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The Redbone Coonhound is a breed of dog. They are widely used for hunting bear, racoon, and cougar. Their agility allows them to be used for hunting from swamplands to mountains, and some can be used as water dogs. The Redbone Coonhound is the only solid colored coonhound. The AKC standard says, "The Redbone mingles handsome looks and an even temperament with a confident air and fine hunting talents." This breed has been registered with the UKC since 1904.
Description
Appearance
The Redbone Coonhound has the lean, muscular, well proportioned build typical to the coonhounds, with long straight legs, a deep chest, and a head and tail held high and proud when hunting or showing. The face has a pleading expression, with sorrowful dark brown or hazel eyes and long, drooping ears.These dogs are great at getting what they want because of their expressions. The coat is short and smooth against the body, but coarse enough to provide protection to the skin while hunting through brush.The paws should have thick pads; dewclaws are common. The nose should be black and prominent. The ears are floppy and should extend to nearly the end of the nose if stretched out. The nose is always black and the coat color is always a rich red, though a small amount of white on the chest, between the legs, or on the feet is permissible, though not preferred. Variations of black fur on the face and muzzle are also common. The toes are usually webbed.
Dogs should be 22-27 inches (56-68.5 cm) at the shoulder, with females slightly shorter at 21-26 inches (53-66 cm). Weight should be proportional to the size and bone structure of the individual dogs, with a preference towards leaner working dogs rather than heavier dogs. Generally, weights will range from 45 to 70 lbs (20.5 to 31.75 kg). Males are typically larger and heavier boned than females and carry a deeper bay.
Temperament
The Redbone Coonhound is an excellent companion and family pet, with some special considerations. They love to be with their owners and family, and are happy just doing things with their humans, or sitting nearby, watching them: a Redbone coonhound who has been left out of the family fun or penned up during the party is often a heartbroken one. Overall, they are very affectionate and loving: they will often leap to their feet barking loudly to greet their master upon his return home and a typical Redbone will shower everyone with love, licking the face off of family and friends if left to his own devices. However, they are also a very boisterous breed: as explained above, adult Redbones grow to a large size. They may not know how big and strong they are when young and thus may accidentally knock over elderly adults and young children if left untrained or never taught the command "heel," so basic obedience MUST be on the agenda with this breed. Very often the redbone can be dubbed an extremely vocal dog, as with many of its close relatives in the hound group, barking and 'baying' at various obstacles and individuals. It takes training to first control their excited, emotional barks, but also to help provide the hounds an outlet for their 'tracking' desires that sometimes drive their vocalizations. If not hunting with the dog, an excellent outlet is to train as a watchdog, seeing that it's a perfect alarm call as well as a highly alert and focused breed.
Redbones do not reach full physical and mental maturity until the age of two years, comparatively slower than many other breeds. Puppies and adolescents are more energetic than adults and need lots of activity or they will become destructive, with chewing furniture, chewing shoes, and snooping around the garbage as particular forms of mischief. When going through obedience training, it is notable that harsher methods will not work with this breed: coonhounds are stubborn but also very sensitive and being overbearing will only result in a broken spirit, a dog terrified of everything. Once trained (and aware of its size) it is typically very gentle with even small children, easily tolerating a curious baby tugging on its long ears.
Coonhounds are in the same group as better known breeds like the Beagle, Basset Hound, and Bloodhound:they are bred to track game both with their noses over long distances, jump over obstacles, and "sing" as they catch up with their quarry. Therefore, this breed likes to chase small animals that may wander into a back garden, like rabbits, squirrels, badgers, or even cats: a Redbone Coonhound owner should have a fence at least 7 feet high to keep the dog in so as to make sure his dog does not follow his nose into trouble and wander from home. Further, this breed, like its relatives, has a very loud baying bark that it will use fervently especially if excited or bored, and thus this breed is not recommended for prospective owners who prefer silence.
Like many hunting dogs, they require a good deal of exercise to be happy and are best suited to the countryside; urban environs are less than ideal but workable so long as they get roughly an hour and a half or more of walking per day. Redbones, especially those kept as family pets have an independent intelligence especially well suited for problem solving. This can be an issue if the problem they want to solve is their backyard fence or the dog-proof garbage. They are able to jump quite high so any fence is preferably a tall one.
History
In the late 1700s, many European type hunting dogs were imported to America, most of them of Scottish, French, English, and Irish ancestry: the English Foxhound, the Grand Bleu de Gascogne, the Welsh Hound, the beagle, and the Bloodhound were among these. Most often, these dogs were imported so that wealthy planters of the Tidewater could mimic the European gentry and engage in foxhunting, with smaller amounts of dogs winding up on small farms. However, after the American Revolution, as settlement pushed farther West and deeper South, hunters found they needed dogs that were much more suited to the environment and wildlife found there: the hounds of Europe at that time were bred to hunt in terrain that did not include bayous, wide open spaces, rugged mountains, cypress swamps, or animals that would fight back viciously like alligators, bears, porcupines, or raccoons. In addition, such dogs were found to be nearly useless unless their prey burrowed into the ground: when confronted with an animal that climbed a tree or (in some cases) tried to throw off their pursuers in deep, swampy water, they would mill about confused (when confronted with porcupines they would sometimes even flee.) Over time, Southern hunters would selectively breed dogs that wouldn't back down, had great stamina, and would tree their quarry: coonhounds.
In the late 1700s Scottish immigrants brought with them red colored foxhounds to Georgia, dogs which would be the foundation stock of the Redbone. Later, c. 1840 Irish Foxhounds and Bloodhound lines were added to the mix. The name would come from an early breeder, Peter Redbone of Tennessee, though other breeders of note are Georgia F.L. Birdsong of Georgia (contemporary) and the 19th Century's Dr. Thomas Henry. Over time, breeders followed a selective program that led to a coonhound that is more specialized for prey which climbs trees than European hunting dogs, was unafraid of taking on large (and ornery) animals, was agile enough to carry on over mountain or in meadow, and liked to swim if necessary. They were ideal for pack hunting of both small and larger prey. Originally, the Redbone had a black saddleback, but by the beginning of the 1900s, they were a pure red tone.
Like many American hunting dogs, especially those from the South, they were widely known and loved by hunters and farmers, but totally unknown in the show ring. Recently, this has changed, and the Redbone has found recognition by the two major American kennel clubs (as of June 2009 it is expected to be formally admitted into the AKC hound group soon.) Unfortunately, for similar reasons it is also an extremely rare dog outside of the United States and is virtually unknown by dog lovers elsewhere; there are very few breeders of Redbones outside of North America.
Today, the Redbone Coonhound is a very much loved and versatile breed of dog. It is treasured increasingly as a family pet in the United States especially in places where there is room to roam and where there are children to play with. In the home they have a very strong desire to please their master and once trained are unflappable companions whose joy is to run alongside his master's bicycle or jump in a backyard pool to play with the children. In the field, Redbones are very tenacious dogs noted for their speed and agility. They are able to track a wide variety of game including groundhog, beaver, raccoons (what it was bred for originally), and feral pigs on most kinds of terrain. They will readily and instinctively tree more dangerous quarry like bobcats, black bears, fisher (animal) and even cougars if given the chance. They are excellent, eager swimmers and will not hesitate to jump in after whatever their master seeks and will often not stop swimming until they have caught their prey or at least caught its scent.
Description
Appearance
The Redbone Coonhound has the lean, muscular, well proportioned build typical to the coonhounds, with long straight legs, a deep chest, and a head and tail held high and proud when hunting or showing. The face has a pleading expression, with sorrowful dark brown or hazel eyes and long, drooping ears.These dogs are great at getting what they want because of their expressions. The coat is short and smooth against the body, but coarse enough to provide protection to the skin while hunting through brush.The paws should have thick pads; dewclaws are common. The nose should be black and prominent. The ears are floppy and should extend to nearly the end of the nose if stretched out. The nose is always black and the coat color is always a rich red, though a small amount of white on the chest, between the legs, or on the feet is permissible, though not preferred. Variations of black fur on the face and muzzle are also common. The toes are usually webbed.
Dogs should be 22-27 inches (56-68.5 cm) at the shoulder, with females slightly shorter at 21-26 inches (53-66 cm). Weight should be proportional to the size and bone structure of the individual dogs, with a preference towards leaner working dogs rather than heavier dogs. Generally, weights will range from 45 to 70 lbs (20.5 to 31.75 kg). Males are typically larger and heavier boned than females and carry a deeper bay.
Temperament
The Redbone Coonhound is an excellent companion and family pet, with some special considerations. They love to be with their owners and family, and are happy just doing things with their humans, or sitting nearby, watching them: a Redbone coonhound who has been left out of the family fun or penned up during the party is often a heartbroken one. Overall, they are very affectionate and loving: they will often leap to their feet barking loudly to greet their master upon his return home and a typical Redbone will shower everyone with love, licking the face off of family and friends if left to his own devices. However, they are also a very boisterous breed: as explained above, adult Redbones grow to a large size. They may not know how big and strong they are when young and thus may accidentally knock over elderly adults and young children if left untrained or never taught the command "heel," so basic obedience MUST be on the agenda with this breed. Very often the redbone can be dubbed an extremely vocal dog, as with many of its close relatives in the hound group, barking and 'baying' at various obstacles and individuals. It takes training to first control their excited, emotional barks, but also to help provide the hounds an outlet for their 'tracking' desires that sometimes drive their vocalizations. If not hunting with the dog, an excellent outlet is to train as a watchdog, seeing that it's a perfect alarm call as well as a highly alert and focused breed.
Redbones do not reach full physical and mental maturity until the age of two years, comparatively slower than many other breeds. Puppies and adolescents are more energetic than adults and need lots of activity or they will become destructive, with chewing furniture, chewing shoes, and snooping around the garbage as particular forms of mischief. When going through obedience training, it is notable that harsher methods will not work with this breed: coonhounds are stubborn but also very sensitive and being overbearing will only result in a broken spirit, a dog terrified of everything. Once trained (and aware of its size) it is typically very gentle with even small children, easily tolerating a curious baby tugging on its long ears.
Coonhounds are in the same group as better known breeds like the Beagle, Basset Hound, and Bloodhound:they are bred to track game both with their noses over long distances, jump over obstacles, and "sing" as they catch up with their quarry. Therefore, this breed likes to chase small animals that may wander into a back garden, like rabbits, squirrels, badgers, or even cats: a Redbone Coonhound owner should have a fence at least 7 feet high to keep the dog in so as to make sure his dog does not follow his nose into trouble and wander from home. Further, this breed, like its relatives, has a very loud baying bark that it will use fervently especially if excited or bored, and thus this breed is not recommended for prospective owners who prefer silence.
Like many hunting dogs, they require a good deal of exercise to be happy and are best suited to the countryside; urban environs are less than ideal but workable so long as they get roughly an hour and a half or more of walking per day. Redbones, especially those kept as family pets have an independent intelligence especially well suited for problem solving. This can be an issue if the problem they want to solve is their backyard fence or the dog-proof garbage. They are able to jump quite high so any fence is preferably a tall one.
History
In the late 1700s, many European type hunting dogs were imported to America, most of them of Scottish, French, English, and Irish ancestry: the English Foxhound, the Grand Bleu de Gascogne, the Welsh Hound, the beagle, and the Bloodhound were among these. Most often, these dogs were imported so that wealthy planters of the Tidewater could mimic the European gentry and engage in foxhunting, with smaller amounts of dogs winding up on small farms. However, after the American Revolution, as settlement pushed farther West and deeper South, hunters found they needed dogs that were much more suited to the environment and wildlife found there: the hounds of Europe at that time were bred to hunt in terrain that did not include bayous, wide open spaces, rugged mountains, cypress swamps, or animals that would fight back viciously like alligators, bears, porcupines, or raccoons. In addition, such dogs were found to be nearly useless unless their prey burrowed into the ground: when confronted with an animal that climbed a tree or (in some cases) tried to throw off their pursuers in deep, swampy water, they would mill about confused (when confronted with porcupines they would sometimes even flee.) Over time, Southern hunters would selectively breed dogs that wouldn't back down, had great stamina, and would tree their quarry: coonhounds.
In the late 1700s Scottish immigrants brought with them red colored foxhounds to Georgia, dogs which would be the foundation stock of the Redbone. Later, c. 1840 Irish Foxhounds and Bloodhound lines were added to the mix. The name would come from an early breeder, Peter Redbone of Tennessee, though other breeders of note are Georgia F.L. Birdsong of Georgia (contemporary) and the 19th Century's Dr. Thomas Henry. Over time, breeders followed a selective program that led to a coonhound that is more specialized for prey which climbs trees than European hunting dogs, was unafraid of taking on large (and ornery) animals, was agile enough to carry on over mountain or in meadow, and liked to swim if necessary. They were ideal for pack hunting of both small and larger prey. Originally, the Redbone had a black saddleback, but by the beginning of the 1900s, they were a pure red tone.
Like many American hunting dogs, especially those from the South, they were widely known and loved by hunters and farmers, but totally unknown in the show ring. Recently, this has changed, and the Redbone has found recognition by the two major American kennel clubs (as of June 2009 it is expected to be formally admitted into the AKC hound group soon.) Unfortunately, for similar reasons it is also an extremely rare dog outside of the United States and is virtually unknown by dog lovers elsewhere; there are very few breeders of Redbones outside of North America.
Today, the Redbone Coonhound is a very much loved and versatile breed of dog. It is treasured increasingly as a family pet in the United States especially in places where there is room to roam and where there are children to play with. In the home they have a very strong desire to please their master and once trained are unflappable companions whose joy is to run alongside his master's bicycle or jump in a backyard pool to play with the children. In the field, Redbones are very tenacious dogs noted for their speed and agility. They are able to track a wide variety of game including groundhog, beaver, raccoons (what it was bred for originally), and feral pigs on most kinds of terrain. They will readily and instinctively tree more dangerous quarry like bobcats, black bears, fisher (animal) and even cougars if given the chance. They are excellent, eager swimmers and will not hesitate to jump in after whatever their master seeks and will often not stop swimming until they have caught their prey or at least caught its scent.
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