Yes, your hound is literally genetically predispositioned to not listen.
And there you have it — the stubbornness. In reality, what is perceived as being stubborn and actively refusing to listen is actually acute independent thinking and extreme, sometimes displaced, focus.4 The scent hound was literally engineered by humans to go out and relentlessly pursue their most powerful sense. From the dog’s point of view, he or she is doing exactly what they’re supposed to be doing. The smell is the absolute most important thing to them at all times. Combine that with the innate desire to “do what they want”, and you have a recipe for a dog that doesn’t really listen. As I like to say, nose on; ears off.
Beagle
Like the Bloodhound and Basset Hound, Beagles are blessed with very powerful sniffers. They do best in ground-scenting (following scent with their noses to the ground) rather than air-scenting. They were selectively bred primarily for tracking hare, rabbit, and other small game. Like other hounds, they work in packs and at a distance from their masters.
They are often encouraged to hunt by voice and the use of a horn. They may bay when they catch scent so the hunter can keep track of where the beagles are.
These dogs are actually too slow to catch rabbits, but when they flush a rabbit from a hiding spot, the hunter has a chance to shoot as the rabbit circles back to the hiding spot. The horn then signals the end of the hunt as assistants aid in packing up the beagles.
Basset Hound
A Basset Hounds sense of smell is second only to the bloodhound. Their main purpose is to hunt rabbits and hare. They are also capable of covering heavy terrain with little effort. Yet, their slower speed compared to the beagle is appreciated by hunters who like to keep up.
Basset hounds being mischievous and stubborn.
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