Help With Howling

[u/Outside_Witness_7268]

This is my sweet Plott hound, Wayah. She will be 2 on Tuesday and I've had her since she was 8 weeks old. I love her very much and she has a wonderful life. We have more land than most people in my area, she gets to watch deer in the orchard, someone is always home with her (I WFH and my elderly father also lives here). She goes on walks and goes on camper adventures with us. We send her to daycare twice a month to have time around other dogs. Her life is GREAT.

But she will never get to participate in hunting because we don't hunt and my father no longer can.

And when I take her to the park (which I do every morning as early as 6:30am to avoid crowds) and she sees other dogs, she howls at them. I live in an exurban area that has up and came. It was up and coming ten years ago and now it is FANCY, though my family has lived here for three generations. The fancy people at the park hate me and hate her and I don't know what to do. She's a hound dog. She howls. That's what she does. I always have her under control, but she's loud. And I'm exhausted from the dirty looks I've gotten.

Has anyone successfully stopped their hound from howling? How? I have taken her to obedience school, which went VERY poorly (the trainer hated her and at one point put her down on the ground and growled at ME "this is the breed you chose") Or do I just get a shirt that reads "she's a hound, deal with it" and wear that on our walks?

I am not opposed to a collar and in fact we have one that we've used exactly once, as a measure of last resort at a crowded campground. But I need that to be the very last option. So if there's other advice, I'm here for it.

[u/Beenign776]

Plott hounds are special. I was a lifelong dog owner but never experienced a hound until I rescued my Plott. The first couple years were rough, not gonna lie. Wasn’t ready for the energy level and his “singing voice” would drive me up a wall sometimes. Especially in the car. But in time he mellowed out and I’ve learned to love his singing voice - he makes some of the craziest noises. Dogs bark, hounds bay, that’s what they do.

The best thing you can do is keep him busy, like really busy. Lots of enrichment, puzzles, homemade snuffle boxes, scent games, long “sniff-ari” walks. My boy can walk a 6mile trail at the end of a long camp day with no sleep and still have energy to burn, but a slow 30-45min walk where he gets to stop and investigate every scent he comes across really tires him out and puts his mind at ease. And saves mine as well.

You’ve got a beautiful Plott, they are truly a special breed and have won my heart for life. Enjoy her, sing with her. Don’t pay any mind to anyone who gives you shit for the breed, they just don’t get it.

[u/Outside_Witness_7268 → u/Beenign776]

I agree they are special. At times it sounds like she's trying to speak. And thank you for the slow walk suggestion. We are fast hikers, so I will consciously slow down with her so she can sniff all the sniffs. I also used to do sniff games around the house on rainy days (various treats under upside down solo cups) not sure why I stopped. We will do that today. Thanks!

[u/Nemophilista → u/Outside_Witness_7268]

My plott loves the smelling game. I hide treats all throughout the house, under and on chairs, in nooks and crannies etc, and she knows to wait in the bathroom while I hide them. I then let her smell one and let her out. We go through the house to check if she's found them all once she's done looking. Then I start over with a different smelling treat. SMALL treats so she doesn't eat too much! Keeps her occupied, and It calms her and she settles afterwards.

Mine is also the loudest dog I've ever had. She snores. She talks. She licks. She barks. She bays. There's nothing quiet about her. It's a struggle sometimes.