Activities For Treeing Walker Coonhounds
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Prepare for unexpected vet bills
Introduction
The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a hound dog that is descended from Foxhounds (both English and American varieties). The breed was developed in the nineteenth century when a dog simply known as "Tennessee Lead" was bred to a Walker Hound for the purpose of hunting raccoons, bear, mountain lions, and deer. The chief developers of the breed were John W. Walker and George Washington Maupin. The Treeing Walker's personality is typical of any hound; the breed loves to chase a scent (and may be obstinate in doing so). The breed is considered fearless on the hunt, and is known for their propensity for high activity levels, which means Treeing Walker Coonhound owners will need to provide their dogs with a great deal of exercise in order for the dog to remain happy.
Therapy Training
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Any Day
Moderate
Normal
1 hr
Items needed
treats
leash
Activity description
The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a perfect candidate for therapy work. Therapy work can involve stress relief, and visiting patients in the hospital or residents in retirement homes. The Treeing Walker Coonhound may be independent, but, trained from an early age, the dog is friendly with strangers. The hound, in particular, is often adept at dealing with a variety of people, so this makes the breed distinctly wonderful as therapy dogs. You will need to begin training your Coonhound as soon as possible for therapy work; the cost is reasonable, and the reward for both you and your dog is immeasurable.
Step
1
Training time
Although it is best if you begin training your Treeing Walker Coonhound at a young age for any type of service work, therapy dogs can be accepted into training at any age. You may need to practice with the dog at home on "off" days. You will need to ensure that both you and your pup have plenty of time to practice before performing therapy work.
Step
2
Find places to volunteer
It is recommended that you call ahead and check to see if your local hospital or retirement home allows therapy animals on their premises. Schools also present opportunities for therapy dogs to work; special education classes often utilize therapy dogs for autistic children. It is best to get permission from the proper authorities and set an appointed time for your visit to the facilities.
Step
3
Keep up certification
When you are not working as a therapy dog, you will need to keep up training activities and ensure that you maintain certification (if required by your state or local authorities). Always stay abreast of any requirements for your therapy dog so that the two of you can provide lots of joy to patients in need.
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Canine Good Citizen
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Any Day
Cheap
Normal
1 hr
Items needed
leash
treats
Activity description
Canine Good Citizen training is a program that is sponsored by the American Kennel Club and is often considered a great stepping stone in obedience training. The Canine Good Citizen program often requires dogs such as hounds to put aside their often stubborn persistence in favor of obeying their handler. This is not an easy task for a breed that is often ruled by their nose and the desire to hunt! You can practice the test items indoors or outside, and you may want to involve a few individuals that your pup is not familiar with to repeat some of the test items. Practice three times a week or more to promote success in training.
Step
1
Friendly stranger test items
Involve an acquaintance that your dog is not familiar with to practice this part of the Canine Good Citizen test items. The hound is protective of their owner, and the dog will need to remain calm as a stranger approaches and speaks to the handler. Another aspect of this exercise takes place when the hound is expected to allow a stranger to touch the dog.
Step
2
Working on commands
As any hunter who owns the Treeing Walker Coonhound will relate, the breed does have a mind all their own. This means that handlers should begin working on commands when the pup is still quite young. Another aspect of the Canine Good Citizen training involves walking on a loose lead and sitting and staying at the command of the handler.
Step
3
Incorporate a crowd
The Coonhound is often a solitary pup. The dog may bond to their handler, and the dog may be somewhat skittish around other people. For this reason, recruit a few people that are not normally around your dog. Two tests for the Canine Good Citizen program include walking calmly through a crowd and allowing a stranger to inspect the ears and front feet of the pup.
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K9 Scent Work
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Any Day
Cheap
Normal
1 hr
Items needed
leash
treats
Activity description
The hound is naturally a hunter, and the Treeing Walker Coonhound is often driven by their nose. Scent work, particularly K9 Scent Work, will provide the dog with an opportunity to utilize their innate scenting abilities with a high drive for hunting prey. If your Treeing Walker Coonhound is kept as a pet, this activity will allow your dog to follow their natural instinct while under your command. Dogs participating in the K9 scent trials are trained to respond to one of three scents (typically an essential oil of some kind). Participants are expected to listen to and complete the commands of their handlers.
Step
1
Introduction to target scents
The participant will be introduced to one of three target scents. These essential oils are anise, clove, and birch. All are strong scents, as well as unique ones. As the dog is training, the target scents will be presented in a variety of locations in order to promote hunting behavior.
Step
2
Learning individual hunting style
Your dog has their own unique hunting style, and during K9 scent work training, you will be taught how to spot your dog's particular hunting habits. Once you, the handler, learns your dog's special hunting traits, you will incorporate the target scents to a variety of hunting scenarios.
Step
3
Challenge time
As you work with your pup, the trainers will expect you and your dog to meet and exceed certain challenges. Communication between yourself and your pup is imperative at this level of training. Each hunting scenario will be a little more challenging than the last. This is meant to challenge both you and your pup as well as promote a closer bond between the two of you.
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More Fun Ideas...
Swimming
The Treeing Walker Coonhound is apt to go through any type of terrain to get to their prey, and water is no exception. Put a swim vest on your dog and let them play in the water for up to an hour to alleviate some of that pent-up energy.
Scent Trials
The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a natural scent hound. Involve the dog in scent trials to allow the dog to act on their innate instincts.
Conclusion
The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a breed that might have been developed for the hunt, but this dog is so much more than that! This hound can be utilized for service work, and the pup's natural penchant for being social makes them great therapy dogs. This highly active pup will enjoy a wide variety of activities, but, most of all, the dog will want to complete these activities with their favorite humans.