JUDGING THE BLUETICK COONHOUND by CYNTHIA GROOMS O ne of the most important things to remember when judging the Bluetick Coon- hound is that it is not a impression is literally several seconds with a total of two-three minutes per dog. So it’s very important to make sure what is on the other end of the lead will impress them in some way.
with a slightly domed skull. Total length of head from occiput to end of nose is 9"-10" for males and 8"-9" for females with a prominent stop. The muzzle is long, broad, deep and square in profile with flews that well cover the line of the lower jaw. Depth of foreface should be 3"-4½". The eyes are rather large and round, set wide apart in the skull, and dark brown in color. They should never be lighter than light brown. Eye rims are tight and close fitting with no excess third eyelid apparent. Their expression is a typical pleading hound expression, never wild or cowering. The ears are set low and devoid of erectile power. Although most will be able to lift them slightly when their interest is peaked! They should be thin with a slight roll, taper well towards a point and reach well towards the end of the nose when pulled forward. They should be well attached to the head to prevent hanging or backward tilt. The nose, the workhorse of the dog, is large with well-opened nostrils, fully pigmented and black in color. A scissor bite is preferred but an even bite is acceptable for the teeth. Undershot or overshot bits are disqualifying faults.
“head”, “leg”, “foot” or even “tail” breed. Rather it is a combination of all the parts as a whole to obtain the ideal specimen of the breed. A specimen that, on any given night, can be turned out and per- form the function for which it’s named: to hunt coon (or raccoon). The Bluetick is still a working breed and continues to hunt (whether it’s coon, bear, boar, big cat or deer) and it is of the utmost importance to the breeders and fanciers of this breed that this is not lost once in the confor- mation ring. It is the job of the judge to make sure the dog(s) that are cho- sen is the best representative of the breed, which includes the ability to do its job as a hunter once outside of the ring. I’ve always heard that first impres- sions are the most important and that you should strive to be and show your best when you meet someone. Well, it’s no different when showing dogs. Handlers dress up a little more, give the dogs a bath, do some spit and pol- ish work and shine them up, all to give the best first impression. A judge’s first
When a Bluetick walks into the ring, he should give the appearance of a speedy, well-muscled Hound. He should have a neat, compact body. He should not appear clumsy or chunky in build. His coat is glossy and has clear, keen eyes. When he moves he carries his head and tail up, however as speed increases, the head and tail will lower. Although, since most of these dogs are accustomed to outdoors, being inside buildings can affect some in the way they carry themselves. For instance, holding a tail down, not tucked under. Everything about the Hound should work together. The proportion of the Bluetick is to be square or slightly longer than tall. This is measured from point of shoul- der to base of tail and from withers to ground. This is a natural stance mea- surement. Height of males is 22"-27" with weights of 55-80 pounds. Females are slightly smaller with heights of 21"- 25" with weights of 45-65 pounds. The head, being the first thing the judge sees is broad between the ears
“A JUDGE’S FIRST IMPRESSION IS LITERALLY SEVERAL SECONDS WITH A TOTAL OF 2-3 MINUTES PER DOG. SO IT’S VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE WHAT IS ON THE OTHER END OF THE LEAD WILL IMPRESS THEM IN SOME WAY.”
320 • S how S ight M agazine , S eptember 2017
Powered by FlippingBook