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AKC: Bluetick Coonhound breed overview

Hound group · United States

Bluetick Coonhound

Also called Bluetick

A cold-nosed American hound with a booming voice that follows a raccoon's trail long after it has faded.

The Bluetick Coonhound is a friendly, easygoing hound whose nose and voice rule its life. Training one means working with that nose rather than against it, and patience matters far more than force.

Original AI-generated breed illustration

Weight

20 to 36 kg

44 to 79 lb

Height

53 to 69 cm

at the shoulder

Life expectancy

11 to 12 yrs

Activity estimate

90 to 120 min

editorial daily planning range

Adult-size estimate

18 months

approximate model input

Life with a Bluetick Coonhound

Before you try to train a Bluetick, it helps to understand what the dog believes its job is. For generations, hunters in the American South, especially Louisiana and Tennessee, wanted a hound that would pick up a raccoon's trail at night, sometimes hours after the animal had passed, follow it through swamp and woodland, then hold it up a tree and bay until the hunter caught up. Everything about the modern Bluetick, from its nose to its voice, serves that single task.

The breed grew from French hounds such as the Grand Bleu de Gascogne, which contributed the mottled blue coat, crossed with English foxhounds and American hunting stock. For years these dogs were registered as English Coonhounds, until breeders who preferred a slower, more methodical cold-trailing hound split off in 1946. The AKC granted full recognition in 2009.

Its voice is a large part of the package. A Bluetick bawls with a long, drawn-out note while trailing, then switches to a rapid chop when the quarry is treed, and hunters often recognize their own dog from the sound alone. At home, the same dog is usually relaxed and affectionate, happy to sprawl on the sofa and gentle with children. Outside, near a fresh scent, the rest of the world tends to vanish.

What stands out

Training

Blueticks are intelligent but independent, bred to make their own decisions on the trail far from their handler. That makes classic obedience slow going. Short sessions, high-value food rewards and games built around scent work best; teaching a Bluetick to follow a trail on cue, then rewarding it at the end, gives the nose an outlet you control.

Read the full training guide

Easy to train

Open with strangers

Good with other dogs

A great match for

rural homes with space and tolerant neighbors
hunters and tracking enthusiasts
families wanting an affectionate, easygoing housedog
owners who enjoy long, sniffing walks

Think twice if

loud baying and howling
follows scent and ignores recall
slow to respond to formal obedience
drools and has a distinct hound smell
strong prey drive toward cats and small animals

Personality and needs at a glance

Living together

Good with children

Good with other dogs

Open with strangers

Apartment friendly

Copes with alone time

Energy and character

Energy level

Playfulness

Easy to train

Barking

5 means very vocal

Care and climate

Grooming needs

Shedding

Drooling

Handles cold

Handles heat

How much a Bluetick Coonhound eats

Illustrative calculations for neutered adults at midpoint breed weights, with food at 370 kcal per 100 g and 100 g per cup. These are not measured breed requirements. Use actual weight, the food label and veterinary body-condition advice.

Dog	Weight	Calories	Dry food
Female, relaxed lifestyle	25 kg	1080 kcal	290 g (3 cups)
Female, typical pet	25 kg	1230 kcal	335 g (3.3 cups)
Male, typical pet	31 kg	1450 kcal	395 g (4 cups)
Male, very active	31 kg	1820 kcal	490 g (5 cups)

Full Bluetick Coonhound feeding guide Calculate for my dog

Care guides for the Bluetick Coonhound

FeedingAn active adult Bluetick of around 30 kg (66 lb) often eats 300 to 400 g of dry food a day, roughly 3 to 4 cups, split into two meals. Hunting dogs working several nights a week in season may need more, but pet Blueticks gain weight easily, and many are gifted counter thieves.Read more Puppy growthPuppies grow quickly, typically reaching around 15 to 20 kg (33 to 44 lb) by 6 months and near adult height by a year. Expect a gangly stage with oversized ears and paws, followed by filling out through the chest and shoulders by about 18 months.Read more ExerciseAdults need around 60 to 90 minutes of activity daily, ideally including time to follow scent. Long walks on a 10 m (33 ft) long line, tracking games, mantrailing and hiking suit them well, and some owners join coonhound field events or nose work classes.Read more GroomingWeekly brushing with a hound glove or rubber curry keeps the short coat healthy and reduces the moderate, year-round shedding. Bathe every 1 to 2 months, or sooner if your dog rolls in something ripe, which many do.Read more HealthThe breed is known to be predisposed to hip dysplasia, bloat, ear infections and weight gain. A rare inherited nerve disease, globoid cell leukodystrophy (Krabbe disease), has been reported in some lines.Read more

Things owners are often surprised by

1Registered as English Coonhounds until the United Kennel Club recognized Blueticks separately in 1946
2Recognized by the AKC in 2009
3Descends partly from the French Grand Bleu de Gascogne and English foxhounds
4A cold-nosed hound, able to follow faint trails that are hours old
5Hunters can often identify their own dog's bawl from more than a mile away
6Smokey, the University of Tennessee mascot, is a Bluetick

Bluetick Coonhound questions

What does cold-nosed mean in a coonhound?

A cold-nosed hound can pick up and follow an old, faint scent trail, sometimes many hours after the animal passed. Hot-nosed hounds prefer fresh trails and move faster. Blueticks are known for cold trailing, working steadily and methodically. That makes them excellent trackers but also means they may lock onto a trail on a walk and ignore everything else.

Are Bluetick Coonhounds loud?

Yes. Their deep bawl and chop were bred to carry across long distances at night. Many Blueticks bay at sirens, wildlife and neighbors, and some howl when left alone. Exercise and training help, but noise is part of the breed. They are a poor fit for thin-walled flats or neighbors who complain easily.

Can a Bluetick Coonhound be off lead?

Some can in enclosed areas, but many are never fully reliable in open country. Once a scent grabs them, recall often switches off, and they may run for kilometers. Use a long line in unfenced spaces, practice recall with top rewards, and choose fully fenced areas for free running. A GPS collar is a useful backup for hunting dogs.

Are Blueticks good family dogs?

Many are. Blueticks are usually friendly, gentle with children and sociable with other dogs. They are relaxed indoors when exercised and enjoy lounging near their people. The main challenges are noise, drool, a strong prey drive toward cats and small pets, and a nose that makes recall unreliable. A family with a secure garden and daily walks suits them best.

How is a Bluetick different from a Redbone or Treeing Walker?

All three are American coonhounds. The Bluetick has a mottled blue coat and a reputation for slower, more methodical cold trailing. The Redbone is solid red and generally quicker on the trail. The Treeing Walker is tricolored, lighter and known for speed and a hot nose. Temperaments are broadly similar: friendly, vocal and scent-driven.

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