CoonHounds

[ccccrnr]

I went to a coon hound hunt test to see how the "specialist" breeds do tracking and use of voice.
I've also read online that these dogs can make bird dogs and be good swimmers

the test was in manchester, IL and hosted by the APHA chapter their
The events were a Show, water race, barking contest, field trial, and Nite Hunt (no bird stuff)

Barking Contest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzVKUvhMkIo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6-SN0530OA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSItF1z7R4o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8HpoI7qQmQ

Field Trial (land race)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0gdTs3Oe0g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BY8tWmDKyc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hld14iZ44dU

The Nite Hunts were done in braces of 3 or 4 coon hounds, each with a handler, and a judge which could also be a handler, each brace was run 2 hours of hunting time (total time in field less time outs)

Water Race
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvN4YLAH-WQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vniJuHe3CnE

The day(& night) was pretty eventful and enjoyable.
But One thing bothered me and some others their, There was one Treeing Walker Coonhound that would swim as if all its thrust was straight up. This hound didn't move very fast and eventually tired out, getting lower and lower in the water. There formed a crowd of more than a dozen people at the water's edge watching this hound slowly tire and go down. I told the kid that had been handleing the hound he should just just in and get it. The kid jsut stood there.
As the Treeing Walker Coonhound had only its nose above water a guy (not his hound) jumped in fully dressed and pulled the hound out of the water. I heard later that the guy that jumped in had a heart condition and recently had heart work done.

My reason for explaining that is to ask, Those that test dogs in water/swimming event, If you were at a test not knowing the group of people their or anything and saw a dog go down drowning would you scratch someone else's dog pulling it from the test to save its life? Or assume the owner is watching and respect the owner's will to let a dog run/drown in test?

[njp158]

I'd like to think I would have acted in the same fashion, and then probably asked the owner if he knew how to swim. His answer would probably determined the converation I had with him from there.

Not to sidetrack your post, but I had a somewhat related water story that I bet a few hunters have shared. I was hunting with my gsp a few years back and he decided to walk out on some thin ice, of course breaking threw about 15 yards out. I made several errors in judgement that I was lucky to get away with. My dog started panicking trying to pull himself out, but he was unable to. This particular pond was made with extremely steep sides to prevent weedgrowth, hence it got deep very quick. The ice looked thin enough that I thought i could break it as I walked out and I thought I could reach him before the water went over my head. Both these theories proved to be true, but I went in jacket boots and all like a complete idiot. the water ended up being about chest deep, and I've often wondered if I had slipped with the bottom being so steep and all the wait of rubber boots filled with water, hunting jacket, etc., if I could have stood back up. Luckily I was able to get both the dog and myself back out but then had to face a walk out soaking wet in freezing cold temperatures.

In retrospect I would have still went out after the dog, but I think I would of stripped down first so if need be I could have swam, and then had dry warm clothes to put on when I got out. I also would have at least tried to reach someone on my cell (which by the way broke in my pocket due to the water) to let them know the situation. Talk about stupid. A minute or two of thinking could of cost me dearly. In the end it all worked out and I got a dog that absolutely hates stepping even on ice in a puddle on the driveway.

I'm sure theres some more people out there with stories of their dogs breaking through the ice.