HI I am Jessie and I am an 8-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound!  I came into the rescue with my fosters from a situation that isn’t fully clear, but my fosters think I lived mostly outside, in a concrete kennel, with little exercise.  I was used for breeding and if I was trained to hunt, I wasn’t likely used as a hunter, as I startle easy and gunshots would have scared me.  But I LIKE to hunt and sniff all tree small animals.  I LOVE hiking in the woods and would do it ALL day if someone would take me!  They say I am an old lady dog, but I don’t believe them! 

With this history, I need a home with a tall fenced yard.  I like to be outside a lot.  My foster mom has a doggie door which I love.  But I lost those free access privileges when I went over her fence on a hunting expedition.

I am mostly quiet unless I am trying to get my foster brother to play or if I have something treed…. or the rare occasion my foster mom starts eating her dinner and forgot to give me mine first!  This is a rarity for my breed, I am told!

I am affectionate and crave lots of pets and am learning that the house is a safe and comfy space, especially that dog bed my foster mom gave me….and the couch.  I like that thing.   I need an owner with a calm household.  New people make me anxious at first, but slow treats and pets win me over easy enough especially if you let me come to you on my terms.   I am good with kids and other dogs my size (I haven’t been around smaller dogs but may be ok.  Right now, the neighbor dog comes out and just barks at me like he wants to eat me, and I get a little scared).  While I am super gentle, small and super active children may make me nervous just because kids are so spontaneous and move so quickly.   They also might open that front door and I would go on my own hunting expedition in a heartbeat. 

I am still learning house manners like no getting on the counters and now that I am not so nervous anymore being in the house we are working on basic commands.  I like treats and I am super smart, so my foster mom thinks I will be easy to train.  I haven’t had any accidents in the house since I finished a medication that made me have to go a lot.  I am also crate trained!  I sleep nicely in my crate at night or when my foster mom has to go to an office to work. 

I would love a calmer but active family that will give me all the pets I could ever want and all the hikes we can both handle.  Will YOU be my new family?  I am getting spayed on Oct 13 ^th  but I can start meeting people now!