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Hound · United States

American English Coonhound

A walker's guide to the American English Coonhound: how much exercise they need, what to expect on and off the lead, and what to ask the owner before the first walk.

Large, 20 to 30 kgHigh energyScenthoundTreeing dogVery vocalHigh stamina
Exercise a day2 hours plus
Energy4 of 5
Walk styleFast, nose first, loud
With other dogsPack friendly

Overview

Descended from English Foxhounds taken to Virginia, the American English Coonhound was refined for hot, hilly country and all-night hunts. It is leaner and faster than most European hounds, with a short redtick or bluetick coat and a famously carrying voice.

Away from the hunt they are easy-going, sociable dogs who get on with people and other hounds. The difficulty is the engine. A coonhound that is not given hours of nose work will howl, roam and dig, and that will not be your fault in the owner's eyes.

Exercise and walking needs

A couple of hours of movement a day is realistic for a fit adult, and a lot of it should be scent-led. Long trail walks, scent games and tracking exercises give the dog what it was made for. Pavement circuits do not.

They tolerate heat better than most hounds thanks to their southern origins, but still need water on hand in summer.

Daily minimum120 minutes
Ideal2 walks a day
Off-lead timeLong line only

On the walk

  • Scent: The dog will leave on a trail without a backward glance. Treat recall as absent and work on a long line in open country.
  • Voice: Baying is loud, musical and carries for a mile. Expect it when the dog scents game or sees another dog, and choose routes where it will not upset neighbours.
  • Pulling: Lean but strong, and a hound on a hot trail pulls like a train. A harness and a line you can hold low keep it manageable.
  • Other dogs: Pack hounds, so usually sociable. Fine on group walks as long as the group can cope with the pace.

Tips for professional walkers

  1. Lay a scent trail before the walk with a treat at the end; ten minutes of tracking takes the edge off the whole outing.
  2. Wear a glove on the line hand. Rope burn from a lunging hound is a genuine hazard.
  3. Check ears for grass seeds and ticks after fields; drop ears collect both.
  4. Do not expect to tire this dog out. Aim to satisfy it instead.
Every dog is an individual. Treat this as a starting point and go with what the owner tells you about their dog. Anything to do with health belongs with the owner and their vet.

What to ask the owner

  • Does the dog have any recall at all when on a scent, and has it ever gone missing?
  • How vocal is it on a walk, and is there a cue that quiets it?
  • Has it been worked or trained in scent sports, and is there a routine you can keep going?
Bluetick CoonhoundA speckled American hound that can follow a cold trail for miles and bay about it the whole way: sociableRedbone CoonhoundA handsome red American scenthound with a sweet nature and a voice that carries for miles: affectionateTreeing Walker CoonhoundA fastEnglish FoxhoundThe classic hunt kennel hound: gentle