Seven Things to Know About Black and Tan Coonhounds
Seven Things to Know About Black and Tan Coonhounds
This is my second blog post related to my new shop serendipitypet.net. As an artist, I’ve sold art and artisan gifts locally and online for quite a while. Pet items kept finding their way into my work. I finally decided to corral them all into one place and that’s how serendipitypet.net came to be.
As a pet owner and pet lover I have come to see and appreciate how much people love their pets. They are like family and that’s especially true in our home since none of our kids live nearby. I thought a good topic today would be to share a new product I have available in my shop and then talk about the breed I have on that item, a Black and Tan Coonhound.
Currently, my husband, Jeff, and I have two rescued hounds. One, Aggie, is a mixed breed (possibly Redbone Coonhound and Lab) and the other, Scout, is on hundred percent Black and Tan Coonhound. After having had two Scotties, having bigger dogs has been a new experience for many different reasons. I used to say that taking a Scottish Terrier for a walk was like trying to walk a cinder block. Taking a Black and Tan Coonhound for a walk, well, that’s an entirely new experience…..
Before we get to the article, let me share that new product I was talking about.
This embroidered baseball cap allows you to show off your favorite dog breed, a Black and Tan Coonhound. The cap has a low profile with an adjustable strap and curved visor. There are multiple colors to choose from. This unisex hat fits women or men.
DID YOU KNOW YOU CAN ORDER CUSTOM PET SILHOUETTES ON HATS. JUST SEND US AN EMAIL WITH YOUR NEEDS.
• 100% chino cotton twill
• Unstructured, 6-panel, low-profile
• 6 embroidered eyelets
• 3 ⅛” (7.6 cm) crown
• Adjustable strap with antique buckle
• Blank product sourced from Vietnam or Bangladesh
Current Price $28.99
Article Continued.. Seven Things About Black and Tan Coonhounds.
I recently watched a YouTube Video of Stonie Dennis, a dog trainer who was working with a six-month-old Black and Tan Coonhound puppy. He had an obstacle course set up in his yard and was leading the dog through it on leash. He hadn’t seen the breed since he was a kid and, in straight forward manner, he indicated that teaching the dog to stay on task on the course was challenging because the youngster was doing what he was bred for--following his nose, an not necessarily following the course. Stonie asked viewers who had experience with working with or training the breed to share insights and tips in comments and I was glad to oblige. In case you would like to watch that video, which is pretty entertaining, here’s a link to it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPYo4gL7v48
In the meantime, my insights on the Black and Tan Coonhound are below.
1. They are high energy. Counter to movies and cartoons which often depict hounds as lazy and lethargic (ex. The Beverly Hillbillies), these dogs have energy to spare and need room to run. They are sleek and streamlined and are built for speed with slender bodies and large feet for traction, easily climbing hilly terrain, and in some cases trees. My Black and Tan, Scout, can sail over my 23” garden fence like a graceful deer. She plays hard, then crashes to nap like a toddler. When shhe wakes she's fully recharged and back in play-moade. At age 8, she has only slowed down slightly.
2. They are noisy. Consequently, they are not ideal for suburban neighborhoods. We do live in a neighborhood and have an invisible fence on a sizable corner lot. Scout loves to bay at passersby, loud trucks, wild animals and the neighborhood cats. We’re not talking about barking but rather baying which sounds like someone blowing a bugle. We used to leave Aggie and Scout outside in our yard if the weather was nice and we weren’t going to be gone too long. One day I got an angry text message from our neighbor who’d had enough of the noise. (It was summer, and the windows were open and lots of activity was happening outside.) Not long after we got a remote-control bark collar, and we no longer leave the dogs out while we are gone. We’ve managed to curb the barking some. Fortunately we have other neighborhood dogs nearby now who contribute their voides to the chorus of baying and barking.
3. They have unique coats. Black and Tans have short, high gloss coats with no undercoating. They shed very little. The oil in their coats gives them this glossy luster. It also adds to their musty smell which increases in cold weather. We usually put a coat on Scout when the temperature drops below 25 because she gets cold. Oh, and speaking of musty smell…their saliva can be smelly too. In addition to their long ears, they also have really long tongues.
4. They are super smart. They are intelligent but can be hard to train. They are much more interested in finding scents than learning tricks though it’s not impossible to teach them. It’s just going to be a lot more work. I have taught Scout to sit and to shake hands. I can’t seem to get her to understand the command to “speak.” Aggie on the other hand will speak on command.
Scout once rescued Aggie. I had come out the downstairs basement door to work in the garden in the backyard. Unknown to me, Aggie had followed but didn’t make it out the door. It was not closed tightly but it was shut enough that she didn’t know how to paw it open. I went up the garden path and started dinking around in the garden. Scout, who was already outside, came and greeted me. Aggie made several yips to get out. Like a scene from the old TV show, Lassie, Scout raced down the garden path to the basement door, and, to my astonishment, pawed it open and released Aggie.
5. They have big personalities. They love to cuddle and give kisses. On the other hand, Aggie refuses to give kisses though she loves to hang wherever I am. Black and Tan’s are always entertaining and have an enthusiastic perspective on life. Whether it’s standing like a statue on our retaining wall or rolling around upside down on the living room sofa, there is never a dull moment. Everything invites them to explore and celebrate their discoveries.
6. Their nose trumps everything. Black and Tans were originally bred from Bloodhounds and Black and Tan Viriginia Foxhounds. Thomas Jefferson kept a pack for hunting. They are excellent trackers. I always tell people who are trying to train a dog that above all, what a dog is bred for comes first. A hound is going “hound” above everything else. If you want a quiet breed and the breed you have is bred to bay loudly when it spots and tracks prey, then good luck keeping your dog quiet. If you want to teach a hound to retrieve, you will have your work cut out for you. Scout usually will not retrieve but loves to play tug of war. I can throw the toy forever and she is relentless but it’s entirely up to her if she decides to bring it back. She could care less about fetching a ball. If she does retrieve a toy, she loves tussling with me rather than waiting for me to toss it for her to fetch. Also, when it comes to walking her on slip lead leash, she’s good until something crosses her path, then we have issues, sometimes even using the remote bark collar doesn’t always work.
7. They are assertive but not aggressive. If a Black and Tan wants something they will persistently “hound” you until they either get it or you blow a fuse and send them to their kennel. It’s that simple. That means if they scent something in the yard they will keep tracking and baying until they tree the prey or catch it or until you bring them inside. If a favorite toy gets stuck under something, you’ll be charged with getting it and they won’t quit pestering you until you do. If you are sharing a chair and a half with them and get up to get something, you may have a wrestling match getting your portion of the chair back.
My husband and I thoroughly enjoy both of our hounds. They fill up our lives and make it so much more interesting. If you are considering getting a Black and Tan as a pet, be sure you have the space and energy to devote to the dog. They’ll thank you every day for bringing them into your life and will constantly entertain your. If you are familiar with Black and Tans and would like to share feel free to leave a comment below
For more information on Black and Tan Coonhounds visit https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/black-tan-coonhound
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/black-and-tan-coonhound/
Teena Stewart is an artist, designer, and writer. You can find her work at https://serendipitypet.net/ or https://teenastewart.art/