Emily
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Feb 2004
Location: West Kill, NY
Posts: 2047 |
Some dogs are just shy, but its also possible the dog is sick in some way you haven't figured out. Try handling her all over and see if she's acting like something is painful--stressed jpints, or some other problem. Try changing her feed--she may be getting indigestion from whatever you're feeding. Bring her to the vet and get bloodwork done--she may have thyroid problems or be diabetic, or any of a number of problems that aren't apparent. Might even be bad worms. Behavioral changes that significant are usually related to health issues.
A lot of times, dogs that are handled a lot as puppies bond with people a lot better than ones that have minimal contact with humans in the early weeks. Far too many coonhounds are not well socialized around people when pups. Some of them can be coaxed into caring about people later, but some of them never warm up to people. That's one of the reasons its important to know who you are getting a pup from.
Coonhounds have to respect their people before they listen to them. If your hound thinks you're a lousy hunter, she may not respond to you until she considers you a hunting buddy. If she trees a coon and you're too lazy to go into her and pet her up and praise her, she's going to ignore you.
If she's just not listening and you need to get her to pay attention to you more, do what the AKC show people do--get some treats and make sure they're covered with your scent before you hand them over.
When my hounds won't listen to me, I use a treat made of freeze-dried lamb lungs that is like doggie crack. There are several different brands available at most pet supply stores--Lamb crunchies is one, Merrick is another. These make terrific training bribes. You offer the treat as a reward regularly at first, then every second or third time, then only occasionally. I have one hound that won't come back and load up if he hasn't treed. Since coon are scarce here, it can make for a long night. But, if I break out the lamb lungs, he is in that truck right away. I wouldn't bribe kids that way, but dogs are simple-minded and dogs in training work well for bribes! No morals involved!
One thing you don't want to do with a shy hound is reprimand too sharply. Most hounds really do want to please and will try to if they understand what you want. If you make what you want clear to them, they will try to do it. If the dog isn't doing what you want, think about how you are trying to convey the message, and try something different. Dogs are individuals, and they have individual responses. A lot of times what works with one dog doesn't work with the next.
A lot of times people use another dog to train the new dog. That's why people get "pup trainers." If she knows how to hunt, but not how to be buddies with people, expose her to another dog that is well-bonded with you, or if you don't have another dog, another dog that is well bonded with its human. Dogs learn from each other more easily than they do from all but the best humantrainers.
Watch her closely and see if you can figure out what motivates her, whether its food, or petting, or even a scent rag. You'll make progress. Patience is difficult, but its the best medicine in a case like this!
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03-29-2014 04:45 AM
