The American Beagler Forum

I loaded a bunch of my Old Ones or retired hounds last nite and had a blast, ran until 4 am this morning. Old Redman, 14 yrs. led the pack, hes a grade hound so i dont know his bloodline and has been sterile since young, breaks my heart cause i never could get pups from him, toughest hound i ever owned or seen run in 30 yrs. He can still lead a pack of young dogs.
Wandering what everyone does with their old hounds thats too old to run all the time. ?? One guy said he takes his out and shoots them when theyre too old, i just aint got the heart for this myself. Most of my old ones have been with me since puppies, and are like my kids to me, and have given me yrs. of enjoyment as hunting buddies.
So i guess i'll feed em until they pass on.

The way I see it is if they're good enough to keep until they get old, they deserve more than a bullet. I'll keep mine til the end unless they are suffering.

Funny you should ask about old hounds.

Today, I gave a 10 year old female beagle with 2 wins in AKC Large Pack to a new beagler just getting into dogs.

Enjoy her Randy ... she still has a few good years left.


Troy

Dave you have a good chain link fenced in yard I would just let them run loose in it. I could'nt do the bullet. Just let thim in joy the rest of there life take thim out once in a while and let thim do what they do best.

i have ben running with a friend who has a 13 year old male, i think someone forgot to tell him he is old, still does a nice job. if they can still get it done, why not run them. i can tell u this i lost a 13 year old female last year i wish that could of hung on a little longer to help with the pups i had.

Any hound that has given years of running or trialing and then gets too old to run sure as he-- doesnt deserve a bullet. Unless they are suffering from age or illness then the vet ends there pain. I have alot more respect for them than that.

i have an old grade gyp named brook that is 14 and she can still get r done day in day out---as long as she can go and i see she is not hurting she will be in my box when we go huntn

I have never shot a dog just for being old the way I see it is they have given all they had for years to do the things you wanted them to do and they deserve a nice retirement where they can be appreciated have plenty of bunnies shot to them and eat all they want.

That being said the best option I have ever seen for a do that has hit the end of its road due to illness is take them out and put them right on a nice big fat old rabbit let them make a good circle and shoot the rabbit to them let say your good byes and let the hound chew on the rabbit some and put the dog down to that way it's a happy death then you bury that hound with the rabbit so the chase can continue in heaven. I had a very old and wise friend tell me this once and it is the only way I could handle for one of my own I couldn't let any of mine be put down by some vet

if I like a hound well enough to keep till is getting to old it has a place for life or gets to bad in health and have to put it down.I may be odd but those dogs have spent many hours with me doing what they love and what i love and are my friends.I know they are not people but allot of times I would rather be with them than people.Ken

NoBull, A wise friend indeed. I love the last rabbit. I have actually paid extra to have the vet come to my place to put a dog down, so that the dog's last breathes were not taken at the "dreaded vets". They work hard to please you all they can. They give us what no human can, unconditionally. The least we can do is honor them until the end.

Ol Rocky is 15..he will be here till he dies..take him out every now and then to get him some excercise..

Fred is 9 and pushing 10 and won hound of the year at MCBC..in the running for Hound of the year at Redbush..is sitting in the top 10 in overall HOY points in ARHA..got 2nd at the diabetes hunt...someone forgot to tell him he is supposed to slow down.

Luv those replys guys !! sounds like everyone indeed cares for the old timers.
I have always had a bad on my part of keeping too many pups(i luv those pups) and laying my older ones up a few yrs. early.

A Friend of Ours Did a thing i thought was realluy neat with one of her old Hounds(datsun) Who just got old 16 and started failing and was in Some pain She just couldnt stand it anymore and Called her Vet. She set up an apointment (was resonable to) to come to her home on Such and such Day...
When that day came She gave her old hound all the thing she couldnt have in her Life!!!!! A bag of M$Ms a Fried Chicken leg a dish of ice Cream to top it off When she was done with all this the vet gave her the Shot Missy held on to her and played with her and her favorite Toy till she went to Sleep.

When it Comes time fer my old Girl to go I will Spend the buck!!!!!!

Really like all the replies, I have a 14 year old grade female. She has started almost all the dogs in my kennel, past and present, as well as some of my running buddies. My next oldest dog is only 4 years old, so there were alot in between that didn't cut it for one reason or another, but the old girl keeps plodding along. I had her out with my last litter and she was circling the rabbits right by them. She is almost completely deaf, I have to yell to get her attention, as well as almost blind. She will be here to the end. Thought I would take it a step further and post a picture. She was 12years old in the photo.

Eva's Fancy Girl

TC wrote:A Friend of Ours Did a thing i thought was realluy neat with one of her old Hounds(datsun) Who just got old 16 and started failing and was in Some pain She just couldnt stand it anymore and Called her Vet. She set up an apointment (was resonable to) to come to her home on Such and such Day...
When that day came She gave her old hound all the thing she couldnt have in her Life!!!!! A bag of M$Ms a Fried Chicken leg a dish of ice Cream to top it off When she was done with all this the vet gave her the Shot Missy held on to her and played with her and her favorite Toy till she went to Sleep.

When it Comes time fer my old Girl to go I will Spend the buck!!!!!!

Sounds like a good way to go