Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Featured Rescue - Abby the Basset Hound

I have a soft spot for hound dogs. Not sure why. Possibly because when I was younger I was given a Beagle mix? What a good dog ...



I know a lot of people who actually can't stand hounds, which to me is a real shame. They are quite trainable if you alter your training style to accomodate the hound's instictual drives. I have found that many trainers don't do this. It sets the dog and owner up for failure. Any time I am given a chance to foster a hound, I always agree (unless I already have a foster on the go!).



Today's featured rescue is Abby. She is described as a "typical hound dog and loves to follow her nose". While Abby gets along well with dogs, she is afraid of cats.



I always wonder what kind of cat interaction a dog has experienced to make it afraid of them. It's common sense for a dog to be afraid of cats ... they do have 5 out of 6 pointy ends, after all.



Abby is located in Blackstock, ON and is being cared for by The Animal Guardian Society. Petfinder ID: http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/13087761

8 comments:

Cyndi and Stumpy said...

I have found, as a trainer, hounds really test me. If the nose, hits the ground, it's all over. (eyes scope out movement, etc.)

That said, they are loving dogs and great companions. And there's nothing better than watching a hound (or any dog) work as they were intended!

GoLightly said...

Awww, Abby.
They are very close to "real" dogs, hounds.

They can give you such withering looks, it's amazing.

I love them, but they are a challenge, if you don't let them do what they NEED to do, daily.
BaRoooooo.
Good Luck, Abby!

*Amber* aka Suzy SINsation said...

I LOVE bassets! Not fond of beagles though, isn't that strange. :) I think the short legs reel me in.

Funny you should mention the cat thing - just encountered a female brindle mastiff (adult) who was PETRIFIED of a dog-friendly kitty. Up against the wall shaking when the cat tried to sniff her. No idea what happened in infancy to a dog like that.

Jen said...

I have a Bassador who is more basset than lab. I have managed to train him to sit but nothing else seems to take. I have been working on "shake" for the last three years and am getting nowhere with him. Any suggestions? He's is a sweet dog but as dumb as they come. I use dog treats as incentive, which is how I got him to learn how to sit on command.

I have had many dogs before, usually labs, and have never had a problem training them to do all kinds of things. This one just doesn't seem to "get it".

I have a picture of him posted on my blog today if you want to see what he looks like.

GoLightly said...

Their brain is mostly in their nose, you have to find something that interests them to do. Finding stuff is a fun game.
Shaking a paw would seem kinda pointless to a hound.

They can ignore you better than any other breed, too. They don't Mean to, they just follow that universe in front of their noses.
jmo.

There are several senior dogs at the OSPCA, in addition to Ben.
Zillions of cats.

Good luck to them all.

baterya said...

hahaha its nice to have dogs.. our last dog here at house was 10 years ago... maybe we should get one again hahaha

bichonpawz said...

I sure hope that Abby finds a forever home...very soon! There are so many without homes...

Marg said...

I love Bassett hounds just because of their ears. And I have a dog right now that is afrad of cats. She has been swatted so many times that she will not walk past them if there isn't a wide path that she can take. Hope Abby does find a great home.