Hound Puppies Learn New Skills
The Puppy Walker
Reprinted by permission foxhuntinglife.com
Will You Walk a Puppy?
A poem by Will H. Ogilvie
‘Will you walk a puppy?’
the Hunt enquired.
Being sportsmen, we did as
the Hunt desired.
And early in June there
arrived a man
With an innocent bundle
of white and tan.
A fat little Foxhound
bred to the game,
With a rollicking eye and a
league-long name,
And he played with a cork
at the end of a string;
And walking a puppy
was ‘just the thing.’
Photo by Cat
No members of your hunting community are loved by Masters and huntsman as dearly as the puppy walkers. Each year these intrepid folk accept the arrival of a couple of playful pups to their country home in early summer to teach them their names, walking on lead, a semblance of civilized behaviour, and a taste of life outside the kennel.
So, when your Masters praise the puppy walkers at the annual puppy show and bestow a small trophy upon those who walked the winning hounds, recall this poem by Will H. Ogilvie and give the puppy walkers their due!
My Puppy Walking
text and photo by Heidi S. Mach
Being a puppy walker brings us great joy each season. It’s such fun to have these sweet puppies with us for a few months. Puppy walking is rewarding, and we teach them to come when called, how to be with other dogs and horses, and socializing skills. I enjoy watching them learn and grow up. For me, puppy walking adds so much to the hunting experience. It brings a better understanding and appreciation of hunting and what is involved to make it happen. It makes me proud to be part of the raising of our hounds.
I love being able to pick out my hounds while out hunting. It is wonderful to see them out working with their pack, listening to the huntsman, and growing into great hounds. When that happens, I realize how the valuable experience we can offer them as puppies contributes to their maturity and ability to do what they love.
Festive
Federal & Festive
Twenty years of “Puppy Walking”
By Gill von Teichman
Having checked the lovely silver stirrup cups which were given to puppy walkers at the annual Puppy Show, I discovered that we have been walking puppies since at least 1995, with the exception of a couple of years.
We have had so many different puppies. Bold, shy, loving (mostly), wandering, always chewing, nipping and wagging. They are a lot of work. Aside from the obvious, they must be exposed to other animals, big and very little people, cars, tractors, water, hazards, noises, and, of course, lots of love. When they return to the hunt kennels, they are expected to come (mostly) when called by name and walk out properly with a collar and lead.
Over twenty years, we have been proud of the many puppies who have gone on to be excellent hounds in the hunt field and in the show ring. The puppies are walked but never owned. They belong to the TNYH pack of hounds, but quite often, many months, or even years, after walking a particular puppy, a fully-grown hound, no longer recognizable, will suddenly recognize you after a hunt, in the yard, or by your trailer, with a huge wag and a lick. It’s heartwarming, and it really does make it all worthwhile. Walk Puppies! It is a very rewarding experience.
Editor’s Note: Please contact one of our Masters, Andy Bite or Laurel Byrne, regarding your interest in walking puppies for the Hunt.
