At the end of a raccoon hunt, this dog stands beneath a tree and gives voice. The standard describes exactly that: following quarry on the ground entirely by scent, then driving it into the branches. The FCI says the breed should also have enough courage for deer, bears and mountain lions.
| FCI | Group 6 (Scent hounds and related breeds), Section 1.1 Large-sized hounds, Standard No. 300, without working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Size (height at the withers) | males 63.5 to 68.5 cm, females 58 to 63.5 cm; oversized dogs are not penalised if balanced and capable workers |
| Weight | not specified in the FCI standard |
| Life expectancy | no reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | short but dense |
| Colours in the standard | coal black with rich tan markings above the eyes, on the sides of the muzzle, chest, legs and edges of the thighs, with black pencilling on the toes; a white patch larger than 2.54 cm is disqualifying |
A working dog for cold, heat and difficult ground
The standard puts work first: withstanding winter and summer heat and handling any difficult terrain. The FCI definitively recognised this US breed on 10.07.1945; the current text dates from 1991. Another American scent hound in the encyclopedia is the American Foxhound.
Friendly at home, deaf to calls on a trail
Even-tempered, outgoing and friendly, with individual dogs allowed some reserve but never shyness or viciousness. Because the breed must work closely with other dogs, aggression towards them is explicitly undesirable. The downside follows from the job: once the nose finds a fresh trail, your calls fade into the background.
What they need instead of hunting
The movement covers ground with powerful drive from the hindquarters. Long walks on a long line are therefore essential. Mantrailing or tracking gives the nose a task close to its original purpose. Expect that deep voice away from hunts too.
Ears beyond the nose tip
The short, dense coat needs only weekly work with a grooming mitt. Ears need more attention: hanging low in folds, they extend well beyond the nose tip according to the standard. Check after every outing over rough ground for grass awns, dirt and odour.
Findings from X-rays and eye examinations
There is no lifespan study: McMillan and colleagues list the breed but could not calculate a figure. The American OFA collects voluntarily submitted results. Among 990 hip evaluations, 16.2% were dysplastic; among 312 elbow evaluations, 4.5% were abnormal. Retinal folds appeared in 11.9% of 489 eye examinations. Because owners choose what to submit, these are pointers rather than prevalence estimates. In 2026, Pieples and colleagues described a young male with a severe clotting disorder linked to an F13A1 variant: a single case. Coonhound paralysis, named after these dogs, is a nerve inflammation described by Cummings and colleagues in raccoon-hunting dogs; it is linked to raccoon contact rather than breed.
Does this breed fit your life?
Best with people who spend plenty of time outdoors, take scent work seriously and are relaxed about a loud voice. Anyone expecting off-lead freedom, living close to neighbours or seeking a dog for short walks should keep looking. Ask breeders for the parents’ hip and eye results. With the right person, this dog remains what the standard promises: friendly, enduring and unwavering on a trail.
Assess whether an American scent hound really suits you with the breed quiz, or more thoroughly with “Which Dog REALLY Suits You?” (book in German). For the start of puppyhood, there is the Puppy Starter Pack. Black and tan look striking in a downloadable digital artwork; explore every format among our dog portraits.
Further reading
- Beagle: a nose with a dog attached, and what that means day to day
- Dog pulling on the lead: 5 mistakes almost everyone makes
- The first 30 days with a puppy: a plan for weeks 1 to 4
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI Standard No. 300 Black and Tan Coonhound (fci.be, German and English versions dated 04.10.2002, valid original standard dated 30.01.1991); McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024 (breed listed but not analysed); Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Disease Statistics (hips, elbows, eyes); Pieples LA et al., Identification of an F13A1 frameshift variant associated with factor XIII deficiency in a Coonhound dog with severe coagulopathy, 2026; Cummings JF et al., Coonhound paralysis. Further clinical studies and electron microscopic observations, 1982; Holmes DF et al., Experimental coonhound paralysis, 1979.
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