Separation Anxiety
In my experience, Bloodhounds are pack animals and they do better with another dog in the household or even another Bloodhound. This is the number one thing that will help with potential separation anxiety.
Another major thing to help is crate training and Bloodhounds absolutely need crate training. The reason why this question is asked in the application is because every dog should be crate trained and become accustomed to feeling comfortable and safe in their kennel. The kennel should never be used as a punishment, but it should also not be abused by keeping a dog crated for too many hours a day.
The average person works outside of the home and most people are not able to take their dog to work. This is where crate training becomes essential for several reasons. Puppies, especially young Bloodhound puppies, do not have good bladder control until five months of age. Puppies typically do not like to go to the bathroom where they sleep. If you puppy is properly crate trained, it helps immensely with housetraining and teaching them bladder control.
Bloodhounds are very smart animals, and they soon learn that they prefer when you are home, and they prefer not to be in their kennel. Typically, between the ages of 8 and 15 months some tend to start breaking out of their kennels or if they are allowed free range while owners aren’t home, they will start destroying shoes, chewing baseboards and basically being destructive of things they would not destroy if their owner were home. These things are done out of boredom, frustration, and anxiety. The mistake many people make with crates and kennels is they only crate their dog when they are leaving. The dog soon figures out that going in their kennel means that the owner is leaving, creating a negative association. This why it is crucial to pop your dog into their crate at different times throughout the day, not just when you are leaving. Make the crate a safe place in which your dog can relax and snooze.
Within recent years dogs are cared for far greater than they have been in the past. There are so many more opportunities and facilities for people with long work hours – doggie daycare, dog walkers, dog sitters to name a few.
Destructiveness
A bored Bloodhound can be very destructive. The breed does not need hardcore exercise, actually you have to be extremely mindful that they don’t over do it as youngsters, but they do need physical and mental stimulation. I allow puppies free exercise, meaning they can run if they choose or walk in their fenced in area but I keep leashed walks on concrete or pavement to very short walks.
Bloodhounds need mental stimulation to tire their minds. Activities such as scent work, problem solving, obedience, learning patience are all great forms of mental exercise. 5-10 minutes several times a day will fair much better than trying to do it all at once over 30-60 minutes. The easiest place to start is with every day routine. Have them sit for their food, feed them in a crate, have them go in their crate on their own, wait in a sit before rushing through a doorway, etc.
Food Aggression / Possessiveness
I have raised over 12 Bloodhounds from puppy to adulthood and in 13 years I had one dog that was food aggressive or possessive over stolen items. It was my first Bloodhound, who was not purchased from an ethical breeder. He presented with many challenges, both behaviourally and temperament wise. But why is it that between myself and my closest comrades in the breed none of us have issues with possessiveness or food aggression, however puppies we sell sometimes present with these issues?
One of the biggest reasons I have heard from people trying to prevent food aggression is they feed their dog in a common place, like their kitchen. They also put their hands in food bowls in an effort to desensitize their puppy to someone around their food. In actual fact, by playing in the puppy’s dish you may be actually causing the issue.
I am a firm believer that every dog deserves to be fed in their own space, whether it be a kennel or a crate, and during the time they are eating they should not be disturbed. They should not be free fed in any type of room, meaning food always available in their bowl. Bloodhound puppies should be fed 3 to 4 times a day and gradually cut back to 3 to 2 times per day as adults. Food should be measured and monitored so that they are not over or under fed. Feeding in a crate also helps make the crate a positive place. They should also be allowed to rest for 15-25 minutes after eating before they are let out. The biggest reason none of my dogs would react to me taking their bowl while they are eating is because I have never done it. And as far as children go, I have young child so it’s not about training the dogs not to react to a child in their bowl. It’s about making sure the child is never around a dog when they are eating. It follows the same logic as why we can have 15-year-old horses that are great with children but you would never allow a child to run behind a horse screaming because you are setting an animal up to fail. This is your responsibility as a dog owner and a parent. It takes a dog less than 10 minutes to eat a bowl of food. In those 10 minutes it’s your responsibility to ensure they are allowed to eat in peace.
Toy Aggression / High Value Items
Personally, I no longer buy any stuffed or plush toys for my dogs. It was not because of issues with aggression or possessiveness. It was because I have a couple that will eat and swallow toys and I had one that nearly died from doing so. I prefer horse ball toys, or bones or larger balls that can be thrown then put away after play time.
Again, with bones they are a food item and should not be played with by the owner. This is also something they should probably chew on in their own space, like their crate or on their dog bed in a certain corner of the room. Not sprawled out in the middle of the living room or kitchen where people walk back-and-forth, where the dog will most likely growl if it is being disturbed or walked by while it’s eating their bone.
I can say that my dogs wouldn’t growl at me if they were chewing a bone but I have never bothered them while they were doing so. For people who aren’t dog savvy I’ll explain it in human terms.
You have a young child intensely playing a video game, they are really into it ... what will they do if you start bumping into them while they are playing or what if you tried to take the controller away? Most kids would freak out. Even if they are polite, respectful kids it’s a reaction to the intensity of the moment and frustration.
But what if you called the kid from a distance and asked if they wanted to go out, or put the game down and have supper? Probably less of a fight, right?
If you have more than one dog and you watch them, you will soon see how it works. If a dog has something really good that it doesn’t want to share, it will growl at another dog that gets too close or walks by. This is not an insult or a warning that they want to harm you, it’s just a warning to go away and leave them alone.
Taking something away in a negative manner, being too cross or abrupt leaves a lasting impression. The same with young children:
- They will learn to run to avoid you taking away whatever it is they have
- They will hold on tighter knowing you are coming to take it
- They will vocalize their displeasure knowing what’s next
Deflection, trading or distraction are key. When the item is given up praise is important.
Just as children can become “in a mood“ playing with certain toys so can dogs. And sometimes removing those toys completely when they don’t notice is best.
I do not like tug or war games or rough play. It only promotes roughness.
Possessiveness Over Furniture
Again not something I have dealt with personally but I do hear this is a common issue, especially among couples. Bloodhounds don’t want to move for certain people or share with certain people. This can stem from relationship issues between the dog and person, lack of respect or regard. This is why relationship building is key among all family members. Engaging in routine play, walking, feeding , training, care and affections should be equal among members of the household . Obedience classes should be with all members of the household and everyone should be on the same page as far as rules boundaries and limitations.
Barking
Some Bloodhounds are very silent while some are extremely vocal. Neighbours can quickly become your worst enemy if your dog becomes a nuisance barker. Dogs should not be allowed to carry on barking. I always go out and check why mine are barking. I let them know it’s ok and then I tell them “that’s enough.” If they continue to bark they are brought inside. There are also instances where dogs bark as soon as their owner leaves and this goes hand-in-hand with separation anxiety.
Costs for Medical Care
Over the years and with all the dogs I have bred I would say about 10% of Bloodhounds are prone to eating foreign objects. Toys, clothing, rocks or pieces of plastic and other materials are some of the common things eaten. This type of behaviour happens for unknown reasons and typically it tends to be juvenile dogs. Some dogs do it once and never do it again while there are other Bloodhounds that will continue to sporadically eat objects over the years, requiring multiple surgeries. Some research has shown that it could have a direct correlation with the health of the gut. Other research suggests it’s mental as far as anxieties or people with the disorder pica. This is not something done by just Bloodhounds, many breeds have this issue and by following any vet group online you will see that sadly it’s quite common.
Not leaving your dog loose and unattended before you really know your dog is key to preventing this from happening but the sad part is sometimes it just happens out of the blue.
Bloat and torsion is an issue with any deep chested breed and in my experience the common denominator I have found among my own dogs is that the risk of bloat increases dramatically after the age of seven.
Some Bloodhounds suffer from other allergies and skin issues. Some allergies can be linked genetically but most area simply environmental. Chronic ear infections can stem from immune issues as well as diet and environmental. Orthopaedic issues can also happen, as can a torn cruciate and spine injuries. Bloodhound are big dogs that grow at a rapid rate. Proper nutrition and proper exercise that does not exceed a young body’s limitations are key.