American English Coonhound Dog Breed: Pictures, Info, Care & More

The English Coonhound, also known as the American English Coonhound, is an adored family companion and prized hunting dog. This medium to large breed is the fastest of the six Coonhound breeds and has similarities with other hunting hounds and Beagles.

This dog has a rich and long history! They’re a product of settlers from Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. They brought Foxhounds with them to help them hunt. The American English Coonhound is the descendant of these dogs.

Breed Overview

The American English Coonhound is well-renowned for their speed, endurance, and athleticism. If you are an active person who loves the outdoors, this breed will make a great companion. However, they are not well suited for apartment living; they will thrive best in a house with a yard.

This breed was accepted into the American Kennel Club Foundation Stock Service (AKC) in 1995. However, they got full and formal recognition in 2011, which allows them to compete in the National Dog Show.

If this pup sounds like a perfect option for your home, here’s all you need to know before getting one.

English Coonhound Characteristics

English Coonhound Puppies

These active puppies will love homes with big yards. They are friendly and social. Due to the popularity of this breed, you can easily find one at a rescue shelter. Puppies from a shelter will typically cost less than a breeder.

Since this is a competition dog, the pedigree and their show dog capacity determine the cost. If the specific dog has superior agility to compete or comes from a more potent lineage, you’ll need to pay more.

Before you take the puppy home, get health records from the breeder to get an overview of the dog’s health and lineage. The breeder should also show you how they take care of their puppies. By doing this, you’ll have better information on how to take care of your dog in case of medical conditions.

Temperament & Intelligence of English Coonhounds

As a hunting dog, this breed loves to explore around. They tend to be quiet and calm at home but get active once outside, and they require regular physical and mental stimulation. If socialized well, they love spending time with people and meeting new people. They are also nesters and will curl around blankets and warm spaces in the house.

English Coonhounds are excellent family dogs and can get protective when there are strangers. This dog will alert you when there is an intruder by barking and howling.

These dogs also have an intense and ear-piercing howl. Therefore, if you live in an apartment, they might not be the best option, especially when the barking goes on for a long time. If your pet was not properly socialized as a puppy, they could chase small dogs and cats as prey.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 👪

This breed is loving, loyal, and eager to please. As long as they are socialized when young, they do well around children of all ages. Their loud howl makes them a good choice for a guard dog.

In case they feel attacked, the English Coonhound will be defensive and protect the family. They have a pack mentality; therefore, they keep the family close. They are obedient and calm and will keep your child company for many years.

If you have young kids, they should get training on how to handle this breed. The English Coonhound is typically a large dog, so they will need supervision around small children.

This pup requires intense training and activities. If you or members of your family are not active, they can be quite a handful. In this situation, you should consider getting another dog instead.

Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets?

Due to their pack mentality, English Coonhounds will get along well with other dogs. If you put them together with dogs from the same breed, they will interact, play, and hunt as a pack. However, when put together with smaller animals, such as cats, they’ll treat them as prey if not well socialized.

If you bring in a new small pet or cat to your home, you’ll have to keep them separated from the dog.

Things to Know When Owning an English Coonhound

An English Coonhound has specific dietary needs, medical issues, grooming, and exercise requirements that you need to know. Here are some of the critical things to consider.

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

Once you get the English Coonhound, you need to have a budget for their food. This medium to large dog requires about 3 cups of food per day. As a highly active breed with a fast metabolism, they need food to replenish their energy and boost muscle development.

You can split their meals into twice a day, depending on your dog’s level of activity, metabolism, age, and size. For young puppies, ensure that their daily diet has lots of proteins to aid in proper growth.

Exercise 🐕

The energy levels for this breed are high. Therefore, they’ll need to burn this off daily. Have the dog exercise for 60 to 90 minutes daily or incorporate their session as you go for a jog or a hike.

During these sessions, remember to have your pet on a leash just in case they pick up a scent or chase a smaller animal as prey. It might be hard to settle them down by just using commands. These dogs will also enjoy a walk in the dog park to socialize with other canines. You can play a game of fetch to keep them active too.

Due to their exercise needs, this dog is not ideal for apartment living or houses without yards.  If they don’t get enough exercise, they can easily become bored, depressed, anxious, hyperactive, or destructive. If you don’t have a spacious yard for your pup to run in, it might be better to go for another breed.

You could also decide to get your dog active in competitive outdoor canine sports since they’re a hunting breed. Some organizations plan events like night hunts and field trials. You can enroll your pet in any of these activities to keep them active.

Training 🎾

English Coonhounds are eager to please. This makes it easier to train them to take commands. In addition, they pick up instructions quicker if given firmly without scolding or yelling.

However, to ensure they understand things faster, you’ll have to socialize and train them as puppies. Poor socialization can make them aggressive and dominant. They need to get exposed to different people, places, sounds, and animals.

The challenging part about training is when there are smaller pets around. This breed has a prey drive that can make it harder to streamline their sessions, especially if they were also not socialized early.

Grooming ✂️

English Coonhounds are low maintenance with regards to grooming. They have a short rough coat that has minimal shedding. You can have a weekly brushing session to minimize the amount of hair shed. Only use shampoo when it’s necessary, to avoid drying out the skin.

Trim their nails about once a month. You can have your vet show you how to do it or get a groomer to do it for you. Also, brush your dog’s teeth two to three times a week to keep them healthy.

Their floppy ears can be a host for potential infections. Clean them regularly, and check for ear infections once a week. By doing this, you will prevent a build-up of earwax and ear infections.

Health and Conditions 🏥

This dog breed is typically healthy. However, they’re still prone to some diseases that you should know about.

Ear Infections

Like most hounds, English Coonhounds have large floppy ears. If not cleaned properly, they can develop infections or become inflamed. To avoid this problem, ensure that you clean your dog’s ears frequently.

Hip and Elbow Dysplasia

Like many other large dogs, this breed is disposed to hip and elbow dysplasia. This knee and elbow dislocation is genetically inherited and causes the dog to have joint issues. To know whether your dog will have these conditions, you should get them tested by the breeder.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy

This condition is a group of degenerative diseases that affect these photoreceptor cells in the eyes. Once your dog gets this disease, the cells deteriorate over time and can lead to blindness.

Pulmonary Histoplasmosis

English Coonhounds can get this chronic, non-contagious fungal infection caused by soil-dwelling fungi. To determine whether your dog has this infection, watch out for signs that include fever, depression, weight loss, and loss of appetite.

Bloating

Your dog can get bloated when the food is not well digested. The bloating can also affect the regular blood supply in your pet’s body, putting them at risk.

Male vs. Female

Both male and female English Coonhounds have the same features and characteristics. They grow to about the same height and weight and have a similar appearance. Therefore, if you are considering getting one for your family, you can choose either sex.

3 Little-Known Facts about the English Coonhound

1. This breed was made famous by George Washington.

The first American president, George Washington, was one of the first owners of the English Coonhound. Having originated in Europe, they started being primarily bred in America.

After the Revolutionary War, Washington developed an interest in foxhounds and continued breeding them for hunting. These foxhounds were used to produce new generations of English Coonhounds.

2. They have a great sense of smell.

Compared to other dogs, American English Coonhounds have unique abilities. For example, they can climb up trees to hunt raccoons, unlike most other breeds. However, this was not always the case.

During the early years, the Emglish Coonhound struggled to keep up with the scents of their prey, which significantly affected their hunting abilities. To correct this, breeders crossed the Coonhound with Bloodhounds, which had stronger smelling skills.

From this breeding, the English Coonhound became an improved species that could hunt better.

3. They were recognized by the AKC in 2011.

Despite existing in the U.S. for many years, this breed got official recognition not that long ago. This delay was because there are other Coonhounds, among them the Bluetick Coonhound and the Redbone Coonhound.

Over the years, the English Coonhound started gaining recognition as a separate breed. In 1995, the Foundation Stock Service from the AKC acknowledged them as a distinct species from Coonhounds and Foxhounds.

The official recognition came in 2011, when the breed got cleared for competition in the Hound category.

Final Thoughts

If you need an active breed, you should go for an American English Coonhound. This friendly and loyal pup is good with families and kids and can get along with other pets if socialized well. Since they were bred as a hunting dog, they can be protective of their family.

This breed will work well if you have a yard for them to run around in and burn off some energy. On top of this, you should schedule periods of exercise for an hour or more each day, since this dog is an active breed.

Take them along as you jog or hike to keep them happy. They will not be a perfect fit for an apartment due to their high energy and because they bark and howl a lot.

American English Coonhounds are low maintenance in terms of grooming and are generally healthy. However, you should get all the background information from the breeder to ensure that your dog is not prone to genetically inherited diseases. If you need an active hunting dog, this is the pup for you.

See also:

• Bloodhound vs Coonhound
• Most Popular Hound Dog Breeds

Featured Image Credit: Richard Pross, Shutterstock