kendalyn Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 Sometimes on my job I'm required to drive large boxes of legal documents to various companies. So most of my driving yesterday was on back roads and I noticed something interesting. I saw many yards that have a chain link kennel built for their dog. These kennels usually aren't that big. Maybe 12 feet by 12 feet at the most. They usually contain some sort of a dog house and maybe a food and water dish. My first thought was, "Why do people bother having a dog if it is kept outside in such a small kennel?" I really don't get it. My next thought was, "Wow, every dog I've seen so far has been some sort of a hound!" By the end of my driving I didn't see ONE dog in one of those kennels that did not look like some sort of hound. I saw Beagles, a Foxhound, Blueticks, Treeing Walker Coonhounds, and others that I couldn't identify but they looked like hounds to me. Why is this almost exclusively a hound thing? I know there are some dogs that actually do pretty well as outside dogs. But I would think that hounds would not be a good type of dog to keep outside. Buck has some hound in him and he's pretty sensitive. He NEEDS to be around people. It would kill him to live outside in a kennel. Also, most hounds have very short coats. I'm pretty sure they don't have undercoats to help keep them warm. So why does this seem to be pretty common? Is it because these hounds are hunting dogs and their owners don't see them as family pets? That's really the only kind of explanation I could come up with. What are everyone else's thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aonir Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 you sure it wasn't a puppy mill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted April 2, 2004 Author Share Posted April 2, 2004 well yeah. I saw many different houses in different areas and they only had 1 or 2 dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted April 2, 2004 Share Posted April 2, 2004 *Deleted* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted April 3, 2004 Share Posted April 3, 2004 I have a hound, an English Foxhound, who was field trialed and raised in a kennel. Hounds do very well in kennels PROVIDING there are other dogs around. These are hunting pack animals, and prefer the company of other dogs when raised this way. The kenneling is to keep them focused on their job, and not on people. Mine now lives inside, and requires an extensive amount of attention. She has discovered the joy of being "peopleized" and wants to be petted, played with and generally made a big deal over. She wont chase a squirrel to save her life, but hunted fox for 6 years. I doubt she would be willing to hunt anymore, she now knows what sleeping on a bed feels like. They are very sensitive, even an angry look will make them slink off, and that could be part of the kennel life too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mutts4Me Posted April 3, 2004 Share Posted April 3, 2004 They could also be temporary things, like when the owner's not home or something. We used to have a kennel like that for our lab, who has since passed away. My parents didn't want him in the house when no one was home because he tore stuff up, so they got him a kennel with a dog house. It didn't last long because he broke out of the kennel time and again, lol (good for him!). I generally don't like it any more than a chain or a run, but at least in a kennel, the dog is protected from other animals. If it's a permanent situation, then I don't like it. A house down the road from us has a big lab mix that is completely an outdoor dog. It has a kennel and a run, and I've never seen anyone out playing with it :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kendalyn Posted April 3, 2004 Author Share Posted April 3, 2004 [quote name='Mutts4Me']They could also be temporary things, like when the owner's not home or something. [/quote] I can't speak for the houses I noticed while I was driving because I'm never in that area so it was the first time I saw them, but down the road from me there is a house that has a small kennel like this. Those dogs stay in there all the time. The house near me has 2 Treeing Walker Coonhounds in the kennel. Just today I noticed a dog house sitting outside the kennel with a third dog chained to it. I've never seen anyone out playing with the dogs. I assume they are used for hunting. The dogs don't look uncared for or anything. They aren't skinny or dirty and generally look fine. I've never heard them bark which surprised me. I still feel bad for them though. I feel like they'd be happier inside with their family. [quote name='Courtnek']These are hunting pack animals, and prefer the company of other dogs when raised this way. The kenneling is to keep them focused on their job, and not on people. [/quote] [quote name='SexxieRacerChik']I know several people who hunt and they don't allow anyone to play with their dogs, they say it makes them lose focus on the prey and want to come to you for attention instead. [/quote] Yeah, I can see how this would be true. I've never had a dog used for hunting so I have no idea if bonding with them would make them a worse hunter or not. Although, I did see a hunting trial on ESPN once and the guys participating were VERY bonded with their dogs, but maybe it's different in a competition instead of a real hunt? If people are going to keep their dogs outside the house for hunting purposes, I guess I'd prefer the dogs have a little more space to run in and a better encloser. Maybe a shed or something that has a real floor. Those barrels don't seem adequate for Michigan's long winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted April 3, 2004 Share Posted April 3, 2004 [quote]Yeah, I can see how this would be true. I've never had a dog used for hunting so I have no idea if bonding with them would make them a worse hunter or not. Although, I did see a hunting trial on ESPN once and the guys participating were VERY bonded with their dogs, but maybe it's different in a competition instead of a real hunt? [/quote] yes. competitive vs. field trials is very different. I am just learning all of this since adopting Laurel. The only real bonding allowed is between the hunter, the alpha and the beta in the pack. This is a real pack...unlike bird hunting where there may be one or two retrievers, these dogs run in packs of 15 to 30, depending on area needed to be covered. The dogs purpose is to find the prey (in this case fox) and chase it down, and corner it so that the hunter can get a clean shot at it. Bird hunters usually only need a pointer, and a retriever. As was mentioned the hunter will bond with the pack lead (below himself) to insure that all the dogs will follow him back, and not wander off. Even the kennel hands, who feed and water the dogs, are usually not allowed to touch or play with them. Fox hunting is generally done on horseback, because hounds can run like the wind. They have to catch up with fox, who also run extremely fast. I agree that these people are doing this wrong. There should be spacious kennels, straw and cedar chips and other dogs, to keep them company, and to keep each other warm. They all snuggle up to each other in the cold and share body heat. I have found that even in the house, Laurel will push herslf up hard against me when she sleeps, even though she doesnt need the warmth. does that help? :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.