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I've done it both ways and prefer seperate. You aren't always there to stop problems before they get going. once there is a problem between two dogs its alot harder to deal with and it spreads to all aspects, box, tree, not just the kennel. females get cranky in heat, males have dominance issues, no point in mixing it all together when any problems can be avoided all together. Just what I've seen, my dogs all stay seperate now. When they were together i did build a feeding stalls, big enough for only one dog to squeeze in and food at the end, each dog knew its stall and they all lined up in their place, never had food issues withthat setup.

larry wrote:I've done it both ways and prefer seperate. You aren't always there to stop problems before they get going. once there is a problem between two dogs its alot harder to deal with and it spreads to all aspects, box, tree, not just the kennel. females get cranky in heat, males have dominance issues, no point in mixing it all together when any problems can be avoided all together. Just what I've seen, my dogs all stay seperate now. When they were together i did build a feeding stalls, big enough for only one dog to squeeze in and food at the end, each dog knew its stall and they all lined up in their place, never had food issues withthat setup.

Larry, you perfectly described why I do house my hounds together from time to time. Every problem you listed can be cured or decreased by kenneling arrangements and discipline there. The box to the tree, and if someone else's dogs show up anywhere in between, I'm not worried if they teach their dogs the same as I teach mine.

Scott

larry wrote:I've done it both ways and prefer seperate. You aren't always there to stop problems before they get going. once there is a problem between two dogs its alot harder to deal with and it spreads to all aspects, box, tree, not just the kennel. females get cranky in heat, males have dominance issues, no point in mixing it all together when any problems can be avoided all together. Just what I've seen, my dogs all stay seperate now. When they were together i did build a feeding stalls, big enough for only one dog to squeeze in and food at the end, each dog knew its stall and they all lined up in their place, never had food issues withthat setup.

This only applies if you own plotts though right?

This is about 1/2 of the Pack Feeding 17 out of 35 .. Just pour out 30#s of feed ...

Majestic Tree Hound wrote:This is about 1/2 of the Pack Feeding 17 out of 35 .. Just pour out 30#s of feed ...

Hmmm... No doubt, thats a lot of hounds! but there must be a system when it comes to females coming into heat. You run all the same sex? If not, how do you keep tabs on mixed sexes? Are you boarding several houndsmen's packs? Do you get any accidental breedings? Whats the dope on running this high number of hounds? Thanks! Joel

Looks to be all males to me. But I could be mistaken.

We keep all the Females Cycle's on the Computer and watch Closely for any Undue Attention ..

Usualy the Pack Dominate Male will start to Guard a Female as She starts her cycle ..

Then Shes place in a Bomb Proof Case Hardend Kennel !!!!!! LOL
Right now the Pack is 50/50 Males to Females

This Video Shows how Our younger Pups are introduce to Pack Feeding
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te6vn-XQ ... ature=plcp

We have 5 hounds; 3 spayed females, 1 cut male and 1 intact male. They live in a 1/4 acre yard that they have acess to all day and at night they are seperated into 2 kennels. We feed everyone at the same time and only have minor corrections. As a whole there are small fights every once in a while. The intact male and cut male fight the most (the intact male was introduced late this summer and we are waiting to cut him till after lion season ) We feel that they hunt better living all together.

Melanie

MT-plainsman wrote:Hmmm... No doubt, thats a lot of hounds! but there must be a system when it comes to females coming into heat.

With 35 dogs, there can't be a whole of females NOT getting bred. I'd sure be nervous about buying a dog from someone with that many dogs. Doesn't seem like there could be too high of standards.

when i was a preteenager, about 50 yrs ago, i took care of my grandfathers' foxhounds. he kept one pack of younger dogs of mixed sexes in one large pen or yard and another pack of about 20 dogs in another pen. i don't recall there ever being any fights. each pack slept in one common dog house. there were no cut males, when a female started in heat, we moved her to a small pen. i fed each pack in one dish or trough.

I have never had a large pack of dogs so I am not sure what I would do if I ever had one. I usually only have 3 mabye 4 dogs and they are all kept in one pen. I have large walk in dog house that is 4ft by 12ft with a concret floor and cabinets for food and supplies. I have a 8 foot long bed I keep filled with straw so they all sleep together and ony one water bucket. I have two feed dishes which I keep food in twentyfour/seven and after a very short amount of time the dogs figured out they did not have to wolf down their portion and try to get anothers food so I have zero problems when it comes to feeding time. I road my dogs all the time so they get a six to seven mile run two or three times a week so they do not seem to be putting on any extra weight. I also have a deal with a butcher where he sells me beef joints and left overs for a few cents a pound and when I come in from a really hard hunt I will give each of the dogs a frozen joint. I have never had any of them fight over these joints and usually will start on one of them and go to sleep in the sun for most of the day and finish them that evening or later in the day.

Now when a female starts to come in I seperate her but that is the only time they are apart. I have zero problems around the house or in the dog box.

This approach seems to work for me and if and when I run into a situation where other methods are required I will handle them at that time.

Justaguy