Bluetick Coonhound puppies

About the Bluetick Coonhound

The Bluetick Coonhound is an American hound developed in the southern states from French staghounds and English foxhound stock, bred to trail raccoon at night and hold game at bay until the hunter arrives. They stand 53 to 69cm and weigh 20.4 to 36.3kg, with a short glossy coat mottled in dark blue ticking. They are friendly and sociable, particularly with other dogs, rated mid scale with children so supervision and socialisation matter, and they have the loud bawling voice of a night hunting hound.

A Bluetick is high energy and needs a real outlet, whether hunting, tracking, agility or long lead walks, though they will happily sleep at your feet afterwards. Fencing has to be secure and the lead stays on, because prey drive beats recall every time. Grooming is light, a weekly hound glove and an occasional bath, with daily ear checks because the ears hang low and trap moisture. The noise catches owners out, since this is not a breed built for close neighbours.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Bluetick Coonhound puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A large breed puppy at eight weeks looks deceptively normal sized and will roughly double every few weeks for a while. Keep exercise short and low impact, the growth plates are wide open. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Bloat and gastric torsion, a surgical emergency in deep chested dogs, so owners should learn the signs
• Ear infections, because the low hanging ears trap moisture, so ears need daily checking
• Hip dysplasia, screened by hip evaluation and x-ray of breeding stock
• Cataracts and other eye disease, found on an ophthalmologist evaluation

Your Bluetick Coonhound puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Large for a Bluetick Coonhound.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 20.4 to 36.3 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 42 inch (42 x 28 x 30 in, 107 x 71 x 76 cm) for an adult of up to 36.3 kg; chew toys made for large breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Do slow feeder bowls work? Choosing one for a puppy that gulps
• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other large breeds

More on the Bluetick Coonhound

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Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type, country of origin and health notes
• Health notes from Bluetick Coonhound breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/bluetick-coonhound/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: bark, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.