This is an amazing piece of useful information about how hounds “think” !!

A must read for all hound owners (uhh make that all hound’s human trainees) and shared here with permission from RobDar’s Houndsong Rescue.

RobDar’s HoundSong rescue
June 5 at 8:00am ·

Someone on another page was asking about Hounds. My reply was well accepted so I thought i would share it here (even though most of us know this already)
>>> Here is a basic underlying influence…a basic understanding…regarding your hound dog that I think most people miss.
Hounds do not believe that they need you. You are a convenience…like a favorite coffee cup or a favorite pair of shoes. If the cup is broken or the shoes are lost, we can get along just fine with another.

Let me explain:
Where other breeds of dogs like Labradors, Shepherds, Cattle dogs to an extent, and a HOST of others are bred to work WITH man. Meaning that their originally bred temperament is to work alongside man in cooperation to achieve a goal. The Cattle dog follows man commands to herd the livestock. The Lab follows the hunters commands to get the quarry – and so on and so forth. They are  team mates of man. Neither can do their work without the other — and so they have been bred for eons to have that in their make up —to be anxious to please. Even the worst behaved Labrador cares when mom and dad are annoyed. It is in their DNA to make man happy.
Hounds —not so much.

Hounds have been bred for eons to be taken out to the edge of the woods or field and be let loose to go out and do what they do with NO INSTRUCTION from the hunter or handler. They go out and do their thing, all on their own. They make their own decisions and do their own work —and when that work is done and they have found their quarry —they command/call the hunter to come to them with those beautiful voices. (who is working for whom in that scenario?)

Do you see how your hound thinks differently?

Life with a Hound is far more like having a spouse than a dog. It is far more of a “cooperative effort” with all the give and take that implies. Hounds are not going to do what you say just because you have said it. You are secondary to their desire. There has to be something in it for them. There has to be a trade off. If there is no reward or benefit for the Hound, the Hound cares little what you are asking him/her to do. People incorrectly refer to this as being stubborn or worse, stupid. Hounds are actually neither of those things – they are just independent. They prioritize things differently than do other breeds. They prioritize differently and you are not always their priority. This is EXACTLY AS THEY SHOULD BE. They were bred to be this way. It is all necessary to be a Houndy Dawg.
When working with a Hound you have to always be thinking –how do I make myself the priority? What do I have to give this dog to make me more important than what it smells – or wants (and do not expect that anything will ever be 100% successful everytime – always be looking for your Hound to act like a Hound.)
We humans always think we are in charge of things. We think that we are top of the chain, the head honcho’s..and we naturally approach training our dogs and living with our dogs this way – as though we are in charge.
Your Hound doesn’t see it that way.

Your Hound – at best – sees you as a family member – as a sibling (if you are very fortunate- as a parent). Do you walk into your sister or brothers house, start barking orders and they hop to?
Mostly your Hound sees you as a good friend —and what do we do with our friends? When a friend does something for us, we return those favors. There is give and take. When a friendship is out of balance – when one friend takes and takes but does not give — the friendship suffers. It is okay for one friend to be the strong friend – the dominant friend in the partnership—but it is a partnership.
Hounds are happiest when their humans are humble.<<

AMEN !!!  #hounddoghappy

Very interesting info shared from a post on Gentle Jakes’s Foster Forum and National Purebred Dog Day

The Treeing Walker vs the Running Walker

 August 22, 2019  National Purebred Dog Day®

To anyone looking in from the outside, the coonhound world is fascinating.  It has its own lingo, its own tests – Nite Hunts – its own Coon Hunting Etiquette – and even its own gear (can you ever have too many good coon squaller calls?).  Adding diversity to the picture are the several lines that come with its enthusiastic proponents, and we’re looking at a rich tapestry of Coonhound diversity. What they all have in common (save the Plott which is a different story) are their canine ancestors who accompanied immigrants to the United States from Europe and settled largely in the American southeast.

We won’t go into the history of the Treeing Walker Coonhound which can be read here, but rather, we want to touch upon a dog called the Running Walker Coonhound, and what differences exist between the two.

In the “looks department,” or phenotypically speaking, there isn’t much difference beyond the Running Walker being a bit smaller and lighter.

In behavior, however, it’s a different dog entirely. Though both Treeing Walkers and Running Walkers descend from the same breeding stock over a century ago,  Treeing Walkers were selectively bred for their ability to run game up trees, typically raccoons, bobcats, bears, etc., while Running Walkers don’t have the treeing instinct that their cousin has (hence, the name difference. See how that works? – grin). Running Walkers, then, don’t check trees, and prefer to stay on trails that stay on the ground. They are fast, intelligent, and possess the tenacity to follow their prey for longer distances, though some hunters are of the opinion that Running Walkers have shorter attention spans than the Treeing Walkers making them a bit more challenging to train. Running Walkers are ideally suited to hunt non-arboreal animals.

Image found on Pinterest identified as a Running Walker Coonhound will happily be credited upon receipt of information

Long Ears! Kid & Dog Friendly! Athletic! Musical Voice! Unique! An American Original!

Top 10 Reasons Why Coonhounds Are the Best Dogs Ever!

(1) Touchstone traits of a hound make them great pets. They are sweet, sensitive companions similar to many of the other popular hunting breeds like retrievers and pointers. Coonhounds are guaranteed to make you laugh with their silly personalities and sense of humor.

(2) They are an American original. Born, bred and developed in the USA!

(3) Most are not aggressive seekers of attention so a gentle hand on their backs or a stroke to their soft ears quickly leads to melting contentment.

(4) Grooming doesn’t get much easier! A quick swipe over their short, slick coats, nail trim and ear clean will put the polish to a hound.

(5) Most hounds over two years old have a great on/off switch. Full of energy and ready to rock when a job is at hand, then content to laze on the porch or dog bed for hours when it’s quiet time.

(6) Coonhounds rarely “borrow trouble”. While they are far from innocent if an opportunity presents itself, they won’t invent or create problems.

(7) Bred and selected to be workers, they have few congenital issues or problems that show up in dogs bred for a particular “look”.

(8) Kid-friendly and dog-friendly! Many hounds were bred to hunt in packs, so they have great social skills for the dog park or in your home.

                                           HEY !!!  You come here often ????

(9) Soulful brown eyes to drown in and long silky ears to adore.

(10) Stripes and speckles, spots and solids, reds, blues, tan, black, white, colors galore!
But you won’t want a “coonie” if…

(1) You can’t think outside the box. It takes a kind hand and creative approach to train a coonhound.

(2) You aren’t prepared to take care of their needs for a warm resting spot in cold, northern climes. That smooth, short coat won’t offer much protection when snow and bitter winds come rolling in.

(3) You aren’t ready to ensure that your confinement is adequate. While some hounds will laze on the porch all day and obey your commands on an off-leash hike, many will run through invisible fences if there’s game to chase or show off their skills as excellent fence climbers and jumpers.

(4) Your neighbors like to hear a pin drop. Coonhounds were bred to announce the finding of game in a loud, musical voice ranging from a soft “woo woo woo” to a loud, blaring operatic aria. Hound song can be one of the most beautiful sounds you’ll ever enjoy in life, but it can lead to neighborhood discord unless you’re prepared to teach your hound when and where its appropriate to sing.

(5) Coonhounds are large, athletic dogs that need to go to charm school and need a place and time to stretch their legs. They won’t laze happily at your side without a bit of training and without a chance to exercise.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         This information shared from the Coonhound Companions web site – a great resource for all things coonhound!