Registered: Nov 2009
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I just happened to stumble upon an older debate about people owning coonhounds as "pets"

I can see both sides - it is important to active hunters & showers to secure the "value" of their lines...and for that their offspring must compete! Growing up I remember my father's hunting beagles, and always asking to play with them or bring them in the house....to which he always replied "they are working dogs, they are not toys & don't belong in the house." Years later, married and wanting a great beagle - just bigger - I began researching the hound breeds. The first bluetick coonhound I saw....I feel in love. I began emailing & calling breeders and MANY, MANY turned me down. I wouldn't lie out of respect for the breeders and finally one agreed. My girl Belle is the BEST dog I have ever owned. I admit she was a tough puppy - requiring a lot of time & patience - but now I will forever be a coonhound owner, as long as someone will sell me one! Belle is always top of her obedience classes, social, lovable, great with kids & other dogs! Not to mention she's gorgeous, turning heads everywhere we go! My husband & I love taking her hiking....she trees everything she can. This dog is truly my best friend and serves as my protector when my husband travels....no one would ever dare to enter with that bawl lol.

So to those of you who say....who would want a pet coonhound?
I can only say "who wouldn't?"

And PS - as long as the dogs are happy & healthy isn't that all that really matters?????

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Registered: Dec 2005
Location: Ohio
Posts: 3063

We hunt our hounds close to 6-7 nights a week...So, they are large part of our life and we spend a lot of time with them. We expect a lot out of them, and I guess sometimes they are treated as a tool. You can teach a smart dog just about anything, and even a coondog is capable of being a good friend ...As far as having a coondhound for a pet, why not? But even better, why not both?!

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Registered: Mar 2007
Location: SoCal
Posts: 341

Agreed - why can't they be both?

That being said, my one female is completely defective in the woods but is one of the best housedogs I've ever had and is always acing her obedience classes so yes, I can't ever see not having them in the house, but I love taking them hunting, too.

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Registered: Oct 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 463

Coonhounds are just dogs and make great inside dogs. The only problem I have is someone that is staying home needs to hold them back on leashes when I hunt the outside dogs. Then they pace and bawl until I get home to take them. Lol. The wife has learned to deal with it.

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: mitchell INDIANA
Posts: 222

i tottaly agree me female she is both a house dog and a show dog and i hunting dog i feel like she minds beter than the outside dogs but she still has her day that she runs through the house full blast and nocking over thing i wont lie i just fell in love with her im a big dog person i think the only coon hound right now that will stay in my house is her now if my boyfreind wants to bring one of his in well i dont care either they are very protective over me and my boyfriand she is the best and very very smart and funny the things she does lol

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Registered: Jan 2009
Location: Fort Valley, GA
Posts: 1194

I would rather my pups go to a hunting home but i will say a coonhound that has been taught some manners makes an excellent pet if you really have time for a dog that needs to run and get plenty of exercise.Some of my older dogs that were not hunted anymore have gone to pet homes and have lived out a very healthy and happy life.One old female that I gave to a pet home became a certified service dog and lived out her life visiting old folks in nursing homes.I would let my next old dog go to a pet home if it could live out it's life in a useful manner.Old coonhounds can learn new games.

Glynn Holmes

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Registered: Feb 2005
Location: Six Lakes, Mi
Posts: 227

My uncle's 9 year old Black & Tan turned into a great house pet.

She used to hunt, but they retired her. Very obedient dog, awesome inside.

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Registered: Aug 2006
Location: Northwest Mississippi
Posts: 774

My male is what 95% of everyone on this board would called spoiled. He sleeps in the bed with me everynight. He has free roam of the house all day, everyday. He rides in the FRONT seat of the truck with me everywhere I go, even to competition hunts... talk about getting some funny looks lol. They stop laughing after the first drop though after he strikes a hundred yards ahead of the other dogs and slams the tree before theirs do. It has in no way affected how he hunts. He is smart enough to know when he is hunting and when he's to stay right beside me. It has made him an extremely balanced dog, one that could never be bought. He knows that as soon as he sees me put on my boots, its all business. He's one of those dogs that has so much drive that i can hunt him with females in heat and he won't think twice about it... until we get back to the truck lol

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Registered: Mar 2006
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 102

I won't breed a hound that wouldn't make a good pet AND a be good hunter AND have good conformation.

I am not so naive as to believe that every single pup from every single litter is going to have what it takes to be a dual grand champion. Rather than burying 75% of my puppies in the back yard, YES, I will sell to a carefully selected pet home if I believe they have what it takes to handle the energy and quirks of a coonhound. Pet homes have to get in line behind hunting and showing homes, but depending on the dog they may also get a cheaper price and be asked to spay/neuter.

I have a litter on the ground now and one of the cutest puppies in the batch has a little crook in the end of her tail. I suspect she'd be a total failure on the bench, but I'm sure she'll make a fine pet because both of her parents are wonderful companions.

While I understand people wanting to watch their bottom line as far as number of titles their pups produce and things like that, I feel that artificially inflating those numbers by culling every pup that has a fault and pretending it never existed is dishonest. Not saying that's what everyone does, but I think there's a risk of that when people refuse to let their less-than-perfect dogs go make someone's life complete as a pet.

Besides, I'm not out for the long list of titles. Pick of the males from this litter is going to a big game home where they never show or hunt. The sire is a big game dog who has never been on a bench or in a UKC nite hunt in his life. We haven't done much competition with the female, either, so she has no titles. It doesn't make any difference to my "statistics" whether a dog becomes a pet or brings down Mountain Lions for a living, so as long as the dog is going to be cared for and exercised and happy, and its owners are happy with it, why should I care whether it's technically "working" or not?

Besides -- some of those pet homes might become interested in the sport as a result of owning a coonhound. The hound's love of hunting is infectious!

And Hilary, if you need another bluetick, PM me. ;-) You sound like a great hound lover.

-Elizabeth

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Beaver Springs, Pennsylvania
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My dogs hunt, show and are my pets....all of them. Coonhounds make wonderful pets, if you give them what they need. Exercise and lots of love. I raise pups that can do it all. That is the way to better the breeds.

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Registered: Aug 2004
Location: bainbridge ny
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coonhounds that aren't disposition wise suitable for a pet are few . i have only see4 that wouldn't make a pet and 3 of the four were of one breed the other was from my breed of choice i will even place them above labrador retrievers. i raise both. i have one pet coonhound that is his only job and he does it well i was responsible for his being and it is my job to see to it that he happy and healthy my other hounds have to be hunters full time and family pets the rest of the time. i house break them all so they can come in the house once in a while most will hunt the cat that lives in the house so i have to be careful of where the cat is when i let one in

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Registered: Oct 2008
Location: Mendon, Michigan
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My coon hounds my best friend. shes a hunter, a little iffy on the bench.. but she surely will go out and tree coon, and shes a great companion. she sits in the basement with me and watches t.v when i get home from work almost evernight. (my mom wont let her up stairs!) but dixie our other walker hangs out upstairs with the other dogs all the time.. As long as a "working" dog can still get the job done you have them for then i dont believe there is anything wrong with them getting a little extra loving. just think of it as a reward!

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Registered: Nov 2006
Location: Mayer, MN
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No one thinks twice about keeping Labs or GSH's as dual purpose dogs. Maybe because coon hounds go swamping for coons and need more cleaning up than some want to do after coming in from a night's hunting. The folks who hunt other breeds on birds and ducks are still split between dogs in the house or kennel only. To each their own but coon hounds are generally easy going. Ours was someone's grade cross of bluetick and english that he couldn't sell for much and they weren't wanting to bury the extras. For $50 we made a deal and have no regrets other than a chewed on glider rocker. When we are able to get out and hunt she's no great shakes but it is fun for us and we enjoy watching her work a track.

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To me coon hounds are working dogs and not pets.Sure I treat mine good and all that.But when it all comes down to it they are just dogs and working dogs at that.The few times I have raised litters made sure they went to hunting homes.Anyone that wanted them as a pet only was told in a tactful way no.As far as them coming inside that won't happen at my house.To me houses are for people and the outside is for dogs.Only building my dogs are allowed to go inside is the vets.But thats me.To each their own.

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Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Mercer PA
Posts: 4837

quote:

---

Originally posted by Phantom
To me coon hounds are working dogs and not pets.Sure I treat mine good and all that.But when it all comes down to it they are just dogs and working dogs at that.The few times I have raised litters made sure they went to hunting homes.Anyone that wanted them as a pet only was told in a tactful way no.As far as them coming inside that won't happen at my house.To me houses are for people and the outside is for dogs.Only building my dogs are allowed to go inside is the vets.But thats me.To each their own.

---

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Registered: Jun 2005
Location: Prince Edward Island,Canada
Posts: 4589

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hilary K Young
So to those of you who say....who would want a pet coonhound?
I can only say "who wouldn't?"

And PS - as long as the dogs are happy & healthy isn't that all that really matters?????

---

From my point of view when I raise a litter of pups I want them to go to homes where they will get the chance to hunt and live up to what they're suppost to do. People like you can have your coonhounds as just pets, but I personally don't want a pup I raise to go for just a pet.

My dogs are more then "just a dog" to me though, but they are still hunting dogs and are hunted

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Registered: Mar 2006
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Our NTCH Lily lives in the house. She's the best dog we've ever had, and a hell of a watch dog too!

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Registered: Nov 2005
Location: minnesota
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quote:

---

Originally posted by Phantom
To me coon hounds are working dogs and not pets.Sure I treat mine good and all that.But when it all comes down to it they are just dogs and working dogs at that.The few times I have raised litters made sure they went to hunting homes.Anyone that wanted them as a pet only was told in a tactful way no.As far as them coming inside that won't happen at my house.To me houses are for people and the outside is for dogs.Only building my dogs are allowed to go inside is the vets.But thats me.To each their own.

---

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Registered: Sep 2003
Location: PEI Canada
Posts: 293

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Autumn Clements
[B]From my point of view when I raise a litter of pups I want them to go to homes where they will get the chance to hunt and live up to what they're suppost to do. People like you can have your coonhounds as just pets, but I personally don't want a pup I raise to go for just a pet.

My dogs are more then "just a dog" to me though, but they are still hunting dogs and are hunted

ya in my opinion there's nothing wrong with keeping a coonhound in the house. I keep my GR NT in the house sometimes. When i got her as a pup she stayed in here at first and has always been great in the house.

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Registered: Jul 2007
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not a champion yet of any kind but hope full...

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Registered: Oct 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 463

I was raised to believe you shouldn't give a hound to much attention and leave them outside. They would hunt to close. My biggest concern was their pads wouldn't hold up to hunting living on carpet. I got to a tree the other night with one of my inside dogs and he had a bloody foot. Still had a inch of thorn still sticking out of his pad but wasen't favoring it. Pulled it out and you never would've known it and didn't favor it. Good watch dog and he sleeps with me every night.

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Registered: Aug 2006
Location: Northwest Mississippi
Posts: 774

"Thats me too. My girlfriend had one of the hounds in the house for about 2 weeks."

You can't expect a dog who has lived outside its whole life to completely adjust to living in the house after 2 weeks... They are like any dog... You have to train them for house life.

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: mitchell INDIANA
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quote:

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Originally posted by dsa1
not a champion yet of any kind but hope full...

---

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baby blues

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Registered: Jun 2005
Location: Prince Edward Island,Canada
Posts: 4589

quote:

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Originally posted by blues07
wat is that female out of

---

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Registered: Feb 2009
Location: mitchell INDIANA
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man she is a nice female prity

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