BigGameHoundsmen.com

Sorry to hear that. I to lost a dog last month that I raised from a pup. Your second pic is great.

I've been down that road Brent, it's a HARD thing to get over. Lots of guys just call em workin dogs, but a true houndsmen knows that they are family members, and special friends.....RIP Dan..............

awesome pictures, sucks ya lost yer dog. thats why i don't run mine in idaho cuz my uncles have lost dogs to wolfs.

Thanks for sharing some of your memories of a great dog.

Brent how did you get a good dog to last that long? I tell ya I feel like I got the world by the tail if I can keep a nice one past three! You must be living right.

I had a dog named Hondo that i spent every waking moment with. He was more like a son than a hound. I probably spent more time with him than my wife! Whoops hope she didnt hear that. Anyways when Hondo left us it put a huge hole in my heart. Hounds realy are one of mans best friends.

BEARCLAW wrote:Brent how did you get a good dog to last that long? I tell ya I feel like I got the world by the tail if I can keep a nice one past three! You must be living right.

I had a dog named Hondo that i spent every waking moment with. He was more like a son than a hound. I probably spent more time with him than my wife! Whoops hope she didnt hear that. Anyways when Hondo left us it put a huge hole in my heart. Hounds realy are one of mans best friends.

I'm sure most of us who are houndsmen that loose a good hound like that feel the same way.
Getting a hound to live to 14 + I believe has alot to do with several things.
Genetics, feed, hunting conditions, kennel conditions,exercise and how hard a hound is hunted and for how long.

Ol Dan was one of two that I have had live this long the other was 16 and right up to the last couple weeks were killin lions, both had to be put down, they did not die.
A warm dry box with good bedding for them to sleep in and clean water and good feed I believe is a key.
If you take care of a hound they will last, some however are just like people and do not have good genetics, I have been lucky maybe as every hound I have owned has lived past 10.
They need exercise when not hunting, and I believe this makes them keep up a healthy metabilisum that builds and maintains mussel and that mussel is heart and other organ tissue which allows for a stronger body condition.
Switching feed and adding red meat to their diet is also important in my opinion as hounds are no different than other canines they require it to maintain body condition no different than any athlete.
Yet look at George Burns, people said he'd die from cancer smokin those big cigars, he was no athlete by any standard and he lived to 101!!!! Go figure!