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Mountain View Cur vs American Foxhound?

I have been seriously considering getting a coondog for a long time. I am moving into a new house late this summer and thought it would be a perfect time to get a new pup to start training this fall. My girlfriend has a boxer and a yorkie, so I would like a dog that will be okay around other dogs. I live and work on a farm with plenty of woods to run in, so exercise and learning opportunity won't be a problem for the dog.

I have been reading a lot the last week or so and have settled towards either a Mountain View Cur or an American Foxhound. So, which of the two would be the easiest breed to train for a first timer? Which would be better with other dogs in the house? I would also like the dog to be safe around little kids as I have a niece that is 1 year old. Any help on deciding would be appreciated.

Thanks,
FS

An American foxhound isn't a treeing breed. Did you mean American leopard hound?

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Casey Knight
757-618-6496

CUR FOXHOUND

GET THE CUR EASY TO TRAIN FAMILY DOG GOOD AROUND KIDS SOME ARE GOOD WATCH DOGS TOO

Ohio has lots of coonhunters, so it should be easy for you to meet some in your area. Use this board to let it be known that you have an interest in coonhunting and meeting coonhunters. After you have had some experience with other hunters and seen how their dogs perform I think you will easily be able to know what type dog would best suit your needs.One thing you need to know is that even after you have settled on a particular breed you need to be careful about the individual you select because all breeds have some outstanding individuals and some that are totally worthless with the average being somewhere in between the two extremes.

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Dennis Bockelman
California,MO

A houndsmans drive is not the thrill of the kill it's the sound of the hound !!!

Please don't buy a puppy as your first coondog. Find a hunter in your area to tag along with and they will probably know someone who has an older dog that isn't getting hunted and can be bought fairly cheaply. You can learn a lot with an old steady coontreer.

Also before you do anything read the walk with wick books. I wish like crazy I would have done those things when I started.

quote:

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Originally posted by markknepp
Please don't buy a puppy as your first coondog. Find a hunter in your area to tag along with and they will probably know someone who has an older dog that isn't getting hunted and can be bought fairly cheaply. You can learn a lot with an old steady coontreer.

Also before you do anything read the walk with wick books. I wish like crazy I would have done those things when I started.

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Most coonhounds, foxhounds and curs are good with other dogs (there are individual exceptions). Other breeds do sometimes misunderstand the loud voices of hounds and curs, so you do want to read up on introducing a new dog to the existing dogs. But, basically, do it on relatively neutral territory--not next to the food bowls. No bones or other treats until everyone gets along.

Sounds like you're planning on keeping the new hound in the house. That works fine, but be aware that hounds will follow their noses and will go way farther than a boxer or a yorkie. If your yard is fenced, a fence that will keep in a boxer or a yorkie may not be adequate to contain a hound. Curs are more likely to stick relatively close, but they will also hunt what wanders through and follow it for a distance. The neighbors' cats won't be safe, and if there's no fence, your hound or cur may end up crossing roads (risky) and treed a mile or more from home.
To contain a hound, you will need a fence at least five feet high and reinforced around the bottom to prevent digging under. Otherwise, you will have to kennel or tie it. And, it you live in a suburban-style neighborhood, within town limits, etc., you should look at your town's noise ordinance before geting a hound. Hounds are bred to be loud. If you tie a hound out near neighbors, there will be complaints until you get it trained, and some hounds are hard to cure of kennel barking.
An older, trained hound or cur is definitely the most fun for a new hunter. My first hound taught me more about coon hunting than any person did.
Not sure what part of the country you live in or what you are planning to hunt. A foxhound is fine for game that does not tree--foxes, coyotes, deer (where that is legal), but if you are after raccoons, bobcats, bear or mountain lions, you want a coonhound or a cur. All three are great with kids--the only problem being size and enthusiasm. A hound is big enough to knock over a small child or elderly person if it is excited. You'll need to train it to stay calm. However, with a boxer, your girlfriend should already know how to do that.
If you are planning to keep the hound in the house, don't worry about house training. I have taken in several older hounds and there was no problem housebreaking them, even though they had only lived outdoors before. With two already housetrained dogs, the new dog should figure out housetraining almost immediately. The big problem will be teaching it not to steal food from counters. Mostly, you need to keep food put away.
Curs are famously easy to handle, but there are far more competition events for coonhounds than for curs or foxhounds. If you want to meet other hunters and have fun at hound gatherings, coonhounds are the way to go. The UKC upcoming coonhound events list is here:
http://www.ukcdogs.com/Upcoming.nsf...ound&Type=M

You can go to one of these to meet some other houndsmen and see what its about. The people there will be eager to help you find a suitable hound or cur. The times in the listings are entry deadlines. There are no fees for spectators. There's usually a kitchen offering basic items like hot dogs and hamburgers, and the events are very family-friendly. No alcohol or firearms are allowed, and no animals are hurt at competition events.

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What Stonehill said