Hello, everyone. I apologize if I sound like an idiot, as I'm not a hunter at all. I just wondered if ya'll could help me. I'm a dog lover and work with a group of volunteers rescuing dogs in South Florida. In October, I saw a dog we call Coffee at a county shelter in South Florida, fell in love with him, and worked with a couple of people to get this dog safely out of the shelter. Maybe I'm totally off base, but I strongly suspect Coffee is a hunting dog who was lost. He has notched ears, a docked tail, and quite a howl. He was brought into the shelter by a park ranger, but the shelter didn't know what park or even what general area he was found. Coffee had been in the shelter well past his stray hold without being claimed and was less then a day from the needle when we pulled him. He's currently being fostered, and we are looking for a permanent home for him, but I just have a really strong feeling that someone out there is looking for their hunting dog.
I've fostered Coffee in my home and he is also fostered by another woman. He's a wonderful dog. He loves kids, other dogs, and cats. I couldn't say what breed or breeds he is, but definitely some sort of hound mix. Also, as I mentioned, his ears are notched and his tail is docked. He's housebroken and seems to be adjusting pretty well to living in our homes, but he always seems restless, no matter how much exercise he gets. He's well-cared for and and very much loved at both foster homes, and he seems happy, but he just wants to go ... We don't know where. Last week he managed to escape me, swim across a lake and force me to run my first five minute mile since high school. As soon as he got out of the water, his nose hit the ground and he just loped off. He seemed totally oblivious to me running behind him calling for him. His nose hit the ground and he didn't even look back once.
Do the notched ears and docked tail indicate he was a hunting or gun dog? Is there anyone we can tell other than that if he is? Does anyone know of anyone who has lost a hunting dog in the South Florida area? Does anyone know where hunters in this area would post about lost dogs or look for information about found dogs? I really appreciate any help anyone can give me. I desperately want to see Coffee end up where he belongs and won't be so restless.
Thank you!
Welcome to the site. It might help if you could post some pic's of him up. I by know means have any clue about hunting dog but we do have some good people on here that should be able to help.
Sounds like one of probably hundreds of hunting dogs that gets lost on a trail somewhere. That's why they call it "dog hunting", because you spend more time hunting for your dogs than actually hunting game!
If you don't get any leads on his proper home, perhaps one of our dog hunters can provide the right home for him. Seems like the dog hunters that post here really love and care for their animals, and it hurts them to lose a good dog as much as it hurts anyone. They also understand that these dogs are meant to be out in the woods, doing what come natural to them. Having a hunting dog and expecting it to act like a lap dog is like having a jacked-up 4X4 truck just to run back and forth to the grocery store!
welcometo the site
Thank you very much for your replies!
I would love to see him go back to his owner. Most stray dogs that end up in the shelter are malnourished, dirty, and sick. Coffee was obviously loved and cared for. If his owner can't be found, I'd be thrilled to see him end up in a home who understands him. I've fallen in love with him and would keep him myself if I didn't have two of my own already. He's definitely not suited for an apartment or family who are looking for a dog to lay quietly at their feet all day every day. He's a smart, active dog. He belongs with someone who understands his need for exercise and stimulation.
Does anyone have any ideas where someone who lost a hunting or gun dog in South Florida may put information to look for their dog? He wasn't chipped when he came into the shelter, so no luck there. they did chip him when I got him out, though. I've scoured Craigslist, and Fido Finder to no avail ...
