Anyone Know Much About Coonhound Mixes?

If yo've had labs before...GREAT, you'll do a little better training this dog. If not, I would pass. I had picked up a yr old coonhound/rottie cross from the pound a few years ago. You would think with the Rot that he'd be a decent dog? Not so!
He got too rambunctious in the house, he wouldn't listen to anyone, I couldn't let him outside by himself off the leash or he would disappear, and if I had to go anywhere that I couldn't take him, I had to tie him up. He needed a 6 foot fence on a dogyard. I ened up taking him back to the pound, because I like him spending so much time confined.
My suggestion would be this: Find a litter of puppies......and mix breed.go visit and let the dog pick you or your family out. Do'nt lok at one and say.I want this one. I did that last time (at the pound, no less) and I have ended up with the most loyal, calm, loving, behaving, 7 month old Chesapeake bay retriever/blue heeler in the world. if he wanders off all I have to do is whistle, or tell him to Cm'here and he RUNS back to me.
Good luck in the puppy search, I hope you fing something the whole family will enjoy.

We have two coonhounds. they are VERY lovable and soft hearted. Just like labs. There are built to hunt. It is in their bookd wither you train them to or not. Once that nose picks up on something that interests them they will track it until they find it or loose the trail. Labs can be very hyper as puppies (have those too) but are easy to train. I would suggest you start training right away so she learns early on what you expect. I would also have a fenced area that she is free to roam, chained dogs get too territorial. Both breeds need lots of play time and exercise.

Hope this helps.

T.

Mom to 3 kids, 5 dogs, 3 chickens and wife to a busy husband

I have attached an article from a reputable veterinary website about choosing a coonhound as a pet. It does specifically state that coonhounds are recommended for older children.

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/choosing-a-black-and-tan-coo...

Beware of hounds of any kind as they bay often and loud.

Since hounds are bred to be able to hunt in water, like swamps and lakes, their fur tends to be a bit greasy and some people say it has a distict doggy odor, even when clean. That's a matter of opinion, but worth considering. Also, this is a cross of hunting breeds AND a puppy, so you're looking at a LOT of energy and athleticism, which is great if your family likes to go on walks and hikes and is willing to play fetch every day so this dog doesn't go destructive in desperation to get a workout. Otherwise, a mellower breed or an adult dog might be a better match. (Puppies are darling but really overrated--it's so much work to get them to a point where you can just enjoy them. . . sorry to be a wet blanket.)
Oh, and hounds are bred to bay, so you'll probably hear quite a bit of baying and howling, especially if he gets lonely and bored alone outside.
I do love the floppiness and sweetness of a hound! And the retreiver in this dog might make him easier to motivate for training--hounds are pretty much walking noses and are easily distracted but they are usually up for treat bribes, and retrievers are sooo people-oriented this mix might be highly trainable.
Good luck! And good for your for adopting a pet!

I can say Labs are extremely hyper and destructive until they are a little older. They are great dogs but a lot to handle. THey chew, dig and eat anything in their way! :)
I don't know about coonhounds at all.

I would say if you can find a aussie mix, those are PERFECT family, children dogs! I have had two. One was a mix with a cattle dog, our dog now is aussie sheperd/collie mix and I am telling you it is like we have Lassie. She potty trained in a week, learned to do tricks with the kids, never chewed up stuff. She did dig a hole or two in the backyard but that is it and that stopped after her first year. I think she actually smiles when she sees a child. Her temperment is amazing and though not so sure about strange grown ups she ADORES children!!!!!!! I saw in the paper here there were some aussie mixes up for adoption. I was tempted even though we have one already. They are just amazing dogs!
You can go online to most of the area shelters and even see pics.
Just my opinion, we adopted a aussie mix pup when my daughter was 4 1/2 and my son was 18 mos and even with two young kids she fit in so quickly and was so much easier then I had anticipated. At three now she is truly the perfect dog!

I am not a fan of lab mixes as they are as stated above hyper. You may look into a german shepherd. While being large dogs they are great with kids and if socialized with people and dogs don't turn out to be the vicisous police dogs as they are often depicted. Best thing is they are very loyal, easily trained, and require about 20 min of exercise a day, otherwise they are content to lounge about for the rest of the day. I think you are asking the right questions as most likely your new pet will be part of your life for a while, so take it slow till you find the right breed - it will make a world of difference!

I don't know about coonhound mixes, but I do have a purebread coonhound-and she is the best thing that ever happened to our family!!! She's now almost 3 years old, and has never shown a mean bone to anyone. The only downfall, is that she is very large. Larger than a lab-they don't store fat on them, so the 60+lbs is all bone and muscle. We have 2 1/2 year old twin girls, and she's been here since they were 8 months old. She puts up with anything from them. She's totally amazing. I would definately say to adopt one-especially for a family pet.

I hate to be a bummer but have you really thought this whole dog thing through? With a baby on the way and two under 4 you are going to have a TON of responsibility ( a puppy is like another child). If you want a well behaved dog that can be around people inside and a people dog than you need to be able to devote alot of time to them. If you have alot of land for them to run around and they are going to be an outside dog than that might not be quite so bad, although if you want them to be around inside at all they need training. As far as breeds go online and google good family dogs or something like that, my veteranarian friend said Golden Retriever's are one of the best.

I would really really rethink getting such a big dog and a puppy at this stage in your life. We have a 14 month old puppy that we've had for a year now, purebred chocolate lab. She is huge, she is rambunctious and she's a great dog but at 95lbs. daunting. My 2 year old loves her but can be intimidated. Our dog also recently suffered a major injury due to her crazy rowdy behavior. Purely an accident but non the less she has been time consuming and very hard to deal with due to her size. Do you really want to be lifting a large dog, dealing with a big dog that doesn't walk really well yet since she's a puppy and still learning. She does heal but she is a puppy and likes to lean on us when we are near her. I personally wouldn't want to be carrying a baby have a toddler on one leg and a big puppy on the other. If you really want a big dog I would wait to get one or I would choose a dog that will be a bit smaller. Our Vizla is perfect. She big enough to handle the kids playing with her but small enough I can manage her easily. She loves to play but she's also a real snuggler and she's soooo much more obedient.

I like labs, and I love, love, love coonhounds. The only thing I recommend considering is this. 2 VERY ENERGETIC breeds you have here, and it will still be very much a puppy when baby #3 comes along.

HI D.~

I do dog rescue and have TONS of experience with all breeds. With two little ones and a baby on the way I urge you to consider adopting an older dog. Potty training is a nightmare when you are a busy person. I have a beagle and it took almost 9 months to potty train her. She is a little slow though. LOL. Puppies, particularly Coonhounds and Labs need TONS of exercise. You are looking at exercising them AT LEAST an hour a day. I would recommend two hours a day. I know this seems daunting but it's the reality of puppies...if they don't get enough exercise they will eat your house. Literally...chew anything they can get at.

If you adopt an older dog ( I would recommend 3-7 yrs old for your family) you won't have to deal with potty training, they require less exercise, and there are so many older dogs languishing in shelters waiting for a home. I can connect you with EXCELLENT resources. In fact, I could probably find you the perfect dog in a day. :) If you would like further help or information msg. me.

Good luck with your new baby and your little ones. How sweet that they get to grow up with a dog. It is so great for kids to learn the responsibility of caring for animals early. They will grow up to be great pet owners, compassionate, and responsible. Sounds like they will anyway with you as their mom. :)

D.,

You have some great feedback. I think its awesome that you are doing your homework now. So many people get adorable puppies that are a very poor fit for their families. They try for a year or so to make it work, then take the dog to the pound. Unfortunately they keep the dog just long enough that he isn't a cute puppy anymore, and his chances of adoption go way down. Many of these situations could be avoided by choosing the right breed of dog, making sure it's a good time to bring a dog in, and getting good dog training early on.

I personally wouldn't get a puppy with a new baby on the way. Puppies are babies and they require a lot of care. Also, your puppy will be just a few months old when your baby is born. The chances of that puppy accidentally hurting the baby is much higher than if you had an older dog or an older child. It sounds like a great dog, but maybe not great timing.

Best of luck,
S.

I have bred labradors and been the mommy to 2 bloodhounds....
A coonhound mix can be a VERY good VERY smart dog...which sounds VERY appealing...also mixing the breeds usually "breeds out" the health issues of either pure breed...BUT
You are looking at a pretty BIG dog that will have lots of energy and have the need for CONTROLLED exercise for ever. WIth a new baby on the way and 2 little ones you need to REALLY consider whether you will have time for 2 daily walks and training for simple commands or else you could easily wind up with a very intelligent out of control dog destroying your house.

I really like the site www.dogbreedinfo.com When you know EVERYTHING there is to know about each specific breed, you will then be able to make an educated choice about the mix. There are so many characteristics that are breed specific. You don't want to be irritated with your dog because of something that comes naturally to their breed. Happy puppy finding ;)

We have a Treeing Walker Coonhound. She's kind of like the 'Lab of the South'; and is the size of a small/med Lab. She is 3 and we have had her since she was 8 weeks. We have a 2 1/2 yr old daughter and they get along very well playing together. When we got her as a puppy, we started laying on her and playing rough so she would be used to kids, etc. She's a wonderful dog but it's like she is bipolar. Either she is laying around napping all the time or is really hyper and wants to play. I'd say go for it as long as you can give the dog consistent exercise everyday. These breeds need more than your average daily walk. The longer we take her to the dog park and very long runs/walks; the longer she sleeps.

I have a friend who has a mix like this. The dog is very good, very layed back and wonderful with kids.

D.
I found a website you may want to look at about Coonhounds
www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/coonhounds.html
I worked as a GM for a pet store for about 7 years and I am glad to see you are researching this breed before you adopt!
You can be sure that with a lab coonhound mix they will be very loving, loyal and great with children.
However they will need a LOT of excercise, attention and stimulation like a toddler.
I hope this website helps, if you have any other questions don't hesitate to email!

T. B.
Team Leader
Bubble Goddess Bath Company
"Natural Bath Products For Your Inner Goddess"
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