LIVING WITH THE BLACK & TAN COONHOUND
By Edith S. Atchley Rockytop Black & Tans
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lack and Tan Coon- hounds are very good family dogs. Th ey are very laid back and will be equally happy taking a walk with their own-
may not endear them to the competitive “nite hunter”, they can excel as a pleasure hunting hound, giving free voice with a deep “bawl” as they work to unravel the path that their quarry has taken. Th is type of hound has the added benefit of picking up their lessons thoroughly, once learned and seldom need refreshers in the field to remind them of what they are there for. Th ey tend to be easy hounds to handle and call in, seldom requiring high tech gadgetry such as GPS tracking collars and the like to keep tabs on their whereabouts while in the woods. As with many hounds, they can be jealous and possessive at the tree and may attempt to “own it”, to the exclusion of other hounds that that they may have been cast with.” I would like to present a couple of exam- ples of notable obedience coonhounds. Th e first was CH McDaniel’s Sugarfoot UDT who was owned and trained by Jim McDaniel. Sugarfoot earned her UD in 1981 and became the first Coonhound to earn a UD, the first AKC Champion Coonhound to earn a UD and the first Coonhound to earn OTCH points. She earned at least 1 High In Trial at an all- breed obedience trial along the way. Another Coonhound to earn the UD title was Schudaben Kodies Kid UD, “Ben” who was owned and trained and hunted by Mable Ziegler. While Ben was not an AKC champion, he was actively hunted proving that one dog can do both
er or keeping the owner company while watching TV. Being a hunting breed, Black and Tan Coonhounds do equally well living in the house or living outdoors in a fenced area. Th eir short, dense coat requires minimum maintenance. Th ey can be vocal if you have squirrels in your yard, or if your neighbor has cats that tease them. If they are not kept in a fenced area, they will tend to follow their nose which can get them into trouble. Black and Tan Coonhounds are a versatile breed devel- oped primarily for hunting raccoons. However, their desire to work with man makes them suitable for companion events such as tracking, obedience and agility. Bob Urban states, “ Th e traditional “Old Fashioned” AKC Black and Tan typically has a distinctive hunting style that is di ff erent from that of the “hot- ter nosed”, foxhound-based coonhound breeds. Th ey tend to be more deliberate in their scenting style and are not typically the type of hound that “hits the ground running”. Th ey are willing and capable of working an older (colder) track and stick- ing with it to its conclusion, even to the point of passing up fresher (hotter) tracks they may run across. While this tendency
hunt and compete in obedience. In 1995 Ben was invited to AKC’s first National Invitational Obedience Championship which was held in St. Louis on June 17 & 18, 1995. Ben placed 3rd overall in the Hound group at this event. Karen Winn states, “Rally Obedience is an ideal way to start competing with a Black & Tan Coonhound. Th e introduc- tory level, Rally Novice, is all on leash, and has simple obedience exercises that any well behaved dog should be able to do heeling at various speeds, turning, circling, sitting and staying, lying down on command, and so on. In Rally Novice
“...their desire to work with man MAKES THEM SUITABLE FOR COMPANION EVENTS SUCH AS TRACKING, OBEDIENCE AND AGILITY.” 278 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , F EBRUARY 2014
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