I've owned a smoothie fox terrier that would help train puppies for me.Very nice little dog.A few jack russels have been on the yard before too.They are wired different that's for sure.Very instinct driven.
The fox terrier I would actually call a pet/partner combo.My hounds were not.They were partners.Most all dogs I've had the pleasure of owning or staying around long had a job.Whether it be watching the gate for livestock/sorting livestock or treeing game.They did theirs and I did mine.They are more fulfilled with a purpose in life.Mutual respect is between us at all times.
I never let a dog demand things from me.I give praise or reward when due.I'm not a hard ass just respectful and demand that from them too.
It's something many animal lovers fail to establish with them to have a happy constructive life together.
Every dog is different.Tuning in to what that is is the key,and that takes handling/time/and observations remembered.Mistakes are made but remembered too.As hounds get better the standards get higher as to who stays around.Breeding the best to the best usually produces the best.
After years of breeding I could predict exactly how a puppy was going to be even before it was born.
It's a fullfilling type life coon hunting.About like raising kids.There are so many memories from this life style I could not state them all.All mostly in the woods where I feel most comfortable at.
I know this subject has gone way off track from it's original posting but it is something that I'm proud of because I know I've done it right.Not just my opinion,but the opinions of the many out there that have my dogs and the true litmus test on raising coon dogs.
To prove the worth of my black & tan hounds in the competiton hunts I looked up a few pictures from the past.These dogs won dozens and dozens of trophies all over this country.Anywhere from 1 foot tall to 5 feet tall.Most times I put hem in hunts where at least 300 dogs in them.All state or national hunts.Largest was over 1000 dogs.A national hunt [black & tan days/breed hunt].All different dogs but my strain,and finally a picture on the end of the very first coondog I ever owned back in 1980.A grade bluetick/birddog cross.
