Puppy walking hounds

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Moobli

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I know more about puppy walking for the police or guide dogs than hunt hounds but does it entail essentially the same thing?
Anyone done it? Recommended or not?
 
It's enormous fun but you'll need a very secure garden and be prepared for the good natured destruction of your belongings!
They need to get out and see the world, be good with livestock and small furries.
It'd be fab if they're lead trained and come to their name.
There's no point in having them if you can't give them plenty of exercise - they're high energy creatures!
Feed-wise the Kennels will usually provide whatever the main pack eats, whether biscuits or flesh.

It's a very rewarding thing to do - everyone I know loves their hound puppies .... and are in equal measure sad and relieved when they go back to kennels!
 
My father and step mother had a guide dog puppy, they had to attend training sessions and were regularly assessed I think. When the dog went off for the next level of training they were heartbroken to see her go, but then she failed on fireworks so they were given the option of having her back as she couldn't be a guide dog. They did take her back and had her the rest of her life.
 
Don't do it if you value your sanity or are house/garden proud! It's VERY different to walking for the guide dogs or police. :) Also, many hunts prefer you to take a couple!

Basically, you need a few acres of your own at least. Yes, you need to accustom pups to some of the every day stuff, recognise their name etc etc, but they need to be allowed to go and investigate and it is when they start going off hunting on their own that you know it's the time to return them to the kennels PDQ. No ball obsession, sitting at kerbs required! :)

When I did it years ago the pups lived in the boot room along with the other dogs I had at the time. They were basically free range in the day, watching and learning what was going on with the livestock, machinery etc etc, interacting with whoever came to visit. Hound pups are VERY mischievous! When they go, you are generally pleased to see the back of them, but they do bring you moments of great joy as well as exasperation.
 
Thanks for the tips. I’m not sure my hubby would be up for it, but being on a sheep farm I could certainly get pups used to sheep, poultry and other livestock. Lots to think about.
 
@Moobli
The best thing to do is to talk to other puppy walkers in your hunt and also to the hunt staff. They'll give you an idea of how long they'll want you to have them, what they expect etc
Tell your husband much fun they can be - it's an addictive experience!
 
We loved doing it. We always had a couple, dogs are much easier than bitches. We just taught them to lead walk and to be steady to livestock and friendly to other dogs and people. They slept in an old pig sty with a Whelping box with straw in. They were a lot of fun and always got sent back the day they buggered off! We didn’t walk them much, in the conventional sense, although they got a couple of good ambles round the paddocks as they got bigger. They never intentionally came in the house.
 
Clodagh said:
We loved doing it. We always had a couple, dogs are much easier than bitches. We just taught them to lead walk and to be steady to livestock and friendly to other dogs and people. They slept in an old pig sty with a Whelping box with straw in. They were a lot of fun and always got sent back the day they buggered off! We didn’t walk them much, in the conventional sense, although they got a couple of good ambles round the paddocks as they got bigger. They never intentionally came in the house.
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Would you do it again?
 
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