Treeing Tennessee Brindle vs Black and Tan Coonhound - Breed Comparison

Descendent of the English Talbot Hound, the Black and Tann Coonhound is nevertheless an American creation. Developed by crossing the Black and Tan Virginia Foxhound with the Bloodhound in the very early years of the American experience. It is said that George Washington owned several. The very first Coonhound that was given American Kennel Club registration was the Black and Tan in 1945. They had been admitted to the United Kennel Club in 1912. The Black and Tan Coonhound is a traditional hunting dog – known by hunters as a “trail and tree hound”. This is a dog that finds its prey and trees it. They have incredibly strong instincts to hunt and need to hunt. They can track their prey for miles and if they have a scent you cannot get their attention back. They have been valued because they can “cold track”, following the scent of an animal that left the scene long ago. They are known to have tracked mountain lions and bears as well as deer and coon. They were developed to keep the American settlers safe and well fed, but also to keep them company on the trails or by the fireplace. They are the American Dog.

There doesn’t seem to be 100% clarity on how the dog came about but it originated in USA. It appears as though it was only since 1995 that records have been maintained through the American Kennel Club's Foundation Stock Service Program.

A Reverend Earl Phillips, who was a writer for a hunting magazine became aware of a Brindle Cur with a brown coat and tiger stripes. In fact ‘treeing’ is a type of hunting, where the dog chases an animal into a tree to escape. He heard about the dog’s amazing hunting skills.

In the early 1960s, he later formed The Treeing Tennessee Brindle Breeders Association, designed to protect the breed. It was in 2013 that the dog got foundation stock status with the American Kennel Club, but isn’t registered with the American Kennel Club.

The Black and Tan Coonhound looks like we all imagine a coonhound would look. They have strong and muscular legs, an oval skull and a scissors bite. They have brown or hazel eyes that are very expressive. The ears of course are long like the bloodhound, far back on the head and thin. His nose is amazingly sensitive as he is scent hound. His nostrils are always black. He is a large, strong dog.

The Treeing Tennessee Brindle is a medium sized, deep chested breed of Cur, descending from the Old Brindle Cur dog.

These strong dogs have a short, smooth brindle coat that is fairly soft to the touch. The coat's color is a mix of tan, black and a little bit of white.

He stands at between 41 and 61cm in height and weighs between 14 and 23kg both male and female. The Treeing Tennessee Brindle has a loud bark and it is best that this dog lives on a farm or in the suburbs as opposed to living in a small space in the city.

Temperament:

The Treeing Tennessee Brindle is a friendly, social dog and this is why he doesn’t make a particularly good watchdog.

He gets on well with children in the home as well as other dogs, not showing any aggression towards them.

They’re intelligent dogs and it will be a good idea to have them trained and socialized to make them well balanced and well behaved.

The Black and Tan Coonhound is intelligent, calm, affectionate, independent, strong, and stubborn. They love children and are gentle with them, but they are also very independent and may not do what the child wants them to do in play. They are loyal to their family and will bay at strangers. They are incredibly adaptable and happy-go-lucky. They will end up on the couch or bed so don’t try to fight it. They like cars and enjoy traveling. If you get a BTC be ready for that booming voice.

This brindle-colored cur dog is brave, intelligent and lively and his temperament allows him to be a good companion for his human family.

Even though they are friendly around strangers, they still make good watchdogs and will alert you to all kinds of visitors to your property. They do best in a home with large grounds and an active family where they can explore and sniff around. At the end of the day, they love to lie contentedly at your feet, a loyal, loving companion.

his is a very healthy breed but like any long eared, floppy eared dogs are prone to ear infections and more seriously ear cancer. They can acquire hip dysplasia like any larger dog and they can have eye issues as well.

The Treeing Tennessee Brindle is a robust, healthy breed. You’re not likely to battle with too many health issues with him.

Watch out for ear infections which are more common in floppy eared dogs. Other common dog diseases that you need to know about -

Canine Distemper:

This is a viral disease which is highly contagious and with no known cure. It’s why there is a vaccine against it. Coughing, lethargy, high temperature and loss of appetite with vomiting are symptoms of this disease.

Canine Influenza:

This is another highly contagious respiratory viral infection transmitted between dogs in close proximity to each other, like in kennels for instance.

Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, breathing difficulties, lethargy and loss of appetite. It’s important to get veterinary assistance as pneumonia could set in.

Feeding

This coonhound is a big, rugged, working dog and needs to be fed accordingly. Feed him at least twice a day in smaller portions and not right before or right after exercise. Don’t send him on a hunt with a full stomach. Don’t overfeed.

Health issues

1. Hip Dysplasia – get certification on your puppy tested by breeder
2. Ear Infections – clean daily
3. Ear Cancer – most serious issue facing the breed
4. Eye Issues – cataracts, cherry eye, and eyelid abnormalities such as entropian and ectropian

Exercise and games

Not that the Black and Tan Coonhound is lazy, but he can be a couch potato when he is not working. He needs moderate exercise everyday and he does well at activities like barn hunt and field games. If he does catch a scent outdoors and he is not confined in a fence, he will follow the scent with no attention to your calls at all. He can run for miles on end when pursuing prey, but he’d also enjoy just jogging along side you or your bike. He loves long walks but make sure he is on a leash and can’t follow his nose.

Grooming:

A brush once or twice a week will be sufficient for this dog. Look inside his ears for signs of redness which could indicate an ear infection. Make sure his eyes are still bright and not red and with a pus discharge. Trim his nails too.

Exercise:

The Treeing Tennessee Brindle is a high energy dog and he is going o want more than just a walk every day, although he will love that and rely on you for this daily outing.

He will also want ball games and hide and seek games.The breed needs an active owner who will take him on long walks and hikes.

Diet:

Whenever you opt to give a dog commercially manufactured dog food, you need to check that the dog food is made with high-quality ingredients which are mostly made up of protein or meat.

Certainly a puppy will need protein in his food for proper growth and he will require 4 bowls of food a day. An adult dog will require 2 bowls of food a day.

The type of commercial dog food you buy will depend on the age of your dog as well as his activity levels. If your dog has a known allergy or illness, there are dog foods manufactured with that in mind.

Try and in include some homemade food into his diet. Nothing spicey and exotic as this can cause stomach problems. A good guide is boiled chicken, brown rice and vegetables.