▁" H ound ▁Dog " ▁was ▁advert ised ▁in ▁Billboard , ▁and ▁review ed ▁posit ively ▁on ▁March ▁ 1 4 , ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁as ▁a ▁new ▁record ▁to ▁watch , ▁described ▁as ▁" a ▁wild ▁and ▁exc iting ▁r hum ba ▁bl ues " ▁with ▁" in fect ious ▁backing ▁that ▁rocks ▁all ▁the ▁way ". ▁According ▁to ▁Johnny ▁A ce ▁bi ograph er ▁James ▁M ▁S alem , ▁" The ▁ra wn ess ▁of ▁the ▁sound ▁combined ▁with ▁the ▁over t ▁sexual ity ▁of ▁the ▁ly ric ▁made ▁' H ound ▁Dog ' ▁an ▁immediate ▁sm ash ▁hit ▁in ▁urban ▁black ▁America ▁from ▁late ▁March ▁to ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁July ▁ 1 9 5 3 ." ▁" H ound ▁Dog " ▁takes ▁off ▁immediately ▁and ▁looks ▁like ▁a ▁national ▁hit ▁record . ▁R uf us ▁Thomas ▁quickly ▁records ▁an ▁answer ▁song ▁called ▁" B ear ▁Cat " ▁on ▁Sun ▁ 1 8 1 . ▁Thor nt on ' s ▁record ▁is ▁such ▁a ▁big ▁s eller ▁that ▁Pe ac ock ▁Records ▁has ▁three ▁new ▁pressing ▁plants ▁running ▁full - time ▁to ▁try ▁and ▁keep ▁up ▁with ▁demand . ▁Deb uting ▁in ▁the ▁charts ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁it ▁spent ▁four teen ▁weeks ▁on ▁the ▁Billboard ▁Rh ythm ▁and ▁Blues ▁charts , ▁seven ▁of ▁them ▁at ▁number ▁one . ▁By ▁April ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 5 3 , ▁C ash ▁Box ▁magazine ▁listed ▁the ▁song ▁as ▁"