Breed Characteristics:
Apartment Friendly
?How well will this breed adapt to apartment living? Is the apartment size the most important factor when it comes to proper living conditions? Is the breed suitable for apartment living?
Good For First-Time Owners
?Some dogs aren't suitable for first-time dog owners. Is this breed a good match for someone with no dog experience? Can training help them be on their best behavior with owners with no dog experience? Are they suitable to be handled by someone who is just entering the canine world?
Overall Sensitivity
?Some dogs are sensitive. Certain breeds are rough on the outside, while having the softest heart on the inside. In other words, some dogs are 'thick-skinned' while some are 'easygoing.' Is this breed prone to sensitivity?
Tolerates Being Alone
?Separation anxiety in dogs is a serious condition that can affect a dog's life quality. Is this breed prone to this condition? Can you leave him alone for hours? How destructive this breed can become when bored, neglected, or not loved enough?
Affectionate With Family
?How affectionate this breed will be around his humans? Will he welcome new family friends easily or he will choose to be shy? Some breeds can be clingy with owners, while others don't attach a lot. Will this breed act as the family's best friend?
Kid-Friendly
?Some dogs will tolerate children, while others will adore well-behaved ones. Dogs and children should always be supervised, no matter how well trained the dog might be. Will this breed act as a nanny dog or he will stay away from children?
Friendly Toward Other Dogs
?Some dog breeds cannot wait to run to the dog park and run with others. Others prefer to be with their humans, and not to be a part of a multi-pet household. Is this breed dog lover or not? How friendly this breed will be toward other dogs?
Friendly Toward Strangers
?Some dog breeds tend to be reserved toward strangers and highly suspicious. Others are fast to walk away with them easily. How welcoming this breed is toward strangers?
Drooling Level
?If you love to clean all the time drooling level in dogs is a trait that you should mind. Is this breed less likely to drool, or you will always need a towel on hand?
Easy To Groom
?Heavier shedding during the shedding season is something that every dog needs to go through. However, some dogs shed just a bit all year round. Is this breed one of them? How often should you groom this dog?
Overall Health
?What can you expect from this breed in terms of health? Are there any genetic conditions to vary about? Is obesity a major issue in this breed? By knowing more about the dog's health, you are learning how to help him live a longer and healthier life.
Prone To Obesity
?Treats are a great addition to training sessions. Dogs love sweet bites of dog treats but they should be served in moderation. Treats can lead to obesity, next to poor nutrition. Can this breed gain extra weight from treats? How prone to obesity this breed actually is?
Trainability Level
?Training some dogs is easier than others. How easy this dog will be to train? What can you expect? Some dogs are huge people pleasers and they will master commands easily, while others will try to outsmart you.
Intelligence Level
?Dogs are smart beings. We do our best to train them, but they do still end up training us to adapt to their needs. How intelligent is this breed? Will he try to outsmart you? Or he will need multiple training sessions to master basic commands?
Prey Drive
?Dogs were bred for a specific purpose. Those who were bred to hunt have natural instincts to hunt, even today. This is why many dogs, like Terriers, will chase other animals. They will also have a hard time concentrating on your commands when there is something small moving. Is this breed prone to following his prey instincts?
Barking Level
?How vocal this breed is? Can you expect neighbors to ring you often to calm your dog? Or you can sleep without worries of hearing your Fido bark? Some breeds are highly vocal, others have unusual sounds, and some are silent. Is this breed prone to barking?
Energy Level
?Low-energy dogs are happy with regular walks and indoor chill times. High-energy dogs are always ready for action. Is this breed a couch potato, energetic dog, or somewhere in between?
Exercise Needs
?Some dogs are more than happy with a slow stroll down the street. Others need hours of active time to stay happy and fit. Is this breed demanding in terms of exercise? How much exercise this breed needs to stay happy and healthy?
Playfulness Level
?Some dogs never lose that puppy spirit, not even in their senior years. Others are more serious and prefer having a job to do. Is this breed demanding in terms of playfulness? Can you expect playfulness in their senior years as well?
Bluetick Coonhound is a sweet and gentle dog, which is bold, and a bit single-minded.
Among dog lovers, this breed is known for its extremely high prey drive that must be channeled properly, or otherwise, you should expect destructive behavior.
Blueticks are compact hunters of black-and-blue patterns of the glossy coat.
A large male can grow up to 27 inches, while females are smaller. They are well-muscled but sleek, and never clumsy.
Blueticks crave affection and are always deeply devoted to those who provide it.
If neglected they will express their sadness by creating a sound somewhere between barking, howling, and music.
Quick Facts
Real name: Bluetick Coonhound
Nickname: Blueticks
Origin: United States
Breed type: Hound Dogs
Weight: 55-80 pounds (male), 45-65 pounds (female)
Height: 22-27 inches (male), 21-25 inches (female)
Lifespan: 11-12 years
Litter Size: 6-8 puppies
Color: Mottled blue
Coat: Short and smooth
Bluetick Coonhound History
Bluetick Coonhound is an American creation. Their bloodlines go back to before the founding of the country! Yes, this is that old breed.
Many claim that this breed is linked to French staghounds given to George Washington as a gift from his friend, the Marquis de Lafayette.
These dogs were large in size and easy to follow on foot. Breeders did what they could to upgrade a breed a bit. Therefore, they mixed in some English Foxhound with some other hound breeds to develop a high-endurance hunter with a ‘cold nose.’
Interesting fact: Dogs with a ‘cold nose’ can pick up a scent whether it’s several hours or several days old. They can pick it up even after the scent has seemingly gone ‘cold.’
These dogs are known as early Blueticks and were used in pursuit of raccoons, while some used them for pack hunting as a big-game hunter.
In the early 20th century, Fred Gipson, author of “Old Yeller,” wrote about a line of famous Blueticks: “In this breeding, they’ve got a big, bell-voiced hound with a nose that can pick up a week-old trail, the endurance to run that trail 30 hours at a stretch, and the lusty courage that’ll make him tackle anything that won’t take a tree before he catches him.”
Ever since the breed had slight changes.
They are still prone to raccoon chasing, and they are still a mandatory part of famous Southern culture.
The Bluetick Coonhound has been the University of Tennessee’s sports mascot since 1953.
Bluetick Coonhound Physical Appearance
The Bluetick should always have the appearance of a well-muscled hound. This dog is known for its neat and compact body, and glossy coat.
The head is broad, while the eyes are large and set wide apart in the skull. Ears are thin and set low, while the nose is large with well-opened nostrils. The neck is muscular and of moderate length.
Ribs are long and well-sprung, while the loin is broad and well-muscled. Legs are straight, muscular, and well-boned.
Hips are strong and thighs have muscular development, while dewclaws are removed. The coat is fixed close to the body, appearing glossy and smooth, being not rough or too short.
Bluetick Coonhound Personality
Bluetick Coonhound is known for his calm nature and friendly personality. In fact, this dog’s tail always seems to be wagging, and that can only be seen in dogs with a really calm demeanor.
This dog is extremely loyal and loves nothing more but to spend time with his humans, indoor or outdoor. They have quite energetic behavior and they need proper exercise and outdoor time.
Bluetick Coonhounds tend to get along well with people and have a reputation as extremely loving humans.
They are known for getting along with children as well – just make sure that you educate your children on how to behave around dogs, to respect their space, and do not disturb them while eating and sleeping.
They were bred to live and work in packs, which means that they usually get along well with other dogs.
The only issue may be with small dogs, because these colorful dogs have not been socialized around small dogs, and may see them as prey animals to be hunted and possibly killed.
It’s always safer to properly introduce your Bluetick Coonhound properly to new dogs and socialize them properly.
Bluetick Coonhound Temperament
Bluetick Coonhounds are hunting dogs. They have been bred for hunting for centuries.
As a result, they have an extremely high prey drive and a significant amount of aggression toward non-human and non-canine animals.
They have an instant urge to pursue and kill animals such as opossums and raccoons, which move to cats, rabbits, hamsters, and even guinea pigs. However, if raised with other animals and socialized properly, they can get along with other animals nicely.
Still, double-think if the Bluetick Coonhound is a breed for you if you have other animals.
You might want to switch to a breed that gets along easier with other animals, especially smaller ones.
Now, you may think that thanks to their affection toward humans, this breed would be easy to train. However, that’s not the case.
Bluetick Coonhound Grooming
How much do Bluetick Coonhounds shed? Do you need to keep your vacuum cleaner on hand all the time? Or brushing him once a week is more than enough?
In fact, when it comes to grooming your Bluetick Coonhound, you can expect low maintenance, because brushing once per week should be enough to rid of loose and dead hair.
Having the best grooming tools on-hand help, but when it comes to brushing your Bluetick Coonhound a grooming glove should be fine.
This glove is soft on its skin and coat while removing dead hair. A glove can be easily and safely used on the dog’s face and legs as well. To let some shine, you can use a soft and boar’s hair bristle brush.
Always brush your dog from his head and move toward its tail. Trim nails once per month, because long nails interfere in their energetic running and jumping.
Check and clean ears regularly, next to regular gum check, teeth check, and coat check for any sign of infection, fleas or wounds, and scratches.
Bluetick Coonhound Training
If you already have experience with dogs, you will find training your Bluetick Coonhound to be an easy process. However, if this is your first dog, you are in for a bumpy ride.
Make sure that this breed fits your needs – also, check which dog breeds are highly recommended for first time dog owners.
If you feel that training your Bluetick Coonhound is too much work for you think about hiring a professional dog trainer or enroll in puppy classes.
This is an independent breed, and as such they are known for being stubborn and difficult to work with. They have so-called selective hearing and will often ignore them if they want to.
This doesn’t mean that this breed isn’t possible to train. No, it just means that you will need to invest more time into training.
You will also need more treats and creativity to keep him entertained and happy with training sessions.
They are highly motivated by food, so if you want successful training pack treats. Keep training sessions fun, short, and well-structured.
Bluetick Coonhound Health
The Bluetick Coonhound is generally a healthy breed.
If you are dealing with responsible breeders you can be sure that you are getting a healthy dog.
After all, breeders will always present you with medical documentation on the dog and inform you of any possible health-related challenges.
Since this is a deep-chested dog, he may be prone to bloat, a life-threatening condition where the stomach distends and can also twist, cutting off blood supply to organs.
Owners should alwasy educate themself on symptoms of this condition and what to do when bloat occurs. This cannot be mentioned enough, but ears should be checked daily for any sign of infection.
No matter how small or not the change may be, make sure that you contact your veterinarian.
10 Fast Facts On Bluetick Coonhound
The Bluetick Coonhound is a breed of Coonhound that originally comes from the United States.
Originally, they were used for hunting, but over time their role evolved, and today they are mostly full-time pets.
Here are extra facts on this amazing dog breed:
- This breed is originally from Louisiana
- They were officially recognized as a breed in 1946
- It only appears that they have a blue coat, although it’s not blue, but white and black – their coat just gives the impression that they are navy blue
- Female Bluetick Coonhounds are always smaller than males
- They are extremely vocal
- They are unbreakable part of Southern culture
- There is a subgroup of this breed, named the American Blue Gascon Hound
- They are mandatory participants in Coonhound events
- Bluetick Coonhounds are often seen on big screens
- They have that famous ‘cold nose’
The Bottom Line
Now that you know about Bluetick Coonhound’s history, appearance, and grooming needs, you should know if this breed is for you or not.
Before you decide if this breed is for you or not, you should know for sure if you can afford to have a dog.
Getting a dog is a serious decision, and shouldn’t come lightly, because when getting a dog you are actually committing to a years-long obligation.
So, is Bluetick Coonhound the perfect breed for you or not? It depends.
If you don’t want to deal with an athletic and spirited dog, who loves to work outdoors, then this breed isn’t for you.
On the other hand, if you want a medium to a large dog to follow you on the track or long hikes, and loves being clingy and next to his humans 24/7 then this breed is for you.
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