How to Identify a Coonhound

The black and tan coonhound is a breed that was first recognized in 1945. The dog was the result of crossbreeding the bloodhound and the foxhound. It has the legendary hunting ability and stamina of the foxhound combined with the incredibly acute sense of smell of the bloodhound. In addition to running raccoons up trees, black and tan coonhounds are also used to hunt over very rough terrain all over the country for deer, moose, mountain lions and even bears. Here is a guide on how to identify this distinguished and capable species.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Start by looking at the dog’s size and shape. It should be about 26 inches in height at the shoulder and a little taller at the hindquarters. It should be as long from chest to withers as the height of its hindquarters. Coonhounds can weigh anywhere between 55 and 75 pounds. It should have a narrow body with a deep chest that reaches past the elbows. The limbs should be slender and end in narrow but long paws. The dog’s tail is almost always held away from the body.

2. Examine the dog’s fur. This is where the breed gets its name. The fur should be short, sleek and shiny. It should be mainly black with patches of brown along the throat, chest, legs and paws.

3. Look at the dog’s head. The top of the skull should be flat and parallel with the top of the muzzle. It should have wide and deeply recessed eyes ranging from hazel to dark brown. The dog should have a strong, long, and narrow lower jaw. Long ears should drop down past the dog’s throat.

4. Look at the dog's mouth and nose. The lips of the upper jaw and the skin under the lower jaw should droop down as well, betraying the bloodhound ancestry. Finally the nostrils should be large and wide open, but not flared by any conscious control of the dog. If the dog matches this description then it’s a black and tan coonhound.

Tips & Warnings

• Black and tans are good companion dogs, but they prefer to work or have a responsibility of some kind. They also have very high exercise needs, so it’s best to keep them if you have a good deal of land for them to run around on. They are intelligent and fairly capable of keeping themselves company, though they tend to howl if they are left alone for too long. This breed is good with older children as they do play rough and can accidentally hurt smaller children when they get excited. They are not aggressive toward people, though do not get along well with other dogs they are unfamiliar with. If this animal is to be kept with other dogs you should carefully introduce them first.
• This breed has a very short attention span and will require brief training sessions if you want it to remember what it has been taught. They will also often wander off when they have caught an interesting scent, so make sure you have a securely fenced yard and contact information on the dog’s collar in case it gets lost and someone comes across it. They are also prone to ear mites and other ear infections, so the ears should be cleaned on a monthly basis. Be careful about leaving this dog indoors; it drools and slobbers like its bloodhound ancestor.

Resources

• List of Reliable Black and Tan Coonhound Breeders