The Majestic Tree Hound is a very friendly and loving dog breed whose origin can be traced back to the end of nineteenth century as well as to the early twentieth century United States.
Even though there is no scientific evidence as to how this dog breed was born, many dog enthusiasts say that it was developed by crossing some already well known breeds, such as: the Grand Bleau de Gascoigne, the Bloodhound, the Treeing Walker Coonhound and the Basset Hound.
Since its appearance, the Majestic Tree Hound has been used especially in hunting activities, tracking, scenting and treeing game such as raccoons, mountain lions and bears, but nowadays there are many dog lovers that choose to breed this dog only for companionship and affection.
Like many other hunting dog breeds, this breed has a very pleasant and outgoing personality. They are very intelligent yet stubborn dogs that, only from time to time, will look for guidance in their owner. When it comes to the living space of this breed, you should know that these are not apartment dogs. The Tree hounds need to have a large space where they can run and play whenever they want. Their favorite activities are long walks, free runs and fetching a stick or a ball.
Their training must be done only by a specialized trainer, since sometimes they can have an over-confident attitude and a difficult temper. They get bored if the trainer repeats the same exercises over and over again and at some point they may choose to stop responding to commands. Their mind needs special treatment, so always have a great variety of exercises and tricks in mind that you can make them do this way, they will not get bored and refuse to cooperate. The handler of a dog from this breed must be confident, caring and must have some prior experience with dogs.
Also, they are very sociable dogs and they get along very easily with children, if they are raised together from an early age, or with other pets. Their coat does not need special treatment. Weekly brushing and bathing whenever it is needed are more than enough for this dog. However, there are a couple of periods throughout the years when the dog sheds more than usual, so it should be brushed and washed more often. This way, you will not have unwanted hairs all over the furniture or rugs.
When it comes to health, the owner of a dog from this breed should know that this animal is prone to developing cancer, some spinal conditions such as Degenerative Disk Disease or chronic ear infections. Also, there are some other concerns which may have a higher risk of happening than the ones mentioned above, like: cherry eye, hip dysplasia, obesity, sensitivity to anesthesia, primary lens luxation (meaning the dislocation of the lens), bloat and distichiasis (meaning ingrown eyelashes).
Even though, nowadays, the popularity of the Majestic Tree Hound has risen considerably, there are few dogs from this breed outside their native country, the United States.
