Coonhound Dog Breeds
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Height at the withers: Males 21 – 27 cm, Females 21 – 14 cm
Average weight: Males 23 – 34 kg, Females 18 – 29 kg
Black and Tan Coonhounds are well balanced, strong, agile dogs that boast an incredible stamina when they pick up a scent. They are handsome and robust looking hounds with their black and tan markings, long ears and glossy coats. Their heads are large and slightly domed being broad between a dog’s ears and which Coonhounds carry high adding to their noble appearance. They have nicely proportioned muzzles and their nostrils are large, black and nicely open.
The Black and Tan Coonhound has a strong jaw with a perfect scissor bite where their upper teeth neatly overlap their lower ones and their eyes are quite prominent, black or dark brown in colour with dogs seeming to have a pleading, enquiring expression in them. Their ears are set quite low and hang well down with the inside edge slanting towards a dog’s muzzle. They are slightly oval at the tips and velvety to the touch. These hounds have a strong yet graceful neck with a slight dewlap.
Their shoulders are well muscled and sloping which is a good indication of a hound’s strength and speed. Front legs are straight, powerful and well-muscled. Their chests are moderately wide and deep with dogs having relatively short, slightly curved, but very muscular and strong backs. Their hips are round and nicely proportioned with dogs having graceful, arched flanks and well-muscled loins. Their back legs are muscular and strong showing a Coonhound has a tremendous amount of power in them. Feet are well padded and tight with close knit toes. Their tails are strong at the root but taper to the tip which these hounds carry well up forming the shape of a scimitar.
When it comes to their coat, the Black and Tan Coonhound boasts having a smooth, short, tight, fine and glossy coat that offers them a tremendous amount of protection against the elements. The accepted colour under the American Kennel Club breed standard is as follows:
- A deep black with tan markings that should not cover more than 10 to 15% of a dog’s body. Two small tan dots over their eyes are another feature of their markings
Gait/movement
When a Black and Tan Coonhound moves, they cover a lot of ground in an eager, effortless way and can go on for hours without showing any sign or fatigue.
Faults
Prospective Coonhound owners should be wary of any puppies or dogs that show any sort of exaggeration in their looks or conformation. A responsible breeder would always ensure that puppies they produce hounds with good conformation. Males should have both testicles fully descended into their scrotums.