Black and Tan Coonhound

Black and Tan Coonhound
A male Black and Tan Coonhound
Country of origin
United States
Classification and breed standards
FCI:	Group 6 Section 1 #300	Stds
AKC:	Hound	Stds
CKC:	Group 2 - Hounds	Stds
UKC:	Scenthound Breeds	Stds

The Black and Tan Coonhound is a breed of dog used principally for trailing and treeing raccoon. The Black and Tan Coonhound runs its game entirely by scent. The courage of the Coonhound also make it proficient on the hunt for deer, bear, cougar and other big game, although many US states are restricting the hunting of antlered animals with dogs. The general impression is that of power, agility and alertness, with the ability to cover ground swiftly with powerful rhythmic strides. Each hound has its own distinctive voice which is often recognizable to its owners from great distance.

[edit] Overview

[edit] Appearance

A Black and Tan Coonhound

The breed standard for Black and Tan Coonhounds is as follows:

• Eyes are hazel to brown
• Ears extend past the tip of the nose.
• Their black and tan markings are similar to the Doberman Pinscher and the Rottweiler but have key distinguishing differences from these breeds. The most prominent are the long tails and ears, and their loud, baying bark.

• 23 to 27 inches (58 to 68 cm) at the shoulder
• 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) head (back of skull to tip of nose)
• 65 to 130 (29 to 45 kg) pounds
• Males are typically larger and heavier boned than females.

[edit] History

In 1945, the Black & Tan became the only one of the six varieties of Coonhound to be recognized in the Hound Group by the American Kennel Club.^[1] The Redbone Coonhound and the Plott Hound have since been recognized in the Miscellaneous Class. The other three varieties of Coonhound are the Bluetick Coonhound, the English Coonhound, and the Treeing Walker Coonhound.

[edit] Personality

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The Black and Tan Coonhound is a gentle, adaptable, and lovable dog. Many are easygoing and people-friendly, the Black and Tan Coonhound is happiest when performing his bred-for work. Easily distracted by their incredible sense of smell, they require patient handling and encouragement. Though most are trusting and sweet-natured, Black and Tan puppies require a fair amount of encouragement to boost their confidence, especially those that live indoors as pets. Black and Tan Coonhounds are happy to be couch-potatoes when given plenty of exercise, and enjoy the company of their human family. Black and Tans may seem cautious or nervous around strangers or unfamiliar dogs, but will socialize well with time, as they are bred to hunt and work in packs. They don’t become senior citizens until about ten years old, and will be active, fun-loving buddies for their first decade.^[2]

The nose of the Black and Tan Coonhound will often lead it to trouble, and it must therefore be kept on leash when outdoors. When tracking, the Coonhound may work methodically, but the untrained and off-leash Coonhound will sometimes race off after a scent. Patient training is essential.

The Black and Tan is best known as a raccoon hunter, the breed has also been used very successfully to hunt other types of game such as bear, stag, opossum, deer and mountain lion - even on difficult terrain. It withstands well the rigors of winter as well as intense heat. Some of the black and tan coonhound talent's include hunting, tracking, watchdogging, and agility. Black and tan coonhounds are the only breed officially recognized as Coonhounds by the American Kennel Club.

This breed drools and slobbers, yet Thomas Jefferson once wrote “the way you deal with your coonhound’s slobber can perhaps be the most telling way of how you handle your everyday problems, after all he is your best friend.” Mr. Jefferson as well as many famous American authors were proud owners of many black and tan coonhounds and fox hounds over the years as well documented in historic documents. George Washington himself is said to be the father of black and tan coonhounds having practically created the breed many years ago.

Black and tan coonhounds are great at warning their owners when a stranger enters the yard, but are not apt to bite or harm anyone. Their bark sounds serious to someone who doesn't know them, but in acutality if someone actually entered the yard, they would bark but never touch the person unless they sensed danger or saw a loved one being harmed. Like most dogs they will not take it too well if they see someone yelling at or hurting their master.

The toughest thing is perhaps finding a black and tan coonhound, and when found they are usually quite costly. Many breeds have a price depending on how many puppies are born in a litter, while other for show purposes. For black and tans either is a factor, litters are generally the same as what is found for most breeds and shows dogs are always more expensive. However black and tans are just rare nowadays. Many black and tan enthusiasts will not charge a lot for their puppies because they don’t want the price to scare potential owners off and they want to share the wonders of this breed. Unfortunately these breeds are far and few. It is the goal of many enthusiasts to reintroduce the black and tan to society. The lack of breeders leads to pricey costs and difficulty finding this breed.

[edit] References

1. ^ American Kennel Club - Black and Tan Coonhound History
2. ^ 2

1. American Kennel Club - Black & Tan Coonhound History

2. Choosing a Dog for Life by De Prisco and Johnson (ISBN 0-7938-2087-1) T.F.H. Publications Inc.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007)

[edit] External links

• American Black And Tan Coonhound Association
• American Black And Tan Coonhound Rescue