English Coonhound

The English Coonhound, registered by the American Kennel Club as the American English Coonhound and once also known as the Redtick Coonhound, is a coonhound from the southern United States. It descends from hunting hounds, mostly foxhounds, that settlers brought to America in the 17th and 18th centuries.

History

The breed shares its ancestry with every other coonhound except the Plott Hound. It grew out of the Virginia Hounds, which were themselves developed from dogs imported by Robert Brooke, Thomas Walker and George Washington. Virginia’s country was much rougher than the imported hounds were used to, and over time they were bred to suit it. The resulting dog hunted raccoons at night and the American red fox by day.

The United Kennel Club recognised it in 1905 as the English Fox and Coonhound. The Treeing Walker Coonhound was split off as a breed of its own in 1945, and the Bluetick Coonhound the year after.

The American Kennel Club took the breed into its Foundation Stock Service in 1995 under the name American English Coonhound, moved it to the Miscellaneous Class in 2010, and gave it full recognition in the hound group on June 30, 2011, as its 171st breed.

Appearance

Males measure 56–69 cm (22–27 in) at the withers and females 53–64 cm (21–25 in). Weight should be in proportion to height. The coat is short and coarse.

Unlike other coonhounds, the English Coonhound comes in several colors. The best known patterns are redtick, bluetick and tricolor with ticking; red and white and white and black are also listed. Brindle is a disqualification, as is a solid color with less than 10% ticking. Puppies in a single litter often differ in color.

Temperament

English Coonhounds are good-natured, sociable dogs, bred to live peaceably in a pack. They are generally good with children, loyal and eager to please, and usually settle well in a house. The United Kennel Club standard treats skittishness or aggression as a defect. Their voice, a long melodious bawl mixed with short sharp chops, makes them fair watchdogs.

They have a high prey drive and will chase small animals, cats included, unless they have been raised with them or taught otherwise. Young dogs can be inquisitive and destructive, so early obedience training, attention and exercise are recommended.

On the hunt the breed has a powerful nose and can follow small and large game, including raccoons, cougars and bears. Much of its work is treeing: driving a climbing animal up a tree and holding it there for the hunter. A hound can become so fixed on the trail that it ignores commands, and will sometimes stand at a tree its quarry never climbed.

Care and health

These hounds need regular exercise to stay in condition, and are mellow when they are not hunting. The breed is generally healthy. Its deep chest makes it susceptible to bloat, which can be life-threatening, and it can overheat on summer hunts in the South. Breeders screen for hip and elbow dysplasia and for eye disorders. The drooping ears should be checked often for wax and debris.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.