Tater, Day 2

I only worked with Tater once today, but he is learning heel very nicely. He is a quick dog, and is hardly pulling at all, although he's not neccessarily in the heel position all the time. He can sit, and he'll wait while I go out to the end of the leash or do a circle around him, most of the time. We're working on waiting at doors, but I think he'll have that soon. As I work with him, I realize that he gets nervous pretty easily. That I think is what triggers his issues, so I definately want to work with him on boosting his confidence.

Meet Tater!

Hi! I'm Tater, and I'm a Jack Russel Terrier mix, and I sure am excited to meet you!!! I was found all alone in Worthington and some kind gentleman brought me in from his farm because when cats run I like to chase them! After all, I think it's fun to chase things! Can you blame me? I'm a fun-loving guy who needs a fun-lovign home. I'm cute, too! Just look at my mugshot! I'm only two years old, and I'm neutered, microchipped, and current on all of my shots. I've been at the shelter since October.

So here's the deal with me. You see, I'm a little uncertain in new situations and around new people. When I get scared, I sometimes nip at clothing, but I'm careful not to bite. I just don't know how else to express my nervousness. I get stressed out at the Mall center with everyone looking at me all day, and I get stressed in the kennel too. That's where training comes in.

I'm now in training, learning heel, sit, and down. I'm going to learn confidence and other ways to manage myself when I get stressed. I could go to a home with older kids, and with cats that are dog-savvy (if they run, I'll chase them!). I'm a little picky about who I hang out with as far as dogs go, so if you have a dog already, bring them out to meet me. Maybe we can be buds!

I'm really looking hard for a home. All this stress is just not good for me, and I will do better in a home environment. My foster family, who took care of me when I was sick, said I'm a great family dog. I loved all the kids and picked one especially to shadow and be a little protector for him. I didn't bark much, and I behaved myself very well. I need help finishing my housebreaking, but I'm a smart dog and willing to learn. I'd even be a good jogging partner, if only given the chance! Take a look at me if you think we could be BFF's, or otherwise keep an eye here on my blog to watch my progress!!

Ready for a Home

Two-eyes is doing wonderfully! In the morning, he did 30 minutes in his kennel with no problems, and then in the afternoon he did an hour! He was so comfortable that he just laid down and napped. He is getting the hang of his Kong, and having blankets and the Kong in his kennel I think is a big part of his success.

He's ready for a home, now- I can't really do much more here at the shelter. It's hard to work with seperation anxiety in a shelter environment. After all, while I am the one Two-eyes has bonded with the most, I am still seperated from him a majority of the time- we're only interacting part of the time I'm working with him. In a home environment, it'll be much different and he'll have a chance to bond much more tightly to his owner. However, getting him used to the kennel, getting him to like the kennel, and getting him used to the idea that it's no big deal to be left alone in a kennel, is a huge step in the right direction for Two-eyes.

What I would recommend for an adopter for Two-eyes would be to take him home and hang out with him for 15 minutes or so. Then, put him in a kennel with a bunch of comfy blankets and a Kong full of food or treats (loosely stuffed). Leave him there for 30 minutes, and then when you take him out, ignore him for 10 minutes or so until he settles down. After a little while, if he did well, put him in the kennel as before for 1 hour. If he was nervous, go for 15 minutes. Give him lots of praise in the kennel and toys and food to reinforce the idea in his head that the kennel is fun. If you can trick him into thinking that the kennel is fun and out of the kennel is more boring, you are on the right track!

In this way, I think an adoptive family should be able to work up to a couple hours seperation the first day, and then successively I'd think he could do 8 hours easily by the end of the week. The key is to never let him out or give him any reinforcement if he whines in his kennel, and never leave him confined for longer than he's able to stand. It often helps for many seperation anxiety ridden dogs to have their family ignore them for a little while when returning from a seperation- that way the seperation isn't so much of a big deal.

The ideal family for Two-eyes would likely be a family willing to deal with seperation anxiety (of course) with either a stay-at-home parent or someone with a flexible schedule who won't have to work an 8 hour day right away without a chance to come home in the middle and let Two-eyes out to relax.

If you're interested in Two-eyes, please call the shelter at 563-582-6766 and talk to Mel or Pete if you have questions about seperation anxiety. We'd love to help you out! In the meantime, Two-eyes will be beginning to learn new commands to help his adoptability. He's smart, and already knows "Kennel" and he won't come out of the kennel until he hears "Let's Go!" to invite him out. He learns quickly and is eager to please, especially if it means playtime or rubs!!

Hot Diggity Dog!

I love my kennel! It's so nice and comfy, much better than the kennel out with the other dogs. It has blankets, and I get food in there, and lately the nice person who takes me out has been putting a red rubber toy in the kennel too. I don't know what it's for, but it has food stuffed in it. It seems strange to stuff food inside rubber rather than just putting it on the ground where I can eat it easier, but people are strange.

I'm much more confident being left alone. We played the alone game again today. I went into my kennel and laid down right away, but kept a close eye on the person. There was no free food today- it was all stuffed in the red rubber toy with peanut butter. Yummy sticky peanut butter! I made sure the person was sticking around for a little while, and when she did, I licked the peanut butter off a little. I haven't quite gotten the hang of the toy- I think the person wants me to eat more from the toy than I do. After a couple minutes, the person went away for a little while- about 4 minutes. There were other people around, milling in and out of the room. I was quiet and just hung out, eating the hotdogs that rain from the sky just before my person leaves. She came back in, and then left me alone for another 3 minutes, with people still in and out of the room. I was okay with that. I know that nothing will hurt me, and I'm getting less anxious. It helps that I like my kennel so much.

The next seperation was a whopping 9 minutes. I think my person was afraid I'd be scared, but I was okay with it. I whined once or twice while she was gone, but nothing happened. I curled up and moved my blankets around so I was extra comfy. Then she was in and out, in and out of the room for 10 minutes. I got the hang of this pretty well! Maybe I will find a home of my own soon. She was playing with me, and she left for just 2 minutes before returning. Big deal- I can handle that!

The next bit really made her excited, I think. I was left alone for 17 minutes with the door closed and everything! I was fine- I just relaxed, enjoying being away from the noise of the kennel. It was nice- calm and quiet. That means in about 53 minutes in the crate, I was left alone for a total of 45 minutes! And that also means that my new record alone time is 17 minutes! My person says that means 30 minutes isn't too far away. I know the longer I can go all by myself without being nervous, the better chances I have of going home for good. I really really want a home for good!

The Kennel is My Friend!

Two-eyes did 58 minutes in his kennel this morning with no problems! We did approximately 5 periods of seperation. One was about 30 seconds of seperation, one was about 1 1/2 minutes (which was pushing the boundary of what he was comfortable with), and the rest were around 1 minute of seperation. He got a little nervous as I was in and out, in and out, and so I stayed with him a little longer and got working on some paperwork, meaning to give him a break from the seperation for a few minutes. Instead, he was so good, that I actually forgot he was in there, and he stayed in his kennel for about 30 minutes more than I had intended.

It's no longer an issue of fearing the kennel- he's quite comfortable in his kennel now. He has been eating his meals in his kennel, and I began to introduce a Kong to him there, which he's still discovering can be a source of fun. He's laying down quickly in his kennel, settling in and getting comfortable, and has no trouble with his 1 hour period in the kennel. The problem now is simply the seperation.

In the afternoon, we began again, hoping to lengthen the periods of seperation but spacing them out better with times that I was there. We started off with one minute, while I was in earshot but quiet, and then we did a couple of 2 minute periods of seperation (again while I was in earshot but quiet). Then we did 3 minutes, and I was in earshot but talking, and then 4 minutes, again while I was in earshot but talking. About 40 minutes in, we did a 4 minute period of seperation, while I was in earshot but quiet- when I came back, he was NAPPING!!!!

I went easy on him and we did a 1 minute period of seperation and then a 1.5 minute period. The next period of seperation was 7 minutes, as I got caught by a visitor who needed help (I was in earshot and talking, so that may have helped). When I came back, he was still relaxed and dozing. We did a 5 minute period of seperation almost right away, with no problems. 65 minutes after I put him in the kennel, I took him out, and returned him to his adoption kennel.

Great Job Two-eyes!!!! 65 minutes in the kennel with a total of about 28 minutes of alone time!

Seperation

What I'm working on now with Two-Eyes is seperation. We're up to about a minute of seperation (me being out of sight and quiet) and he's doing quite well. I know I'm pushing him pretty hard, and it's a little dicey because it's easy to set a dog like this back from pushing too hard, but at the same time, I'm concerned about his adoptablity with his level of anxiety. We're toeing the line, so I'm watching his behavior pretty closely.

Friday morning, we did a workout in the kennel. He did 20 minutes in the kennel the first time, with me instituting 30 seconds of seperation at a time. I would break up a handful of hotdog pieces and throw them into the kennel just before leaving, that way he'd have something to do while I was gone and so he'd hopefully begin to associate good things with being alone in a kennel. He also ate dinner in his kennel.

He then had a little bit of a break, and then we did 25 minutes in the kennel with a seperation length of 30 seconds to a minute at a time. Again he did very well. He did just a very little bit of whining, but nothing too serious, and he would quickly stop on his own.

25 Minutes and Counting!

Two-eyes did about 23 minutes in his kennel this morning without too much trouble (he had breakfast in there, and for the first time, sat down in his kennel rather than standing the entire time). He started getting a little stressed out near the end, so I stopped around the 23 minute mark and let him out. He then went back in and did a quick and easy 5 minutes in his kennel. During the 23 minutes, I did hear a couple of whines, but they were so soft that if I had not been in the room, I wouldn't have heard them. I also was going out of sight for 10, and then later 15, seconds at a time! He's really doing very, very well.

In the afternoon, he was put into the kennel at 2:45 PM with full bowl of food, and I saw him sitting by 2:48 PM. He was LAYING DOWN in his kennel by 2:51 PM!!!! He would not eat, but he showed no interest when I offered from my hand either, and his body language stayed loose and wiggly. I'll need to stop relying so much on how he's eating and start relying more on loose and wiggly body language. At 2:55 PM I began going out of the room for 15 to 30 seconds at a time. At around 3:08, he began getting stressed, so I let him out.

I wanted to be sure to end on a good note, so I let him back into his kennel (which he really wanted to go into) and let him explore and sniff hotdogs for about ten seconds before pulling him out. The key here was to take him out before he was ready to come out. I then let him back in for another little while (I didn't time it) and let him back out quickly, before he was ready. This way hopefully he was left with a desire to be in his kennel, rather than away from it. This session was a little rougher than I had wanted (about 23 minutes again) but that's how rehabilitation goes- ups and downs. And seriously, for downs, this was not bad at all!!

Training Days

Neuve got adopted! Hooray! This makes me so enormously happy. Two-eyes has also gotten up to 15 minutes in his crate, with praise and hotdogs coming every 30 seconds. Today, I am hoping for at least 20 minutes, and I'm planning to go out of sight (only for 5 seconds at a time) to hopefully get him used to that. Since we've got such a big time range now, Two-eyes is having his training downstairs by the office, so I can do paperwork while working with him. He's really loving the food he gets in the kennel, and his crate setup now is a large wire crate with lots of blankets at the bottom. Hopefully he'll feel even more at home this way.

Ten Minutes!

Two Eyes just spent 10 minutes in his crate! That's HUGE! Of course, we cheated a little- I fed him in his crate, so about five of those minutes was him eating the super-yummy food I had prepared for him. Then he waited patiently for another five minutes, and when I finally opened the door for him he waited until I told him he could come on out. It was still a little stressful for him- he shook off and ran in wild crazy-dog circles for a little bit before coming back for more.

I think having a dish in his crate weirds him out a little bit because he didn't want to go into his kennel with the dish there. He'll get used to it quickly I think, however. We also went from treating every 10 seconds in the kennel to every 15 seconds with no trouble.

After this success, I put him back in the kennel, and he ate for another minute or so before deciding he was done. He stayed in the kennel for five minutes, and then we were done! Someone came into the room at that point, and Two-eyes has been fine in the kennel if a crowd of people are around, so when people are around it's harder to work on his anxiety.

Neuve, Last Session

Today was (hopefully) my last training session with Neuve, as he is going to be going to the Mall today and hopefully get adopted. There was a lot of activity up front while I trained him today, and he still managed to hold a sit and a down while I went out to my leash, and he came when called 100% of the time this session! He is really starting to get down, too! I am so proud of him, and I wish him the very best. I've become quite attached to the little guy, but I hope his stay at the Mall is a brief one.

Two-eyes, Five Minutes

I'm pushing Two-eyes pretty hard, because at this point he would need a very special adopter to help him get along, whereas farther on down the road an adoptor wouldn't need to have so much time set aside to help him. Two-eyes had a bad day today, and so I worked with him a couple times to help him sort that out. At this point, he needs to never be in a kennel longer than 5 minutes- any longer, and he'll likely revert. I'm betting he'd revert to hating that kennel if he was in there a shorter amount of time but left all alone with no encouragement, actually.

Still, from two minutes to five minutes is a big deal, and he's improving greatly, although I won't be happy until he can do a full half hour. I'm hoping he continues improving in leaps and bounds. Two-eyes would probably really be comfortable for about 4 minutes- that last minute is pretty hard for him. To help him out, I plan on trying to feed and water him in the kennel tomorrow- hopefully that works!

Neuve, Day 6

Short and sweet is the key with Neuve, or else he begins to get bored. He is doing excellent on the sit command and the come command, and he's beginning to generalize these to different locations. We're fading out the lure for the sit, and he's still doing just fine. He's beginning to understand down, and he can stay put (in a sit or a down) for about 8 seconds or so. He's very playful and loves people and other dogs, and I wish I had time just to let him play more. That's part of the reason I keep the training sessions short, so he can go back and play with his new kennel mate.

Neuve, Day 5

Orrin got adopted and went home yesterday afternoon! This leaves Neuve all alone- the last lonely puppy in the litter. Hopefully he will find a home soon. He's doing so well on his training- he really knows sit and only needs to see the hand signal rather than depending on the lure. The concept of a release command really seems to have sunk in too, and when there are not too many distractions around, he will plunk his rear on the ground and look like he's glued there while he watches me move out to the end of the leash and fiddle around. Then when I release him with his word "Release!" he will fly up and run over to celebrate his smarts!

Neuve is doing so well on his recall, too- he hears the word "Come" and flies over to me. In fact, I was trying to get a video update of him and I had trouble getting him to go far enough away from me to get a good video! He came and sat even when there were people in the room, and would come even when he had to pass another puppy in a wire crate. I'm very proud of his accomplishments, and he has a great start.

He is still learning down and hasn't really figured out what the word means yet. He did meet a whole crowd of people including children today, and he did very well with them. He also was introduced to cats, and he was a little nervous but curious- a good response from a puppy. As soon as they looked at him he would back away, and then slowly slowly creep forward, and then leap away again.

Neuve still likes to nip, and he does jump up sometimes. However, he responds well to the word "No" although he's started some backtalk (barking in response). He's full of fun and games, and he will make some lucky family laugh every day I'm sure!

Orrin and Neuve, Day 4

Today was a very distracting day for Orrin and Neuve. There was another dog up in the training area, and the puppies just wanted to play, play, play! Neuve didn't seem too afraid of the steps today- he ran right up them without fear. He delayed a little bit coming down, but all in all, much improved. Neuve also lost his collar today, so right now he has a blue collar instead.

We worked on down today with both Orrin and Neuve. Neuve was right on task, and did very well. He also did about 7 seconds for holding his sit. We didn't work too much on come- just a couple of times with come, but Neuve did well. He stalled the first time, and came right away the second time. While Neuve was working, Orrin was in the kennel. He cried about half the time we worked, and was quiet the rest of the time, so he was a little louder than normal.

Neuve was very loud while Orrin was out working, and threw quite the temper tantrum. He quieted down with a little persuasion after I decided to get help in focusing on that, about halfway through Orrin's session. Orrin was just so distracted he couldn't even sit anymore, between the new dog up there and Neuve's noise. After I got help to deal with Neuve, he vastly improved, and stayed quite about 80% of the rest of the time.

Orrin, like I said, was very distracted. Today was not a good training day for him. He did seem to like down okay, and we did a little come, but sit was a no-go. We'll try again tomorrow.

Two Eyes, Two Minutes

Two-eyes is doing very well on his waiting at doors. Today, he needed a reminder about 70% of the time, and the rest of the time needed no reminders- he just did it all on his own! He was a turkey in the kennel though, and nearly escaped twice before settling down and behaving.

His kennel work is doing well too. We warmed up with a few ten second stays in the kennel, and he went right in for hotdogs. I had a goal for today of 30 seconds in the kennel at a time, because I didn't want to push him too far too fast. However, he was doing so well after 30 seconds that I tried for more. Every ten seconds I was throwing a piece of hot dog through one of the slots in the kennel. He stayed in the kennel for about 2 and a half minutes the first time!

I let him out, and he went right back in for another hotdog. Two eyes stayed there for another two minutes before he started stressing out again. All in all, it was a great training session, and Two eyes preformed better than I expected!

Two-eyes, Day 2

This was the second session of working with Two-eyes. It would really benefit him to be in a home environment where this sort of work could go on multiple times a day, but we work with what we have! Two-eyes is a wonderful dog in the rough- he has amazing potential and just needs someone to bring it out of him!

I am working with Two-eyes on his bolting issue with doors. We're working to control his impulses so that he can hold back until he's invited through a door. I don't care whether he's sitting, laying down, or standing, but I consider it important for Two-eyes that he wait at every single door until invited through. He's doing very well, and needs one reminder at each door. Soon I think this will be an automatic process for him, so one reminder is not bad- especially after only one training session! However, the action of a person going through the door usually get him, so then he messes up and gets too excited to stay put. It's getting better, and I think he'll be pretty good at it if I can work with him for a week. He's a smart dog, and works well for praise.

Two-eyes is doing well with kennels, too! When I evaluated him, I at first wondered if he had an issue at all- he didn't make a peep. Then I tried again without any distractions, and found out the truth- he's a scared puppy in the kennel when he thinks he's all alone. What we're doing is getting him used to being in the kennel, and slowly lengthening the time that he's in it. As with doors, he is not allowed out of the kennel (even if the kennel door is open) until he's invited.

So Two-eyes and I went upstairs to work today, and he went right into the kennel with a low-value treat (dog biscuit) and the word "Kennel". In there, he got a hotdog chunk, and a couple seconds later, another hotdog chunk. Then, I let him out of the kennel and ignored him. We established a routine- in the kennel he gets lots of praise and attention and hotdogs, and out of the kennel he gets nothing. Two-eyes quickly became wise to this, and about ten minutes into his second session, he was coming back to me, hoping for direction, and pretty easily being led into the kennel again. A couple of times he even went into the kennel all by himself, hoping for attention and goodies (which he received in plenty)!

About 15 minutes into the training session, we upped the ante on Two-eyes. Two-eyes would be told "Kennel" and led into the kennel with the lure of a hot dog slice or piece of biscuit. Then I would close the door and praise and feed him hot dogs through the door for five seconds. Then I would open the door, feed more, and pet him. Then it was "Let's Go!" to let him out of the kennel (the same word I use to let him go through doors) and ignore him until he came back over for more training.

I can tell the kennel is stressful for him, but he is working hard with me to get over it. Sometimes he comes right over to me for play and attention, but most times he runs out of his kennel when he's allowed and shakes off or runs about sniffing. I let him calm himself down and take his time until he's ready for more- when he comes over to me to engage me in his antics, it's time for more kennel work. He's learning that pattern- the only way he gets attention and petting from me is in the kennel or after he waits at a door.

Would an owner have to be so strict? No! But I would recommend training with Two-eyes every hour or so ideally. I plan to start at 5 seconds (which is where he's at right now) and progress up to 30 minutes or an hour in the crate. Once he's good in the crate for a while, I'll begin to leave briefly to get him over that. The key with seperation anxiety is to go slow, and not every potential adoptor for Two-eyes will be able to take that time and not leave him alone for any length of time longer than he's comfortable with, slowly increasing his tolerance until he can handle a normal 4 to 8 hour abscence.

Meet Two-eyes, aka Murphy

Hello, my name is Two-eyes, although my adoptors had named me Murphy. My original owners brought me in because they had too many animals. I was sort of an outside dog, able to go where I pleased with my brothers and sisters for about 9 months, and then my siblings and I became too much for them. I was at the shelter for about 3 weeks before I found a home with a wonderful couple. They taught me to be housetrained and I am now neutered and current on all my shots, as well as microchipped! However, I have an issue with kennels- they scare me! They scare me so much that I tried chewing my way out of a metal kennel.

I know I have some anxiety with being left alone, but I just want a good home where maybe I don't have to be left alone much. I'm willing to learn and I love to play and have fun with my people. I need someone with patience and the time necessary to spend with me so I can learn that it's okay to be left alone sometimes and that kennels won't hurt me.

One of the trainers here is working with me to get me used to a kennel so I don't have to be so scared. They also noticed that I tend to bolt ahead out of people to get out doors, so I am being trained not to do that. Keep checking back here and see my training progress!

Orrin and Neuve, Day Three

Today was Orrin and Neuve's third day of training. Orrin is just a little pro at going up and down stairs, although he approaches them cautiously at first. Neuve is a little scared of stairs at first, and needs to be given time to explore them on his own time. If he is rushed, he turns into a tiny furry mule, but if he's allowed to go up to them at his own pace without a lot of fuss, he eventually decides to dive in and will rush up or down stairs as fast as he can, almost as if to get them over with as quickly as possible!

Both pups know a very basic sit- they need the hand gesture as if they were being lured, and they need to have immediate feedback that they are doing well. Orrin is able to hold a ten second sit, although he averages about five seconds. He does not do well with movement yet, and will move to follow you as soon as you try to back away from him. Neuve, little mister independence, can hold a sit for about 5 seconds, although his average is about 3 or 4 seconds. However, he can hold a sit while you back up to the end of the leash without trouble.

Orrin and Neuve have gotten very used to the leash, although they do sometimes buck a little at the end if they get nervous. Most times they are just little pros, although because of this they have started pulling some, eager to get to wherever it is they are going.

The kennel still needs to be worked on with the two boys. Orrin has been doing very well in the kennel, giving some frustration barks for a minute or two and then settling down, but today he just barked and whined and barked and whined. Neither is let out until they quiet down, and both will enter right away most of the time. Neuve usually throws a huge fit after being in the kennel for a few seconds, and doesn't settle down for several minutes- he is quite stubborn when he wants to be. Today however, he settled down nicely after a short fit.

Orrin's favorite command is come, contrary to the popular knowledge of Coonhounds. He really loves to please, and is so people oriented he is a joy to train. When come is called, about 85% of the time he drops whatever it is he was doing to come flying over, big old ears flapping away behind him, and his legs flying out all gangly like. Neuve is pretty good at come, as long as you are within about 25 feet or so of him. Past that, and he's hit and miss- sometimes he develops a certain selective deafness!

Neuve is the little clown of the two. He really loves to chew and is very mouth-oriented. When he gets excited, he wants to pick something- anything- up in his mouth, including the shoes you are wearing! He is a little nippy when he's excited, because he so much wants to play and doesn't yet realize that he can't nip humans. If you're looking for a bundle of laughs, Neuve is your pup! He has a way of getting tangled up in the leash sometimes, and as soon as he decides he can't get out, he flops onto his side and looks at you with all the humor of a born comic until you come rescue him. And then when that happens, the game is on!!

Check out the videos of Neuve and Orrin on the website at http://www.dbqhumane.org/petpointsearch/dogs.html (just scroll down to their names). Neuve demonstrates his sit, and Orrin demonstrates his come. Below are some updated pictures of Neuve, and you can see new pictures taken just today of each of them on the website!

Orrin and Neuve

Meet Orrin and Neuve! We are only 3 month old and were born here at the shelter to a wonderfully sweet mama. She looked like a Redbone Coonhound mix and weighed about 50 lbs or so. We are in training since we’ve been here so long, and are learning all the skills we need to know to be wonderful companions! Orrin has the red collar and is calmer although he can be a clown, and Neuve has the purple collar and is very playful and active. Both are very people oriented. They are learning sit and come and how to walk nicely on a leash as well as how to behave in a kennel or crate, among other useful life skills.

Hi! My name is Neuve- I'm the one with the purple collar. I am a very playful, happy little puppy, and I love to chew! I enjoy being around people, especially if you are playing with me! I'm very inquisitive, and very smart.

Hello! My name is Orrin (I'm the one with the red collar). I am a 3 month old puppy and am currently living with my brother Neuve. I love treats but I love people and petting even more! I am a fairly relaxed puppy (although you should still expect me to be a puppy) and I can be a bit of a clown. I am in training, and am learning sit and come- which I am very good at. Stairs scare me a little still, but I am getting over that.

What are Coonhounds?

“Coonhound” is a term referring to a variety of breeds including the black and tan coonhound, the redbone coonhound, the treeing walker coonhound, bluetick coonhound, and more. They are in general very easy to groom (although they do shed), requiring very little maintenance, and can be great exercise partners! They are a medium to large dog who tends to be laid back with people and other dogs. However, they need to be exercised and tired out mentally and physically or they are prone to jumping, chewing, and other destructive behaviors. They can be stubborn, and are bred to hunt by smell, so when they are on a track (of a bunny, etc) they may not respond to your commands. When on a track (or when bored or excited) they can bay quite loudly (this is so hunters can locate them on a trail).

Coonhounds are not known as the most graceful of breeds, and they can romp and play quite exuberantly. They have a strong chase and track instinct and can be independent and stubborn. They need supervision outside unless taught boundaries and to come when called very well. However, once they are tired out, they tend to sprawl out on a comfy spot on the floor and not move except to snore. They are often good with kids, and can make good watchdogs if you are looking for a big dog with a loud bark.

Our coonhounds were born to a mama named Annie who looked like a Redbone Coonhound mix, weighing around 50 lbs. We don’t know what the dad was, but he was possibly a Black and tan Coonhound mix (although he could have been anything). If so, these puppies could grow up to be 50-70 lbs, although that’s just a guess. Redbones tend to be light shedders and tend to be very healthy, although they are prone to hip dysplasia. They tend to live 10 to 12 years. Black and tans are prone to becoming overweight, and to hip dysplasia (a common ailment for the larger dog breeds). Their life expectancy is about 10 to 12 years as well. They tend to be low maintenance dogs requiring an occasional brushing, but need regular attention to their ears to avoid ear infections.

Check back to see how Neuve and Orrin do with their training!