Easily recognized by its unique blueish coat, the Bluetick Coonhound is a member of the hound group of dogs. Thought to be descended from French Bleu Gascogne Hounds (hence the blueish color) and English foxhounds, Bluetick Coonhounds were originally registered as English Foxhounds. Breeders broke from this when they chose not to follow the breed standard of a hot nosed dog and chose to continue breeding Bluetick Coonhounds as cold nosed creating a distinct breed. Prone to slobbering Bluetick Coonhounds have a tri-colored coat that has blue specks in it (which are actually black hairs) and brown spots. The coat requires minimal maintenance. The occasional brushing is all that is necessary. Their eyes are brown and they have excellent eyesight, allowing them to see well at night. Bluetick Coonhounds generally live about 11 to 12 years and reach an average height of 20 to 27 inches and average weight of 45-80 pounds. Described as intelligent and social, Bluetick Coonhounds are fiercely loyal to their families and are good with children but should be watched carefully as some can be a bit aggressive. Bluetick Coonhounds make excellent watchdogs. They will bark loudly and almost uncontrollably when a stranger approaches their territory with their distinctive medium-toned bark, sometimes described as a bugle and sometimes described as loud by nearby neighbors. The bark of an individual Coonhound is easily recognized by its owners. For this, and other reasons, they are not recommended for apartment dwellers. Bluetick Coonhounds are hunters by nature and are not good with other household pets. Though fairly easy to train, when outside, Bluetick Coonhounds should always be kept on a leash, as their hunting instinct will take over, should an interesting scent come their way, and are prone to running off. They will tree small animals, particularly raccoons, if allowed to run free (and there are competitions to test this ability). Bluetick Coonhounds need plenty of exercise. It is best to have a large, fenced in area where they can roam about freely as they tend to get bored easily and need many activities to stop them from becoming destructive. Bluetick Coonhounds do not have any unusual or breed specific health concerns, though inactivity can lead to obesity, and their ears should be checked frequently to ensure they are infection free. But all in all, the bluetick dog breed is a great breed to own as long as you keep in mind the concerns above.
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