Marj Botsford would winter the hunt’s puppies again, but do it differently!A few years ago, the Ottawa Valley Hunt (ON) huntsman at the time, Mr. Adrian Quick, made a request for volunteer families interested in being sponsors for hound puppies over the winter. My husband and I volunteered to take on two puppies. We are animal lovers and were between canines at the time.
In late November, the puppies arrived—Hamish and Hawkesbury. They were about six months old. Being familiar with family dogs and not hounds, we asked Adrian if there was anything in particular that we should know about foxhounds. His advice was to feed them lots of proteins. We knew that hounds are working animals and not family pets so we prepared a stall in the barn for them. Feeding proteins was not a problem as my brother has a dairy farm and a side business selling beef; therefore we had access to all the organ meat the hounds needed.
However, we like canines with good manners, and, as a result, the hounds had to sit when receiving their food, and had to wait for permission before eating. Similarly the hounds had to sit at our feet for treats (cookies), take them gently, and not snack on fingers. We discovered the error of our ways later on.
Exercise time soon became problematic as hounds are unexpectedly strong. After a couple of months I found that they were walking me instead of me walking them. The solution was to harness them, and with a lunge line I would sit in the snow wearing nylon sky pants and have the hounds take me for a dash through the snow. And boy could they move. Just make sure there are no obstacles in the way.
Ottawa Valley Hamish and Hawkesbury: manners may maketh the man, but not the foxhound
Hounds are like most canines: loving, loyal, and very good natured. All too soon our sponsorship came to an end, and in May it was time to return our hounds to the kennels. At the time that we returned them they weighed about eighty or ninety pounds each.
When visiting the hounds we could always recognize our protégées because they were the only two hounds sitting at the huntsman’s feet while the pack chased after the treats. They would sit looking at the huntsman with an injured look as though to say, We are being good; why are you not giving us a treat? Similarly our two hounds went on a crash diet at first because at feeding time they would sit and wait while the other pack members simply plunged in and got the choice morsels. Since they survived the return to the pack I guess they eventually learned the new rules of the game.
Would we sponsor hound puppies again? The answer of course is, yes. Armed with what we know now, however, feeding times would be more of a free for all and treats would be tossed!
Posted July 1, 2016
Marjolaine’s story was previously published in Hornblower, the newsletter of the Eglinton and Caledon Hunt (ON).