Continued from here

Hunting was human instinct maybe for stone age men and maybe still for some tribes! But even so, we have the ability to make our own decisions and to choose wether or not to follow our instincts, we can also choose wether or not to allow a dog to follow its instincts, I have a collie from strong working lines, he does not work though, and doesnt show any 'inappropriate' herding behavior like rounding up my cats, and barely bats an eyelid at the sheep in the farmer's field. I have raised him as a pet, and not encouraged his herding instincts, so he doesnt have them, or doesnt show them. You can't tell me the same thing can't be done with hounds.
A cat's instincts on the other hand can't be curbed, even indoor cats still 'play hunt' .
I am not against dogs following their instincts and enjoying them, it is natural for animals and they are not been cruel as they can't help it, I am against humans hunting and killing, not for survival, not because they are following their instincts and can't help themselves, but because they are enjoying the thrill of the 'sport'.

If working Border collies can be rehomed to pet homes why can't the same be done with the fox hounds? I know they live in huge packs, but so do lots of dogs, eg racing huskies.

Bear......I can assure you it would be so so difficult, and, setting aside all other problems that would inconvenience the humans, it would be downright cruel to the hounds. I "walked" a sweet bitch, Deco, last year. I had her from 6 weeks to 6 months. She lived with my house dogs and had the same upbinging I give my house dogs. By 4 months she could get out over a 6' fence & under the tiniest gap. By 5 months she was off self-hunting at any opportunity. She mixed a bit with the other hounds, but never became one of them. She was never even slightly house trainable & by 6 months I was delighted to take her back to kennels!!!
When we were hunting in January this year, Deco got caught up in a wire fence, became seperated from the rest of the pack, and it took some time to find her. It was dark so I took her back to my place & treated the cut leg and put her in the dog room overnight. She howled continually until the huntsman collected her at midday the next day. Despite being reared by me, all she wanted was her pack. The sight of her "dad" coming to pick her up, made her ecstatic. We had one doghound last year that I truly believed could be a pet dog in his retirement, he was so placcid. At the end of the season he came to live with me, it lasted 2 months.....2 months of escaping back to kennels EVERYDAY and sitting outside the lodges howling to be let back in.(A 5 mile trip via main road!) 2 months of having to clear up after a trail of destruction. 2 months of NEVER being able to walk him off a lead (the cruelest thing you could ever to to a fox hound) 2 months of allnight howling. 2 months of garden destruction....the list goes on & on. Believe me, I have lived & breathed foxhounds for 30 years & you cannot turn them into pet, its quite inhumane to try it. I am glad to sat that Anchor went back to kennels & lived with the pack (he is now 12) but its an unlucky person who gets the job of shutting him away on hunting days......he can be heard 5 miles away making his protest!!!

I am glad he is 12 now because I heard somewhere that, like some greyhounds, they were pts once they were of no use. As I have said before this has been a good subject (I mean the thread Leigh started which is now locked) as not all I have been led to believe is right so is this opinion of mine just hearsay or true? Regards Gina.

Gina,
"of no use" is not strictly true....a hound out for a days hunting, covers an estimated 40-60 miles in one day. As you can imagine, there comes a time when hounds are too old to be able to do this sort of mileage, and to drag them out & have them try to keep up would be unkind. The odd (very placid ones) are left at home in kennels, but its rare, as its so distressing for them to see the morning routine of getting ready for hunting, and all the pack getting terribly excited, only to be left at home for hours, howling. This is the usual reason for hounds being pts.

Sam sorry about the of no use but I think you took it the right way!! How old are the dogs when they are considered too old ? Thanks Gina