Foxhounds

[Gracie]

There are a few foxhounds on MT 

[SuzAndTheDiva]

Yep saw that Gracie was half a dozen or so when i last looked.......

[Dazzleby]

As correctly established the Fox of course is a different species to the canine.    The fox is not the natural prey of a Foxhound.  The deer is the natural prey.  Foxhounds are taught to hunt foxes, or now they are taught to hunt a trail.

Foxhound puppies are normally sent out to be walked at about 10-12 weeks.
This means that they are sent out to families often farmers to be looked after and taught to behave well around farm stock, cats, dogs, etc.  The walkers as they are called are asked to take pups to as many places as possible in order to sociallise them well just like any new puppy owner would do.  The quality of the ''walking'' will reflect on the behaviour of the grown up pup.  So it up to the humans.

So a well walked pup will NOT behave badly around other animals  just like any other breed that has been properly socialised.

Note to Mark .........I hope you are going to come to Crufts and meet my beautiful foxhounds!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sweetypye]

a well walked pup will NOT behave badly around other animals  just like any other breed that has been properly socialised

I am afraid that ANY dog of ANY breed no matter HOW well socialised may kill another species when it is in "high drive" to say that this is not possible is a completely specious comment.

[Val]

I agree SP there is a very fine line between herding and attacking the herd with one dog, as we know two are a pack.
I still think foxhounds should be placed with great care as there is more via the rescue centres than there are via KC registered.
Val

[rooooooooby]

Hi,

look - my experience is i was heavily warned against exercising any dog while the hound pack were out running, the hounds keepers even used to call my work and tell us.  this was because it was so dangerous to be caught up in the running pack and the dog may well get attacked.

this was pre-ban so as you say these dogs were trained to hunt and kill foxes and still come off trails to kill them now. 

I am not saying foxhounds are not beautiful - they are !!

also (at great risk of deviating again) the less flipping irish dogs that come here the better, lets sort our own stray and rehoming problems before we offer to help other countries !!

Claire.

[Val]

Oh I so agree 

also (at great risk of deviating again) the less flipping irish dogs that come here the better, lets sort our own stray and rehoming problems before we offer to help other countries !!

[rooooooooby]

hi ...




"well m'Deer .... word in the pack is .... you're it !!"

[dogloverwoooo!]

 
i wouldn't like to see a picture of the deer about 10 seconds later!! 

[Val]

it would depend if it ran then neither would I like to see it but if it stays still then these dogs are not killers in that sense
Val

i wouldn't like to see a picture of the deer about 10 seconds later!! 

[wags]

uhm ive been out hunting with the bosses labs, springers and mini dachs (which is no bigger than a farm rat)

and terrier men tend to have well uhm terriers out on the hunt as well - although to be fair most working terriers can take care of themselves 

[Val]

Working terriers can take care of the whole wide world 

uhm ive been out hunting with the bosses labs, springers and mini dachs (which is no bigger than a farm rat)

and terrier men tend to have well uhm terriers out on the hunt as well - although to be fair most working terriers can take care of themselves 

[Sweetypye]

Look at this from another perspective.

A dog can walk through fields of sheep every day and not chase.

A dog can walk through parks full of deer like Richmond and not chase.

However.........

Walk the same dog on Dartmoor and a hill sheep pops out from a hedge and watch the dog's reaction, same with deer.

Dogs are very contextual, and there is a phenomenon called "sudden environmental contrast" or SEC which triggers the dog in the previous scenarios to behave differently in the latter; especially when combined with high arousal and prey drift.

There are thousands of examples that people could quote as previous posts, the fact remains that foxhounds can and DO kill cats and dogs etc when out hunting. 

[RugerRun]

I too am an owner of 3 beautiful foxhounds who are pets. Reading the posts, I am a little sad to see some people's narrow mindedness in regards to the breed. As someone else has said, each breed has good and bad traits and it is the overall factors of the individual dog which should dtermine your opinion.
Yes I am an experienced hound owner - have grown up with racing greyhounds for most of my life.

I have had NEVER NEVER EVER had a problem of agression from my dogs towards any stock, cats,humans, kids or other breeds. I have had them in the paddock with a flock of sheep and goats never even thought twice of "ripping them to shreds" as to use someone's quote. Anyone who is experienced with sent hounds knows that they are terrible with recall when they are following a scent.

Also my friend who is also a breeder of english foxhounds has had no problems with her hounds and stock on her farm - it is the ACD that has killed not the 13 foxhounds running round the yard. The breed is extremely friendly as it is use to the pack environment and have buddied up with other breeds like American Staffies, Basjeni, Greyhounds, Border Collies, Spaniels of many type and so on.

My guys have also been used for temp testing at the pound, which shows the temp of this breed.
I have lines from both show and hunt and it is how they are trained and brought up that makes the difference - which we all should know.

[SuzAndTheDiva]

I dont think people are being narrow minded, actually open minded in the fact they can see the good AND bad - like we said as a breed they will surely make good pets/wokers for SOME people. Id never own one they too much for me, is a good thing we dont all want one or wed be over run