Black and Tan Coonhound breed guide

Black and Tans have an remarkably sensitive nose, long velvety ears and a sweet disposition. They are sociable and a lonely one will serenade the neighborhood with loud, mournful music.

They are intelligent, affectionate and devoted with an independent streak, so owners should expect compliance and not blind obedience.

The Black and Tan lives 10 to 12 years. Breeders screen for hip dysplasia, cataracts and thyroid issues and the ears should be checked weekly for signs of infection with regular tooth brushing.

The short dense coat is shed once or twice a year and weekly brushing with a medium-bristle brush, rubber mitt or hound glove removes dead hair before it lands on the furniture.

Moderate daily exercise suffices, whether a yard play session or a long walk. A very strong instinct to chase any small animal it smells means a tall, solid fence and a leash on every walk.

The raccoon was an unsung hero of American history, a steady source of meat, fur and fat for settlers. Frontiersmen in the post-Revolutionary western and southern territories had no breed fully equipped to hunt it.

The nearest thing was the foxhound of the Southern gentry, which was bred to run straight over gently rolling plantation acres and was unsuited to raccoon country.