Redbone Coonhound

The Redbone Coonhound is unique amongst coonhounds for its coat color. This is the only coonhound that is solid-colored. A cold-nosed scent hound, this dog was bred to trail for miles over any terrain, and the Redbone is especially sure-footed and swift over a variety of difficult ground, from swamp to mountainous. The Redbone has been listed with the American Kennel Club Foundation Stock Service since 1995, and as of the beginning of 2010 it will be fully recognized in the AKC, as part of the Hound Group. The Redbone Coonhound's loud bark and howling bay can be heard for a long distance, and owners are usually able to recognize the sound of their own dog's "voice"� amongst the others during the hunt. Dogs are generally leashed until they can locate the scent, and then are released to track the prey to the tree, where they are expected to hold the raccoon until hunters arrive, sometimes for hours. In "night trials"� competitions, dogs are given points for each phase of the process.The Redbone Coonhound has a muscular, lean build. It averages 22 to 27 inches in height at the shoulder, depending upon the sex of the individual. The coat is short to medium length, dense and rather coarse, but glossy in appearance. The coat color is a deep, rich red; early in its history this breed had a black saddle over the red, but that is no longer part of the standard. It has kind, expressive "hound eyes"� and pendulous drop ears. The eyes in this breed may be either brown or hazel. The coonhound originated in Louisiana, where French settlers kept a hound native to southwest France that was used to hunt large game, the Grand Bleu de Gascogne also known as French Staghound. This dog was an excellent cold-nosed scent hound that worked slowly, diligently and determinedly. American hunters crossed the Grand Bleu de Gascogne with English and American foxhounds, hoping to create a breed that was more hot-nosed, could work faster, and was more suited to American terrain and to the coon hunting style that had become popular. The resulting dog was hot-nosed, and covered the trail much more quickly. It initially became known as the English Fox and Coonhound. Scottish immigrants, beginning in the 1700's brought red-colored foxhounds with them from their native country. These formed the foundation for the Redbone. The name of the breed comes from early Tennessee breeder, Peter Redbone. At the turn of the 20th century, all coonhounds were called "English,"� except for the Redbone and the Black and Tan, which for their coloring had been recognized as separate breeds by then. In more recent decades there has been a movement to revive and preserve the older cold-nosed hunting style and some breeding programs again emphasize the style of the original Grand Bleu Gascon (from this effort comes the variant American Blue Gascon, for example), and there is more distinction between the traditional "old-fashioned"� cold-nose hounds and the faster, more hot-nosed hounds such as the American English. This means that the coonhounds have gone from being all very similar in hunting style and appearance, to over time being more distinguishable according to both. This trend will undoubtedly increase in the future. The Redbone Coonhound is not a breed to live successfully in a small space; this dog needs to keep physically and mentally occupied. Without a regular outlet for its mental energy it can become high-strung and destructive. Boredom can result in fence-climbing and digging up the yard. The Redbone Coonhound generally does best with the company of another dog. This breed, when not confined, should be kept leashed unless it is being used to hunt; its prey drive is extremely high and it will give chase to smaller non-canine animals such as cats, other pets, and other small animals which cross its path. The coonhound is said no have little to no road sense: its mind will be solely on the prey when it crosses that busy street! Leash training needs to start early, since its strong nose predisposes it to pull excessively while on leash, and daily walks are absolutely essential. These walks should be brisk and cover a fair distance. The Redbone Coonhound is always behind its own nose: garbage, food, anything with an odor will be irresistible. Owners must be ever vigilant to keep this dog out of mischief. The Redbone is very vocal and is naturally given to communicating with its "voice"� which involves not only barking but howling, baying and yodeling to communicate its point of view. For this reason, this breed needs to live where there are not neighbors nearby. Given plenty of space, exercise and mental stimulation, the Redbone is an exceptional family dog. This dog will almost never bite, even when provoked it is statistically the least likely breed to inflict a bite on a human! Although it is a useful watchdog who will always announce a visitor, it will not attack or bite an intruder. The Redbone Coonhound is known to be excellent with even very young children. Because of its bred-in instincts the Redbone is an independent problem solver, and is naturally highly intelligent. Training may initially be challenging as the dog second-guesses the owner; but an owner who can establish a benevolent leadership position early in the relationship will find that this breed is a joy to train, and is ever-after devotedly obedient. The Redbone Coonhound is people-oriented almost to a fault. It will need frequent affection and assurance. This dog will be closely tuned in to family activities and will want to be included. But it settles into the life of an active family like a glove, ever-devoted, ever-loyal, kind, calm and sweet-natured. For the owner with a little land, time to put into initial training, and a family that is outdoors-oriented, the Redbone Coonhound can be an excellent companion. Aside from using this breed for hunting, owners of the Redbone Coonhound may enjoy participating in tracking competitions or search and rescue training with their dog.

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