The Black and Tan Coonhound is one of the few genuine American breeds, developed by crossing the Bloodhound with the Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound. Its name is related to the color of its coat, and the purpose it serves, namely hunting. Although its origins go as far back as the seventeenth century, this breed was first registered by the American Kennel Club in 1945. It is an excellent hunter, with a great endurance; it is able to go for large game and to withstand any kind of environment conditions. One of its specific traits is that it relies entirely on its scent to find its prey.
Being born to hunt, the Black and Tan Coonhound makes a first impression of both strength and agility. Moreover, its body is very well-proportioned (the length of the body is equal to its height, namely 64 cm on average), at a weight ranging between 29 to 59 kg. The eyes, colored in brown and with a round shape, give the dog an alert expression. The ears are low and well back. The muzzle is somewhat on the same level with the dog's skull, and ends with a black nose. The teeth are closed in a scissors bite. The back of the dog is not arched, but leveled and muscular. Also, because it is an animal that hunts, its tail is strong and used to control the dog's movements, while chasing its prey. For the same reason, the legs are well boned and muscular. Finally, the coat is short, but dense, and it is black, with tan markings just above the eyes, on the muzzle, on the chest and on the legs.
Some people say that the Black and Tan Coonhound is quite difficult to train. But, others will comment that there is no bad student, but rather bad teacher. Having such a keen sense of smell, this dog can become readily distracted, and if they stumble upon an interesting scent, they will be hard to stop from tracking it down. In order to train it properly, a lot of patience is necessary, together with a great amount of food, for this dog will do anything for a treat. It is also important to know that physical punishment will do more harm than good, causing the poor animal to become confused. Instead, it is highly recommended to proceed in such a way, so that the dog will understand that you are the alpha male of the pack. The Black and Tan Coonhound is friendly and makes a good pet, if the owner trains it properly.
Before deciding to adopt a dog belonging to this breed, there are some things that the future owner should take into account. For example, it does not do well in an apartment. The Black and Tan Coonhound is a large dog, used to run for miles and work hard. Therefore, it is best suited for active families, which can afford spending a lot of time outdoors together with it. If confined to a closed space, it can develop serious health problems, both mental and physical. It can be difficult to deal with if not trained properly from a young age, and, for this reason alone, it is mostly recommended to more experienced owners.
As a conclusion, we can say that this is a large and very active dog, demanding a lot of attention and physical exercise. But above all, for the Black and Tan Coonhound to be well behaved and have an adequate attitude towards other people and animals, it needs an owner with a calm but firm authority.
