Where the Coonhound came from
Coonhounds were developed in the United States, from colonial times through the 1800s. Settlers brought hounds from Europe, such as Foxhounds, and bred them to hunt raccoons at night, since Foxhounds did poorly at hunting animals that climb trees.
Breeders wanted dogs with a strong nose, a loud voice and the grit to follow a trail in dark woods and then tree the raccoon. Several breeds came from this work, including the Black and Tan, Bluetick, Redbone, American English, Treeing Walker and Plott.
The AKC recognized several coonhound breeds over the years. Today many still hunt, and some are family dogs.
- 1700s to 1800s Settlers breed European hounds into American raccoon hunters
- 1945 AKC recognizes the Black and Tan Coonhound
- 2009 AKC recognizes the Bluetick and Redbone Coonhounds
The job a Coonhound was bred for
The dogs followed a trail at night, then barked at the base of the tree where the raccoon hid. At home that shows up as a loud voice, a strong nose and wandering.
Sports that fit a Coonhound
- Scent work. Strong nose
- Tracking. Natural trackers
- Coon hunt style trials. Nite hunt events built for the breed
- Canicross. Good stamina with a trail runner
- Lure coursing. A safe outlet for chase
Training tips for a Coonhound
- Use food and let them sniff on walks.
- Build recall on a long line, never off leash.
- Teach a quiet cue and reward silence.
- Keep fences tall and secure.
Body and health
Deep chested, so bloat is a risk. Long ears need cleaning and heat needs watching.
Fun fact. A treeing hound's baying changes when the raccoon is up a tree, which tells the hunter where to go.
Breed is where we start
A study of more than 18,000 dogs found breed explains only about 9 percent of the differences in behavior between dogs (Morrill and others, Science, 2022). So your Coonhound is a starting guess, not a label. We find the drive your dog actually runs on, give it a job, and teach you to read them.
Looking for a different breed? See what 75 breeds were bred to do.