Why Are Hounds So Stubborn?
When I first adopted my American Foxhound and Treeing Walker Coonhound mix, getting him to “come here” was often met with a blank stare followed by him walking in the other direction. Correction: I would be lucky to get him to look me in the eye when I presented a command that I knew he knew. More often than not, he wouldn’t show a single reaction and keep doing what he was doing. I was convinced for a moment that he had hearing problems.
If you have a hound of some sort, whether purebred or a mix, it’s highly likely this scenario sounds familiar. Especially if your dog is newly-adopted or you have never had experience with this breed category, it can come off as a little shocking. You may find yourself wondering why your friends’ dogs picked up on commands so easily, and going as far as questioning the relationship with your dog. The good news is: there’s nothing wrong with you OR your dog. Your hound dog is not broken. You are not failing. Honestly, the difficulties you’re running into with obedience are probably identical to anyone else with the same breed of dog. Your dog, like all of his floppy-eared cousins, was literally born this way.
So, why is your hound seemingly refusing to listen? And what can you do about it to actually get them to learn? Knowing the history and origins of scent hounds can help you understand your dog better and get to the root of the stubbornness.
First we have to talk about why dog breeds exist.
As the domesticated wolf evolved into the modern day canine we know now, human intervention is the main reason that all dogs do not look the same today. While free-roaming as ancient village dogs, humans began to selectively breed the dogs according to niche skills that the humans needed help with. (1) The dogs were bred for their abilities to hunt, herd, track, retrieve game, etc. Dogs were “not categorized as specific breeds, but were bred and classified according to the job they did.” (2) Over thousands of years, breeds splintered off according to the distinct “purpose” of the dog, whether that type of dog is still used for that original intended job in the present day or not.
You can see how this has been carried throughout history in today’s “breed groups” that purebred dogs are categorized in. For example, the herding group, made up of cattle dogs and sheep dogs, all have the overarching “original” purpose of herding livestock. Even if your beloved family Australian Shepherd isn’t working on a farm tending to sheep, the dog still has a deep-rooted genetic drive to herd. This is why you may catch the dog nipping at your kids’ ankles outside: it is literally their instinct to herd, no matter what the “stock” may be. You shouldn’t try to curb that need, either.
The average non-dog-savvy person may think that “hound” is just a synonym for “dog” — like the word “pup” or “pooch.” It’s a fair assumption (especially with the German word for dog being “Hund”). However, “hound” is a specific breed group categorized by dogs that are used to track prey. This does not include the “sporting” dogs like pointers or labrador retrievers, who were bred to hunt/retrieve birds, and instead covers dogs that hunt small to large mammals. Within the Hound Group is a further division: sighthounds and scent hounds. Just as those names suggest, this split is attributed to which of the dog’s physical attributes benefit the hunt most. While I’m sure sighthounds present their own set of training challenges, this article is focused on the personalities of scent hounds*: the long-eared, floppy, and “musical” companions often referred to as “a nose with a dog attached”. (3)
*Scent hounds are often colloquially referred to as just “hounds” and may be done in this article.
Why scent hounds exist.
If you have a scent hound, you know that to this day, these dogs are often used for hunting. Regardless of whether your coonhound/foxhound/beagle/etc. hunts or not, history tells us that this was the original “purpose” of these types of dogs. Primitively, humans needed help finding their next meal. With the help of a village dog that had a keen sense of smell, humans were able to track and hunt the animal.
Over time, humans that needed this trailing assistance continued to breed the village dogs with the best noses, and eventually breeding the dogs that had other characteristics that improved the hunt. From long ears that wafted scents from the ground into the nose, to wrinkles that retained scents, breeding even led to dogs that were extremely vocal so the hunter could hear where the dog was leading him. And so, our beloved scent hound emerged.
A key characteristic that these hunters needed in these dogs, whether they knew it or not, were dogs that were able to go out and do the hunt without the guidance of the human. They needed dogs that had the drive and instinct to run out and lead the hunter to the prey, not the other way around. A dog that just stood by and waited for the hunter to tell them where the game was wasn’t very useful in these situations. The dog needed to be able to do its job independently without being necessarily told.
Yes, your hound is literally genetically predispositioned to not listen.
And there you have it — the stubbornness. In reality, what is perceived as being stubborn and actively refusing to listen is actually acute independent thinking and extreme, sometimes displaced, focus.4 The scent hound was literally engineered by humans to go out and relentlessly pursue their most powerful sense. From the dog’s point of view, he or she is doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. The smell is the absolute most important thing to them at all times. Combine that with the innate desire to “do what they want”, and you have a recipe for a dog that doesn’t really listen. As I like to say, nose on; ears off.
So what do you do about it?
Non-hound people will say scent hounds are unintelligent because they tend to not pick up on commands and training cues quickly. This absolutely is not true, as they are smart in their own right. Plus, they simply are not as eager to please their human like some other dog breeds may be. These dogs know what they want and when they want it, and once that laser focus clicks in, you have to find a way to snap them out of it if you want to get anything done.
Scent hounds are still very willing to learn, it’s just their motivation may be different. Understanding why your dog is like this is the first step. The next step is finding a way to make use of these qualities while training. I am personally a fan of this excerpt from an article on American English (Redtick) Coonhounds to summarize training a scent hound:
The key is to find a way for your [scent hound] to think that the training session and its hopeful result was his idea in the first place. If an American English Coonhound doesn't want to learn something, he may dig in his heels and stubbornly refuse. This breed requires an experienced handler with the ability to finesse the dog into learning new skills. This is not a dog that will happily offer commanded behaviors simply because it makes you happy even though they are genial and happy and enjoy time spent with their "people." They are simply dogs that know their own minds and don't like being pushed into things they have no interest in doing.
Hounds are often not an encouraged choice for first-time dog owners for this exact reason. Their training regime is likely going to look a little different than what you typically see at a generic puppy school class, with methods that specifically play into their natural instincts . With that being said, they are by no means untrainable. They just need it to be done in a different way. I highly recommend looking for a trainer with scent hound experience (ours had a beagle at home, so she really knew what these dogs were like). Hounds often need help from people who “get” them. They’re just misunderstood.
Plus... don’t forget food. I have never met a scent hound that wasn’t food-motivated. There’s a delicate balance, however, since these insatiable creatures can become snack obsessed. Working with a hound-experienced trainer can help you find news ways to make sure your hound listens even when food isn’t presented.
Don’t let this push you away.
A hound’s difficulty in training and loud voice can often scare away potential adopters, which is a shame because they are seriously missing out. There’s a reason why “hound people” exist and they just can’t get enough of their velvety ears.
These dogs’ clever wit and strong personalities are exactly why I am so obsessed with them, and why I will continue to advocate for this misunderstood breed. I don’t think I will ever not have a rescue hound running around the house. It is never a dull moment with them and even through the tribulations of training, you will find yourself laughing and smiling at them while getting over the hurdles. With dedication, one day things will just “click” for your dog, and he’ll finally listen once in a while. Hounds are more adaptable and easy-going than you may think, and in the end, all they want is your love (and your lunch).