Just about one year ago, Cathy Eising wrote and asked Foxhunting Life if we could help with advice on how to raise her young “mostly foxhound” as a family dog in a suburban environment. She was especially concerned about whether or not she could curb its hunting instincts to the point where she could take it for long walks in the woods off the leash.
We submitted her question to our FHL Panel of Experts, the consensus of which cast some doubt on prospects for the achievement of Cathy’s goal, primarily because of the hound’s young age. Our Experts were right! Cathy has written to bring us up-to-date on her project:
“I’m not sure I would adopt another foxhound as family dog,” Cathy reports, “but I have learned much, stayed in good physical shape, and grown to appreciate the world of foxhunting.
“Although my first goal—having this animal walk off-leash and follow me in wooded areas—has not been achieved, much has been learned in the ongoing efforts to fulfill his energy and redirect his drives!
“I gave up the e-collar because he wasn’t learning to follow me off the leash. Yes, it did improve the percentage of successful recalls, but I still had to watch and monitor him at all times. I decided it wasn’t worth it to shock him for acting on his natural instincts. But we did achieve a lot!
“He gets vigorous exercise almost everyday. We hike, using a fifty-foot long line or I clip him to a padded belt and put on an eight-foot lead with bungie, depending on the terrain.
“There is an attachment for a bicycle (BikeTowLeash) that allows him to safely run alongside of my bicycle. I can run him further and faster than I can on foot.
“And this winter we discovered skijoring, which he took to like a champ!
“At one year old we started Agility classes, which have been great for our relationship and understanding of each other. He doesn’t have the same “handler focus” as the herding dogs but works off-leash with distractions and continues to make good progress.
“This fall we started Nose Work class. He excels in the sport [Why are we not surprised!], works independently, and shows a fine work ethic when given the, ‘Where is it?’ command.
“Thank you all for giving me a window into the invigorating and multi-faceted sport of foxhunting.”
Posted March 5, 2014
