How to Groom a Plott

Plott Hounds are lovable, doe-eyed dogs with a sweet, mild-mannered temperament. They are a loyal breed which is good with families and children. Originally bred as boar-hunting hounds, they have an amazing sense of smell and are brave enough to challenge a large bear or boar. However, this aggressive behavior usually doesn't translate into their interactions with people. They have fine, dense, shiny coats that come in brindle, slate blue and buckskin.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Natural bristle brush

1. Brush your Plott Hound's coat occasionally with a natural bristle brush. The coat doesn't require a lot of brushing. It needs a good run-through once in a while to remove dead hair and to clean it. There are occasionally Plott Hounds with a double coat. These dogs have a soft, thick undercoat with a longer, stiffer topcoat. These dogs require more thorough brushing, but not much more than the regular single-coated Plott Hound.

2. Clean and check the ears frequently for signs of wax build-up or inflammation. The large ears of the Plott Hound can become infected easily.

3. Bathe your dog when necessary, but not too often, as this dries out his coat.

Tips & Warnings

• Plott Hounds have a life expectancy of about 12 to 14 years.
• The Plott Hound was developed by the Plott brothers, who brought their dogs over from Germany and began crossbreeding for the purpose of creating the best boar-hunting dog in the world. Many believed they had succeeded and thus began calling the dogs, the "Plott boar-hunting dogs" later shortened to simply the "Plott Hound," or "Plotts."
• Plott Hound tend to eat lots of food very quickly which can lead to gastric torsion and very serious twisting of the stomach. Don't let them eat too much too quickly. Other than that, they are one of the healthiest of all coonhound breeds.