Bluetick Coonhound - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
Just like all the coonhounds, even the Bluetick Coonhound is a dog breed from the USA. They can trace their ancestry to the Grand Bleu de Gascogne given to George Washington as a gift from his friend. These french dogs were mixed with English and American Foxhound, cur dog and the Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound.

2) Hunters
Of course, this is a hunter. And it is a great hunter with big stamina, excellent sense of smell, high prey drive and intelligence. They were used for hunting racoons, but also, they were used in pack to hunt large and dangerous prey, such as wild boar, cougar or even bear.

3) Vocal dogs
The Bluetick Coonhound likes to talk. It is because they were bred to bay while hunting. When they were hunting the racoons, they would follow the prey until the animal was treed and then sit under the tree while howling until the hunter would arrive. So do not be surprised, that even today, they love to howl from time to time. They have it in their genes.

4) Nose
Not only that they have amazing sense of smell, their big black nose is also interesting with one more thing. It is very very cold. Another interesting and distinctive part of their body are their paws, which are significantly larger than most other breeds.

5) Color
One would expect, that a dog named Bluetick Coonhoud will be blue, right? But in reality, they are predominantly black and white and the black markings on the white background only give up impression that there is a blue color in their coat. They also have tan markings at the side of the muzzle and above the eyes.

6) Size
This is a muscular and athletic dog breed with average height between 53-69 cm which is 21-27 inch and weight is typically between 20-36 kg, which is 45-80 pounds. The females are naturally little bit smaller than males.

7) Companion
Not only that this is an extraordinary hunter, the Bluetick Coonhound also makes great easy going family companion. But it should be an active family, otherwise, they will not be happy. This is definitely a friendly, playful and active dog, and they are great partners for older kids. The only problem would be smaller household animals, because they will most likely be not safe around these dogs.

8) Tennesse
The Bluetick Coonhound is a state dog of Tennessee and overall, they are considered as important part of southern culture. One Bluetick Coonhound named Smokey is the mascot of University of Tennessee.

9) Maintenance
If we will not talk about the exercise, this is pretty easy breed for maintenance. They only need ocassional brush to keep the coat in top condition. Just like with all dogs you should regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clip them or clean them if needed. This is an active breed, so daily long walks, jogs or hikes are a must. Training sessions or task oriented playtimes are also great to stimulate both, their mind and their body.

10) Health
This is a fairly healthy dog breed with average lifespan between 11-13 years. They do suffer from some health issues, most common are hip dysplasia, bloating and patellar luxation.