Black and Tan Coonhound

Whilst the Black and Tan Coonhound is a thoroughly American breed, their origins lie in the hunting hounds and bird dogs of the UK. 17th Century colonial settlers brought their Foxhounds to America to hunt with, while other settlers brought pointers, setters, bloodhounds, and likely more, and from these dogs the colourful and varied range of American scent hounds originate.

The Black and Tan Coonhound was the first to be split from the American Foxhound and recognised as its own type. Bred to track, flush and often tree (chase up a tree and hold there) the feisty Raccoon, these dogs were capable of working long hours, across rough terrain, forestry and water. Raccoons were hunted for their fur as well as for pest control, but the Black and Tan Coonhound could turn a paw to hunting much bigger prey, including wild boar, bear, deer and mountain lion. Today this is still a versatile working hound in the US, but typically a pet and show dog in other countries. First imported to the UK from breeders in Finland and the US in 2014, Black and Tan Coonhounds were added to the Kennel Club Import register in 2018.

You should enjoy long walks, have a strong interest in training, and some experience with scent hounds. This is firmly a rural dog, with their keen hunting instinct and their loud voice, used joyously and regularly, you won’t want close neighbours (or they won’t want you!). Owners need to be active and capable of many hours of exercise and involved in suitable canine sports or activities. 

For the adult Black and Tan Coonhound, at least two hours a day of formal exercise, over a variety of terrains and routes, with additional time to run free, follow scents and work. This is a breed with incredible stamina, and while they do need several hours exercise, to attempt to physically tire them out will simply result in increasing their fitness such that they need more and more exercise. Therefore, it is vital that mental exercise is included, with work such as tracking, man-trailing or scent discrimination being ideal. 

Better suited to the rural home, or at least the rural suburban home with a very large and extremely well fenced garden. Keep in mind their breeding is to follow scent and ignore all obstacles in their path. Access to a variety of interesting walking routes so that your hound can follow new scents each day will be important in keeping this hound happy.

Large breed dogs, as well as having large appetites, benefit from a different balance of nutrients including minerals and vitamins compared to smaller-breed dogs.

Easy to groom, just wipe clean most days and brush with a stiff bristle brush or a hound mitt once a week to bring up the shine. Check that lip folds and ears are not gathering food detritus, and check paw pads after each walk as grass seeds can work their way in very quickly.

Slow and steady wins the race and the Black and Tan Coonhound is smart but slow to mature – over-facing them with intensive training is likely to backfire. Instead of specific training sessions throughout the day, they are better off learning ‘on the job’, with owners managing environments and exposing them gradually and training as they go. Like many hounds, they do not fare well with exercises that are repetitive and seem pointless. Easily motivated with food, and with the opportunity to follow scent, they need a clever and hound-savvy owner who understands the hound mind.

Thorough and early socialisation with other animals and children is important – this is a big dog who if not guided and managed correctly can make a nuisance of themselves very easily!

For the outdoors family who have a lot of well fenced space and older children this can be an excellent companion. Not suited to homes with very small children or people who are frail, as they are slow to mature and are bouncy, clumsy puppies who become very large, very quickly. Take into consideration the time needed to walk and entertain (around 3 to 4 hours a day) and the fact that these hounds rarely cope well by themselves for any length of time. Ideal owners will be home most of the day and enjoy walking 2 hours or more.

While many dogs are traditionally thought of as being good with children, all dogs and children need to be taught to get on with and respect each other, and be safe together. Even so, dogs and young children should never be left alone together and adults should supervise all interactions between them.