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Black and Tan Coonhound Dog BreedNicknames: Coon Hound, Coon Dog, Coon Dawg. |
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| Right Breed For You? | The Black and Tan Coonhound is outwardly friendly and very affectionate with their families as well as loyal. These dogs are not well suited to city living or apartment life because of the substantial amount of exercise required. Resulting from their ability to completely focus on scent will chase small animals in trees and bark. So exercise must be done on-leash and in a fenced in yard. | Discount Pet Supply Recommendations |
| Shedding: |
Moderate Shed | |
| Height: | 23 to 27 inches | |
| Weight: | 50 to 75 lbs | |
| Life Span: | 10 – 12 years | |
| Litter Size: | 7- 9 puppies | |
| Hair Length: | Short | |
| Group: | Hound | |
| Color: | Coat comes in Black and tan only | |
| Recognized By: | CKC, FCI, AKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC, APRI, ACR |
The Black and Tan Coonhound is classified as a working dog. Different from most breeds the Black and Tan Coonhound hunts by scent only. Commonly used to run coons up trees, they will also chase their prey down trails. Been highly resistant to the most rigorous days of winter and also capable of withstanding high summer temperatures, it makes a great companion for the diehard outdoorsman. It will claim any kind of environment as its own, no matter how rocky, hilly or bushy it might be. As most of the large hunting breeds, the Coonhound may be trained to hunt larger prey as well.
The Coonhound’s strength and presence can be clearly noticed with the animal at work. Its powerful muscles and consistent pace harmonize beautifully, being a very pleasant sight to see.
The coat is short and dense. Shedding might be a problem. Although the Coonhound is not hard to groom, brushing its coat often will removed the loose hair preventing hair on your furniture.
The proper food will keep the dog’s coat healthy and shinny. For the best diet for you Black and Tan Coonhound, consult a veterinarian or an experienced breeder.
The Black and Tan Coonhound is an American breed and is a dog of substantial size. And bred from strains of the Bloodhound and black and tan Foxhound brought to this country by English settlers. Its purpose was to hunt raccoons, opossums and bears. Its origins can be dated back to the 1700’s. They were bred to have the scenting abilities of the Bloodhound but the ability to travel at at faster pace and they were also suited to night hunting. They are also built for endurance and are able to travel across rugged, mountainous regions. In fact, the breed was developed by the people who lived in the Appalachian, Blue Ridge, Ozark and Smoky mountains. When the prey is the dog’s bay, alerting the hunter, who then arrives and shoots the animal. The Black and Tan Coonhound was selectively bred for their color – there are many other types of coonhounds including Blue Tick Coonhounds, Redbone Coonhounds, English Coonhounds, Plott hounds and Treeing Walkers. The Black and Tan Coonhound was first Registered by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 1945.
There is not much you can do to change the Coonhound’s temperament, pretty consistent in how it interacts with people; this breed is pretty easy going and friendly.
As any other hound, scent is what makes this animal move. In order to get the best that this breed has to offer, it is important for this dog to be around other hounds, preferable older and experienced dogs.
Being of great disposition, the Coonhound is a dog very safe to have around. An aggressive behavior is not a normal characteristic for this breed. It is mostly tolerant, independent, gentle, stubborn and sensitive. Being very sociable, it enjoys the company of other dogs and humans.
Because of its stamina, the Coonhound can be unfit as a pet unless greats amount of exercise and enough space to roam. Restricting this animal will cause serious behavior problems.
Most common health problems for this breed are in relation to the Bones, Joints, Muscles, Nerves, Ears, Eyes, Teeth and the Mouth. Other, more serious, issues can relate to the Digestive System, Heart & Respiratory Systems, Immune & Blood Systems, Reproduction and Urinary Systems. Potential health problems of the Black and Tan Coonhound can include:
- Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Dysplasia (abnormal development of joints referred to as CHD – Canine Hip and Elbow Dysplasia)
- Entropion (the inversion, or turning inward, of the border of the eyelid against the eyeball)
Diseases in dogs may occur due to trauma, infection, immune system and genetics.
As any other dog the Black and Tan Coonhound will need frequent vet visits. Because its world is the outdoors, up-to-date vaccination for rabies is necessary in case of an encounter with a infected raccoon or opossum or even other dogs. Proper medication for ticks and mosquitoes also should be used. The outdoors might bring allergies even for dogs; luckily there is an array of medications available for dogs. Consult your vet for more information. Teeth cleaning are commonly overlooked in outside dogs, but keeping their teeth and gums healthy will actually extend the life of you animal and will grant you many extra years of enjoyment with this breed.
If your dog will not be used for breeding it is very important to spay or neuter you dog. It will prevent unwanted pregnancies of females, roaming and in many cases prevent certain types of cancer.
Because of its long ears this breed, as other hound relatives may suffer from ears mite and infections. A serious infection may lead into deafness of the animal.
Hounds many also suffer from cataracts as well, which can be treated in our days.
An occasional brushing is all that takes. However, regular attention should be paid to the ears and eyes to keep them healthy.
It requires a substantial amount of exercise and a fenced yard.
There are some breeds in this group who make a distinctive ‘ baying ‘ sound – invaluable information should be considering puppies
Behavior will be greatly affected if the animal is not provided with distraction.
Coonhounds have a reputation for being difficult to train. However, training a coonhound is not hard as some think, if you go about it the right way. Most coonhounds are very food oriented and will do almost anything for a treat. Due to their affectionate, social personality, if you don’t train your hound you will have created a monster (jumping up or putting their noses into inappropriate places).
They can become easily distracted as training is taking place. Any different scent will get the off track and getting them back into the mood can take some time. Patience is a must in training this breed, any form of physical punishment to force them into learning will not work and only confuse the animal because it will not know what is doing wrong. This breed is for the experienced owner. Many of these dogs become a problem for lack of proper exercise and training. A lot of them are found in dog pounds.
When choosing the right puppy, training, care and behavior, growth & development. The following considerations should always be taken into account when choosing Black and Tan Coonhound puppies:
- Budget – Purchasing, training, equipment, medication and feeding costs of the breed
- Convenience and Grooming time e.g. long or short hair
- Personal situation – time available and medical conditions such as allergies, asthma or back pain.
- Exercising requirements for the Black and Tan Coonhound breed
- Living Conditions for the breed – suitability for puppies
- Family – child suitability
Children and Puppies!
It seems like many times parents, grandparents and other relatives or friends in order to please a child will give them a puppy.
There might be a great problem in giving a child a Black and Tan Coonhound puppy. Larger breeds usually grow very fast and in no time that cute small puppy will be bigger, much bigger than you’re 8 year old. The sizes of puppies are naturally considerably smaller and the full grown size of the animal can easily be forgotten when confronted with cute puppies! The slogan “A dog isn’t just for Christmas – it’s for life!” was necessitated by well meaning people buying puppies at the Christmas, unaware of the puppies growth rate. The pictures provided make it extremely clear exactly how small puppies will develop and whether it will suit the life and living conditions of the family.
Age comparison between the Black and Tan Coonhound Dog Breed and a Human age comparisons between dogs and humans are always a matter of debate – we hope that the following information clarifies the situation. After the first year of life, a dog is equivalent to sixteen human years. After two years, they are equivalent to a 24 year old, at three years a 30 year old, and each year after, add 5 human years to determine a dog’s age.
