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Bluetick
Coonhound Dog
Bluetick
Coonhound Dog
The Bluetick Coonhound makes for a friendly, active,
treeing dog. The Bluetick Coonhound dogs have been used
for years to trail an animal, such as a raccoon, follow
the trail and find the animal, finally "treeing" its
quarry. The animal would hide up in the tree until the
hunter got there to shoot it. Bluetick Coonhounds are
good at what they do, and remain with a strong instinct
to trail and "tree". They come from the Blue Gascons
dog, foxhound dogs, and French Staghound dogs, giving
them similar attributes. They are medium sized dogs that
are actually white underneath a forest of blue ticks.
The Bluetick Coonhound dogs paws, muzzle and spots on
the eyebrows are usually a tan color. The Bluetick
Coonhound dogs have a strong nose and good eyesight at
night. They have drop ears much like a Bloodhound, as
well as the muscled limbs and body. The Bluetick
Coonhound dogs are friendly animals, good with children
and other pets, as long as there're not raccoons. The
Bluetick Coonhound dogs may have an instinct to chase
small animals if they catch their scent. Bluetick
Coonhounds are agile, loving and easygoing. The Bluetick
Coonhound dog get along with most everyone, and are
quick to warm up to strangers. They are intense workers
in the field and enjoy doing a job, especially if its
tracking. The Bluetick Coonhound dog can be stubborn,
though, and should be trained from puppy hood to respond
to their owners. They can be difficult to train. The
Bluetick Coonhound dogs are calm at home and excited to
be on a trail. An owner with an active family who live
in a suburban or rural area with a fenced yard would be
best for this breed.
The Bluetick Coonhound dogs are easygoing and friendly
with nearly everyone. The Bluetick Coonhound dogs may be
wary at first towards strangers, but they warm up
quickly. They are obedient and have great endurance.
Sometimes the Bluetick Coonhound can be stubborn when
they are on a scent. The Bluetick Coonhound dogs are
outgoing, hard working, and remain calm when they are at
home. They get along well with children and other dogs,
however, they are treeing dogs and will chase small
animals such as raccoons and possibly cats. They can be
difficult to train,( should start from puppy hood) but
once they are, they respect their owners. The Bluetick
Coonhound dog can drool quite a lot, and are very
intelligent. The Bluetick Coonhound dogs are very good
at problem solving. The Bluetick Coonhound dog should
not be kept in a small area, as they can become
destructive if not given enough space. They tend to
bark, howl, and even welcome people by a howl often
mistaken for aggression.
The Bluetick Coonhound dogs descended from the American
Foxhound, various French hounds such as the Blue Gascon,
the Porcelaine, the Saintongeois, and other French
Staghounds. Many of these breeds were already in the
U.S. long before the Bluetick was formed. Early in the
1900s, breeders traveled to Louisiana and the Ozark
Mountains and found heavily ticked coonhounds that were
known as Blue Gascon dogs and French Staghound dogs.
Breeding these two as well as other curs, the Bluetick
Coonhound basis was formed. Bluetick dogs were used for
treeing a raccoon or other animals. Originally the
Bluetick was considered an English Coonhound, but in
1945 the name broke off on its own because fans of the
Bluetick were afraid that the dogs would be bred to be
faster and more like a foxhound, rather than keeping its
regular abilities as a Bluetick Coonhound. Owners of the
breed wanted to keep the old-fashioned hunting skills in
their blood, and therefore kept the breed separate. For
a while after, if puppies were born with red ticks they
were considered English Coonhounds, but this practice
soon ended. Many fans of the breed fear a conversion of
Bluetick dogs to be faster and more "hot-nosed", like
the Foxhound, and thus try to keep the original
old-fashioned Bluetick. The breed has not yet been
registered by the AKC, but remains on the Foundation
Stock Service list.
The Bluetick Coonhound dog belongs to the same bloodline as
the Black and Tan coonhound and has some physical
characteristics in common. Its coat is rough, short, and
dense and is unique in the sense that it is a tricolor
coat with blue mottling. The Bluetick coonhound dog has a
heavily-muscled, deep-chested body with strong legs and
well-arched feet and has long ears. It also has
exceptional eyesight during the night time, which allows
it to hunt better.
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