Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
Criminal damage there but will the hunt get done for it?
Hunting is in a spot of bother
- Thread starter Tiddlypom
- Start date
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
Witness today to a totally embarrassingly poor display of hound control involving hounds trespassing and actively hunting on my horses’ field, which they have NO permission to be on.
Luckily I was given the heads up by a neighbour just in time to grab my two in.
Hounds speaking and hunting over a wide area that they weren’t supposed to be on and which had not been cleared whilst completely ignoring the huntsman.
Hunt officials were left in no doubt what I thought about their pIss poor control of hounds.
Like we say on the irresponsible owners’ thread - if you haven’t got recall keep your dog on a lead.
Luckily I was given the heads up by a neighbour just in time to grab my two in.
Hounds speaking and hunting over a wide area that they weren’t supposed to be on and which had not been cleared whilst completely ignoring the huntsman.
Hunt officials were left in no doubt what I thought about their pIss poor control of hounds.
Like we say on the irresponsible owners’ thread - if you haven’t got recall keep your dog on a lead.
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teapot
Well-Known Member
Good for you TP! Hope you follow up with a strongly worded letter
canteron
Well-Known Member
A new line of attack. Interesting.
Miss_Millie
Well-Known Member
I remember on that show 'The Dog House' there was an old hound who needed to be rehomed, can't remember the circumstances but I think it was either an elderly person had gone into a care home or passed away. The dog was a much loved house pet.
I recall some posters in the past have insinuated that they wouldn't make good pets, but I don't see how they would be different to any other dogs with the right enrichment, training and care.
I recall some posters in the past have insinuated that they wouldn't make good pets, but I don't see how they would be different to any other dogs with the right enrichment, training and care.
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
.palo1
Well-Known Member
I have had a hound (fellhound) retired at home. She was utterly delightful in a great many ways, wonderful with our young children and safe with our stock. I had her from the age of 2 until she was nearly 15. We all still miss her! She was very easy BUT I could never have forgotten that she was essentially a very different kind of dog to the average domestic pet. Hugely sensitive and taking great comfort from being part of a small pack, it would have been very hard for her to adapt to home life without another dog and in many ways she was never truly domestic in her outlook. This is not a breed that many people would find easy tbh but I would have another. I don't think hounds are happy or confident outside a pack setting and their natural drive to hunt needs very careful understanding and management. They can be massively frustrating to 'train' but at the same time, extremely sensitive and easily upset. I dunno; the drive to re-home hounds isn't particularly informed and in light of all the existing problems with dogs, adding hounds doesn't seem especially fair to them. Really they need to be in a well managed, hound specific pack setting for them to live their best lives.
palo1
Well-Known Member
@Miss_Millie, I just wanted to add some thoughts and experiences about rehoming hounds...their breeding does not in any way take into account the need to be domestic; whilst hugely individual characters, hounds are pack animals in a way that virtually no other breed (certainly in the UK) is. Their safe and happy place is almost inevitably with other hounds on a full time basis.
They take their confidence from being in their place in the pack, are used to sorting out disputes in a fairly basic teeth and body language way which can feel distinctly 'wild' when viewed by a bystander. They tend to be quite highly strung though there are very laid back individuals and their drive to pick up a scent is relentless and can be hard to manage. My experience is that this can be MUCH harder work on an individual basis than it is when hounds are working as a pack. My old girl had very distinct likes and dislikes and had no other thought than to communicate those very clearly at times. As I said, teeth and body language! I had excellent advice for keeping her happy but they are just not a breed to take on lightly: they are very soft when relaxed but nothing at all like, for example a retired greyhound. A retired hound is a big responsibility: they are big, strong dogs with considerable sensitivity, extraordinary stamina, athleticism and can be strong willed. I really genuinely don't see many pet homes being suitable for either hound or person, though undoubtedly some would be fine.
They take their confidence from being in their place in the pack, are used to sorting out disputes in a fairly basic teeth and body language way which can feel distinctly 'wild' when viewed by a bystander. They tend to be quite highly strung though there are very laid back individuals and their drive to pick up a scent is relentless and can be hard to manage. My experience is that this can be MUCH harder work on an individual basis than it is when hounds are working as a pack. My old girl had very distinct likes and dislikes and had no other thought than to communicate those very clearly at times. As I said, teeth and body language! I had excellent advice for keeping her happy but they are just not a breed to take on lightly: they are very soft when relaxed but nothing at all like, for example a retired greyhound. A retired hound is a big responsibility: they are big, strong dogs with considerable sensitivity, extraordinary stamina, athleticism and can be strong willed. I really genuinely don't see many pet homes being suitable for either hound or person, though undoubtedly some would be fine.
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
A hound that has lived in a pack would be a sorry creature alone in a house, however loved. They are far more in touch with their instincts than many pet bred dogs.
You can rehome some, but please not to small houses in towns.
You can rehome some, but please not to small houses in towns.
Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
Beagles and bloodhounds are kept as pets. I can not see why Foxhounds should be any different. With training and care many would adjust. There are also show foxhounds kept as pets.
Ex racing greyhounds also adapt to living as pets after a life of living in kennels.
Ex racing greyhounds also adapt to living as pets after a life of living in kennels.
Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
So what will happen to foxhounds when { As it will be} trail hunting is banned?
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
Former working fox hounds used to living in a pack rarely settle to life as a pet. I know of several people who have tried to take on a favourite retired fox hound and, despite best efforts, it hasn’t worked out.
The hound misses pack life too much.
The hound misses pack life too much.
palo1
Well-Known Member
I don't think there are any show fox hounds that are not kept in a pack. Beagles and Bloodhounds, which are also wonderful are different again though a retired pack Beagle would genuinely be a challenge that very few skilled dog handlers would want to take on!! Bloodhounds are hilarious, very strong willed but generally much more laid back than a fox hound. Racing greyhounds are completely different and I have had those too.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
The show foxhounds are bred by essentially one person, and obviously have been bred to be a pet.
palo1
Well-Known Member
The kindest thing to do would very tragically be to pts. There is an absolute fundamental objection to that course of action for most hunters too: to lose these amazing pack animals, their bloodlines and characters is extremely difficult to comprehend.
Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
So why have they continued to breed for over 20 years since the ban? Had they slowed the breeding down they would not now have hundreds of hounds that will not have a job. They should stop breeding now.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
Well given the number of packs that have combined in that time yes breeding has been slowed down.
Miss_Millie
Well-Known Member
I suppose it's the nature vs nurture debate? Many domestic animals are kept 'unnaturally', for better or for worse. Many dogs bred for working (beagles, spaniels, collies) are kept successfully as pets. Don't all dogs descend from wolves, and are all by default pack animals? I recall this was discussed when that woman was tragically attacked and killed by the 8 or so dogs she was walking - they all turned on her and there was a discussion about pack mentality/hard-wired animal instincts.
I can completely imagine that it would be difficult for a hunt dog that has lived in a pack all its life to adapt to a domestic setting, what I was saying in my previous post is that I recall the hunt hound on the TV show 'The Dog House' needing to be rehomed. I think he/she came in with another dog, it wasn't clear how long they had lead a domestic life. Maybe it had been a pet from a puppy, I don't know.
I completely agree that they are big strong dogs, and as someone who was attacked by a working farm dog not so long ago, it scares me to see that number of large dogs loose off lead. But that's a whole other subject.
Miss_Millie
Well-Known Member
This is my worst nightmare Tiddlypom. I'm glad your horses were okay. A similar thing happened to a local acquaintance last year and they were trying to round up a whole pack of hounds for over an hour, who were trespassing on their land worrying their sheep. The hunt were nowhere to be seen!
My question is has hound control always been this poor, or are we just hearing about it more now because of social media?
palo1
Well-Known Member
I genuinely think that a pack of hounds is infinitely safer for the general public and their pets than many more domestic dogs. I know there have been some appalling incidents reported with hounds and that is awful but I would be more relaxed about 20 hounds heading towards me and my pet dog than 3 domestic dogs not responding to their handler. But then I am familiar with hounds so that is a bias.
Miss_Millie
Well-Known Member
Sadly I think the many pet deaths contradict that statement. Tbh I don't think an off lead dog is ever 'safe', apart from anything else so many dogs go missing every year on walks when they spot a rabbit or squirrel, their prey drive kicks in and then they're never found again. That is down to the discretion of the owner and how good they think their dog's recall is, but it's totally unacceptable for a dog (whether domestic or working) to go onto someone's else's land and attack their animals. That is my worst fear as I live rurally and have several small animals.
I've been attacked by a working border collie and XL bully in the past, in both cases I was far away and the dogs came at me for no reason whatsoever. In both cases the owners were nowhere to be seen and I was lucky to get off lightly, but I went from being completely okay around all dogs to quite scared of any dogs off lead.
Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
Maybe try telling that to owners of pets that have been killed by hounds and sadly, at least where I live 20 hounds can very likely not be listening to the huntsman that is supposed to be in control of them!
palo1
Well-Known Member
How many pet deaths have there been as a result of rioting hounds please?
druid
Well-Known Member
They very much haven't but I'm not sure Rosemary breeds anymore. She used to be on this forum many years ago and her hounds were all bred with stallion hounds from various packs who respected her well enough to allow her stud services and to walk hounds for many a pack.
Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-58843059 Thats one for a start
https://protectthewild.org.uk/news/...-days-after-he-was-spooked-by-hunting-hounds/. Other animals chased by hounds.
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Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
What I can say is that one of my horses would have gone for those trespassing rioting hounds with full intent to kill them had I not grabbed her in just before they came into her field. It would have been horrendous.
She’s not overly keen on unfamiliar dogs at the best of times.
She’s not overly keen on unfamiliar dogs at the best of times.
Miss_Millie
Well-Known Member
I don't have the statistics, I don't know. There seems to be at least one on the news every year, from horses to alpacas to cats. I once had an off lead dog come into my garden when an oblivious owner was taking a phone call, thankfully my cat was able to dash inside quickly enough. If it had been a whole pack of dogs it may have been a different outcome. Neither are acceptable!
Miss_Millie
Well-Known Member
I Googled it and there have been 9 pet deaths this year from between 1 August to 31 October apparently (what is that, cubbing season?)
ester
Not slacking multitasking
ah that's quite different from what was said a few years back.
palo1
Well-Known Member
I would like to know where Google got that from as I could find very little actual information about this.