Today I’m publicly announcing, for the first time ever, something I’ve kept secret from the world for the past four months. Here it is:
I am now proud a hound grandpa and it’s all thanks to my prized lady hound, Coulee.
That’s right, Coulee, my all-star female who is the dog who sent me off the hound-running deep end gave birth to six healthy puppies on June 6th, 2022.
Of course, Coulee couldn’t have manifested these incredible little creatures all by herself, so you may be wondering, who is the sire?
The father is none other than my exceedingly handsome Bluetick, Plum.
As someone who takes tremendous pride in my ability to manage my hounds in an orderly fashion, it’s somewhat embarrassing to admit that, yes, this breeding was purely accidental and unexpected.
So unexpected, in fact, that I literally had no idea Coulee was even pregnant until the last possible second. I was in utter disbelief until the first little puppy head popped out and entered the world.
I have always been very careful about keeping Coulee separate when she comes into heat, and I swear on the Holy Bible that I have no knowledge of Coulee and Plum getting “tied.” Coulee typically stays in heat for a full 4 weeks, and during that time I can’t recall a single time that her and Plum were alone together long enough to do the deed.
But obviously a quick in-and-out happened because what I thought was nothing more than a simple false pregnancy turned out to be real. Very, very real.
Funny enough, I had made plans to get Plum fixed, but all the vets in our area had 6-month-plus waiting lists for new patients so the surgery was postponed. I am not a big fan of taking my dogs to the vet unless I absolutely have to, and as such, Plum had never been.
Now, despite what anyone says or thinks about her, I am absolutely head-over-heels obsessed with Coulee. I adore her and think she is among the most naturally talented hounds to have ever walked the earth. I know everyone thinks highly about their dogs, but hey, I’m Coulee’s ride-or-die.
I had always thought that at some point I would want to get some puppies out of Coulee, but not nearly this soon. Also, when the time came for me to choose a sire for her, I was leaning much more toward the Walker side of the aisle.
But clearly, her and Plum had other plans in mind. Nature took its course and out popped a six-pack of 1/2 Bluetick, 1/4 Walker, and 1/4 Black and Tan puppies.
I call them Black-White-and-Blue-Ticks.
Don’t be alarmed: I did not keep all six puppies. I’m not that crazy.
I only kept four.
And if you think that’s too many puppies to train all at once, you may be correct, but you’ll have to pry them out of my cold, dead hands. Because they aren’t going anywhere and I’m going to give it my best shot to turn them into cat dogs.
After all, we need to keep the entertainment value high here on Hound on the Run … right?
I have learned so many things by raising these pups from day one and they will no doubt be the topic of the majority of my articles and videos moving forward. To get things started and introduce you to these precious little blue gems, I present you with a photo essay in four parts sharing the story of my puppies from birth to present day.
Follow the links below to get into it. Enjoy.
Puppy Photo Essay Part 1
Puppy Photo Essay Part 2
Puppy Photo Essay Part 3
Puppy Photo Essay Part 4
P.S. Did you know I wrote a book about my bobcat hunting adventures? It’s called Cat Dog Chronicles and I wrote it to share my journey with both other hound hunters and non-hunters alike. Fellow hunters — I know you’ll find it entertaining and relatable … But if you’ve never been hound hunting but are curious about what it’s really like, my personal story will give you a glimpse into this complex sport and show that it’s not as easy as you might think!