My 7 week old bluetick coonhound puppies. They are trying out their mouths.

my bluetick coonhound and walker mix treeing a roadkill coon, both were obtained from shelters

We begin this article with the basic facts about the breed, then follow up with an in-depth look at their personality.

Breed group: Hounds

Weight: 45-80 lbs

Height: 20-27 inches

Overview

Although these dogs are originally from Louisiana, their descent can be traced back to the Bleu Gascogne French hounds. These dogs are natural hunters, and they excel in tracking and treeing raccoons, bears and cougars. The Bluetick Coonhound is capable of performing their hunting duties on any terrain and in extreme weather conditions. Bluetick Coonhounds are well-known for their cold noses, and the ability they have to track very old scents.

Temperament

These dogs are described as being clever and sociable, and they are extremely loyal to their families. This breed is reliable, deeply devoted, caring and without fear. The Bluetick Coonhound is a brilliant family companion and protector. They will do well in a home with children that are considerate. They are wary of strangers, but not very aggressive dogs. The Bluetick Coonhound will get along well with dogs that they have been raised with, but are not ideal for families with cats or other small pets. The Bluetick Coonhound howl a lot and does have a tendency to be destructive when left alone for too long, or when they are lonely. The Bluetick Coonhound makes an excellent watchdog. This breed will not do well in an apartment. Although they are fairly inactive when indoors, they will perform best in a large yard. It is advised that these dogs should not be allowed to run free when not on a leash, unless they are in a secure area. Coonhounds are inclined to go after their noses, and if they catch a scent they might walk for hours to follow it.

Care

It is recommended that these dogs are brushed on a weekly basis in order to minimize their hair loss. Bathing or dry shampooing should only be done when necessary and their ears should also be checked and cleaned on a consistent basis.

Training

It is important that the Bluetick Coonhound is socialised and receive obedience training from a very young age onwards. This is a breed that will not do well when the training is conducted in a cruel or unkind manner. Their training should involve motivation, patience and firmness – it should also be fair and consistent. The Bluetick Coonhound excels in hunting, agility, and tracking.

Health problems

The Bluetick Coonhounds are relatively healthy dogs, but they tend to have problems with cataracts, hip dysplasia, and Krabbes disease. Inactivity can lead to fatness, and their ears can be checked to make sure they are free of infections.

teaching bluetick coonhound pups the art of retreving.

My Belle, My Girl

Bluetick Coonhound

History

The Bluetick Coonhound began in Louisiana. These are the breeds that were bred together to get this kind of dog: English Foxhound, American Foxhound, Bleu de Gascogne, Porcelaine, and the Virginia Foxhound. Bluetich Coonhounds were developed to track racoons and tree them.

At first, they were thought of as  English Coonhounds, but in 1945 the breeders broke them away, reasoning to keep them as racoon hunters and not breeding them to be quicker and hot-nosed as was the trend.

General Looks

They are muscled, have droopy ears, and have very big paws. They appear to be blue in coloring, which is caused by the mottling of black and white.

Is This Your Breed?

Bluetick Coonhounds are athleticand strong. They are working dogs that like to be hunting. Agility and obedience training keep them active and happy too. They need a bath and to be brushed, infrequently..

Coat

It is somewhat coarse and stays near the body. It is shiny, short, and smooth.

Color

A rich blue color that is mottled.

Locomotion

Robust action. The tail and head held up.

Personality

This bred is sometimes very stubborn and needs adequate training. The training needs to start at an early age, which causes the Bluetich Coonhound to obey and respect their owner. They like people a lot. They are affectionate and gentle. They like plenty of attention and petting, but will be content being near you. They like people to talk to them. Blue-ticks are expressive.

Bluetick Coonhound video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDpPYs1NmkU

Our hound, Blue, always strikes this and another huge oak tree at the top of the hill. He is actually able to climb the other tree to get to the large hole in the side of it, and bawls with his head inside. With the large number of walnut trees in the area, there is undoubtedly something living here.

Easily recognized by its unique blueish coat, the Bluetick Coonhound is a member of the hound group of dogs. Thought to be descended from French Bleu Gascogne Hounds (hence the blueish color) and English foxhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds were originally registered as English Foxhounds. Breeders broke from this when they chose not to follow the breed standard of a hot nosed dog and chose to continue breeding Bluetick Coonhounds as cold nosed creating a distinct breed.

Prone to slobbering Bluetick Coonhounds have a tri-colored coat that has blue specks in it (which are actually black hairs) and brown spots. The coat requires minimal maintenance. The occasional brushing is all that is necessary. Their eyes are brown and they have excellent eyesight, allowing them to see well at night. Bluetick Coonhounds generally live about 11 to 12 years and reach an average height of 20 to 27 inches and average weight of 45-80 pounds. Described as intelligent and social, Bluetick Coonhounds are fiercely loyal to their families and are good with children but should be watched carefully as some can be a bit aggressive. Bluetick Coonhounds make excellent watchdogs.

They will bark loudly and almost uncontrollably when a stranger approaches their territory with their distinctive medium-toned bark, sometimes described as a bugle and sometimes described as loud by nearby neighbors. The bark of an individual Coonhound is easily recognized by its owners. For this, and other reasons, they are not recommended for apartment dwellers. Bluetick Coonhounds are hunters by nature and are not good with other household pets.

Though fairly easy to train, when outside, Bluetick Coonhounds should always be kept on a leash, as their hunting instinct will take over, should an interesting scent come their way, and are prone to running off. They will tree small animals, particularly raccoons, if allowed to run free (and there are competitions to test this ability). Bluetick Coonhounds need plenty of exercise. It is best to have a large, fenced in area where they can roam about freely as they tend to get bored easily and need many activities to stop them from becoming destructive.

Bluetick Coonhounds do not have any unusual or breed specific health concerns, though inactivity can lead to obesity, and their ears should be checked frequently to ensure they are infection free. But all in all, the bluetick dog breed is a great breed to own as long as you keep in mind the concerns above.

This is my dog blue she has a great voice