CoonHounds.Info

Many coon hunters overlook the importance of having a good handling coon hound. Often times we are more concerned with the hunting ability of our coon dogs. How many times have you bought a new coon hound and it nearly pulled you down because no one took the time to properly leash train it? If you take the time you can easily correct this problem and have your coon hound handling like a pro. Follow along as I will detail a few techniques I use to leash train my coon hounds.

Leather Chain Dog Leash~Perferred by hunters

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: Varies based on product options

Amazon Price: $18.99

First, the younger the coon hound is when you start trying to leash train them the better. I like to start trying to leash train puppies at about 3 months old. The first thing I will do is get them used to the leash. I do this by putting a leash on them and letting them drag it around the yard for a little bit. Just do this for a few minutes then take it off them and repeat again the next day.

Once I have done this for a few days I will try to lead them around. Start off slowly by just letting them walk around and just kind of follow them while holding the leash loosely. If the coon hound puppy is hardheaded and trying to pull a lot I will tie the leash to a fence or tree and let them fight it. The puppy will eventually become tired of fighting the leash. I will then try to walk them around again. If the puppy insists on pulling I will give them a tug and say “heal”.

If you get an older coon hound that doesn’t know how to walk properly on a leash it may be a little harder to correct. With some older coon hounds you may have to be more persistent and aggressive with your training methods. As I always say it will depend on the personality of your coon hound and you must know your coon dog. Make sure to use a command such as “heal” so the coon hound can associate the training with a correct action.

What I will do is find a good switch and when the coon hound is pulling I will give them a light pop with the switch and say “heal”. Most coon hounds will learn what you are wanting after a few pops. I prefer to have my hounds lead on the left side either beside me or behind me. With enough effort I have been able to have coon hounds heal by my side with out a leash. You can do the same if you follow the techniques I have outlined.

_

When breeding coon hounds there are lots of factors that come into play. The slightest thing can cause your whole plan to go out the window and you might even end up with sick or dead coon hound puppies. If you are an experienced breeder you may know what a whelping box is. If not I’m going to explain what they are and why they are important to raising a successful litter of healthy coon hound pups.

A whelping box is a fancy word for a dog box that’s sole purpose is to house the female coon hound while she gives birth to and nurses her puppies. There is more to the whelping box though. They are designed with lots of functions to protect the mother and the puppies. Have you ever had a female to lay on a puppy and trap it between her and the side of the dog box? This will likely kill a puppy, especially a newborn. I have seen and heard of this happening more time than I like to recall.

Drymate Green Dog Whelping Box Liner

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: Varies based on product options

Amazon Price: $44.95

The whelping box has a special design to prevent the mother from squashing her young. The sides are constructed so that there are “bumpers” that provide a sort of nook. This nook will keep the puppy from getting squashed by its mom. These can be added to any dog book without a lot of expense if needed. I have often used 2×4′s that were nailed all the way around with enough room for a puppy to fit. This method has helped me out of many jams when I needed a quick whelping box.

Make sure your whelping box has good ventilation but will keep the litter warm. Of course this will depend on the season, but use common sense. Puppies need warmth during the winter and cool during the summer. Don’t underestimate the power of the elements if you want to have a successful litter of coon hound pups.

Whelping boxes can be made from various materials. I have seen them made from plastic, wood, metal, and a combination of these. You can make your own whelping box or you can purchase one online or from a specialty type animal shop like Petco. You may want to search online to find what you like before trying to find one in a store. I’ve often found great deals online without having to leave my house to get a nice whelping box for an upcoming litter.

In conclusion, whelping boxes can help you lose less puppies to careless mothers and also from the elements. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to make one, but you can also purchase one if you like. So if you would like your next litter of coon hound puppies to live up to the parents I recommend you using a whelping box. When breeding coon hounds successful breeders use whelping boxes, and so should you.

The English Coon Hound was originally classified as the English Fox and Coon hound prior to the recognition of the six breeds of coon hounds. The recognition in the 1940s by the United Kennel Club of Bluetick coon hounds and Treeing Walker coon hounds as distinct breeds led to the narrowing down of the English Coon Hounds classification. This breed originated in the southeastern United States where they were bred from the American Foxhounds and the English Foxhounds, as well as other European hunting breeds, and native dogs. They were bred for the purpose of trailing and treeing a variety of different animals.

The history of the English Coon Hound can be said to be the history of nearly all coon hounds. The reason this is said is because many breeds of coon hounds can trace their ancestry back to the English Coon Hound. It is still common today to cross a Bluetick coon hound with a Treeing walker coon hound and register the litter as English coon hounds. Crosses involving these three breeds of coon hounds is not uncommon. Registries like P.K.C. recognize cross-bred hounds now so this practice may increase in popularity.

The English Coon Hounds has three distinctive color variations. These include redticks, blueticks, and tri-colored hounds. The most common is that of redtick which is a white base with rust colored spots and ticks. However, it is not uncommon to see an English Coon Hound that looks exactly like a Treeing Walker Coon Hound or a Bluetick Coon Hound. I’ve even seen English Coon Hounds that were blueticked with redticks on them also. This made for a very handsome hound.

English Coon Hounds are popular with competition coon hound hunters as well because they can be very fast track and tree dogs. I have hunted with several top notch English coon dogs in the competition coon hunts.

In conclusion, the English Coon Hound is a very well balanced hound that does well in both pleasure hunts and competition coon hunts alike. They range in color but can be very unique and handsome. I have owned and recommend English Coon Hounds

Treeing Walker Coon Hounds are a breed of dog descended from the English Foxhound, first recognized as a separate breed in 1945. This coon hound breed began when a stolen dog of unknown origin, known as “Tennessee Lead”, was crossed into the Walker Hounds in the 1800s. Thomas Walker had imported the English Foxhound to Virginia in 1742.

Treeing Walker Coon Hounds are extremely fast, agile, and tireless in the pursuit of game. They are extremely vocal with a distinctive bawl that allows their owners to easily identify their dogs from great distances.

Treeing Walker dogs are best known for being coon hounds however the walker coon hound is not as cold nosed as other coon hounds therefore making it an ideal dog for competition hunts because they generally only have the ability to smell hotter raccoon tracks. When pleasure hunting on the other hand the walker hound is not always the ideal hound because they can sometimes lack the ability to work a cold or old track.

Treeing Walker Coon Hounds are also know for being tree dogs. Meaning they are sometimes less accurate than other coon hound breeds. This can sometimes be frustrating when training a new Treeing Walker Coon Hound because they can often make lots of slick or empty trees. Not to worry, with a little “encouragement” most coon hounds can lessen this bad habit.

Treeing Walker Coon Hounds are the post popular of the coon hound breeds and for this reason they have some of the most impressive pedigrees. Treeing Walkers are quite possibly decades ahead of other coon hound breed in the bloodline department. Also, as stated above Treeing Walkers are a very popular choice for competition coon hound hunters. Personally my favorite breed is the Treeing Walker Coon Hound.

Plott Coon Hounds are the only breed of the original six breeds of coon hounds to not have British Influence in its ancestry. Most coon hounds can trace back to the fox hound, but the Plott Hound is the exception. In 1750 Jonathan Plott and his brother left Germany heading for America. They brought with them five Hanoverian Hounds. Although, Jonathan Plott’s brother died during the trip Jonathan settled in North Carolina after arriving in America. It was there that he started raising a family and breeding his hounds. They say that in addition to the Hanoverian Hounds, the foundation stock also consisted of a mix of Bloodhounds and Curs.

For the next 200 years these hounds were bred by generations of the Plott family members and were eventually just referred to as the Plott’s hounds. The hounds worked at hunting bear and raccoon in the Appalachian, Blue Ridge, and Great Smoky Mountains of the Eastern United States. The Plott family rarely put any of their hounds on the market so they remained rare outside the southern United States. In fact it is still rare to see these coon hounds in competition coon hunts, even though a Plott Coon Hound did win the PKC World Hunt a few years back. I can not recall ever having the pleasure of hunting with a Plott Coon Hound.

Plott Coon Hounds were recognized as one of the six breeds of coon hounds in 1946 by the United Kennel Club. Plott Coon Hounds are hardy and have superior hunting instincts. They are very effective in the search for coyotes, wolves, bears, mountain lion, and other wildcats. This breed was carefully developed through selective breeding to be stronger and grittier. Plott Coon Hounds are known for being very gritty and this is why they are used on big game such as Bear so often rather than for raccoon.

In 2006, the breed was officially recognized by AKC as the “Plott” and is now shown as a show dog, but there are many who still hunt and breed them as hunting dogs. Plott Coon Hounds that are bred for show purposes are known to be some of the hardest to beat. In fact, I would say the Plott Coon Hound is even more competitive than the Redbone Coon Hounds in the show department.

Plott Coon Hounds come in many different colors. There are buckskins, blacks, brindles, browns, reds, or and a combination of any of these colors and I have by no means named all the possibilities. All in all the Plott Coon Hound is like most coon hounds and can be used for a variety of hunting tasks. You should consider a Plott if you ever have the opportunity. I hope to someday find me a good Plott Coon Hound.

When hunting coon hounds you will frequently find your hounds out of hearing distance. Occasionally this happens because they are chasing off-game like a deer. It might even turn out that one coon hound split trees away from the others or hunts in a separate way. Heck, you might even just pure get turned around and lost and not be able to find your truck. Well, this is why using tracking collars and tracking systems when coon hunting is so important.

Foremost, just think approximately how valuable your coon hound really is. At times, a good coon dog is worth 4 figures easy, and 5 figures aren’t unheard of either. Yet if you only acquire a puppy for cheap and raise it and train it yourself you will still without doubt have $1,000 invested in this coon hound in both training, food, and medical supplies. It would be a disgrace to literally be unable to find your coon hound and all your hard work.

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: Varies based on product options

Amazon Price: View Sale Price

If you are a competition coon hunter then you will be glad about the next reason. Often times when hunting in a competition coon hunt a timeout may be called. When this is done you have one hour to find your coon hound or you will be disqualified from the hunt. There has been numerous times that I have been in a competition hunt and was able to promptly find my coon dog while one or more of my competitor’s could not and got scratched from the hunt.

One more reason I think tracking collars are vital is because you can leave one turned on at the truck and be able to find your way back to the truck if you get lost or turned around. This has come in handy for myself more than a few times.

Okay, now how do tracking collars work? Well, I’m no expert but I’ll share with you what knowledge I do have. They run on radio frequencies and each collar has it’s own single channel. The receiver is what you use to dial in the frequencies and pick up the signal. This will emit a ‘beep’ and the volume and the repetition will vary on the distance. The way all of this works will depend on the collar you make your mind up to select. Various tracking systems will do all of this automatically or by pushing a button, while others will entail you to do it all manually.

As you can imagine, the price of the tracking system will depend on what bells and whistles you decide on. Nonetheless, you would be astounded at how affordable some tracking systems are, especially when you compare it to the value of your coon hounds.

-

Redbone Coon Hounds have been a recognized breed of coon hound by the United Kennel Club since 1904. The Redbone is the only coon hound breed that is one solid color. The Redbone Coon Hound is best know for its feature in the widely popular novel Where the Red Fern Grows.

Redbone Coon Hounds are widely used on a wide variety of game including cougar, bear, mountain lion, and of course raccoon. Redbone Coon Hounds have been successful in many different types of terrains from dry desert like areas like southern California to swamplands of Louisiana.

Redbone Coon Hounds are known to be lean, muscular, and generally well proportionally built. Their body type is typical to that of most coon hounds. They have long straight legs, a wide barrel chest, and a head and tail that is held high and proud when hunting and showing. The Redbone’s face is sometimes said to have a pleading expression, with sorrowful dark brown or hazel eyes and long, drooping ears. Their coat is short and smooth against the body, but coarse enough to provide protection to the skin while hunting through dense underbrush. Their paws have especially thick pads and dewclaws are common. The nose should be black and prominent. The ears are floppy and should extend to nearly the end of the nose when stretched out. The color of the nose should always be black and the coat color is always a rich red, though a small amount of white on the chest, between the legs, or on the feet is permissible, though not preferred. Variations of black fur on the face and muzzle are also not uncommon. The toes are typically webbed like most coon hounds.

Redbone Coon Hounds have a rich and unique history. During the late 18th century, Scottish immigrants brought with them red colored fox hounds to Georgia. These fox hounds would be the foundation stock of the Redbone. During the 1840′s the blood lines of the Irish Fox Hounds and the Bloodhound were introduced. The name of the Redbone Coon Hound would come from an early breeder from Tennessee named Peter Redbone. Through selective breeding breeders have been able to get a coon hound that is more specialized for prey which climbs trees (racoon) than the typical European hunting dogs. The Redbone Coon Hound is also known for being very gritty and unafraid of taking on large (and ornery) animals. They are ideal for pack hunting of both small and larger prey. Originally, the Redbone had a black saddleback, but by the beginning of the 20th century, they were a pure red tone.

Like many American hunting dogs, especially those from the south, they were widely known and loved by hunters and farmers, but totally unknown in the show ring. Recently, this has changed, and the Redbone has found recognition by the three major kennel clubs. PKC, UKC, and AKC. Redbone Coon Hounds have probably done the best in the bench shows when compared to the other coon hound breeds. There is a long of competition in this breed in the bench shows. However, you don’t see many Redbone Coon Hounds in the competition coon hunts very often.

When breeding coon hounds it’s hard to make that “perfect” match that will kick out a litter of all super stars that start running and treeing their own coon at 6 months old and split treeing at 9 months old. In fact, that is usually pretty uncommon although I have hunted and owned coon hounds that were like this, they are few and far between.

When crossing different coon hound bloodlines it can sometimes be like playing the lottery. My experience in breeding coon hounds is that “line-breeding” works best. Line-breeding is simply crossing similar bloodlines. For example they may have the same grand-sire. Or maybe their grand-dams were litter mates or cousins. Or they could simply just have the same dog or its brother/sister show up some where in their 7 generation pedigree. These crosses can be as close as half brother and sisters being bred. In fact, I owed a Treeing Walker Coon Hound whose parents were both sired by Gr. Nt. Ch. Hicountry’s Nite Heat and he was a pretty solid hound. However, I don’t recommend line-breeding this close.

The Line: A Story of a Hunter, a Breed and Their Bond

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $12.95

Amazon Price: View Sale Price

My experience in breeding coon hounds has shown that the best line-breeding cross is the breeding of first cousins. This means that one of the parents of the breeding pair will be brothers and/or sisters. The most common being the sires of the breeding pair will be brothers. However, I must note that when doing this you must choose quality bloodlines. The reason this works so good is because it doubles up on the genetics. This means the puppies are more likely to have the same qualities as their ancestors. So this also stands true for the negative qualities. So if you are breeding first cousins who have a lot of negative qualities the chances are doubled that the coon hound puppies will have these same negative qualities.

Now, how do I know this works? It is very easy for those who follow coon hounds bloodlines. I used to co-own a Treeing Walker Coon Hound stud dog name Gr. Nt. Ch. Abbot’s Bawling Rebel who is now known to be a proven reproducer. Bawling Rebel was bred to several daughter’s of Gr. Nt. Ch. Stylish Harry who was owned by Tim Ball. The most famous of these crosses produced quality coon hounds such as Gr. Nt. Ch. Stylish Platinum (sold for $30,000), Dual Grand Ch. Stylish Gold (another proven reproducer), and many others. Bawling Rebel’s sire was Gr. Nt. Ch. Ole South’s Stylish Rebel and was a brother to Ball’s Stylish Harry. The list of hounds that come from just this cross and similar ones can justify the benefits of line-breeding first cousins. But this is just one particular bloodlines of thousands that have used this successfully. The Wipeout bloodline of coon hounds is another good example.

In conclusion, when decided to breed your coon hounds you should strongly consider finding a quality first cousin mate. This will increase your chances of producing a quality litter of coon hounds.

Today I’m going to talk about a controversial method of breaking your coonhound from treeing opossums. I have tried this method myself with mixed results, but have had many “old-timers” swear up and down this is the most effective method… I will leave that for you to decide.

Here’s what you need for this to work.

1. Your coonhound (duh)
2. A opossum (live)
3. A 55 gallon barrel with lid (empty of course)
4. A big hill

Havahart 1089 Collapsible One-Door Live Animal Cage Trap for Raccoon, Stray Cat, Groundhog, Opossum, and Armadillos

Overall Rating:

Retail Price: $67.99

Amazon Price: $44.99

Simple really, go to the top of the big hill. Put your dog in the barrel and throw in the opossum and put the lid on (make sure you left some air holes). Then you just let them roll down the hill…

Naturally, the coonhound will start to fight with the opossum and they will get sick from rolling down the hill. When they reach the bottom, let your coonhound out of the barrel. If done right they will be dizzy and may throw up.

Why does this work?

See the coonhound will associate the dizzyness and sickness to the opossum and it’s smell and the next time it smells one it wil hopefully remember the incident and move on.

There ya go an easy way to break your coonhound from opossum!

_

The Bluetick Coon Hound is one of the six breeds of coon hounds. The overall build of the Bluetick Coon Hound is muscular and speedy, not chunky or clumsily built (even though they sometimes get this stereotype). The head will normally be carried well up wit the tail carried over the back, without signs of fear or nervousness.

The Bluetick Coon Hounds coat should be moderately coarse and glossy. The Bluetick Coon Hound gets its “blue” coloring from black/white mottling which gives the impression of a navy blue color. This mottling covers the body and can be broke up with variously-shaped black spots on the back, ears and sides. The preference seems to be to more blue than black on the body.

The Bluetick’s head should be mostly black. Bluetick Coon Hounds should have tan dots over the eyes and on the cheeks with dark red ticking on the feet and lower legs, on the chest, and below the tail. Red can be eliminated, as well as the tan head coloring. Blue mottling on the body is preferred to lighter ticking. Blue ticking should be predominant over white in the body coat. Off colors are not allowed, but almost solid black with just some ticking on the feet and chest is permitted. Also most blue ticks can have gray at the end of the tail.

Bluetick Coon Hounds are known for their cold noses and their ability to track raccoon scent that is several days old. Pleasure hunters love the Bluetick Coon Hound for this reason. It’s not uncommon to listen to a Bluetick coon dog for a couple hours as it works a cold raccoon trail. Bluetick coon hounds have also done well in the competition coon hunts due to selective breeding to get a faster trail dog. I have hunted with some Bluetick coon dogs in competition coon hunts that were better than any Treeing Walker coon hound. My dad preferred Blue Tick Coon Hounds.