Bluetick Hounds tell me all about them please

[BlackBart]

I have been offered a Bluetick Hound. To circumstances beyond his control he can no longer keep her. She is Registered, spayed, five years old. Vetted, trained (definately not a hunting dog) in good health and very clean in the house.
He said she is a big pussy cat, not dominant.
He would like her to go the right home. Don't know if my home is the "right home" but I do have Australian Cattle Dogs if that says anything

Haven't met her and it depends on my dogs if I take her. If they like her and they all get along.

Anybody know anything about them?

 

[Olive Hill]

You can't train the hound out of a hound. She may not be used for hunting but tracking is in her blood and she will do it given the chance. She must be fenced or otherwise contained. And well. You should understand that she is bred to work and will be happiest with a job. You should also understand that hounds are a different kind of working dog than your cattle dogs, cattle dogs are social working dogs -- they work closely and with frequent interaction with their human -- hounds are one-track mind working dogs. When they zero in on a job they are concerned with that job and only that job.

IMO if you're thinking about taking this dog as a pet and only a pet and cannot provide her with a job she's suited to and room to perform it, it would be nicest to her to pass her up.

 

[turney31]

I love them but they are talkers, mouthy. When they drink it gets everywhere. We have a black and tan. Wouldn't trade Larry for the world. He was a Prison tracking dog who retired with my husband.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

If ya want your neighbors to hate ya then get a hound is a pet. Any hound with nothing to do will drive you an everyone for miles around crazy. Now if you have acreage an a job for him then they are fine dogs.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

The largest hounds I have experience with are beagles, and based on that experience I will never own one.

I'm not sure if Blueticks are known to be as bad as Beagles, but those dogs (room mate's) were into everything CONSTANTLY. These are the kind of dogs that will eat the toothpaste, tube and all, if you don't lock it up. If Bluetick's are even remotely similar, I can not imagine how big of a head ache it would be to dog proof your house.

I've also been told by large hound owners that they can be very headstrong and stubborn. Even dogs that are trained only behave because they want to, and you can not always make them want to!

That said, you have an ACD which is also a difficult breed and not one I recommend often. I would suggest maybe taking her on a trial basis and seeing what it's all about. It will likely be very different from your ACD but, hey, some people enjoy the variety.

(I concur with previous posters, however, that this is a breed that can absolutely never be allowed off lead outside of a securely fenced area.)

 

[synoviaus]

Lance and I have been breeding Blueticks for several years now. We have multi-champion hunt and show lines. We only breed about two litters a year because we spend a great deal of time researching the crosses. First, they are extremely intelligent! They are often escape artists- doors, latches, clips, etc. are no obstacle. They are determined problem solvers, as in, you have me in this fence. That's a problem. They simply watch you until they figure the way out. They are very athletic. If you see one laying on a porch tired, it's because he's been hunting all night. They can easily be trained to do anything! Depending on how they are bred they usually have a very high prey drive especially with animals that run and climb trees (cats) for instance. NEVER trust them alone with a cat! EVER! They may forget it's not a raccoon. They love kids. They love people and want to please you. They are not guard type dogs because of this. They want attention from people, so would pack a thiefs bag if they showed up to rob your house. LOL. They were bred for their voices, so yes they are loud, and I mean Loud! Loud! You can literally hear them for miles. They were bred to hunt some tough game animals so, therefore may not show if they are hurt or sick. So, learn your dog. If they act the least bit off call in a vet. It's easier to hurt their feelings than to hurt them physically. Now, I'm not saying be cruel to your hound, but just know that your dog may not show injuries. I currently have four hounds here. I'm going to be showing one in a couple of weeks. All my hounds are trained to show and hunt. They make awesome house pets because they are so loving! If I can answer any questions feel free to contact me. (205)429-4760

 

[synoviaus]

My dogs are NOT neurotic barkers, but some Blueticks can become nuisance barkers. The key is keep them busy. My dogs love kongs and will spend a long time working out every bit of the treat inside. Amy

 

[BlackBart]

Quote:
So can ACD's

There are two LGD's down the road that bark all the time.

Thank you for all your advice. I haven't met the dog. She lives with a very old Black and Tan who has cancer and is not long for this world. He claims the Bluetick is a house mouse. I don't know. You know people tend to bend the truth.
I would hate to bring her home and have the dog chase all my cats away.
Somebody is always home here and working in the yard but I do live next to prime Cougar country..........so...........
My property is fenced to keep livestock in, not dogs, as my dogs never go too far from the porch or couch and they have a dog door.
ACD's are dogs of opportunity

I had a Sled Dog from the North that gave me gray hair. He had a mind of his own and was selectively deaf.

This Bluetick is from a breeder in Ontario and the fellow paid quite a bit of money for her. I don't know why he thinks she has no hunting instinct, unless she has never been allowed to be true to her breed.
I hate to get suspicious.

I was thinking of asking my friend who has a Catahoula Leopard Dog if he would be interested. That dog thinks it is her job to hold the porch down from gravity making it float away. A very pretty marked dog but aloof and loves cats. Go figure?

 

[Robo]

I love them. The only cons I can think of is that their stomachs are a bottomless pit, and they bark a lot.

 

[synoviaus]

If I can help you, you have but to ask. I would not turn a hound loose in cougar country. They do use Blueticks to hunt bear, cougars, wildcats, etc. So, she may not hunt coon, but be keyed to big game. It all depends on breeding. The person who owns her may think she doesn't hunt because she shows no interest in coons. Big game hounds may/may not show interest in raccoons. Again, it depends. I would be glad to help you re-home her. There are classifieds on ukccoonhounds.com, coondawgs.com and akccoonhounds.com. All three sites are primarily for hunters, but there may be someone who will take in an unwanted hound for a pet. Just remember the site is mostly for hunters. I have taken in lots of unwanted hounds and found them good homes. We microchip our dogs because they are friendly with most people. So, can be targets for theft. She would probably work out great with your other dogs. They usually get along fine with livestock and other dogs. Ask the man if you can get her for a week on trial. Then see how she does. She's a working dog just like your ACDs. Good luck with her, Amy