American English Coonhound

"Tireless Hunter"

History

Descendants of English Foxhounds brought to the US in the 17th century by George Washington and several of his contemporaries, American English Coonhounds were bred to handle North America’s rougher terrain. A dual-purpose dog, they were employed to hunt fox during the day and raccoons at night, using their endless energy and enthusiastic bawl.

Temperament

American English Coonhounds are loving and very devoted to their families, and they can be great guard dogs. They are extremely energetic and fast, so they do well with active families who will be happy to take them for a long walk or run every day. They do need firm, confident leadership, and being well socialized from an early age will help them be social with strangers. They’re very intelligent and love to stay busy. They can get bored and frustrated if they don’t get enough activity, which can result in chewing, barking, ignoring the rules, and destroying property.

Appearance

Red-and-white ticked, blue-and-white ticked, tri-colored with ticking, red and white, or white and black coats of hard, medium length hair need minimal upkeep. They have a classic hound expression, with a broad head, floppy ears, deep chest, and well-muscled body.

Training

While they are smart and eager to please, they’re also confident and stubborn, so they need a strong leader and consistent set of rules. Training takes patience and firmness, but it will pay off, since they do enjoy mental stimulation. On the other hand, an untrained American English Coonhound can be a pain, taking over the house and potentially becoming aggressive if he thinks he calls the shots.

Grooming & Care

They have a low-maintenance, no hassle coat that just requires brushing – they have hard hairs that may stick into fabrics, but since they are average shedders, weekly brushing will take care of most of it. They may need the odd bath after a good chase through the woods. Add a quick peek in the ears weekly and he’s good to go!

Health Concerns

This is a healthy, hardy breed. They have been known to suffer from hip dysplasia and patellar luxation (dislocation of the knee), and a deep chest means they may be prone to bloat. They need to be watched for overheating in the summer, since they just don’t know when to quit.

Famous American English Coonhound

Maddie the Coonhound and her owner Theron Humphrey wrote a book called “Maddie on Things” promoting animal rescue.