“The body shows DEPTH OF CHESTALLOWING FOR PLENTY OF LUNG SPACE.”
glossy coat and clear, keen eyes. In motion he carriers his head and tail well up”. Please remember that speedy is rela- tive and racy has a di ff erent meaning all together. Th e bluetick may be considered more “speedy” than a Blood hound, but rarely more “speedy” than a Treeing Walk- er or English coonhound. Racy would bet- ter describe the whippet-like hound. Th e bone and substance of the Bluetick must be considered relative to hunting style. Th e farther a hound is from the game the colder the trail, therefore a cold-nosed hound has the ability to find and work an older tract. But working an older trail takes time and a dog that is determined and strong willed. Cold-nosed hounds typi- cally have heavier heads with a prominent stop and longer ears with no erectile tissue, as well as deeper flews which help them hold scent. Th ey also tend to be heavier bone and carry more substance. To put it in to perspective, some examples of cold- nose hounds that we all know are Blood- hounds and Black and Tan Coon hounds. Th e body shows depth of chest allow- ing for plenty of lung space. Th e body is either square or slightly longer than tall. Th e strong well muscled back with the top line gently sloping down from the withers to the hips gives the hound a strong base to move through the woods methodical- ly trailing the game and treeing it at the end of the track. Th e tail attached slight- ly below the level of the back with a half
moon curve is used as a rudder for balance when trailing or swimming To allow these hounds to work hard cold trails the legs must be correctly angled with well developed muscle at the shoulder and hip to stifle for strong reach and drive. Th e shoulders should be clean and gently sloping, the hips are not quite as wide as the ribcage. Th e fore leg length is approxi- mately one half the height at the withers. Tight rounded feet with thick tough pads under slightly sloping pasterns finish the “running gear” So the entire package together makes the Bluetick coonhound we breeders and hunters strive for. Th ose of us who follow these grand hounds in the woods love the entire hound from the toes to the nose and the huge beautiful voice in between. Pleasure hunters who prefer Blueticks tend to be in less of a hurry than others, enjoy- ing time listening to the song the Bluetick sings. Very laid back and happy to be around people, they take their time and consistently get the game they are trailing. Many will start a fire, turn the dogs loose and just listen until the coon is treed. I have been involved with the Bluetick coon- hound for close to 20 years. Th ey are by far my favorite of the 6 coonhound breeds. I did spend 2005 traveling on the circuit hunting in the Purina Outstanding Coon- hound of the Year race with my Plott, but my heart will always follow the King of the Coonhounds, the Bluetick Coonhound.
,n the mature hunting hound, the chest will Ee slightly broader than the hips due to the treeing position up on the side oI the tree.
BIO Dr. Susan Lloyd, DVM, holds a BS in zoology, and is a DVM from North Caro- lina State College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Lloyd, did her Internship at NCSU CVM in 1994, and is the past Pres CVM Alumni Society 2011 and current presi- dent of the American Bluetick Coonhound Association. Dr. Lloyd owns Live Oak Veterinary Hospital, located in Beaufort, NC, and in her free time hunts the swamps in and around Beaufort with her beloved Blueticks and Plotts. Dr Lloyd has raised, trained and finished multiple duel cham- pion coonhounds and is the only woman place in the top 5 of the Purina Race hunt- ing her own dog.
“Very laid back and happy to be around people, THEY TAKE THEIR TIME AND CONSISTENTLY GET THE GAME THEY ARE TRAILING.”
S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , F EBRUARY 2014 • 281
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