# Barking, disobedient dog is ruining my relationship!



## Thomas (Oct 17, 2011)

Hello everyone I'm in serious need of some advise. My girlfriend and I live together. She has a pure American fox hound, about four years old. I don't even know where to start, this dog will NOT listen to any command. She does whatever she wants. My girlfriend has been trying to train her not to get on the couch because she smells horrible and I can't even sit and watch some tv without being completely disgusted by her stench. Well as soon as you turn your head or go in the other room for a secon, this damn dog goes right on the couch. The same goes for other things, like when in the kitchen. This is just a small problem, I'm just getting started. 
This dog has SEVERE separation anxiety. When she hears the car keys or when she sees us put stuff into the car she starts whining and barking. However, my main concern about this dog is that she keeps me up all night long just barking, out of her crate. The reason why she is crated at night is because if shes in the bedroom with us, she wakes me up every thirty minutes either by trying to get in bed with us which is a big NO (remember, she smells like decomposing matter) or she shakes her head making this noise that kinda sounds like someone with large hands is clapping in our bedroom at two in the morning. Our only option is to crate her in the animal room but at around 5.30 she starts barking to get out. I have woken up countless times with her barking and I'm getting tired of her bullshit. The first thing that comes to mind when I am half-asleep at 5 in the morning is "beat the living lights out her" but my girlfriend won't allow that. Also this dog pees on the floor as soon as you grab her collar the porch has a yellow stain from this dog peeing about 90% of the time she is taken outside. Anyways, it seems like every time I am awakened by this stupid creature, somehow it's my fault. My girlfriend and I never fight about anything, except for this dog. I've had a few dogs before and they were all obedient and never caused me any problems. This one just seems impossible to work with and it's ruining my relationship. Please help, if you have ever heard a fox houd bark you'd understand.


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

Well my suggestion is to break up with the girlfriend. The dog was there first. If the girlfriend is not going to do something about the dog, and you're not willing to help with it or live with the issues, then cut your losses and go find someone without pets or children. They all have their issues and you either need to work together as a team to find reasonable, logical solutions to the problems, or it's never going to work. 

I don't know the whole story with the dog, but if there's a smell issue, start with a vet check to make sure the dog doesn't have an underlying cause, then to the groomer to bath the dog. If the food isn't the best it may not be helping in the smell department either, so a quality food would be in order.

As for the behavior, a good trainer who specializes in those issues should be brought in to get help and everyone in the house should follow through - remember, teamwork. Another thing that comes to mind is when does the dog go for exercise and how much? Increasing that might also solve a lot of issues if the dog is tired out. 

In other words a lot of work, either get on board and work to keep the dog in the house (as in get to like her!) or move on.

Lana


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

Stench - First, wash the dog. If that doesn't solve the problem, re-examine the dog's diet. Are you feeding a high quality food? If THAT doesn't fix the issue, visit a vet. A healthy animal (of any kind) doesn't smell like decomposing matter, so there is clearly something wrong with the dog.

Barking at 5:30am - This sounds like the problem of an under-exercised hound. Fox hounds were meant to cover a great deal of ground at a fairly high speed. If you aren't going to hunt with yours, then you gotta provide a similar means of exercising her mind and body. I'm not talking about a stroll around the block...I'm talking about several training sessions a day, plus some runs alongside a bike, or something of that nature. The chance to play with other dogs on occasion might also wear her out, assuming she's dog-friendly.

Peeing when you grab her collar - I assume you grab her collar when you are trying to force her to do something she doesn't want to do. Most likely this frightens or discomfits her, so she urinates. Why are you grabbing her collar with such regularity? My dogs don't even wear their collars when we're at home, so I'm not sure why you would need to be doing this at all, let alone so often that it's caused the dog to become afraid of you.

Jumping on the couch - Teach the dog what you DO want her to do instead of getting on the couch. Want her to lie on her bed? Teach her a "go to your place command" or a down stay. She can't lie on her bed and on your couch at the same time...it isn't physically possible. While you're working on this, you could also give her something yummy to work on so that she is less motivated to leave the spot in which you've asked her to stay. Think raw bone or stuffed Kong. You could also teach her on and off commands and then only allow her on the couch when you give permission.

Barking and whining when you leave - This is not severe separation anxiety. Does the dog do anything else while you're gone or just bark and whine as you leave?


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## staffymom (Apr 16, 2010)

I don't know....how about bathing the dog?? Head shaking? Maybe have a vet check him for ear infections? Other than that, all I can say is that you sound impatient, intolerant, and short on empathy. If this is a real post, your going to have a tough time getting real answers from trainers with your "beat the living lights out of her" attitude. She pees when you grab her because she is afraid of you. She stays off the couch only when you are around because that is what most dogs do.She barks at 5a.m.(NOT all night BTW)because that is her schedule. And separation anxiety is a disorder associated with insecure fearful animals. It takes caring and patience to deal with all of these issues and judging from your post....I don't think you have it in you.


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Okay. You are frustrated, I get that. So, instead of giving you a lecture for the complete lack of empathy for either your girlfriend or her stressed out and untrained dog (dog's don't train themselves....) I will instead ask some questions:
What is she fed? 
How much exercise and socialization in the world does she get?
How long have you been in the picture (ie living with the gf)?
What training if any, has the dog had?
What is her health like? As has been mentioned above..a rank smell is not normal and could be diet, health or hygiene (dog can't pick her food, bath herself or take herself to the vet). 

If you are not prepared to find out the answers to these questions or are not prepared to put some work into the relationship with the dog and therefore the girlfriend...well...then maybe the dog isn't really the issue.


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## +two (Jul 12, 2011)

. . .

In order to help you, your girlfriend and the dog please answer the following: 

what and how much is she fed? (brand of kibble etc) 
when was she last groomed? 
when was her last vet check up? 
how long has your girlfriend had the dog? how did she get her? 
what mental stimulation does the dog get during the day?
what is the dogs typical schedule? (meals, walks, naps, etc) 
what style of training have you/ your gf used? 
what is her general personality like? 
how involved is your girlfriend in the dogs life?
how willing are you to work with the dog? 

I have owned and currently do own a Hound. Hound's are definitely a group of dog that aren't for everybody and a Fox hound is not generally an easy animal to keep satisfied unless you are able to provide a lot of enrichment. They tend to come off as stubborn or even stupid. I would agree with the stubborn but stupid they are not! You have to figure out what motivates her and what she loves most about life and use that to your advantage. 

Upping her exercise as well as a late night right before bed potty walk would be a start to helping her to settle at night. Giving her something to do in her crate will also help (such as a kong, antler, bully stick) 

As for the smell... well. I am not sure if you are being dramatic or not, but in general Hounds have a distinct 'smell'. I enjoy it, but I guess others might not. If she really smells like decomposing matter, it is definitely time to see the Vet. Have them check her for infection as well as giving her mouth a good once over. Fox hounds are also very prone to ear infection and with the head shaking you describe, I would suspect she has an infection. She needs her ears cleaned at least once a week if not more. Bringing her to a groomer might also help if she rolled in something or is soiling herself. Usually when dogs 'smell' and there are no obvious medical reasons, the culprit is food. Providing information on her diet will help us to determine if she may need to be switched to another protein source or have selective ingredients.


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## Thomas (Oct 17, 2011)

We are trying different things to eliminate the barking problem. This should be obvious, Bordermom, since im looking for help on a forums site. A lot of people neglect their dog to starvation or take it behind the shed and put it down. I have to work six days a week driving tractors and operating heavy machinery, lack of sleep is a pretty serious disadvantage when manouvering several tons of steel. Ending a great relationship because of an animal is a pretty stupid thing to suggest to someone, but I suppose you were just trying to help. 
Now going back to diagnosing the problems, and I thank you all for replying so quick. 

She got the dog when she (the dog) was a year old. It was an animal shelter dog, they suspected it was a hunting dog that the owners didn't want so they just let her loose. 
I'm not 100% sure what the dog's diet is, all I know is that when my girlfriend prepares the food she mixes this product called Alpo in with the dry food. 
The dog gets a bath about every two weeks. She's a great looking dog but she just smells so damn bad. 
Unfortunately the dog does not get much exercise because we are both at work all day. We put her on a lead but she doesn't show much desire to go "explore". She just does her business then comes back in. Sometimes she won't even do that if my girlfriend isn't out there with her in which case she'll sit by the back door and bark till we let her in. 
She pees regardless of who grabs her. Most times she does pee is when we first get home from work and we take her out of the crate to take her outside. If she is not crated when we are away from home she will pee and poop by the back door. We could be gone for 30 minutes and if she's uncrated she will go pee/poop by the door. It is absolutely necessary to have her on a lead when outside because they will take off immediately and head for the highway. I've had to chase after her one time, I ran half a mile after her before she stopped and turned around. You have to hold onto her till she is secured onto the lead otherwise she will take off. 
We clean her ears with this cleaning solution every time we give her a bath. An ear infection is highly unlikely. What she does at night if she's in the bedroom is more like getting "resituated". She gets up, scratches at her bed shakes her head, gets comfortable in other words. It's just that it wakes us up every time she goes through that routine. Is there some kind of sleeping drugs for dogs that I can give her to knock her out till morning?
Again, I wanna thank you for the quick responses.


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## Firem4nJoe (Oct 10, 2011)

Barking, whining, howling, and in some cases yodelling, come as naturally to dogs as breathing water comes to fish.
In my opinion training it out of the dog is a wasted effort though some trainers have had success. If the barking is that unbearable I suggest training the dog to lie down. Have you noticed the how muffled a bark is when the dog is in a prone position?

As for the odour we can argue the disadvantages/benefits of dogs fed processed pet food to that of raw meat & bone fed dogs 'til the cows come home, the same is true for whether shampoos are worth it or not, so it would be a pointless exercise. It is true that not every owner who feeds their dogs pet food complains of "doggy breath" but one cold hard fact that I have noticed from personal experience is that both my dogs' coat odour and bad breath disappeared within 48 hours of dropping the factory processed pet foods from their diet.

Many raw feeders have even reported their dogs have been more responsive, focused and easier to train once switched to a pure raw diet. 

Having said all this, good luck trying to get her to change the dog's diet if she doesn't want to, people can be just as fussy and set in their ways as pets can be.

There is however one other point where I have to urge caution. The phrase a lot of farmers, trainers, and other people use is "Never tell someone else how to train their dog."
The reason for this is that the key to a _safe_ dog is consistency. A strictly trained dog should generally remain a strictly trained dog, nor should a spoilt dog given the run of the house have it's routine altered. While it is true that you can teach an old dog new tricks, it is best not to send the dog constant mixed signals.


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## Tofu_pup (Dec 8, 2008)

Thomas said:


> Is there some kind of sleeping drugs for dogs that I can give her to knock her out till morning?


Yea, exercise.
This dog is probably bored out of its mind.

Alpo is little more than crap in a can and may very well be contributing to the dog's smell.

Start walking her every day.
Buy some interactive toys that will engage her brain.
Bathing twice a month seems a little much to me.

Buy her a bed or mat. Make it comfy.
Lure her to the bed and reward her for getting on it. Repeat, repeat, repeat until she is getting onto the bed seeking treats. Once you hit this point, you can introduce the cue. I use "bed". Nice and simple. Say "bed" when she is either heading to it already or you can guide her back to it. Reward for being on the bed. Reward at random while she is on the bed. 
Now when you catch her on the couch, say "off" and usher her off. Generally, you don't need to touch a dog to get them to move. Use your body. Guide her back to the bed. Count one mississippi, two mississippi, three...on up to five and reward. Gradually, increase the amount of time that she has to be on the bed to earn any reward.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

Perhaps it is YOU who needs the sleeping drugs? I doubt that you sleep in the same position all night then why would you expect the dog to do it? It just doesn't make sense to me. I have owned at least one dog since the age of 8 (im 29 now) & you are glad that dog isn't my dog, cuz if you had grabbed her she would have bitten you quite badly. No one I mean NO one disciplines my dogs but ME & OH knows it. He plays with them, gives them affection, tells ms if they are doing something they aren't supposed to& I deal with it. 

Your GF needs to get the # of a GOOD behaviorist (Google is a good place to start). Second this dog is a shelter dog, not to drag on shelter dogs (I have had more then a few myself) but they do sometimes take special care but that doesn't mean they can'tbe great dogs. Secondly, the dog is barking in the crate BC A- she is a fox hound ... A HUNTING dog = barks a lot  dogs can't fight their natur, dont believe me? Google "American fox hound Info". B- you are putting her in a "dog room" i assume away from you & GF, she is most likely tying to locate you, hence the barking (another hound trait) i suggest getting her into tracking, search & rescue or even doing some tracking exercises on your own using a scented lure (again, Google for more info). Since this dogs background is unknown, its likely she isn't of sound breeding (not saying she is but it's a possibility). 

Shoot I own ACDS & I work 7 days a week, 10hr days manual labor & I still make it "work" if mine are being bad, its usually BC they need excersise & are rowdy, an hr twice a day with a chuck it toy (the ball finger thing ... Best toy EVER) does the trick. Yes a lot of times I am tired & dont want to but I cow girl up & do it BC its not about me, its about them.

That's all I have for now, im afraid I dont know enough about the situation (can't see the dog... Etc) or HOU ds to be of further help, I hope someone w/ hounds will respond, if they do, heed what they say. Also there are a lot of VEEY experienced ppl on this forum (cracker Paws K9, to name a few) who know their stuff, best heed their advice, if they are being blunt, its cuz they want the information to be factual & to the point.


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## +two (Jul 12, 2011)

First thing I would recommend is changing her diet. Alpo is really not good for any living animal to eat and I would be willing to bet it is contributing to her smell. Cut out any junk food in her diet. Go on dogfoodadvisor.com and look at the foods that contain no grain and list the first ingredient as a meat source. Personally, I feed Taste of the Wild. It is of good quality and I am still able to afford it. You should notice her stools becoming smaller and more consistent as well as an improvement in coat. You may also notice her 'brightening' up a little and having a bit more energy. Providing her with some edible raw bones (such as turkey necks) is a great way to keep her mentally stimulated while cleaning her teeth. If she has never had her teeth brushed or regularly ate bones, I would consider going to the Vet and having them give her a good teeth cleaning. The food she is on now has lots of artificial junk and sweeteners which are probably rotting her teeth and contributing to the smell as well. 

Foxhounds are active dogs. Even at 4 years old, they still need at least an hour of physical exercise a day. Is there a nearby field you can take her to that is fenced? If she gets on with other dogs, you could also try a dog park. It will do wonders for her (and you) to let her run for awhile everyday. Leashed walks really don't cut it, especially for a scenthound. You should also consider daycare as an option. I personally am a big daycare supporter and my dogs go once a week. Being able to drop her off and know she is having a good day, and that you don't have to worry about messes at home is very relieving. Purchase a long length of rope or a long line that you can attach to her. 20-50 feet is good. This will allow her to range out a little more and be able to stretch her legs while still allowing you to hold on and make sure she doesn't take off. Even if she doesn't seem like she 'wants' to go for a walk, it is important to exercise her every single day. Sometimes my Hound will go lay in his crate if he knows we are going for a walk. I say too bad and he goes anyways and we are both happy he did! I would be willing to bet that if you spent 1-2 hours running around with her that she would sleep much better at night. 

The sleeping... no. There really isn't anything you can give her. What you describe sounds pretty normal. Most dogs and humans shift, settle and reposition throughout the night. Take her collar off at night if the tags bother you. Otherwise, move her crate/bed into another room if you really cant sleep. 

During the day provide her with something to do. Get a Kong and stuff it with peanut butter and freeze it. She'll love that! Also look into some treat dispensing toys such as the Wobbler, Bob A Lot and Kibble Nibble Ball. 

This sounds manageable Thomas and I hope that you will stick around and read some more stickies to learn more about how to make this situation better for everyone. I am positive that if you change her diet, provide her with adequate exercise and mental stimulation that not only will the dog be happier, but you and your girlfriend will too.


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## wil.wish (Sep 6, 2011)

Hounds bark - a lot. At least, that has been my experience around them. If the dog is barking excessively, the other posts have the right of it. Have the dog checked out, provide proper exercise, and mental stimulation. 

Let's see, "damn dog", "tired of her bullshit", "stupid creature", "beat the living lights out her"... I just can't understand why this dog doesn't respond well to you. If this is a pressing issue to you, the first thing you'll have to learn is that dogs aren't toys or appliances, to be 'fixed' or traded in for a better model. Throughout your post, which I dearly hope was the result of a temporary anger burst and not your normal attitude, you maligned this poor dog worse than I've ever seen on this forum. Here's a tidbit that might save you some trouble: if you don't want a previously abandoned dog to spontaneously urinate, stop shouting and grabbing her by the collar, and start shaping new behaviors by making them things your dog chooses to do. I don't care how many times you yank this dog off the furniture, it isn't going to work. Get her a bed of her own and train her to like it. This takes some patience but not much time. I trained one of my dogs that wouldn't even gp near their crate to love it in two days.


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## Sybille (Oct 5, 2011)

It would be also interesting to hear your girlfriends side of the story, in the end she is the actual dog owner. I agree with what others already said and want to add:

'she smells like decomposing matter' is not normal! How does her coat look like? Take some minutes of your time and ask your girlfriend what is in the dogs food or, even better, invite her to post here about it and to get some sound advice about nutrition. The dog gets bathed every two weeks, that might actually contribute to the problem if the wrong shampoo is used and the skin / coat are 'thrown off balance'. Have a look in her ears, are they clean? Does the smell comes from there? When has the dog been last time to a vet? What is the vet's opinion of the smell?

To me it seems you have here a very fearful, not enough trained and under-exercised dog and frankly, at least you don't show much inclination to work on this problems in a non-violent way. There are a lot of good resources here on the forums available that could help you to a) understand your dog better and b) train it in a way that is actually working (hint: Yelling and beating does NOT work!)

How was the dog before you moved in? Did your girlfriend had similar problems with the dog before she knew you or not?


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Thanks for coming back and answering, Thomas.
First off I would look at changing foods. There are some great foods out there (including raw diets) that are higher quality and appear more expensive, but since you feed less of them, they work out about the same. Often, good quality foods are available at the Tractor Supply type of places. You may have to do some research there, but I'll bet you dollars for donuts that it will help with smelly dog. Dogs can stink and yes hounds are kinda stinky, but they should NOT smell of decomposing matter unless they have managed to roll in it.

I find it interesting that the dog goes out does it's business and comes back in. This may not be a disinterest in exercise as much as an insecurity or anxiety about being outside. Her early experiences as a possibly dumped former hunter may cause her some fear of abandonment. Since she pees when she is collar grabbed etc..this reinforces this idea that she is fearful/anxious. Yes hounds can be stubborn, but they are also quite sensitive in many ways. I would try putting a long leash on her and going out and then grabbing a seat or just standing and let her wander IF SHE WANTS...tossing her a treat once in a while, encouraging her to use her nose to find a kong or something (easy find at first..work up to harder over time) you can do this in the house as well as outside, make it a game that works her nose and her brain. This will help ease some of her anxiety and work to build some confidence up.

As for the moving around at night in her crate. I'm afraid there's not much you can do about that..unless you can rig a "non squeaking crate" by padding it the corners or something. We all readjust our positions in the night and it's normal for her to get up and readjust as it gets crampy sometimes sleeping in a box. Maybe you can use earplugs or something? 

So, in a nutshell. Get a better food (switch GRADUALLY to avoid stomach problems). Give the dog something to do that doesn't involve you physically (nosework). Introduce longer periods outside. Teach a go to mat behaviour. Stop grabbing the collar and yelling, you'll only make the submissive urination worse. Try to make friends with the dog. 

Good luck.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I agree with wil.wish. You have used a lot of harsh words or descriptions in your posts about your gf's dog. Dogs are very, very, very good at reading people and their emotions. I will almost guarantee that this dog knows how frustrated and angry you are about this situation, and that is why she won't respond to you, or why she responds by peeing when anyone grabs her collar. She knows there is tension in the house.

Put that together with the fact that she's a shelter dog, that adds a new set of issues. Even if she wasn't abused, mistreated, or neglected by a previous owner, she still has had experiences in a shelter where she probably didn't receive much attention or training. 

Then, add to that the fact that your girlfriend hasn't trained or taught this dog much in the 3 years or so she's had her, and that this dog doesn't receive much mental or physical stimulation, and you have a dog that just kind of exists, and does what she chooses, NOT because she's a BAD dog, but because she doesn't know any better. She hasn't been taught how you'd like her to behave.

On top of that, after 3 years with the girlfriend letting her do whatever she wants, now you are in the picture, and you want to start changing things. That's fine, things need to be changed, but you have to teach the dog what you want from now on.

My first reaction to your post was that you don't sound like you have the patience to work with this dog. But, you are here, asking for help.

Start with exercise. A tired dog will usually be more quiet, and less destructive. So, the dog needs lots of exercise, mental and physical. Physical, fine, walk the dog, play with the dog, etc. For mental exercise, work on some training, a few minutes a couple times a day. Start small; teach her to look at you, using the "look" or "watch me" command. Say "look" in an excited voice, if she looks, she gets a treat, just a tiny piece of a treat. Repeat over and over and over. 
Then, after a couple days, try sit, then down. Then, stay. Don't try too much at a time.

Training will mentally tire a dog out, but will also help to create some sort of a bond.

And, yes, definitely better food. 

But, more than anything, patience. Because it is NOT her fault that she hasn't been taught to be polite and do what you want.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

I think the issue is not so much that the dog is barking and disobedient but that you and your girlfriend have different ideas about what is acceptable behavior for a dog. She seems to be ok with having an underexercised and essentially untrained dog and you are not. Someone's either going to have to exercise and train the dog, or you're going to have to decide if you can live with things as they are. Personally I think things will be better for everyone all around if someone exercises and trains the dog. 

Having said that, if a guy gave me an ultimatum or suggested getting rid of the dog in this situation, he'd be out the door (the guy, that is).


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## R.Scott (Sep 18, 2011)

The dog sounds absolutely confused. Your girlfriend wants one thing and you want another. The dog doesn't know who to listen to.
About the smell, give her a bath. If it doesn't resolve then, check her teeth, ears and anal glands. She might need a good teeth brushing, ear cleaning and need her anal glands expressed (they can stink So bad if they are impacted).

With her getting on the couch, teach her to go to a different place. Just asking her to get off, sometimes doesn't work. Tell her off, then tell her to go to her own bed and when she does, praise her through affection or treats.

Her barking at 5:30 am is a dog that isn't exercised enough or had enough mental stimulation. Sleeping is good for tired humans that hav ebeen out of the house, working all day, but sleeping is the last thing a dog wants to do when it's been shoved in the house all day and the backyard isn't going to cut it. She probably knows that thing like that back of her paw, it's boring.
I've heard Foxhound are great dogs, but sometimes they aren't the right fit for a "family dog". They always want to run run run after the scent of game (foxes, birds, deer) hence the name "Foxhound" and usually hunting take places early early in the morning. At the butt crack of dawn. 
Check this picture out of what Foxhounds are capable of on a hunt! It's incredible - http://www.foundshit.com/foxhounds-jumping-barbwire-fence/

Foxhound are very sociable, pack oriented dogs. They were bred to hunt in packs from 20 to even 80. That might be the cause of her "separation anxiety" because their mentally is so pack orientated.

And about your girlfriend not allowing you to "Beat the living lights out of her". GOOD. No one in their right might should beat the living daylights out of a dog just because it's barking. If it was ripping your arm off, then yeah, but barking? No. Also, she's pissing her self every time you grab her collar because she's scared shitless that she's going to be beat, especially if you have that mentally about her.

Sounds like the dog need exercise (probably will stop the barking early in the morning and the separation anxiety.) 
Needs a bath.
and mostly, some rules and training (not mean, harsh, "I wanna kill this dog, it's not listening to me!!!" kind of training)


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## Dezzoi (Sep 19, 2011)

Sounds to me like the breed isn't right for you. Unless you are willing to put tons of work into her by meeting with her highly driven instincts, giving her those needs, tons of hours put in trying to gain her trust. (sounds like she needs it.) and probably tons of work building up her confidence. 
If she was used as a hunting dog, she will need a whole other outlet for her energy - like a artificial hunt set up with a fake rabbit, fox, etc and some sort of animal urine smell for the tracking part of it. 
It'll probably take months or even years, but if you are not willing to give that sort of basic attention to her...you might want to see if you can find her a home that has had foxhound experience before with other foxhounds since hound dogs are very pack oriented animals. (I don't believe that they are good first time dogs)

A video showing how foxhounds are meant to live:
in huge packs (notice no fighting over the food)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_Dnt6AVwi0&feature=related

Her howling at night might be just how a puppy howls at night the first night you bring him home...she's lonely. (could be other reasons too, just throwing an idea out)
and you can never give her enough exercise. These dogs were bred to travel long distances in search for prey...and even after walking miles they still have the energy to track down/chase their prey once they have found it....and then walk ALL the way back to where they started.

But, beating the living lights outta her ain't going to do shit....oh wait, never mind. It would do something.........make her worse.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Go to www.dogfoodanalysis.com and find a 5 star or better food. Chicken soup for the Dog Lover, is a good food that is inexpensive, as is Taste of the Wild (I feed the High Prairie formula, and my 3 dogs have done great on it...it's also grain free, which helps if the dog is sensitive to grains).

Head shaking/itchy ears are often the result of poor quality food, as is a dog that smells bad.

Start taking the dog for brisk walk/jogs twice a day for about 45 min each time. The dog will sleep more at night.

Make it so the dog CANNOT get up on the furniture...block it off, put the dog in an Ex pen/gated room when no one is around to supervise.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

spotted nikes said:


> Go to www.dogfoodanalysis.com and find a 5 star or better food. Chicken soup for the Dog Lover, is a good food that is inexpensive, as is Taste of the Wild (I feed the High Prairie formula, and my 3 dogs have done great on it...it's also grain free, which helps if the dog is sensitive to grains).
> 
> Head shaking/itchy ears are often the result of poor quality food, as is a dog that smells bad.
> 
> ...


Well I mentioned this on dog food forum, a lot of the reviews are 2 or more yrs old. The way formulas are changed nowadays I'm just a tad skeptical with dog food analysis.


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## hast (Aug 17, 2011)

True ... but it's the best resource we have for people who doesn't understand dog food. If we read and learn enough, we'll eventually learn enough to read and understand the list of ingredients ourselves.


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## maggie3kais (Aug 19, 2011)

You can also try http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/

I'm not sure if this is any better as I don't know a whole lot about food, but the other site didn't have everything that I was trying to look up, and some were 5 years old. This site said it was updated in 2011 so hopefully that's true!


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## qingcong (Oct 26, 2009)

The OP hasn't responded for 3 days now, yet the conversation continues.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

Yes, I always wonder why that happens, & it always happens with the very "good" threads, discussion wise & information wise... Too bad the OP hasn't been back, there is a lot of good info on this thread... Some of which i didn't know


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## JessCowgirl88 (Mar 15, 2011)

I gotta agree alot of good information on here. 


> Sounds to me like the breed isn't right for you. Unless you are willing to put tons of work into her by meeting with her highly driven instincts, giving her those needs, tons of hours put in trying to gain her trust. (sounds like she needs it.) and probably tons of work building up her confidence.
> If she was used as a hunting dog, she will need a whole other outlet for her energy - like a artificial hunt set up with a fake rabbit, fox, etc and some sort of animal urine smell for the tracking part of it.
> It'll probably take months or even years, but if you are not willing to give that sort of basic attention to her...you might want to see if you can find her a home that has had foxhound experience before with other foxhounds since hound dogs are very pack oriented animals. (I don't believe that they are good first time dogs)


I have to agree with this. I mean I hate to say it at times but, if you or your gf dont have the time or patience to train the dog, get it the excersice it needs and the mental stimualtion it needs. Then maybe you should find it a home with someone who does have the experiance. You think its not fair to you for lack of sleep, etc. and you want to beat it, can you imagine how the dog feels? id bet the poor dog feels the same way about its life style.. I would suggest talking to your GF about it.. And another good question, When was the last time the dog was to a vet? and had a full blwon check-up/shots?

and one thing i think of when someone says i want to beat the sh*t out of the dog, what do you do when it attacks you cause of it if it does?... cant balme the dog... i wouldnt. Just saying ._.


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