Have you ever seen a cute hound pup for sale and thought why not, and that you just had to have it? Or maybe you've seen a guy online advertising a started or finished hound and thought you‘ve always wanted to jump into hound hunting, and now’s your chance? Either way, as cute as they are and as cool as that idea may seem, there are a few things you might want to consider before picking up that hound and diving in the game head first.
Time
One thing to consider before bringing home a hound should be time and whether or not you’ll have enough of it. Raising and caring for hounds takes time, but training and hunting those hounds is going to take even more. If you aren’t willing to set aside or make the time for your hound you’ll probably get nowhere fast. Whether you jump in with a puppy or a started/finished a hound, you’ll need to spend time working them if you want to catch game. As we like to say “you can’t catch ’em from the couch” and the more time spent in the woods with your hound the better! Everyone loves a good ol’ lazy porch hound, but you might feel guilty if you don’t have the time to exercise them - much less follow through with your original plans of hunting them as they were bred to do. Save the porch days for retirement and spend some time on the mountain with your hound! If not, maybe consider getting another breed.
Cost
Another factor to weigh in when getting your first hound should be the cost. Caring for dogs in general will take money, add in big game hunting hounds to the mix and you’re in for an expensive hobby - and some expensive vet bills. While doing what you can with what you have will definitely work to get you started, all of the little and big expenses begin to add up. Starting with the cost of the hound you plan on bringing home. If you give someone a hound, they’re going to ask for a GPS. When you give them the GPS, they'll probably ask for a truck. Then they’ll want a dog box to be able to carry their hound around - and well, if you’ve never read the book “If you give a mouse a cookie” you probably should, because it’s basically the same concept when getting a hound. Spoiler alert - when you give a mouse a cookie they'll probably want another.
Space
Space is something else you’ll need to think about when bringing home a hound. A puppy won’t stay little forever and if you pick up a mature hound you’ll need more space for them even sooner. A kennel, dog run, yard, or some sort of containment in place is ideal when you have to leave them to tend to your responsibilities. They’re cute and cuddly, but can be a handful - and nobody wants a wild hound running around the house 24/7. Plus your hound probably doesn’t want to be cooped up in there either, so giving them a place to be able to get some fresh air and do their business is key to avoiding the stress and the mess that can cause.
Patience & Persistence
Patience is a virtue and even more so when it comes to training and hunting hounds. It takes a special kind of person to be able to deal with the hard-headedness of a hound and if you don’t have the patience to be persistent you will never get the pay out. If you think teaching a dog to sit and shake hands takes patience try teaching a hound to trail and tree a specific game. Even the most experienced hounds will have their bad days and sometimes it seems like no matter how hard you try you can never win. Staying patient and persistent with yourself, your hound, and the game might not be easy but it will be worth it!
Responsibility
Like bringing home a baby, bringing home a hound is a huge responsibility and not something to be taken lightly. They aren’t just another tool in the toolbox. They are living breathing animals, and a lifelong commitment with needs that must be met. Being a responsible dog owner means committing to give them proper care and sustenance throughout their lifetime, keeping them safe, happy, and healthy, providing them with regular checkups and exercise, and spaying or neutering if you have no plans to breed. To me, being a responsible houndsman means to keep the tradition alive by passing it on, respecting the game and the hounds, and portraying our heritage in a good light. In order to keep our tradition alive we must be both responsible dog owners and houndsmen.
All things considered, hounds are an amazing breed and anyone who has been lucky enough to own one would probably agree! But they are much more than just dogs. They are our partners. Our protectors. Their loyalty lies in our leadership and it is up to us as houndsmen and women to be worthy of that devotion!
