Black and Tan Coonhound

The Black and Tan Coonhound is one of America’s six AKC-recognized coonhound breeds — a large, powerful, and melodiously voiced scent hound bred specifically to trail and tree raccoon across the rugged terrain of the American South. The AKC recognized the Black and Tan Coonhound in 1945, and the breed has served as a quintessential American working hunting dog across the country’s history. Mellow and good-natured indoors, the Black and Tan transforms into an unstoppable, single-minded trail dog the moment it detects a scent.

The Black and Tan Coonhound descends from the Talbot Hound of medieval England, brought to America by British settlers and subsequently crossed with Bloodhounds and Foxhounds to produce a specialized night-hunting coonhound suited to the demands of tracking raccoon, bear, and deer across the American wilderness. The breed’s distinctive black and tan coloring — inherited from the Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound that contributed to its development — is its most recognizable feature.

The Black and Tan Coonhound Club of America was established as the breed’s AKC parent club. CHIC requirements include OFA hip evaluation, OFA CAER eye examination, and OFA cardiac evaluation for all breeding animals seeking certification. The breed remains most common in the hunting communities of the Appalachian South and Midwest.

The Black and Tan Coonhound is a large, powerfully built hound standing 58 to 69 cm at the shoulder and weighing 18 to 34 kg. The build is muscular and athletic, designed for sustained trailing over rough terrain. The most striking features are the coloring — jet black with rich tan markings above the eyes, on the muzzle, chest, legs, and beneath the tail — and the extraordinarily long, pendant ears that fall well below the chin when the dog’s head is lowered to scent. The tail is long and carried upright when working.

The Black and Tan Coonhound is one of the milder-mannered coonhound breeds in terms of household temperament — mellow, gentle, and affectionate with family when not working. It is friendly with people, typically good with children, and generally sociable with other dogs given its pack hunting heritage. Indoors, it is calm, undemanding, and often simply content to lie close to its people.

The hunting character takes over entirely outdoors: on a trail, the Black and Tan is a single-minded, intensely focused scent hound whose baying voice carries remarkable distances and whose recall compliance drops to near zero. This is not a behavioral problem but a reflection of the breed’s functional design — a working night-hunting hound communicating with its handler across dark woodland.

The Black and Tan Coonhound is trainable in basic obedience contexts and responds to positive reinforcement with food rewards and patience. Recall in open environments on a live or hot trail is not realistically achievable regardless of training investment — the scent drive is too deeply ingrained. The most important training investments are leash manners, indoor settling behaviors, and vocal management for suburban or rural residential settings.

For hunting households, formal coonhound training through UKC or AKC hunt test programs provides the structured working outlet this breed genuinely needs. Hunt-testing is available for coonhounds across much of the American South and Midwest.

The Black and Tan Coonhound is typically gentle, patient, and good-natured with children in its family. Its mellow indoor temperament and affectionate nature make it a reliable family companion in rural settings. Children who participate in outdoor hunting activities alongside the dog will find it particularly devoted.

The breed’s large size requires supervision around very young children. Its baying voice can be startling for young children encountering it for the first time. With appropriate management and active engagement, the Black and Tan Coonhound is a loyal and sweet-tempered family hunting companion.

The Black and Tan Coonhound is generally a healthy breed. The AKC CHIC program requires OFA hip evaluation, OFA CAER eye examination, and OFA cardiac evaluation for certified breeding animals. Hip dysplasia is the most commonly screened orthopaedic concern. Ear infections are the most frequently encountered health issue in the breed, directly attributable to the long, pendulous ears that trap moisture and debris; weekly ear inspection and cleaning is essential, particularly for dogs that work in water or wet terrain. A healthy Black and Tan Coonhound typically lives 10 to 12 years.

The Black and Tan Coonhound thrives in rural settings with access to hunting land and an active working role. Suburban keeping is possible for dedicated owners who can meet the breed’s exercise demands and manage the vocal tendency, but the breed genuinely thrives in the environment it was developed for. A securely fenced property is essential. Weekly ear care is the most important health maintenance task for this breed.

The Black and Tan Coonhound’s short, dense coat requires only a weekly brush with a rubber mitt or bristle brush. Bathing every four to six weeks, or after field work. Weekly ear cleaning is the most critical grooming task. Nail trimming and teeth brushing complete a minimal routine.

The Black and Tan Coonhound requires extensive daily exercise. As a hunting hound bred to work from dusk to dawn across challenging terrain, its stamina is extraordinary. A minimum of 90 minutes of vigorous daily activity is needed, ideally through hunting, field trailing, or off-leash running in a safely fenced large space. The breed must never be exercised off-leash in unfenced environments.

The Black and Tan Coonhound does well on a high-quality diet for large active breeds, fed twice daily. Working hunting dogs have elevated caloric requirements during active hunting seasons. Maintain a lean, fit body condition. Fresh water always available, critical for field dogs working in warm weather.

Black and Tan Coonhound puppies from AKC-registered parents in the United States typically cost between $500 and $1,200. Working hunting-line dogs are at the lower end; show-quality puppies from champion lines command higher prices. The Black and Tan Coonhound Club of America provides breeder referrals. Lancaster Puppies features listings from established US breeders.

Look for breeders participating in the AKC CHIC program. Request OFA hip evaluation, OFA CAER eye certificate, and OFA cardiac examination results for both parents. Be honest about your living environment and activity level — the Black and Tan Coonhound in an inappropriate environment bays persistently and becomes destructive. Black and Tan Coonhound rescue organizations operate across the American South and are good resources for experienced hound owners.