The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a

breed A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slig ...

of hound descended from the English and

American Foxhound The American Foxhound is a breed of dog that is a cousin of the English Foxhound. They are scent hounds, bred to hunt foxes by scent. History In 1650, Robert Brooke sailed from England to Maryland with his pack of hunting dogs, which were th ...

s. The breed originated in the United States when a stolen dog known as "Tennessee Lead" was crossed into the Walker Hound in the 19th century. The Treeing Walker Coonhound was recognized officially as a breed by the United Kennel Club in 1945 and by the

American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kenn ...

in 2012. The Treeing Walker Coonhound was bred primarily to hunt raccoons, but it is also used on other game such as deer, bears, bobcats or cougars. The breed is vocal with a distinctive bay that allows its owner to identify their hound from great distances. It has a clear, ringing voice that changes to a steady chop at the tree. Treeing Walker Coonhounds tend to do best in working homes.

History

The Treeing Walker Coonhound was developed in the Colonial era from crosses of English Foxhounds. Two breeders from Kentucky, John W. Walker, and George Washington Maupin, are given credit for the breed's initial development. The dogs they bred were referred to as Walker Hounds and were used to hunt raccoons. In the 1800s, a stolen black and tan dog named Tennessee Lead was crossed into the Walker Hound. Tennessee Lead was of unknown origin, but he greatly influenced the Walker. The Walker Coonhound, Treeing, was first recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) in 1905 as a part of the English Coonhound breed, at the request of breeders. The name was later changed to Treeing Walker Coonhound, and it was fully recognized as a separate breed in 1945. It was recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in January 2012, making it the AKC's 174th recognized breed.

Characteristics

The Treeing Walker Coonhound may give an impression of a working dog. According to the UKC standard, it may stand 20 to 27 inches high at maturity, with weight in proportion. The common weight range is 50 to 70 pounds, with males being larger than females. The skull should be broad, with a long muzzle and long, hanging ears. Eyes are dark and have a soft expression. All four legs should be straight when viewed from the front or back, with cat-like, compact feet. In conformation shows, blindness or deafness is a disqualification. The smooth coat is fine and glossy and comes in a tricolor and a bi-color pattern. Tricolor, white with black and tan markings, is preferred, although bi-color dogs, black and white or tan and white, are acceptable. The Treeing Walker Coonhound has a clear bay on the trail, which should change to a distinct "chop" when treed. Its temperament should be kind but fearless and courageous on the hunt. The Treeing Walker Coonhound is bred primarily for the mouth, looks, and ability. It is first and foremost a hunting dog, although it may be kept as a pet. It is described as affectionate and good with children, but its energy requires an outlet and it must be trained. The Treeing Walker Coonhound lives an average of 12 to 13 years.

Temperament

Treeing Walker Coonhounds are loving, intelligent, confident, and enjoy interacting with humans. They make good companion dogs for an owner who understands the characteristics of the breed and is willing to work with their in-bred nature as a hunting dog. On the scent, they are tireless, alert, and intense. At home, they are mellow, sensitive lovers of comfort. Treeing Walker Coonhounds get along well with other dogs and with children. Like most hounds, they are even-tempered and difficult to annoy or drive into aggression towards people or fellow dogs. With training, they will coexist with small animals such as cats, despite their nature as a small-game hunter.

Hunting

The Treeing Walker Coonhound's strong tracking instincts make it popular as a hunting dog, primarily for bear, cougar, and bobcats. Hunting solo or in packs of two or more, they are used to track and tree raccoons,

bobcat The bobcat (''Lynx rufus''), also known as the red lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to North America. It ranges from southern Canada through most of the contiguous United States to Oaxaca in Mexico. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUC ...

cougar The cougar (''Puma concolor'') is a large Felidae, cat native to the Americas. Its Species distribution, range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mamm ...

s, and

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

s. Individual hounds may be adept at catching small animals such as

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

black rat The black rat (''Rattus rattus''), also known as the roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common long-tailed rodent of the stereotypical rat genus ''Rattus'', in the subfamily Murinae. It likely originated in the Indian subcontinent, but is n ...

opossum Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 93 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered Nort ...

s, and

skunk Skunks are mammals in the family Mephitidae. They are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong, unpleasant scent from their anal glands. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or gi ...

s. Because of their speed, Treeing Walker Coonhounds may be used as

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the ...

-hunting dogs in states where hunting of antlered animals with dogs is legal. Although the Treeing Walker is best known as a coonhound, it is one of the most cold nosed dogs around. as other coonhounds. It is the most popular hound for competition coon hunts The treeing walker hound is one of the most popular because it is best known for speed, its cold nose and intelligence, and also for not being an aggressive like the Plot. Their cold nose and intelligence makes them much better for bobcat and cougar hunting, since these animals are normally harder to track than a bear or raccoon.

Notes

References

{{American dogs

External links

Treeing Walker Coonhound Rarebreeds Article on Treeing Walker Coonhound

Video and more information on Treeing Walker Coonhounds

Continental Kennel Club - Treeing Walker Coonhound Standard

AKC - Treeing Walker Coonhound Standard
Hounds Scent hounds Hunting dogs Dog breeds originating in the United States Rare dog breeds