The Black and Tan Coonhound is a breed of dog used principally for trailing and treeing raccoon. It's a cross between the Bloodhound, and the Black And Tan Virginia Foxhound. 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.
|Black and Tan Coonhound overview|
|Weight:||65-130pounds (45-64 kg.)|
|Height:||23-27 inches (58-68 cm.)|
|Litter size:||~8 puppies|
|Life span:||10-12 years|
The breed standard for Black and Tan Coonhounds is as follows:
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, a trait that can be troublesome. 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.” This breed is not well-suited for someone who is looking for a quiet dog; Black and Tan Coonhounds, like all coonhounds, are quite vocal and will bark and howl often.
Black and Tan Coonhounds are effective at warning their owners when a stranger enters the yard. Their bark sounds threatening to strangers, but they are unlikely to actually bite unless they sense danger or they or their pack are threatened.
It can be difficult to find a Black and Tan Coonhound for sale, and when found, they are usually quite costly. Litter size and ability to show can both be factors in the price, as can the fact that the breed is generally more rare than most others. As with most pure breeds of dogs, some breeders will set a low price point in an effort to introduce the breed to newcomers, while others breed the dogs purely for profit.
2. Choosing a Dog for Life by De Prisco and Johnson (ISBN 0-7938-2087-1) T.F.H. Publications Inc.