Black and Tan Coonhound Dog Breed Complete Information

Black and Tan Coonhounds are known to be very gentle and easygoing dogs and are considered very mellow for their size.

Other Names: American Black and Tan Coonhound

Country Of Origin: USA

Dog Group: Scenthound

Size: Large

Recommended For: Families, couples, single owners

Maintenance Level: Moderate

Lifespan: 10-12 years

Temperament: Trusting, gentle, affectionate

FAQ:

Good For the First-Time Owner: Yes

Good With Children: Yes

Good With Other Animals: Yes

Good With Strangers: No

Good For Apartments: No

Exercise Requirements: Daily walking

Can Live In Hot Weather: Yes

Can Live In Cold Weather: Yes

Can Tolerate Being Left Alone: Yes

Grooming: Moderate

Trainability: Easy/moderate

Breed Overview:

The Black and Tan Coonhound is a breed of hunting dog developed in the USA.

It was originally bred as a scent dog for raccoon hunting but has since become a favorite companion and family pet.

Although the breed might look large and intimidating, they’re actually very gentle.

Black and Tan Coonhound is a good choice as a family pet.

The breed is known to be great with children, but owners should be careful with puppies, as they’re not often aware of their size and weight.

However, Black and Tans make good companion pets for the whole family.

 Color: Black and tan

 Height: Males – 21-27 inches, Females – 21-24 inches

 Weight: Males – 50-75lbs, Females – 40-65lbs

Personality and Temperament:

Black and Tan Coonhounds are reasonably intelligent breed, but this can come through as stubbornness if not trained properly.

Coonhounds love being outside but are equally happy sleeping in the house near their owners.

The breed is relatively easy to train, and Black and Tan Coonhounds can learn a wide range of commands.

However, obedience training should begin early and be consistent throughout the dog’s life, as the breed is known to be stubborn if it can’t see the benefit of something.

Similarly, Coonhounds have an incredibly strong scent instinct, so owners should work on controlling the dog when out walking.

Generally, Black and Tan Coonhounds are ideal family pets and are good with children.

Although an adult Coonhound will be calm, puppies can be playful to the extreme and are often unaware of their size.

While they make a good companion for children, owners should be cautious letting a puppy around toddlers. Similarly, Black and Tans might be too independent to want to play with children regularly.

When it comes to exercise, Coonhounds need plenty of it. At least one long walk every day should be given and combined with plenty of playtimes.

The breed needs plenty of mental stimulation to keep it engaged, and they particularly enjoy a game of fetch.

Their role as a scenthound means they have plenty of stamina and can take much more exercise than you might think.

Black and Tan Coonhounds generally aren’t known to be aggressive, although this will depend on the dog and the level of training.

They can be cautious around strangers and will bark if they feel threatened. While the breed isn’t aggressive, their behavior can be interpreted as such by both people and animals, so owners should be careful when out walking the dog.

That said, Black and Tans are usually fine around other dogs, but this requires plenty of socialization and a strong owner.

To keep a Coonhound under control, owners need to be firm with their commands.

The breed is fine around other dogs, but its prey instinct may kick in around small pets, so owners should be careful keeping one with anything smaller than a cat.

Due to their size, exercise needs, and love of barking, Coonhounds aren’t a good choice for apartment living.

They were never intended to be a house dog, and neither suitable for city living.

A Coonhound needs plenty of lands to play in, and as much exercise as it can be given. Having a large backyard helps to cut down on the number of walks the dog needs.

Black and Tan Coonhounds are a shorthaired breed, so are fine to be kept in both hot and cold climates.

Owners in very hot places need to be careful about when they exercise the dog and make sure it has access to plenty of shade and fresh water. Being black makes it harder for the breed to regulate its temperature effectively.

Overall, Black and Tan Coonhounds are quite a good choice for first-time owners.

Providing new owners are confident enough to control such a large dog and can keep up with its exercise needs, Black and Tans make great pets for almost anyone, but particularly families.

Similarly, they’re good for working owners because they can be left alone for more extended periods.

 Grooming:

Black and Tan Coonhounds have a short coat that ranges from wiry to soft. Considering their coat is so short, Black and Tans do shed more than the average shorthaired dog.

They also have two shedding seasons every year, in which they shed much more than usual.

This shedding can be managed with weekly brushing using either a rubber mitt or a razor comb. Similarly, Black and Tans should be bathed every few weeks to keep them nice and clean.

They have a very strong dog odor, but this can only be removed for so long through bathing.

As with all breeds, a Coonhound’s nails should be trimmed regularly and their teeth brushed several times a week.

Also, their long, floppy ears should be checked for mites and debris and cleaned roughly once a week.

 Common Diseases and Conditions:

Although considered a generally healthy breed, Black and Tan Coonhounds are known to suffer from a range of ear and eye problems.

These are generally a result of their floppy faces, so owners should be extra careful to keep them clean.

Ear cancer is a known problem in the breed, and this doesn’t necessarily age dependent.

Black and Tans are also known to suffer from hip dysplasia, but breeders will screen for this long before adoption.

The breed can also suffer from thyroid problems, but these usually manifest later in life and can be caught early if the dog gets regular checkups.

 History:

The Black and Tan Coonhound can trace its lineage back to 11th-century England, specifically to the Talbot Hound.

This was a breed used for hunting and is the founding breed for a wide range of scenthounds, including the Bloodhound and Foxhound.

The Foxhound was brought over to America almost as soon as the continent was colonized.

It eventually developed into the Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound, which is the breed’s closest relative.

The Virginia Foxhound was initially used for hunting foxes, but then became a popular choice for raccoon hunting as the fur trade took off.

Coonhounds were bred specifically for the task of hunting raccoons, which required a different set of skills to fox hunting.

While Foxhounds were designed for fast-paced chases over flat land, raccoon hunting required endurance over much rockier terrain.

Similarly, fox hunting was usually for fun, and so didn’t need as much endurance from the dogs.

So the Coonhound was developed to fulfill this role and became a stockier dog that was generally slower but with much better endurance levels.

The first Coonhounds were eventually split into different breeds, depending on geographic location and ancestry.

Although the breed was created as a hunting dog, one of its most desirable traits is its ability to be aggressive on demand.

Granted, this requires rigorous training, but it means that this large hunting dog has always been a good choice for families because it can be trusted around children.

This, however, does result in a very strong prey drive, although this is generally only directed at small animals.

The Black and Tan Coonhound became the first to be recognized by the American Kennel Club, in 1945, while the other five major types of Coonhound weren’t actually known until the 2010s.

As animal hunting declined in popularity over the 20th century, Black and Tans became a popular choice for the American family to keep as a companion pet.

The Black and Tan Coonhound Facts & Figures

Did You Know?

  • The Black and Tan Coonhound might not be the fastest dog in the world, but it has incredible endurance and tracking skills and is often able to follow prey over a distance of many miles.
  • Although the breed was created specifically for hunting raccoons and possum, it’s also adept at hunting deer, bear, and mountain lions, making it a valuable asset in the Frontier Days.
  • Black and Tan Coonhounds have an incredibly loud bark, which was valuable in hunting days, but also means the breed can make quite an antisocial neighbor.
  • The breed has incredibly powerful legs that allow it to take much bigger strides than the average dog. This makes up for its lack of speed, and also improves its endurance because it needs to take fewer steps.
  • One of the most distinctive features about the Black and Tan Coonhound is its smell. They have a strong, very doggy odor, which can put many potential owners off. However, others find its what attracts them to the breed.

You can find more United States Dog Breeds in the links below:

About the author: Driven by his lifelong passion for dogs and an insatiable curiosity about their diverse breeds, Pablo Pascua founded dogbreedsfaq.com. Through this website, he seeks to expand his knowledge and share his findings with fellow dog enthusiasts. Having owned several dogs throughout his life, Pablo’s experiences have fueled his interest in learning more about these beloved animals. His mission is to provide accurate and comprehensive information to help pet owners make informed decisions about their furry companion.