to be comfortable and most have a manageable activity level. Hounds seem to generally have an "off" switch for their drives, which many other working breeds don't. When in the house, most hounds switch off, which makes them wonderful foot warmers and occasional bed hogs!

 

[Xerxes]

Ahhhh....hounds.
<<Snipped>>
And the other thing is how people emotionally interprate their breed traits. A dog who is not good off-leash is not necessarily a disloyal dog. There's nothing inherently wrong or defective about a dog who can't be off-leash without a fence and it doesn't mean they don't love you. It just means their powerful prey drive takes over their brain when activated. A dog who is independent-minded isn't necessarily a stubborn or pig-headed dog, just one who needs to learn in a way that takes into consideration his need to think and figure things out for himself. A dog who is not handler-focused is not a dog who doesn't love you and want to be around you--it's just a different way of expressing that. Marlowe wants to find coon for me, not retrieve balls for me. One thing is not any more showing of love than the other. As for training....well, Marlowe was the only dog in his class to get his CGC and our agility trainer has strongly recommended we continue with it and plan on competing in the future. I train my hound the way he needs to be trained, and he rewards me 100-fold for that.

I honestly wish more people would consider adopting a hound.
<<snipped>>

Beautifully written Cressida.:hail::hail::hail::hail:

 

[elegy]

hounds and i just aren't really on the same page. i think a lot of them are gorgeous- redbone coonhounds, for example? stunning dogs. but temperament-wise, they're just not headed in the same direction i am.

 

[zoe08]

I love my hound. And someday I want a coonhound. I just love hounds and will probably always have one. I cannot resist the floppy ears and big eyes! They are sooo cute. Sure they can be stubborn, but everyone that comes over says Zoe is the most well trained dog that they know. Sure I wish I could let her off leash, but I think I would have a hard time letting any dog off leash no matter what breed because something can happen to any of them and if my dog got hurt because I let them off leash I couldn't handle that. She wasn't hard to housebreak. I know they aren't for all people, but I love my hound dog!

 

[CelticxConnections]

I always thought senthounds look like the most hugable dogs ever and sighthounds look really royal. Heck I don't even mind their baying, it beats Duke's barking.

That being said I wouldn't own one. They are independent and they follow thier nose. I personally want a breed that will stick by my side and do what I say 99% of the time once trained up and one that learns fast. I'm really more of a herding breed sort of person.